Week 9 DFS Strategy and Top Picks By Position (DraftKings, FanDuel)
In daily fantasy football tournaments, you don’t want to use the same players everyone else will. A fantasy owner should try to be contrarian, to be different than others. It allows for the best value and reward.
Throwing chalk plays, or a pick everyone agrees is solid, into a tournament lineup can sometimes work, but it’s also important to know which players to pivot to, or which sleepers would be worth the risk. Let’s take a look at the Week 9 slate, featuring both chalky and less popular picks, that will ensure a winning lineup.
Kristen’s top picks for DraftKings:
Tyrod Taylor, QB- $5,300
The Bills suspect they will get Taylor back at 100 percent for their divisional matchup against the Miami Dolphins this week, and it couldn’t come at a better time, while Miami takes time to adjust to new head coach Dan Campbell. In Week 3 against the Dolphins, Taylor managed 277 yards and three touchdowns for 24.28 DraftKings points. He also dismantled the Titans’ defense with 76 rushing yards and a touchdown on eight carries before he was injured in Week 5. The Dolphins’ defense is great against immobile quarterbacks, but will have a tough time against a more flexible one like Taylor. His leg work gives him a high floor for fantasy potential.
Eli Manning, QB- $6,900
When looking for a quarterback meant for tournament play, it’s best to choose a low-to-mid priced option with a three or more touchdown upside. After last week’s production, Manning has showed just that. He faces another favorable matchup this week against the Buccaneers, who rank seventh in pass defense, and have allowed at least 300 passing yards and multiple passing touchdowns in each of the last three games. Additionally, each Buccaneers cornerback has allowed an NFL passer rating over 100 on balls thrown towards them. Manning may have a bump in an ownership due to recency bias, but should still be under eight percent owned, making him a value play that’s hard to ignore.
Mark Ingram, RB- $6,500
This week, the Saints will host the Titans, who is averaging just 209.7 passing yards per game and sports a combined 10:8 touchdown to interception ratio between two inexperienced quarterbacks, which basically translates to the game being anything but a shootout. Ingram will always be set up for a lot of work in a game with a positive game flow, and presents a good stack option with Drew Brees ($7,200), even though Brees is likely to see high ownership after his Week 8 performance essentially decided GPPs. Titans rank 30th in run defense this season, and with Khiry Robinson done for the year, Ingram should see more workload in the red zone. Playing him this week is a no-brainer.
Jeremy Langford, RB- $4,000
Langford represents a good value play this week, as he will get a chance to fill the void Matt Forte will leave. He faces a favorable matchup for Week 9, as the Chargers defense gives up the sixth-most rushing yards per game at 124.7, and the most DraftKings points per game to opposing running backs this season. Langford averaged nearly four yards per carry after taking over for Forte Sunday against the Vikings. The stat may not be flashy, but he’s a solid one-cut runner that can finish at the goal line, and bring in the touchdowns. For the price, Langford is a steal; there’s plenty of upside to this risk in a potentially high-scoring contest.
Mike Evans, WR- $6,800
Evans proved to be one of the biggest flops of Week 8, as he failed to make good on the increased opportunities created by the missing Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins. However, Evans should be able to set the struggling Giants secondary on fire. If Prince Amukamara is unable to return this week, the Giants could turn in another sad performance in terms of pass defense. Evans will pose as a solid threat for at least 10 targets and heavy production in a comeback effort.
Alshon Jeffery, WR- $6,700
Owners shouldn’t deny this clear gift from DraftKings. Despite 116 yards, a touchdown, and 30.6 DraftKing points on 10 catches last week against the Vikings, Jeffery is still priced easily $1,000 lower than his talent says he should be. Eddie Royal and Matt Forte will likely miss this week, which means the wide receiver could serve as both the 1 and 1A option for the Bears on the road. Since returning from a hamstring injury, he’s caught 18 of 26 targets, and is a nightmare matchup for undersized Chargers defensive backs Jason Verrett and Brandon Flowers. Expect another high targeted game for Jeffery.
Jordan Reed, TE- $4,500
Redskins will likely attempt a lot of passes during the game against New England this week, in what should be a large margin of loss for Washington. The game itself has the highest over/under of Week 9 at 52.5, which will make Reed a solid choice for PPR formats. Reed still boasts a reasonable price tag, despite catching 11 balls for 72 yards, two touchdowns and 30.2 DraftKing points before his bye week. Patriots will have to focus attention on Pierre Garcon and possibly DeSean Jackson on the outside, which will leave the middle of field open for Reed to run amok.
