Week 9 is here, and with more teams on bye, that means opportunity. When the slate shrinks, pricing tightens, and ownership condenses, that’s when sharp plays separate from the crowd. This is the perfect time to find value in overlooked matchups and low-rostered pivots that can swing contests your way.
A key takeaway from Week 8 is that the number of touches typically matters a lot. The touches tell the truth. Christian McCaffrey (11 touches) and Bijan Robinson (9 touches) in Week 8 were both epic fantasy failures. Even the studs need some volume on touches to produce.
So, as we roll into Week 9, keep your head on a swivel. Let’s dig into this week’s Money Makers and Heart Breakers, the players who can fatten your DFS wallet and the ones who might burn a hole in it.
More Week 9 Fantasy Football Fun!: | Sneaky Starts | Fantasy Football Waiver Wire | Weekly Sleepers & Streamers | Starts & Sits | Skrip’s Week Winners | NFL DFS | NFL Player Props | IDP Analysis | Bold Predictions | Survivor Picks | NFL Injury Report | Dynasty Trade Targets | Weekly Rankings | Dynasty Risers and Fallers
Money Makers and Heart Breakers for Week 9 NFL DFS
Here is a brief definition of each of my terms for anyone who might be new:
💰 Money Maker – This player will perform better than expectations
💔 Heart Breaker – This player will perform lower than expectations
💰 Money Makers
Quarterbacks
Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
We are talking about Geno Smith here. Yes, that is correct. The same Geno that hasn’t surpassed 10 fantasy points in 3 straight games. Geno is here because those were three tough matchups, and now Geno gets a nice, easy matchup against the Jaguars. The Jaguars you see give up the fifth most fantasy points to opposing teams’ quarterbacks. Quarterbacks average 254 yards and two touchdowns per game against the Jaguars.
$4,600 on DraftKings
$6,500 on FanDuel
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Indiana Jones is having a fantastic season. He is a top 5 fantasy football quarterback. He may be having the best year of his career. In Week 9, he gets to face a Steelers defense that gives up the second-most fantasy points to opposing teams’ quarterbacks. The Colts clearly have chosen wisely to make Indiana Jones their quarterback.
$6,200 on DraftKings
$7,900 on FanDuel
Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye is not on the list because it’s a great matchup. He is on this list of Money Makers because He has three straight multiple-touchdown games and apparently gets it done against anyone. Playing the Falcons at home, you can expect Maye to pass for another 225 yards or so and multiple touchdowns.
$6,500 on DraftKings
$7,800 on FanDuel
Other Quarterback DFS Picks for Week 8
Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers
$5,000 on DraftKings
$7,100 on FanDuel
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
$5,700 on DraftKings
$7,300 on FanDuel
Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals
$5,600 on DraftKings
$7,200 on FanDuel
Running Backs
Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs
It looks like Isaiah Pacheco will miss Week 9. The Chiefs also play the Bills in Week 9. Believe it or not, the Bills do not defend the run well at all. They actually give up the sixth most fantasy points to opposing teams’ running backs. Hunt has specialized in short yardage and goal-line situations this year. He had two touchdowns in Week 8. Look for Kareem to slowly pile up some yards and a touchdown in Week 9. It may not be overly pretty, but he should see the volume.
$4,700 on DraftKings
$5,900 on FanDuel
D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
Swift has four straight games with a touchdown and four consecutive games with double-digit fantasy scores. He was listed as a Money Maker just last week, too. He delivered with 45 yards and a touchdown rushing and two receptions for another 26 yards. In Week 9, the Bears play the Bengals. The Bengals give up the most fantasy points to opposing teams’ running backs. There goes Swifty again.
$6,100 on DraftKings
$6,9000 on FanDuel
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Last Week, CMC was someone I thought would produce, because you know, “start your studs” and all that. Guess what, we got a stinker. Well, in Week 9, the Niners will play the Giants. The Giants give up the seventh most fantasy points to opposing teams’ running backs. The Niners will need CMC to produce in Week 9, and he will deliver—at least more than he did in Week 8.
$8,800 on DraftKings
$9,500 on FanDuel
Other Running Back DFS Picks for Week 8
Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers
$6,300 on DraftKings
$7,700 on FanDuel
Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
$5,900 on DraftKings
$7,200 on FanDuel
Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
$5,400 on DraftKings
$5,800 on FanDuel
Wide Receivers
Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars said they would get Hunter more involved before the Week 7 game. It was not coach speak as Hunter saw 14 targets, which he turned into eight receptions, 101 yards, and a touchdown. He had a massive 29% target share in that game. The Raiders, who give up the third most fantasy points to opposing teams’ wide receivers, are up in Week 9. Coming off a bye week, expect the Jaguars to have Hunter stealing his prey.
