I am very ready for Week 9 after whatever it was you would like to call Week 8. I’m just going to blame it on spending the weekend down in Long Island for a wedding so I was a bit preoccupied. Hit on a bunch of receivers though. Whatever excuse I can get. Nonetheless, I am back and ready to attack this slate with 11 games on hand.
So, let’s get started and continue to print out that money.
QUARTERBACKS
Lamar Jackson $7,300
- Fresh off a bye, Lamar Jackson is ready to rock against a Vikings defense who just lost to Cooper Rush and the Cowboys. Lamar obviously possesses high rushing upside, but he’s been throwing the ball at the highest rate of his career with much more success. The schedule lines up nicely for Jackson in a plus matchup this week.
Joe Burrow $6,800
- The Bengals are one of the most pass-heavy teams in the league this year as Burrow looks 100 percent from his knee injury. Not to mention he has possibly the best receiver trio in the league at his disposal. It was a tough call between Burrow and Dak, but Burrow’s health gave him a nudge here. Burrow is a near-lock for over 30 pass attempts and 20-plus DK points, especially in a home divisional game against the Browns — who might be in a tailspin.
Tua Tagovailoa $5,800
- Over his last three starts, Tua has thrown the ball 47,40, and 39 times. Pretty high usage. The Miami running game has been a non-factor, meaning Tua has had to try and carry the load offensively which hasn’t really been working. Against the Texans though, the odds for success are higher and Tua’s connection with his pass-catchers has been on a solid level these past few weeks.
Other intriguing QB salaries: Dak Prescott $6,900 (vs Broncos), Taysom Hill $5,500 (vs Falcons), Jordan Love $4,400 (vs Chiefs)
RUNNING BACKS
Alvin Kamara $8,200
- The Saints lost Jameis Winston for the remainder of the year and will turn to either Trevor Siemien or Taysom Hill. Regardless, both are big downgrades in the passing department, which should put an increased emphasis on the ground game. Luckily, Kamara is a very capable receiver out of the backfield and a home game against the Falcons this week is a plus matchup.
Aaron Jones $7,200
- Somewhat similar to Kamara, Aaron Jones lost his QB for the week with Aaron Rodgers placed on the COVID list. Jordan Love will take over and he’s very unproven in his career. Jones should see increased usage, which should include a handful of targets in the passing game.
Myles Gaskin $5,800
- The king of the odd-numbered weeks, Myles Gaskin has been consistently inconsistent. Gaskin has actually seen good touch numbers with over 12 carries in two straight while being a factor in the passing game. Miami being favored over Houston is big for Gaskin’s stock this week in a favorable matchup.
Other intriguing RB salaries: Devontae Booker $5,900 (vs Raiders), Eli Mitchell $5,800 (vs Cardinals), Boston Scott $5,200 (vs Chargers), Devonta Freeman $4,900 (vs Vikings), AJ Dillon $4,600 (vs Chiefs)
WIDE RECEIVERS
Tyreek Hill $7,900
- This was going to be a huge game for the Chiefs before Aaron Rodgers was declared out. Now it should be significantly easier for the Chiefs, but still, they need to get their offense on track. Mahomes and the entire offense have really struggled outside of Tyreek Hill who has been a saving grace. His target numbers are insane, and his splits are much more favorable in games the Chiefs have won (which they are way more likely to do now).
Marquise Brown $6,000
- Last game, Hollywood only went for 19 DK points on 5-80-1. What’s promising about that performance was how much more he could have gotten with the 14(!) targets that went his way. Recently, Lamar and the Ravens are opening up the offense and Brown has been the most significant benefactor. The Vikings’ defense has really struggled, so Brown should have his pick of the litter this weekend.
Amari Cooper $5,700
- Amari Cooper went off last week with Cooper Rush under center and he’s underpriced this week with Dak back in action. He’s been super productive when the quarterback looks his way, but he hasn’t gotten a consistent number of targets to be an elite weekly WR. With Dak likely to return, and Denver all but giving up on their season, I’ll gladly move down $1.5K from CeeDee Lamb to Cooper.
Tee Higgins $5,300
- While Ja’Marr Chase has gotten all the love of Bengals pass-catchers, don’t forget about how consistent and well Higgins has been playing this year. He opened the season with touchdowns in two straight before an injury kept him out a bit. He hasn’t scored since but is one of the leaders in our expected points model where he should be scoring much more based on his usage. Water often finds its level and Higgins should have an excellent game coming his way.
Brandon Aiyuk $4,100
- Hearing Brandon Aiyuk’s name will trigger those season-long owners who drafted him, but the young receiver is trending upwards. He saw the most snaps, ran the most routes, and had his most targets of the season last week. Now, they have a huge game against the division-leading Cardinals. While Deebo Samuel has been lighting it up, he can’t do everything on his own. Look for Aiyuk to finally wake up.
Other intriguing WR salaries: Deebo Samuel $7,800 (vs Cardinals), Cole Beasley $5,400 (vs Jaguars), DeVante Parker $5,300 (vs Texans), Christian Kirk $5,300 (vs 49ers), Kadarius Toney $5,200 (vs Raiders), Bryan Edwards $4,100 (vs Giants), Rashod Bateman $4,000 (vs Vikings), Mecole Hardman $3,900 (vs Packers)
TIGHT ENDS
Dallas Goedert $4,500
- The receivers on the Eagles are just not getting it done, and with Ertz shipped off to Arizona, Goedert has seen a big bump in target share. This is a tough matchup against the Chargers, but the two offenses should put up points in this one.
Dan Arnold $3,400
- Despite talented receivers around him, Trevor Lawrence just loves throwing to Dan Arnold along with other blah receivers. It’s bizarre, but Arnold is putting up respectable numbers since coming over in a trade. The Jags will be down to the Bills this week, meaning the aerial pie will be open for business.
Other intriguing TE salaries: Jared Cook $3,300 (vs Eagles), Albert Okwuegbunam $2,600 (vs Cowboys)
DST
New Orleans Saints $3,700
- The Saints’ defense looks great after dominating Tom Brady. Now they get a shaky Matt Ryan after he lost his star receiver for the foreseeable future. Playing at home as favorites equals a good game script for turnovers and sacks.
Cincinnati Bengals $2,900
- While they just got torched by Mike White and the Jets somehow, the Bengals could rebound here at home against the Browns. Baker Mayfield is playing hurt and the offense just looks like utter shit.
Kansas City Chiefs $2,300
- The team is a mess currently, but they were gifted a COVID-infected Aaron Rodgers, meaning Jordan Love will start this week. With virtually no starting NFL experience, it could be a deer in the headlights situation for Love upcoming.
Other intriguing DST salaries: Buffalo Bills $4,000 (vs Jaguars), Dallas Cowboys $3,300 (vs 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.