NFL DFS: Week 9 FanDuel Picks

Thanks for reading our weekly FanDuel DFS column. Our goal with this column is to highlight less obvious roster moves strictly on FanDuel. Everyone knows that a Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce stack is a popular strategy which is why Derrick Henry is worth the premium. But here, we want to highlight uncommon players to help you differentiate your lineups. Now, let’s make some money with NFL DFS: Week 9 FanDuel Picks.

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Stacks

Joe Burrow ($7,600), Ja’Marr Chase ($7,900), Tee Higgins ($6,600)

Correlate: Nick Chubb ($7,600)

Whether you’re participating in a tournament league or going for a cash lineup, the Bengals offense is almost always a safe bet. This week, Joe Burrow and the Bengals face off against a top ten pass defense in terms of yards allowed per game.

However, that shades the fact that the Browns have given up significant points when facing elite offenses, giving up 47 points to the Los Angeles Chargers and 37 points to the Arizona Cardinals. I put Cincinnati in that tier of elite offenses at this point. Combine that with a tough run defense from Cleveland and you have major potential for Burrow and the Bengals pass-catchers. With the touchdown equity of Ja’Marr Chase and the high volume for Tee Higgins, I think you could pursue a double stack and a fairly cheap one at that.

Tua Tagovailoa ($7,300), Jalen Waddle ($6,100)

Correlate: Brandin Cooks ($6,800)

This Miami duo is one of my favorites in the NFL and I believe they have significant potential for greatness. This week, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Waddle face off against one of the worst defenses in the league. Additionally, Miami is also a bottom-tier defense. This game is likely to remain close enough that Tagovailoa will need to throw the ball, and with Tyrod Taylor set to return on the other side, we should see improved performance from Brandin Cooks (more on that later).

Value Plays

Hunter Renfrow ($5,600), Bryan Edwards ($5,300)

One of the toughest parts of fantasy football is the tension between discussing fantasy performance with real-world situations. The news about Henry Ruggs is devastating and is a reminder to all to always prepare a ride home when going out for a drink. The potential outcomes are too serious to consider otherwise. We must acknowledge that before discussing the less important impact of Ruggs no longer being a Las Vegas Raider.

With Ruggs no longer in Las Vegas, there are more touches to go around for Hunter Renfrow and Bryan Edwards. I slightly prefer Renfrow, as he has been more consistent to date, but both receivers have a high ceiling, particularly against the New York Giants.

While it could be easy to think the Giants are a tough matchup given their performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, they still gave up over 20 points to Tyreek Hill, which is plenty to provide a return on both Raiders receivers at their price point.

Rashard Higgins ($5,000), Austin Hooper ($4,900)

A similar conversation applies to Rashard Huggins and Austin Hooper in Cleveland. With Odell Beckham Jr. officially out of Cleveland, there are more targets available, which could elevate Higgins and Hooper to fantasy relevant. We have seen top-tier performances from Hooper in the past and Higgins is averaging over 10 yards per reception.

With Cincinnati likely to put up points, Cleveland is going to need to throw to keep up, which provides an opportunity for upside for their pass-catchers. Notably, Jarvis Landry ($5,900) and Donovan Peoples-Jones ($5,100) are also value plays this week, so I suggest gaining exposure to this matchup in week nine.

Kadarius Toney ($5,700)

This is somewhat of a risky play given the recent injury troubles in New York, but if Kadarius Toney is healthy he easily has the potential for a top-five fantasy performance, particularly at his price point. If Sterling Shepard and Kenny Golladay play, I might fade Toney, but this game could turn into a shootout. But with Toney’s talent, he can easily hit at least 18 fantasy points to triple his price point with limited opportunity.

Albert Okwuegbunam ($4,500)

The rationale here is pretty simple. Noah Fant is currently on the Covid-19 list. When active, Fant has been a top ten tight end with prominent upside. If Fant doesn’t play on Sunday, Albert Okwuegbunam is his replacement. All we are looking for from our tight end is a touchdown and punting at tight end allows you to pay up elsewhere.

Josh Jacobs ($7,200)

The New York Giants rush defense continues to be prominent targets for identifying value plays at running back, as there are in the bottom ten in terms of FanDuel points allowed to opposing running backs. Last week they gave up a combined 24 points to Darrel Williams and Derrick Gore. Kansas City isn’t necessarily known for its running back prowess.

This week, the Giants face off against Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake, and while I favor Jacobs because of the goal line touches, Drake also provides potential passing game upside, particularly if this game moves to a shootout. Whichever direction you go, either of these running backs can provide RB1 upside with a low price point.

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Consistency Score Home

Consistency Score: Running Backs

Consistency Score: Wide Receivers

Consistency Score: Tight Ends

Consistency Score: DST

Streaming Defense

Green Bay Packers ($3,600)

The Kansas City Chiefs currently lead the league in turnovers, providing opportunities to stream opposing defenses despite the high scoring ability of their offense. The Packers are coming off a solid performance against the Arizona Cardinals, and with Jordan Love starting at quarterback, the defense is likely to step up to meet the moment for a team that is currently leading the NFC.

Contrarian Moves

Tyrod Taylor ($6,900), Brandin Cooks ($6,800)

Correlate: Myles Gaskin ($6,100)

The Houston Texans are expecting the return of Tyrod Taylor as quarterback, which is welcome news given that their highest-scoring performance came with Taylor under center. While Davis Mills has performed well at times, Taylor is clearly their starting quarterback, and for good reason. I see Taylor as an undervalued quarterback, which means he could make for a valuable stack in tournament lineups.

If you’re starting Taylor, Cooks is the clear number one option for a stack. While Cooks has been up and down recently, Taylor’s return should prove positive for Cooks, who saw 132 yards on seven targets from Taylor in Week 1. While that is only one data point, Taylor returns against a Miami defense giving up the second-most pass yards through Week 8.

On the other side of the ball, Houston is giving up the second-most rushing yards through Week 8. With Malcolm Brown still out due to injury, Myles Gaskin should continue to see significant usage, while providing pass-game upside in what could be a shootout. Plus, the low value of all three players provides many options for paying up for an Austin Ekeler or a Cooper Kupp elsewhere.

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What is the Consistency Score?

Consistency Score Home

Consistency Score: Running Backs

Consistency Score: Wide Receivers

Consistency Score: Tight Ends

Consistency Score: DST

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