This is a very tough week on DraftKings. So many teams and studs are off the main slate this week. The Rams, Saints, and Falcons are on a bye week. The Texans are playing early in London. The Patriots and Ravens are on SNF, and the Cowboys and Giants are on MNF. It’s not leaving us with much to work with here, but that doesn’t mean a Milly Maker winning lineup isn’t there for the taking. Time to dig those heels in and really find what we’re working with here.
Let’s get it.
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Quarterbacks:
- Matthew Stafford ($6,800)
- One of the few games this slate I want to target, we can rely on Stafford to provide us with offensive fireworks in what should be a high scoring game. The run game is depleted and barely leaned on, and the Raiders defense has been pretty poor.
- Jameis Winston ($6,100)
- Real life Jameis? Bad. Fantasy Jameis? Pleasantly decent. Here’s another team that rarely uses their running game while relying on their twin headed monster of a receiving core. The Seattle defense is no longer at Legion of Boom status, and both Godwin/Evans have favorable matchups against their secondary. Another high scoring game that should have Winston throwing plenty.
- Derek Carr ($5,500)
- Carr and the Raiders offense have been sneaky good this year — one of the lone bright spots of the team’s 2019 season. Facing off against Stafford, Carr gives you the cheaper and lower floor play in the game, but with similar upside because of the high scoring game. The Lions dealt Quandre Diggs to Seattle recently which hurt the stock of their secondary, and we saw Danny Dimes take advantage with a 322 yard and 4 score game trying to keep up with Stafford.
Running Backs:
- Dalvin Cook ($9,500)
- Chalky play here, but I love the matchup Cook has this week against the Chiefs who are notoriously bad against the run and against pass catching backs. Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams both torched the Chiefs on Sunday night, meaning I have full confidence that Cook can do that and more. Backs like him who catch lots of passes are a rare breed and delicacy in DFS.
- Le’Veon Bell ($7,700)
- He’s been very underwhelming this year, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel (schedule) for Bell and this Jets offense. What better way to reassert yourself amongst the NFL’s best than with a game against the Dolphins. James Conner went bananas on them last week, and Bell is trending toward a massive touch increase after a season-low 8 carries last week. Water finds its level here.
- Nick Chubb ($7,300)
- Had it not been for the two fumbles, Chubb would have been right at the 20 point mark against a historically good Patriots defense. It’s clear that he is the team’s best option on offense as Mayfield and the passing game continue to struggle. Going into Denver won’t be any easier for Baker and the receivers, so I’d expect Cleveland to rely on Chubb to move the ball and see a substantial amount of carries this week.
- Derrick Henry ($5,700)
- Do you feel that? A disturbance in the air. The Derrick Henry eruption is coming folks. If you listened to last week’s DFS show with Ian Hartitz, then you cashed in on his favorite play of the week in Tevin Coleman. Taking advantage of the Panthers run defense, Coleman went insane and we’re lining up for another big day this time for Henry. His numbers go up as the year goes on, and he’s still being fed the ball at a high rate. I can feel the Derrick Henry game coming. Deep down in my plums.
- Mark Walton ($4,500)
- I don’t feel great writing this out, but few players down at this price will see touches similar to Walton this week. The Dolphins are only 3 point dogs this week, meaning they might actually have a chance at winning and not spending the whole game playing catchup throwing the ball. Kalen Ballage has been a non-factor and Walton’s lead dog role along with his receiving work makes for a value play if going cheap on a RB.
Wide Receivers:
- Allen Robinson ($6,800)
- This poor guy. Stuck with a shit QB, yet still manages to put up good fantasy numbers. Imagine if he had a real QB to work with? Anyways, plus matchup here for Robinson and Bears pass catchers against a leaky Eagles secondary that’s been getting torched left and right. His target volume numbers are great and he’s been racking up the yardage as well. Should he get into the end zone, it’ll be a huge day for ARob.
- Tyrell Williams ($5,900)
- This guy just won’t stop scoring touchdowns. He’s seriously scored in every game that he’s played in. We love to see it as the Raiders WR1, he just need his reception totals to climb to make him even more dangerous. This expected shootout should garner a high target number for Williams, and he’s got a top 5 WR/CB matchup according to PFF with Rashaan Melvin.
- Robby Anderson ($5,500)
- The ‘Cum Cave’ patented by Wolf, has been up and down with the return of Sam Darnold, but all signs are pointing up this week against Miami. Similar to Le’Veon, it’s a prime spot to bounce back should he avoid Xavien Howard. His big play ability will always be intriguing for DFS.
- Danny Amendola ($4,700)
- While I love Kenny G this week, Amendola also makes for a fantastic play out of the slot. Amendola actually owns the best WR/CB matchup rating this week against Lamarcus Joyner. He’s averaging 8 catches for 100 yards his last two games and finds himself in a great spot to continue that trend against in Week 9.
- DeVante Parker ($4,400)
- As much as I want to like Preston Williams this week, it’s the DeVante Parker (ew) train I’ll be riding this week. He’s been a staple of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s passing game and is putting up better and more consistent numbers in Miami’s offense. What’s also helping Parker is his touchdown equity, unlike Williams who has yet to score this season.
Tight Ends:
- Hunter Henry ($6,000)
- Since his return from injury, Henry was been one of the best tight ends in terms of his usage. Good target numbers, catches, and yardage as Rivers has locked onto him as one of the top options in the Chargers offense. The Packers have been stingy against opposing WRs, but more susceptible to TEs which should benefit Henry.
- TJ Hockenson ($3,700)
- The Raiders have really struggled against tight ends this year, as we saw last week with Darren Fells scoring twice for the Texans. Hockenson has been very quiet since his Week 1 eruption, but the stars are aligning for a solid game here in Week 9.
Defense
- Denver Broncos ($2,900)
- The Denver defense has molded into the defense we were expecting to see under Vic Fangio and they’ve been extremely good defending the pass and limiting teams in their offensive production. With the Browns coming to town this week, it’s a good spot for plenty of Baker sacks and possible turnovers.
- Pittsburgh Steelers ($2,400)
- This Steelers defense is one of the only things keeping the team in contention of most games. They’ve been relentless to the ball generating lots of sacks and turnovers with five straight games of double digit DK points. The Colts come to town this week who really struggled on offense against the Broncos.
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.
