Best FanDuel DFS Preview NFL Week 9: Find Cheap Upside in Kareem Hunt, Jakobi Meyers

Week 9 dishes out a fantastic slate of NFL for us to breakdown. We have many games of blowout potential and others of shootout potential. This is a recipe for success and it will allow us to leverage a highly favorable DFS lineup. We have the Bills hosting the Chiefs as the Vikings will head to the Lions. Blowouts may include the Patriots over the Falcons and the Packers over the Panthers. Let us analyze this slate and play the best options.

QUARTERBACKS PREVIEW

Josh Allen and Pat Mahomes sit at the top of our options. However, they see tougher matchups in store. The Bills are 5th versus Quarterbacks and the Chiefs are 2nd. Per our Fantasy Sports On SI Projections, both players are outside of the Top 5 Quarterbacks of the week.

Week 9 QB Projections — Shawn Childs/ OnSI

Justin Herbert hangs in the balance, but the Titans have actually been a stout coverage group. They are 10th versus Quarterbacks. The Chargers have been volatile in red zone strategy. They pass the ball at over 60%, but at times, they have gone run heavy. We can likely save salary and play a lower risk game. Mind you, the Chargers are traveling all the way to Nashville.

Joe Flacco sits 4th in our projections. He is also coming into Week 9 a bit banged up, elevating his risk. His two games have been good, but perhaps Flacco comes down to earth a bit.

Stafford will take on the Saints and this is a favorable matchup. He gets Puka Nacua back and this team, contrary to past years, has been extremely pass-heavy in the red zone. The issue enlies that he does not run the football. The same goes for Jared Goff and Jordan Love who see moderate matchups.

As for our scrambling quarterbacks, we find value in Drake Maye and Daniel Jones. Surprisingly, both players are salaried under $8,000. Jones is known to be a runner, but he has been hesitant to do so this year. Why? It helps when you have the best pass block in the NFL. As for Maye, he has four games of 30+ rushing yards.

Atlanta is 3rd best against Quarterbacks and this will be Maye's toughest matchup of the year. He has been an MVP candidate but he has also faced only one defense that is Top 10 in coverage.

Caleb Williams is stood low on our totem pole, but he may yet have upside. The Bears offense is pretty banged up, but it looks that all receiving options, outside of Luther Burden, will go. Cincinnati has been on a downtick in coverage, 26th worst against Quarterbacks. They are also 6th worst in tackling grade, handing opportunity for Williams to scramble quite a bit. This could become a shootout, so think of that as well.

Best Week 9 Sunday Slate Quarterbacks:

Daniel Jones $7,900
Drake Maye $7,800
Matthew Stafford $7,700
Jordan Love $7,500
Caleb Williams $7,300

RUNNING BACKS PREVIEW

Fantasy On SI Week 9 RB Projections — Shawn Childs / OnSI

At the top, we have multiple intriguing running backs. McCaffrey will face off versus the Giants on the road. They are 26th versus Running Backs. However, they are disadvantage when it comes to win rates at the point of attack. McCaffrey does have 6 Total Touchdowns this year. The 49ers do get back Ricky Pearsall to offset some of his targets.

Bijan Robinson struggled in Week 8, but we will blame the team as a whole. The Patriots have been elite on October. We do not expect their run to end today. Atlanta is the least efficient team when it comes to Yards per 7 Points of Offense (145). They have low touchdown opportunity.

Jonathan Taylor is $11,000 in cost and that is too much money to pay for anyone. Jahmyr Gibbs would be a better DraftKings play than the Half-PPR on FanDuel, but this matchup could be ultra favorable where Detroit is either in a shootout, or a blowout. Either favor Gibbs and even David Montgomery.

James Cook was money for us in Week 8. He has played the Chiefs three times and only elapsed 20 Yards one time. I would fear that this game becomes an air-raid.

Kyren Williams faces a 19th stood Saints run stop. The Rams high rate of passing in the red zone makes me hesitate, but Williams does project for a great game where it could be a second half of a ground attack.

Jacobs is coming in not at 100%. He does face a very poor Panthers run stop that is 29th in win rate and 15th versus the position. Jacobs has high-upside.

Best Week 9 Sunday Slate High-End Running Backs:

Christian McCaffrey $9,500
Josh Jacobs $9,400
Jahmyr Gibbs $8,900
Kyren Williams $8,000

As we head deeper down the inventory, we find many other high-upside assets.

Kimani Vidal faces a Titans unit that is 31st versus the run. The team is in a low state of morale. A young player like Vidal should be less affected by a cross country trip. He has two of three games over 100 Yards and this matchup is softer than those.

JK Dobbins, Chase Brown, and Ashton Jeanty are volatile pieces that I would rather avoid. They pair for tougher matchups and uncertain output.

D'Andre Swift comes in hurt and so he is a fade. In fact, he is listed out as of writing this. Kyle Monangai is a great value play. We also fade Alvin Kamara.

The next four running backs have tough matchup where they may see their teams blown out.

FanDuel Running Back Salaries — FanDuel.com

Kareem Hunt could be a great nugget at $5,900 in salary. Pacheco remains questionable, but he is expected to surely miss some time. This makes Hunt the majority back against Buffalo. Based on red zone statistics, Hunt implied to have a 1-in-3 shot of scoring, but that does give us a high chance of that happening. Buffalo is 27th versus Running Backs.

