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CFB DFS: Week 8 – Saturday Main Slate Preview
Matchup-by-matchup analysis with top plays, fades, pivots, bargain options, injury notes, and Mike’s Core Four.
★ Top Play
↓ Fade
↔ Pivot
$ Bargain Bin
+ Best of the Rest
! Injury Notes
↓ Fade
↔ Pivot
$ Bargain Bin
+ Best of the Rest
! Injury Notes
MEMBERS-ONLY ACCESS
theCFFsite’s Heisman Members can view the full article, and Heisman/All-American Members can access the Weekly Player Projections. Become an All-American or Heisman Member for our exclusive members-only content and access to theCFFsite Discord, or access this week’s DFS write-up and Player Projections with a one-week membership pass. See 2026 membership options here.
LSU
WEEK 8
VS
Auburn
SPREAD
LSU -7.5
O/U
51.5
IMPLIED SCORE
LSU 29.5 – Auburn 22
WEATHER
64 degrees / 0% rain / 10 mph winds
LSU
★ Top Play(s) – RB Dilin Jones ($8,200)
The rushing usage for Jones is exactly what you expect from a Lane Kiffin RB1. 45% of the rushing share. Jones’ usage as a pass-catcher is the biggest surprise, with seven receptions in EACH of the last two games. Auburn’s run defense is the weakness on that side of the ball, giving up 30 FPPG to opposing backfields. When we say opposing backfields, we’re typically talking about multiple running backs. For LSU, backfields = Dilin Jones.
↓ Fade – WR Jackson Harris ($5,800)
Call it a hunch, but there’s enough uncertainty here to warrant some caution. Jackson was absent from this week’s injury report despite spending the second half against Mississippi State in street clothes and a walking boot. We’ll be monitoring pregame warmups closely, but until we get some clarity, we’re limiting our exposure to Harris given the possibility he could be less than 100% on Saturday.
↔ Pivot Play – WR Winston Watkins ($5,000) or WR Eugene Wilson ($4,400)
Watkins and Wilson are the next-best options in LSU’s passing attack, particularly if we get even the slightest indication Saturday morning that Jackson Harris will be limited. The duo ranks first and second, respectively, among LSU receivers in routes run, putting both in position to capitalize on any additional targets.
$ Bargain Bin – TE Trey’Dez Green ($3,800)
He’s back. At least, that’s the expectation after Green was left off Wednesday’s injury report. Of course, Lane Kiffin has a spotless track record of transparency when it comes to injuries (heavy sarcasm). Our general rule is to avoid players in their first game back from injury, and with LSU boasting plenty of capable pass-catchers, there’s little reason to believe Green will immediately command a significant target share.
+ Best of the Rest – QB Sam Leavitt ($8,700)
Leavitt is coming off arguably his best performance of the season, completing 82% of his passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Mississippi State. He’s now topped 21 fantasy points in all but one game this year, with the lone exception coming against McNeese, when he was barely needed in the second half. With one of his top receiving weapons potentially returning, Leavitt’s outlook gets even stronger. This feels like a slate to spend down at quarterback, but it’s difficult to ignore the consistent production Leavitt delivers week after week.
! Injury Notes – n/a
Auburn
★ Top Play(s) – QB Byrum Brown ($7,700)
This would typically be a matchup to avoid, but Brown just put up 30 fantasy points against a Georgia defense comparable to LSU. Despite throwing for just 150 yards and one touchdown against the Bulldogs, Brown continues to offer an elite rushing floor, totaling 35 carries over his last two games and eclipsing 120 rushing yards against two of the SEC’s premier defenses in Georgia and Tennessee. Brown is viable as a standalone option purely because of his rushing upside, which becomes even more important against an elite LSU secondary that should make production through the air difficult to come by on Saturday.
↓ Fade – RB Jeremiah Cobb ($5,900)
As expected, and consistent with what we saw at South Florida in recent years, this rushing attack revolves around QB Byrum Brown. Paying $5.9K for a running back who has yet to eclipse 15 fantasy points in a single game this season is a tough sell, especially against an LSU defense allowing just 14.8 combined FPPG to opposing backfields.
↔ Pivot Play – WR Jeremiah Koger ($4,100)
Rollercoaster season for Koger thus far, who impressed in the first two games, but fell out of favor in the early part of October. While the USF transfer only has two receptions combined over the last two weeks, it seems Koger is back in the primary rotation, playing 62% of the offensive snaps against Georgia. Longshot play, but he’ll have zero ownership.
$ Bargain Bin – N/A.
Nobody playable under $4.0k for the Tigers.
