Saturday CFB DFS Picks for Week 8: Look to Jordan Maiava vs. Notre Dame

Week 8 in college football might become one of the more important weekends of the season. Every matchup means more as they continue to shape the landscape of the College Football Playoff.

Below, we'll give you the top Week 8 Saturday CFB DFS Picks for PrizePicks on Saturday, October 18, including picks in the marquee college football matchups in the PrizePicks cheat sheet.

There are several huge games in the SEC, starting with No. 5 Ole Miss going to Athens to face No. 9 Georgia at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and the Bulldogs have revenge on their minds after losing in Oxford last year.

No. 6 Alabama gets another test as it hosts No. 11 Tennessee at 7:30 p.m. ET; the Volunteers’ playoff chance could be on the line in this game. Lastly, No. 17 Vanderbilt will host No. 10 LSU in a crucial game, with both teams already having one conference loss.

We also have a renewed rivalry as No. 20 USC goes to South Bend to face No. 13 Notre Dame, with both teams eyeing big wins to enhance their playoff résumes. 

Below, we'll dig into the projections to target for players in each of those matchups, including Heisman candidate QBs Julian Sayin and Jayden Maiava, plus many more QBs, RBs, and WRs to target this week.

PrizePicks is the simplest way to win real money with your CFB picks this Saturday and every week. Just select your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in when your picks are correct.

Let's dive into the top college football DFS picks for Saturday, October 18, on PrizePicks.

Week 8 Saturday CFB DFS Picks for PrizePicks

Here are the top CFB DFS picks for Saturday, October 18, in Week 8 of college football, including PrizePicks picks for Ole Miss vs. Georgia and USC vs. Notre Dame.

Use this analysis to build your PrizePicks CFB Lineups for Saturday's Week 8 games.

USC QB Jayden Maiava vs. Notre Dame Projection: 285.5 Passing Yards

‍No. 20 USC vs. No. 13 Notre Dame Pick – 7:30 p.m. ET

• Maiava is the only quarterback averaging 10 yards per pass and with a minimum of 120 completions.
• Notre Dame is 103rd in passing yards allowed per completion (12.4).
• The USC QB has the second-most passes of 20 or more yards (31).
• The Fighting Irish are 123rd in 20+ yard passes allowed (23).
• The junior’s 90.4 PFF passing grade with a clean pocket is 13th.
• Notre Dame ranks 81st in pressure rate (32.3%), showing an inability to get pressure on opposing QBs.
• It is worth noting that scattered thunderstorms and rain are in the forecast on Saturday night in South Bend, which could add an element of unknown to this pick.

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin vs. Wisconsin Projection: 258.5 Passing Yards

‍No. 1 Ohio State vs. Wisconsin Pick – 3:30 p.m. ET

• Julian Sayin leads the country with a 78.4% completion percentage.
• Wisconsin is 95th in opponents’ completion percentage (65.2%).
• The junior’s 9.7 yards per completion is the fourth-highest.
• The Badgers are ranked 94th in opponents' passing yards per completion (9.4).
• Ohio State is allowing pressure on 23.5% of passing plays (11th).
• Wisconsin is applying pressure on 29.7% of passing plays (107th).

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss vs. Georgia Projection: 292.5 Pass+Rush Yards

No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Georgia Pick – 3:30 p.m. ET

• Trinidad Chambliss has more than 292 pass+rush yards in three of his last four games.
• Georgia head coach Kirby Smart praised the former Division II quarterback, saying that he has “great instincts” as a running quarterback.
• The Ferris State transfer’s 306.8 passing yards per game as a starter is the fourth-highest.
• Georgia ranks 12th in the SEC in passing yards allowed per game to conference opponents (253.2).
• The Bulldogs are 100th in yards allowed after the catch (3.8).

Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy vs. Auburn Projection: 79.5 Rushing Yards

‍No. 16 Missouri vs. Auburn Pick – 7:45 p.m. ET

• Ahmad Hardy is second in the nation in rushing yards (782) and yards per carry (6.8).
• The Mizzou RB’s first game with less than 100 yards this season was in Week 7 against Alabama.
• The Crimson Tide was his first opponent ranked in the top 50 for defensive rush EPA.
• Auburn is third in defensive rush EPA (-0.134).
• The Louisiana-Monroe transfer ranks 24th in rush success rate (54%).
• Auburn is allowing the second-lowest rush success rate allowed (25.4%).

Alabama WR Germie Bernard vs. Tennessee Projection: 74.5 Receiving Yards

‍No. 11 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Alabama Pick – 7:30 p.m. ET

• Germie Bernard leads the team in catches (28), receiving yards (412), and receiving TDs (5).
• The Crimson Tide is the No. 1 team in EPA per dropback (0.356).
• The transfer from Washington is 1 of 26 wide receivers in the FBS to have at least 35 targets and not record a drop.
• Alabama WR Ryan Williams is dealing with an injury, which could mean more opportunities for Bernard.
• Tennessee has allowed a wide receiver to catch for more than 70 yards in three of its last four games.
• Bernard has 30+ yards after the catch in three of six games.
• The Volunteers are averaging 3.6 yards allowed after the catch, which ranks 81st. 

Oregon WR Dakorien Moore vs. Rutgers Projection: 59.5 Receiving Yards

https://x.com/PeteNakos_/status/1966904480483651972

No. 8 Oregon vs. Rutgers Pick – 6:30 p.m. ET

• Dakorien Moore has more than 60 receiving yards in three of his last five games.
• The freshman’s 14.4 average depth of target ranks 22nd among wide receivers with at least 34 targets.
• Rutgers is 121st in opponents' average depth of target (9.3).
• The Scarlet Knights are 123rd in defensive success rate (45.3%).
• The five-star recruit will likely be covered by Rutgers CB Bo Mascoe, who has allowed 9 catches for 159 yards in his last two games.

Maryland RB DeJuan Williams vs. UCLA Projection: 45.5 Rushing Yards

Maryland vs. UCLA Pick – 7 p.m. ET

• DeJuan Williams has more than 45 rushing yards in two of his last four games.
• The freshman has double-digit carries in each game this season.
• UCLA’s 38.2 rush attempts allowed per game are 98th.
• The Bruins rank 91st in defensive rush success rate (43.6%).
• UCLA is 131st in defensive EPA per rush (0.098).
• Interim head coach Tim Skipper’s defense has allowed a 50+-yard rusher in each game this season.

Make Week 8 CFB DFS Picks on PrizePicks

With five games between top 25 teams, including a top ten matchup on Saturday, Week 8 of college football could be one of the more critical weekends on the college football schedule — and it's going to create all-day entertainment.

Whether you're watching the SEC matchup of Ole Miss vs. Georgia or the rivalry game between USC and Notre Dame, PrizePicks is the best way to cash in on your college football picks.

Just pick your players — including Jayden Maiava and Germie Bernard   — predict More or Less on their stat projections, and get paid when your picks are correct on PrizePicks CFB.

Stay locked in on the Playbook for more CFB DFS picks and college football predictions throughout the 2025 season.