Jacob Tamme, TE- $3,000
Normally, I wouldn’t condone adding a player to a roster one week after his huge game, but Tamme has been targeted 33 times in the last four games, and his price tag is too good to pass up. The 49ers are 27th in the league against the pass, and his workload his noticeably expanded, largely due to wide receiver Leonard Hankerson’s absence. Tamme’s name, and the Atlanta’s offense, will always be worth mentioning, especially if they can find the endzone a few more times each game.
Kristen’s top picks for FanDuel:
Tom Brady, QB- $9,500
You could argue that Brady is a very chalky play, and you’d be right. And, until his salary reaches $10,000 or higher, owners shouldn’t consider Brady for cash games. However, Brady is at the top for the reason, having yet to finish a game with less than 22 fantasy points. Brady is facing a terrible Redskins secondary, which makes him a sure thing when looking for players that can reach at least double their salary.
Ben Roethlisberger, QB- $8,300
Big Ben is a great option if the flashier Brady is too expensive to pick up. His first game back was underwhelming, but if given a chance to acclimate himself once again, Roethlisberger could be a point monster. The Steelers face the Raiders this week, which could prove to be very positive for the quarterback. Excluding the game against Peyton Manning, the Raiders have allowed at least 17 points to each thrower they face. Ben should have no trouble racking up the passing yards and attempts against the Raiders defense, which makes him a tempting choice.
DeAngelo Williams, RB- $6,500
With Le’Veon Bell out due to injury, Williams gets his shot at all of the work. When Williams was the starter during the first two weeks of the season, he was a top 10 positional pick, ranking second in the league in rushing during those two weeks. The Raiders have allowed the third-fewest points to running backs this season, but a volume of dual-threat touches offers Williams a reasonable floor to bank on. The Steelers tend to put up a lot of points, so predicting at least 100 yards and a touchdown for Williams is easy to do.
Doug Martin, RB- $7,100
Martin faces a Week 9 contest against the Giants, who have allowed over 100 rushing yards for four consecutive weeks to opposing running backs. The Giants have also allowed a touchdown to running backs in each of those four games. Martin has found his old stellar form, and it’s going to be hard to deny Martin, especially with a great matchup. It all adds up to a winning formula.
Stefon Diggs, WR- $7,400
Diggs has proved himself a considerable value just about every week. He won’t be chosen for many lineups this week, which makes him a great bargain for the production he’s been giving to fantasy owners. Bridgewater might have trouble getting the ball to Diggs this week, when facing the Rams, but he should connect with Diggs enough to make him worthy of that slightly hefty price tag.
Stevie Johnson, WR- $5,400
Johnson stands to benefit the most from the surprising injury on Keenan Allen. Stevie was solid during his first two weeks of play this season, but since has fallen to injury. He’s back at healthy, and poses as a target monster for Rivers, who should turn the game into a deadly air attack, as always. Johnson has built quite a rapport with Rivers, and works in high-percentage routes. The Chargers also face the Bears this week, who have been generous to opposing receivers, giving them the sixth-most points per game, and nearly 14 yards per reception to the position on the season. All of the facts lead up to Johnson being a sneaky play for nearly any format during Week 9.
Heath Miller, TE- $5,800
The tight end has a great chance at a big game this week, after even the Jets’ tight ends managed a score against the Raiders, last week. Miller should see plenty of action this week, as Roethlisberger loves to locate Miller for his shorter passes, which could also mean more red zone opportunities for Miller, as well. Now that Big Ben is back, there’s a good chance that the Steelers will try to bump up their two-point conversion production, which leaves Miller in a very lucrative position for even more points. Miller is the first Steelers player not named Antonio Brown that has 10 receptions with at least 100 yards, and the Raiders allow the most points to the position by a large margin, so I’d snatch up Miller while you can.
Rob Gronkowski, TE- $8,500
Gronk is another player that’s likely to leave that chalky aftertaste in your mouth, but he’s always a solid choice when considering cash game lineups. The Patriots face the Redskins this week, who have allowed the 12th-fewest yards per game, but they have yet to face this matchup-proof fantasy legend. Fantasy owners almost always know what they can expect from the tight end, so if the salaries work to your benefit, lock him in.
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Just caught up on the Saturday show, and heard you guys are doing a Tuesday afternoon drive-time show. That’s fantastic news! Looking forward to hearing your WW advice tomorrow 6pm – 8pm (Eastern).
Stevie johnson over floyd?