Week 9 Draft.com NFL DFS Lineup Picks, Promo Code, and Strategy
Week 9 of NFL DFS is upon us, and everyone is looking to cash in on the big money at DRAFT. Every week, we’ll bring you our top DFS NFL picks for each position and recommend them as safer plays for H2H and smaller leagues and/or 6-10 team league plays. To keep up with all things PlayPicks, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
H2H and Three-Team draft choices generally come with less risk and more stable floors, while the best 10-team plays equal lots of risk and upside. Taking a chance on players with high ceilings and low floors is a good way to separate from the field.
Let’s talk a little more strategy. As with any DFS sport, the advice below is relevant for fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than in real life due to matchup, price, game flow, and various other factors. This is important to remember when drafting a roster.
Best Week 9 NFL DFS DRAFT.com H2H and Three-Team Picks
Quarterbacks
Drew Brees vs. TB
Russell Wilson vs. WAS
Drew Brees let owners down once again last week, so perhaps you can get him in the later rounds of drafts for this Sunday. He stays home for a much better matchup after the Saints went run-heavy against the Bears. He will now face a Bucs defense that helped Cam Newton look like a serviceable passer, allowing a whopping 408.5 yards per game this season.
Fresh off a shootout win over Watson and the Texans, Russell Wilson is also looking like a premier dual threat now that he’s healthy and able to extend plays. His mobility makes up for a weak offensive line and should, in turn, give you enough confidence to draft him early after he threw for a career-high 452 yards in Week 8.
Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott vs. KC
Todd Gurley @ NYG
Kareem Hunt @ DAL
Leonard Fournette vs. CIN
Mark Ingram vs. TB
Ezekiel Elliott fate decided next week; if 2nd Cir panel reverses Judge Failla’s rejection of PI, almost certain to last through end of year
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 3, 2017
With Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension stayed for another week, he can now be selected as the first pick in drafts this week. He handled a whopping 33 carries last week and turned them into 150 rushing yards and a touchdown, while he draws a much better matchup at home this Sunday against a Chiefs team that ranks 31st in DVOA run defense.
Kareem Hunt is still a very safe play against the vulnerable Cowboys defense. Dallas ranks 30th in DVOA run defense and represents a much easier matchup for Hunt after his relative struggles against Denver in Week 8.
Todd Gurley is another back with an extremely high floor after handling touch counts of 24 and 30 in the Rams’ two contests before their bye week. He dominated a solid Cardinals defense in London and will now face a Giants team ranked 24th in DVOA run defense.
Leonard Fournette is scheduled to make his return for Jacksonville after missing a game and resting his ankle during the bye week. He should immediately resume his role as an absolute workhorse. The Bengals are very tough to throw against, and new Jags HC Doug Marrone wants to run 90 percent of the time anyway, so Fournette should eat in Week 9.
Mark Ingram had another great game in Week 8 and should continue to roll against the Bucs’ mediocre run defense. The perception remains that the Saints are a pass-first offense, but he remains involved in that aspect of the offense as well: 24 catches in his last four appearances.
Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins vs. IND
Mike Evans @ NO
Michael Thomas vs. TB
Amari Cooper @ MIA
DeAndre Hopkins is the obvious stacking partner with Deshaun Watson, as he’s drawn 65 targets from the rookie since Watson took over at halftime in the Texans’ first game of the season. Hopkins has tortured Indy in the past and will face off with a top CB in Vontae Davis who is simply not healthy right now.
Mike Evans draws a surprisingly tough matchup against a surging Saints secondary. It has improved tremendously with rookie Marshon Lattimore battling top receivers, but Evans is matchup-proof and due to bounce back along with Jameis Winston. In the same game, Michael Thomas is primed for a big one against the aforementioned Bucs secondary, which has looked confused at best in recent weeks and ranks 27th in DVOA pass defense against opposing top receivers.
While he didn’t light up the box score like in Week 7, Amari Cooper drew 10 targets and continued to move all over the formation for Oakland in Week 8. He draws a much better matchup this Sunday against a Dolphins team that was utterly steamrolled in Baltimore last Thursday. Miami plays pass-funnel defense while giving up the highest passer rating (103.1) to opposing QBs in the league this year.
