DraftKings Week 9 Lineup Recommendations
DraftKings Week 9 slate is a slightly strange affair. Four teams on a bye and an early game in London have left us with a 10-game featured slate which feels small compared to the 12 & 13-game slates we have been used to. It is also a weird week in terms of betting lines. Four of the 10 game shave a total over 45, with two of those going over 50. Meanwhile, six games are below 45, with two of those sitting below 40. There is going to be lots of contrast on the field this week, and wading through that will be the key to a solid cash return on your DraftKings Week 9 lineup.
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In this article, you will find my DraftKings Week 9 picks on, which are based on matchups, situation, weather and betting lines. The focus of this piece will be looking at upside, and is, therefore, more suited for use in GPP formats. However, the names below can also double up as options in cash games, alongside some safer bets.
Quarterback
Matt Stafford, DET @ OAK | $6,800
Stafford is on a nice run of form right now, having scored over 20 fantasy points in three of the last four weeks. This week he gets a matchup with an Oakland defense which has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks of any team on this slate. Stafford should be all set to make it a fourth week in five over 20 points and potentially his third week this season scoring over 30.
Derek Carr, OAK vs. DET | $5,500
As you can probably tell I am expecting plenty of scoring in this game. Derek Carr broke his 20 point duck for the season last week, and now has the opportunity to go for back-to-back 20 point weeks. The only team the Detroit defense ranks behind when it comes to allowing fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks is Oakland.
Running Back
Dalvin Cook, MIN @ KC | $9,500
With Ezekiel Elliott not on this slate, it leaves three high-priced options to consider. Christian McCaffrey has another tough matchup against the Tennessee run defense, and Le’Veon Bell is not getting the start for me until I see some returns. That means Dalvin Cook, who has scored 27 or more fantasy points in six of his eight games this season, gets the nod. Cook is facing a Kansas City team which is allowing an average of 23.1 FPPG to opposing number one backs.
Josh Jacobs, OAK vs. DET | $6,500
I have been so impressed with Jacobs this season. He has not always wowed on the stat sheet, but the performances are always solid, and he have both a nice floor and a strong potential ceiling. He has yet to carry the ball less than 15 times since Week 3, and has not returned a single-digit DraftKings performance in that time. This week, Jacobs goes up against a Detroit defense allowing an average of over 20 FPPG to opposing number one running backs.
Devin Singletary, BUF vs. WSH | $4,700
Singletary is an upside play here, because his inconsistent usage means there is a lack of safety. Despite looking the more effective runner out of the backfield this season, Singletary continues to sit in the shadow of Frank Gore. However, last week Singletary made good on limited work, which is promising. This week he faces a Washington team which is among the worst in the league at allowing points to opposing running backs.
Wide Receiver
Kenny Golladay, DET @ OAK | $7,700
Golladay put up a monster day last week against New York, and is therefore, priced as one of the top options this week. However, his matchup is very juicy in Week 9. Oakland are one of the worst teams in the league against wide receivers and it seemed last week that DeAndre Hopkins was getting the ball on every other play for Houston. Yes, Golladay is expensive, but the talent and the opportunity are worth the cost.
Juju Smith-Schuster, PIT vs. IND | $6,300
I just cannot pass up this value on Smith-Schuster. Last week against Miami, Smith-Schuster was targeted nine times, pulling in five of those for 103 yards and a touchdown. This week he faces an Indianapolis team allowing an average of over 17 points to opposing number one wide receivers. Mason Rudolph seems to have come back from his injury ready to sling it a little more. Smith-Schuster may be the primary beneficiary of that!
Devante Parker, MIA vs. NYJ | $4,400
Last week was a little bit of a dud for Parker, but there were positives. He has now been targeted 18 times in the past two weeks, pulling in 11 of those. Parker appears to be a huge part of this offense with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. New York are allowing an average of 18 FPPG to opposing number one wide receivers. Parker is exactly that, but one which can be found at a bargain basement price.
Tight end
Hunter Henry, LAC vs. GB | $6,000
Henry failed to really stand out last week but is an interesting option this week. Green Bay are allowing 11 FPPG to opposing TE1 and 14.8 FPPG to the position as a whole. Henry has seen 23 targets from Philip Rivers since his return and could be busy once again against a team who at times simply did not bother to cover Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce.
Jonnu Smith, TEN @ CAR | $3,800
It is looking more and more likely that Delanie Walker is going to be out this week. That means we get more Jonnu Smith, which is a huge bonus. Smith has been good the last two weeks with a 90% catch rate on 10 targets and a combined 29.2 fantasy points. He seems to have a good connection with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and should be targeted plenty this week.
Defense/Special Teams
Tennessee @ Carolina | $2,600
I am feeding off the concerns I saw from Carolina last week with this pick. With the run game bottled up, the pressure was put on Kyle Allen to throw the ball, ad he struggled for consistency. Tennessee rank extremely highly against the run this season, and also have some opportunistic players on the back end. Tennessee could force a couple of turnovers in this one, and give you a double-digit points return.
Disclaimer: I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is brolfe1507) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
Ben Rolfe
Head of NFL Content
BEN IS THE HEAD OF NFL CONTENT FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. YOU CAN ALSO FIND HIS WORK AT; FFSTATISTICS, PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK & ROTOBALLER. FOLLOW BEN @BENROLFE15 ON TWITTER.
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