2018 Daily Fantasy: DraftKings Week 9 Picks, Sleepers and Predictions

Week 8 had some smash spots in James Conner and Davante Adams having very productive days. Other guys like Jameis Winston and David Njoku much left more to be desired so it was a very roller coaster like week for plenty of players.

QBs:

• Cam Newton ($6,600)
  • He continues to rip his way through 2018 under new offensive coordinator Norv Turner, and now Newton gets the luxury of facing the Bucs defense that has arguably been the worst in the NFL. Per usual, his rushing touchdown and yardage upside gives his already high ceiling a boost. He should continue to feast this week.
• Jared Goff ($6,000)
  • I made the mistake of going with Winston over Goff last week at the same price and it cost me dearly. Now Winston is benched and Goff is playing in an absurdly high projected game total. Shootouts this big often bode well for QBs in action, and the Rams surprisingly come in as underdogs in this game. The Saints secondary can easily be exploited.
• Ryan Fitzpatrick ($5,500)
  • He’s baaaaaaaack. Fitzmagic folks, welcome back to our lives we’ve missed you so much. He came into the game late for Winston, only to lead his Bucs all the way back from 18 points down to a tie before a tough loss as time expired. He only played a quarter of football, and still managed 19.56 DK points playing in catch up mode. He’s gonna be throwing a lot again, facing the Panthers likely to be playing from behind once again.

RBs:

• Todd Gurley ($9,500)
  • It’s getting ridiculous at this point. Gurley continues to throw up about 30+ points a week and is just a magnet to the end zone. The Rams are part of the highest scoring projected game this week, and Gurley’s price somehow dropped after four straight 30+ games. He’s just too locked in right now.
• Adrian Peterson ($6,000)
  • AP went OFF last week, and a big piece of that was the injury to Chris Thompson. Thompson can’t seem to stay on the field, and a matchup with the Falcons is extra juicy as they allow so many points and receptions to opposing backs. If Thompson is still dealing with injuries, and Peterson gets work horse treatment again, he should have a second straight massive performance.
• Latavius Murray ($5,100)
  • The absence of Dalvin Cook has paid huge dividends to Murray’s performance. Three straight 20+ point performances as the Vikings work horse, and he’s looking good doing it. Cook is once again unlikely to play this week, and now gets the Lions defense just carved up by Chris Carson.
• Jordan Howard ($4,700)
  • With the Bears up handily last week, Howard rushed 22 times and found his way into the end zone. The Bears should find themselves in a positive game script all day allowing Howard to run the rock repeatedly with good touchdown upside.
• Isaiah Crowell ($4,200)
  • I’m doubling down on Crowell this week after a Week 8 dud. The game script forced the Jets to throw more and Crowell didn’t see as many snaps as expected with Powell done for the year. Now the Jets get a superb matchup against Miami’s awful run defense in what’s hopefully a solid bounce back game for Crowell.

WRs:

• Adam Thielen ($8,900)
  • Another week, another 100+ yards for Thielen as he continues to produce at the highest level. Thielen should avoid coverage from Darius Slay on the outside, and wreak havoc in the slot. He’s been as consistent as they come and finally out-prices Antonio Brown on the main slate.
• Michael Thomas ($7,600)
  • The former Ohio State and CJay loving wideout started 2018 out on fire. He’s cooled off immensely in the past four weeks, failing to top 20 points in a contest. He’s a perfect positive regression candidate in a plus matchup versus the Rams in a shootout.
• Kenny Golladay ($5,500)
  • Kenny G was overshadowed by Marvin Jones last week who exploded for 2 touchdowns. The Lions dealt Golden Tate to the Eagles at the trade deadline, opening up more targets for Golladay and Jones most likely. You’d expect Jones to draw a matchup with Xavier Rhodes this week, leaving Golladay with a better matchup against Minnesota.
• DJ Moore ($4,300)
  • The Panthers rookie is becoming more and more involved in the team’s offense as the season goes on. Norv Turner has excelled at getting Moore the ball early in the play and letting his playmaker do what he does best in the open field. The Tampa Bay defense has plenty of holes, and this looks like Moore’s best chance of breaking out.
• Cortland Sutton ($3,900)
  • Another receiver benefitting from a trade, Sutton slides into a starting role with the departure of Demaryius Thomas from the Broncos. He’s been a presence in the red zone and has put up good air yardage numbers when Case Keenum looks his way. He’s put up close to 10 points per game operating as the 3rd receiver, so a promotion to the top two should bode well for his numbers this week.

TEs:

• Greg Olsen ($4,700)
  • Since his return, Olsen has played nearly every snap and scored a touchdown in back to back games. The Bucs defense is always a great defense to target in the passing game, and Olsen has been a consistent force in Carolina’s passing game.
• OJ Howard ($4,300)
  • While Jameis might have been the tight end whisperer, Fitzpatrick did hook up with Howard for a touchdown and has been the dominant tight end. Carolina has struggled defending the tight end and Howard has shown why he was drafted in the first round.
• Christopher Herndon ($3,000)
  • The random tight end has actually scored in three straight while drawing a decent matchup in the Miami Dolphins. The Jets also just traded away Terrelle Pryor, so some opportunities could open up for other pass catchers.

Defense

• Chicago Bears ($4,100)
  • Nathan Peterman is starting for the Bills this week, who were so bad against the Patriots and couldn’t score a touchdown on offense. They did manage to throw a pick six for a New England touchdown, so the opportunities are endless for one of the NFL’s better defenses.
• Kansas City Chiefs ($2,700)
  • It’s gotten to a point where streaming against the Browns is back in play thanks to the abundance of turnovers and sacks Mayfield allows. With both Hue Jackson and Todd Haley gone, there could be plenty of confusion among the Browns offense this week adjusting to new coaches.
• Buffalo Bills ($2,300)
  • The Bills defense held the Patriots offense in check all night long and have been solid in defending the pass. They’re playing at home and possibly worth a flier as a super cheap defense.

Do you have any early leans? Questions about which guy you should go with this week? Want to yell at me for missing an obvious play? Sound off below or hit me up on Twitter where you can follow for daily news or advice on players.