Best Week 9 NFL DFS 6- to 10-Team League Picks
Quarterbacks
Carson Wentz vs. DEN
Derek Carr @ MIA
Dak Prescott vs. KC
Jameis Winston @ NO
Carson Wentz is playing well enough right now to be considered in any matchup. Plus, the Broncos’ pass defense has been pretty shoddy since letting extraordinary safety T.J. Ward walk in free agency. Wentz will be at home against a pass-funnel unit and should see a ton of pass attempts if the Eagles are forced to abandon the run.
As mentioned above, Miami hasn’t been a dangerous defense to opposing QBs, and Derek Carr is balling despite his lackluster line in a tough road game at Buffalo last week.
Dak Prescott and Jameis Winston also dropped absolute duds in Week 8, so they should be available in the late rounds of drafts and are appealing bounce-back candidates. Winston could get into a shootout at the Superdome with the Saints. The absence of Elliott will force Prescott into a lot more action after he attempted just 18 passes last Sunday.
Running Backs
Lamar Miller vs. IND
Doug Martin @ NO
Adrian Peterson @ SF
Alfred Morris vs. KC
Alex Collins @ TEN
Lamar Miller is a gameflow-dependent option, who might pay off as a contrarian pick if you think the Texans will open a huge lead early over the lowly Colts.
Adrian Peterson was shut down by the Rams in London, but he should garner a heavy workload against a 49ers team that can’t stop the run.
We’ll see how the Cowboys divvy up carries over the next six weeks with Elliott out, but Alfred Morris is likely to draw first crack. Darren McFadden may be a superior pass catcher to Morris, but the Chiefs allow the fewest receptions per game to opposing RBs this season and are more vulnerable on the interior because of their aggressive pass rushers.
The Saints have been more vulnerable on the ground, so Doug Martin is another intriguing bounce-back candidate. Alex Collins, meanwhile, could be a sleeper to take with one of your last picks. He’s clearly taking over the lead role in Baltimore’s backfield and is due for a touchdown in a plus matchup at Tennessee.
Wide Receivers
Doug Baldwin vs. WAS
Will Fuller V vs. IND
T.Y. Hilton @ HOU
DeVante Parker vs. OAK
Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett made the big plays down the field, but Doug Baldwin remained heavily involved last Sunday despite seeing plenty of attention from the Texans’ solid secondary. He’s been far more productive at home and has blowup potential as a slot man, who can avoid shadow coverage from Washington’s outside corners.
Will Fuller V has emerged as a premier deep threat, and Watson is hitting him in stride. Indy has given up the most pass plays of 20-plus yards (42) by far this year. After the Colts inherently fall behind, T.Y. Hilton could see tons of targets in a comeback effort, but he comes with a lot of risk as the only true threat in that receiving corps.
He’s been out for several weeks, and concerns over his sprained ankle might cause DeVante Parker to fall in drafts. Yet the Dolphins’ receivers should do work against a weak Raiders secondary that’s given up 11 passing touchdowns without an interception this year. Parker will also be better off with Jay Cutler sidelined and Matt Moore slinging the ball around.
Tight Ends
Jimmy Graham vs. WAS
Zach Ertz vs. DEN
Evan Engram vs. LAR
Cameron Brate @ NO
Zach Ertz continued to produce with a short touchdown against the 49ers. While he’s not worth a top pick in a matchup against Denver, he’s still the safest tight end on the board. That said, Jimmy Graham may have more upside in a plus matchup against a Redskins team ranked 28th in DVOA pass defense against TEs this year. Like his QB, Graham is much healthier now and is finding the seams while serving as a great red-zone weapon.
Evan Engram has become the Giants’ top receiver by default with their best outside targets suffering season-ending injuries. He’s facing a Rams team most vulnerable in the middle of the field. Engram can likely be taken in the final rounds of drafts because of the perception surrounding that offense.
Another option late in drafts is Cameron Brate, who allowed rookie O.J. Howard to steal the spotlight in Week 7 and posted a modest 54 scoreless yards in a brutal matchup at Carolina in Week 8. Yet he’s an elite red-zone option and could thrive in a much better spot against New Orleans.
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