+ Best of the Rest – WR Chas Nimrod ($6,100) or WR Keshaun Singleton ($6,400)
Limit all lineups to maximum one Auburn receiver, and preferably none with how good the LSU secondary has been. The Tigers are 1st nationally in EPA per dropback, 8th in pass D success rate, and giving up a grand total of 30 combined fantasy points to opposing team’s wide receivers. Both Nimrod and Singleton, though, rarely leave the field, playing over 90% of the team’s offensive snaps this season.
! Injury Notes – n/a
Indiana
WEEK 8
VS
Michigan
SPREAD
Indiana -6.5
O/U
41.5
IMPLIED SCORE
Indiana 24 – Michigan 17.5
WEATHER
59 degrees / 0% rain / 5 mph winds
Indiana
★ Top Play(s) – WR Nick Marsh ($7,000) or WR Charlie Becker ($8,000)
In a sense, Indiana and Michigan are mirror images of each other offensively. Obviously, Indiana is far more productive and efficient on this side of the ball, but there’s numerous similarities. First and foremost, the condensed target share at the top with Marsh and Becker combining for 62% of the team’s targets and 15 of the 20 receiving touchdowns. Part of us likes Marsh here, with the fact he needs to make up for his blunder against Ohio State, and facing his former in-state rival from his time with the Spartans the last two years. Narratives.
↓ Fade – RB Lee Beebe Jr. ($6,300)
On Tuesday morning, FanDuel listed Beebe at 59.5 rushing yards. I bet the under, seeing as he’s rushed for 55 total yards in the last two games combined. FanDuel has not reposted his line. With Khobie Martin expected back this week in some capacity, Beebe is a fade at cost.
↔ Pivot Play – RB Turbo Richard ($7,300)
This might be a total avoid if Khobie Martin does indeed play on Saturday, but we don’t want to discount Indiana’s starting RB in a game scenario where the Hoosiers are favored by a touchdown. Richard has out-touched Beebe 25-18 in the last two games. The issue is that if this is a three-way split, the Indiana RBs will face a Michigan defense that allows just 15.5 FPPG to running backs.
$ Bargain Bin – WR Davion Chandler ($3,600)
Chandler was a touchdown machine in the first month and a half with four receiving scores but hasn’t found the endzone in two straight games. Of note, we did see WR Tyler Morris ($3,200) more against Ohio State last Saturday, finishing with two receptions on three targets, and Morris does have the revenge game narrative facing his former team.
+ Best of the Rest – QB Josh Hoover ($7,500)
This is not a game to consider Hoover in our opinion. The Wolverines are 10th in EPA per pass play defensively, 21st in pass D success rate and allowing just 10.2 FPPG to quarterbacks this season. There’s also the concern of a possible lingering injury where Hoover came out for a brief time against the Buckeyes. We’re looking elsewhere at the QB position on this slate.
! Injury Notes –
RB Khobie Martin (Probable)
Michigan
★ Top Play(s) – WR JJ Buchanan ($6,000) or WR Andrew Marsh ($5,200)
Michigan takes the term “top-heavy target share” to the extreme. Buchanan and Marsh combine for 89 of the 127 targets (71%), with no other Wolverine having more than 8 targets for the entire season! Never seen anything like that. We would not stack the duo against this Indiana secondary, but when Michigan drops back to pass, we know it’s essentially going in one of two directions.
↓ Fade – QB Tommy Carr ($5,500)
First career start against the defending champs? No thanks. Our hope is Carr provides a boost to the overall offense, and specifically the passing game, moving forward.
↔ Pivot Play – RB Jordan Marshall ($6,900) or RB Savion Hiter ($5,200)
While Carr only threw for 48 yards, the playcalling drastically changed when Michigan had a QB under center that could throw a forward pass and actually make good decisions. That opened up the run game, as the Wolverines averaged over six yards a carry, BY FAR the best team performance of the year. We likely don’t want either Marshall or Hiter against this Indiana front that is allowing just 14.9 combined fantasy points per game to opposing backfields, but don’t be shocked if Michigan runs the ball better than they have with Underwood.
$ Bargain Bin – TE Hogan Hansen ($3,300)
Michigan is in desperate need of a reliable third option in the passing game, and Hansen has provided a small spark with seven receptions in his last three games. We know Whittingham and OC Jason Beck consistently utilized tight ends back at Utah, and the Hoosiers are giving up over 11 FPPG to the position so far this season.
+ Best of the Rest – N/A.
Michigan is 102nd in scoring, while the Hoosiers are fifth in the country in scoring defense. The only realistic options are the two Wolverine receivers.
! Injury Notes – n/a
MEMBERS-ONLY ACCESS
theCFFsite’s Heisman Members can view the full article, and Heisman/All-American Members can access the Weekly Player Projections. Become an All-American or Heisman Member for our exclusive members-only content and access to theCFFsite Discord, or access this week’s DFS write-up and Player Projections with a one-week membership pass. See 2026 membership options here.
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