Welcome to Week 9 DFS pick ’em predictions.
We kept the momentum rolling last week with two hits, while the third play got voided after Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson was ultimately ruled out. Since Week 6, this column has now strung together eight straight wins.
Here are three more DFS pick ’em predictions for the Week 9 slate.
Ole Miss wide receiver Deuce Alexander comes in lower than 87.5 receiving yards
Alexander has gone below this number in each of his last three games, and the profile helps explain why. He owns just over a 24% target share in the Ole Miss offense, which is solid but not dominant.
When the ball does come his way, he’s catching about 68% of those targets on roughly nine looks per game. That’s good production, but not the kind that screams automatic ceiling game.
He’s not relying purely on splash plays, either. His average depth of target sits around 10 yards, and his explosive reception rate is below average at 19%.
In two of five games, Alexander accounted for under 30% of Ole Miss’s receiving yards. Even in two other games during that stretch, he still finished below 87.5 receiving yards.
Iowa State running back Aiden Flora comes in lower than 81.5 rushing yards
Flora has put together a huge season, but the numbers are padded by two blowout-style performances against West Virginia and Bowling Green. More than 400 of his 716 rushing yards have come in those two games alone.
Against better competition, the production has been more modest: 4.7 yards per carry versus Iowa, 4.2 against Utah, 5.1 against BYU and 3 against Arizona. Oklahoma State’s run defense isn’t elite, but it’s nowhere near the level of West Virginia or Bowling Green, both of which rank outside the top 100 nationally in EPA-per-rush allowed.
If Flora is sitting around 4.5 yards per carry in this matchup, he’d need about 19 carries to get past this line. He’s reached that carry total only twice in seven games this season.
Iowa State also has quarterback Jaylen Raynor eating into the rushing pie, with 45 true rushes on the year. And with the Cyclones listed as 9.5-point underdogs, the game script points toward more passing in the second half.
Mississippi State running back Fluff Bothwell comes in lower than 66.5 rushing yards
Bothwell is a quality back, but the setup is rough for him and Mississippi State, especially without Kamario Taylor. The betting market is pointing to roughly 15 points for the Bulldogs, which doesn’t leave much room for a big day on the ground.
Texas brings an elite rushing defense to the table, so Bothwell could easily be held closer to 3 yards per carry than the 5.6 he’s posted this season. There’s also the injury report to consider, since Bothwell has been listed on it this month. If Mississippi State falls behind by 20 or more, it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll even keep seeing meaningful carries in the second half.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Just Landed In The Arch Manning Rumor Storm
Arch Mannings name is suddenly back in the transfer conversation after a difficult 2026 season at Texas, and the rumor mill has quickly widened beyond Austin. Former ESPN analyst David Pollack said an SEC coach floated the idea that Manning could leave the Longhorns, with Georgia mentioned as one possible landing spot, while other insiders have pointed to Ole Miss as another program worth watching. For Rebels fans, the connection is obvious enough to stir interest, given the family ties and the programs long history of chasing big quarterback headlines.
For now, though, Manning has not said anything publicly about the speculation and remains committed to Texas. Still, the fact that Ole Miss is being mentioned at all speaks to how quickly a quarterback situation can turn into a national storyline, especially when a name as recognizable as Mannings starts drifting into the rumor storm. Whether this is the start of something real or just offseason noise, it is the kind of chatter that will keep the Rebels in the frame until there is a clearer answer. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Suddenly Has A Linebacker Concern Fans Can't Ignore
Ole Miss had to navigate part of its Auburn game without Luke Ferrelli after the linebacker exited early and did not return for the second half because of an unspecified injury. His absence was notable not just because he had been listed as probable on the availability report before being removed, but because he has become one of the more closely watched pieces of Pete Goldings defense.
Ferrellis situation also sits against a noisy backdrop that has followed him since his transfer, with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney publicly accusing Ole Miss and Golding of tampering and an NCAA investigation still ongoing. For Rebels fans, the immediate concern is obvious enough: a linebacker room already under a spotlight now has another health question hanging over it, and the timing only adds to the unease. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has A New Backfield Name Fans Need To Know
The Rebels have been leaning harder on Shekai Mills-Knight lately, and the sophomore has started to make his presence felt. With Kewan Lacy sidelined by injury, Mills-Knight got a bigger slice of the workload against Auburn and made the most of it, piling up a career-high 55 rushing yards and finding the end zone in the first half.
For Ole Miss, it is another reminder that the backfield depth matters as the season wears on. Mills-Knight, a Montreal native who starred at Baylor School in Tennessee and arrived as a four-star recruit in the 2025 class, has given the offense a useful spark while the Rebels wait for Lacy to return, and his emergence adds another name fans will want to keep in mind. [Read more 🡒]