Best Week 9 Sunday Slate Low-End Running Backs:

Kimani Vidal $7,700
David Montgomery $6,100
Kareem Hunt $5,900

WIDE RECEIVERS PREVIEW

Fantasy On SI WR Week 9 Projections — Shawn Childs / OnSI

Let's work from the top down. Chase takes on the Bears. Jaylon Johnson remains out and otherwise, the Bears secondary has been suspect. Each defender is allowing a subpar 0.3 or worse Fantasy Points per Route Run. Flacco remains questionable to play, but he will try.

Nacua is back this week after a three week absence. He should be a full-go. The Saints have been great in coverage, standing 9th versus Wide Receivers. It may not matter against Nacua, but we do also note that Adams has gained much more red zone targets than Nacua.

Amon-Ra St. Brown has had moderate output versus the Vikings. They are 8th against Wide Receivers. This is a moderate matchup, but with high-upside.

Amik Robertson will shadow Justin Jefferson. It should not go well. Rashee Rice will face the Bills and this game may be a shootout that can favor the air raid and Rice within it.

We do find Metcalf as a Top 10 asset. The Colts are 28th versus Wide Receivers. Metcalf will seem much on Johnathan Edwards, a non-scary matchup.

Best Week 9 Sunday Slate High-End Wide Receivers:

Amon-Ra St. Brown $9,100
Justin Jefferson $8,700
Rashee Rice $8,200
DK Metcalf $7,600

In a Half-PPR format, we value touchdowns more than receptions. These players have that upside.

Rome Odunze has 5 Touchdowns in 7 Games. He faces a Bengals team that is abysmal, even with Al Golden as the new DC. His target share in the red zone comes to 25%, and due for a uptick among injuries.

Jordan Addison has as many (7) red zone targets as Justin Jefferson. The Steelers secondary got shredded in Week 7 and now they face the ever-efficient Colts team, which has Michael Pittman Jr. with 4-of-11 receiving touchdowns.

Chris Olave is a risky pick. He had over 30% of team red zone targets, but he gets Tyler Shough as his new quarterback. I do not expect a downtick for Olave, but it is added risk. Keenan Allen is also among the best red zone wideouts through 8 weeks.

Khalil Shakir has seen a notable red zone share, but he is worked more in the screen game. It does not lead to as high of a touchdown probability.

Best Week 9 Sunday Slate Mid-End Running Backs:

Jordan Addison $7,400
Michael Pittman Jr. $7,200
Chris Olave $7,100
Keenan Allen $6,600

If you refer to our deep-sleepers article tomorrow, you will find some great upside players for a great price. Anyway, we like these wide receivers.

Alec Pierce is certaintly a shot, but one worth making. He has 5+ targets in 4-of-6 games, including a 10 target game two weeks ago. His has an average depth of target that is commonly beyond 14 yards. The Steelers looked like a high school secondary versus Jordan Love.

Jakobi Meyers is a full participant in practice and he wil be back. People forget that his is among the elite slot receivers in the NFL. Meyers can easily command his standard of 7+ targets and do so without Travis Hunter in the slot. He still leads the Raiders in red zone targets despite a couple games missed.

Parker Washington is a very good sleeper pick. In Week 8, he played more snap than any other Jaguars wideout. They love the guy and he has been a hot route in many plays this season. With Hunter out, Washington picks up even more slot work.

TIGHT ENDS PREVIEW

Fantasy On SI Week 9 TE Projections — Shawn Childs / OnSI

Brock Bowers returns to the Raiders. I would be worried given his lack of playing time. This could affect the chemistry, although he is never truly a bad pick, especially for $6,800.

Tight end is another spot where you want touchdowns, especially on FanDuel. Tyler Warren has 23% of red zone targets. He could score, but so can anyone on Indianapolis.

No tight end is playing better than Tucker Kraft. Carolina is 22nd versus the position. Kraft is also the most explosive tight end in the game. He can easily continue his uptick. He is the best red zone tight end this season.

George Kittle and Dalton Kincaid are off of injuries where I would see before I believe. Travis Kelce faces a brutal matchup in Buffalo.

As for any other red zone threats, Theo Johnson is one. He is not an elite tight end, but they use him alot. With Skattebo now out, it is a way they will look.

Colston Loveland may be a due for a breakout versus the NFL's worst unit against the position.

Best Week 9 Sunday Slate Tight Ends:

Tyler Warren $6,700
Tucker Kraft $6,200
Theo Johnson $5,300
Colston Loveland $4,800

DEFENSIVE OPTIONS

We always look for the low-scoring outputs. We then must seek out bad offensive lines and a favorable turnover differential.

The Lions are the DST4 and they face JJ McCarthy, ready to fluster him. Detroit in top five in sacks and turnovers. Minnesota's pass -block put Carson Wentz out for the season.

Check out the rest of our must-start defenses for the week.

THE PERFECT FANDUEL SUNDAY SLATE DFS LINEUP

FANDUEL DFS SUNDAY SLATE LINEUP WEEK 9 — FanDuel.com