$4,700 on DraftKings
$6,000 on FanDuel
DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers
DK Metcalf has not been overly consistent this season. He did have 1 22% target share in Week 8, leading the Steelers with seven targets. Metcalf turned those targets into five receptions, 55 yards, and a touchdown. The Colts are up in Week 9. The Colts give up the fourth most. Wide receivers also get the third most yards against the Colts, with 170 per game. This game has a high over/under of 50.5 points. We should expect DK to have volume and numbers in Week 9.
$5,500 on DraftKings
$7,600 on FanDuel
Ladd McConkey Los Angeles Chargers
Ladd is on a little bit of a tear with four straight games of double-digit fantasy points. In Week 8, for instance, McConkey saw 10 targets, which was a whopping 40% target share of Chargers passes. He turned that into six receptions, 88 yards, and a touchdown. In Week 9, the Chargers will play the Titans, and the Titans’ defense gives up the tenth most fantasy points to opposing teams’ wide receivers. This McConkey kid will be a lovely lad in Week 9 and get you a bunch of fantasy points for sure.
$6,000 on DraftKings
$7,800 on FanDuel
Other Wide Receiver DFS Picks for Week 8
Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
$4,300 on DraftKings
$6,100 on FanDuel
Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts
$5,900 on DraftKings
$7,200 on FanDuel
Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders
$5,300 on DraftKings
$5,400 on FanDuel
Tight Ends
Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
The Bears play the Bengals in Week 9. The Bengals give up the most fantasy points to opposing teams’ tight ends. In three straight games, Loveland has seen his targets go up gradually to 5 targets in Week 8. The matchup is terrific. Loveland is a highly regarded and very talented rookie. This is an upside play in Week 9, where Loveland has an actual opportunity against a lousy defense to produce.
$3,300 on DraftKings
$4,800 on FanDuel
Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
Tyler Warren has had at least four receptions and 44 yards in 5 straight games. He has a consistent share of targets, with only one game of fewer than 5 targets this season. In Week 9, the Colts will play the Steelers, who happen to give up the second-most fantasy points to tight ends. In the last three games, a tight end has surpassed double-digit fantasy points against the Steelers in each match. The Colts will attack the Steelers’ defense in that way because it simply works.
$5,500 on DraftKings
$6,700 on FanDuel
Other Tight End DFS Picks for Week 8
Ja’Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers
$2,800 on DraftKings
$4,800 on FanDuel
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
$5,700 on DraftKings
$6,200 on FanDuel
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
$4,200 on DraftKings
$5,100 on FanDuel
Defense
Los Angeles Chargers
Who are the Titans playing in Week 9? That would be the Chargers. That instantly makes the Chargers’ defense a play. Fantasy defenses have scored seven or more fantasy points in every game against the Titans this season. The Titans give up an average of 4.3 sacks per game, and the Chargers are coming off a game in which they had five sacks. This Chargers defense can get after the quarterback, and Cam Ward will probably have a hard time staying upright. I am so charged up about this.
$3,800 on DraftKings
$4,800 on FanDuel
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams will play the Saints in Week 9. It appears Tyler Shough will start at quarterback for the Saints. The Saints have been pathetic as it was, and now they will start a rookie quarterback. The Rams have a strong defense that has recorded 11 sacks over the past two games. The Saints, meanwhile, have struggled to score points over their past two games and have had a vast number of turnovers during that span. Look for the Rams to roll in Week 9.
$3,900 on DraftKings
$4,900 on FanDuel
Detroit Lions
The Lions’ defense has seven sacks over the past two games. The Vikings have given up seven sacks over the last two games. The Lions should easily get some sacks against whoever is playing quarterback for the Vikings. If it is JJ McCarthy, it appears the Vikings, who give up the third most fantasy points to opposing teams’ defenses, would be looking to climb the ranks to challenge the Titans for that top spot. Let’s go, Vikings!
$3,700 on DraftKings
$4,600 on FanDuel
💔Heart Breakers
Quarter Backs
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix has been tearing it up the past 2 weeks. What is wrong with you, Reedy, saying he will not now? How is that possible? Well, let me tell you a little story. Sometimes, the match-up really matters. The past two games were against the Cowboys and the Giants, who struggle to defend the pass. In Week 9, the Broncos play the Texans, who give up the fewest fantasy points to opposing teams’ quarterbacks. Against formidable defenses, Bo Nix is averaging 166 yards and one touchdown. Yuck.
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs play the Bills in Week 9. The Bills give up the second-fewest amount of fantasy points to quarterbacks. Mahomes is having a fantastic season and will probably put up some numbers. So, if you have him in redraft, obviously play him. In DFS, it’s not the week to pay up unless you are looking for a contrarian play.
CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
CJ Stroud has had two good fantasy games this season. One was last week. That alone should tell you not to trust him in DFS or your season-long lineup. To top it off, the Denver Broncos are up in Week 9. They give up the third fewest fantasy points to opposing teams’ quarterbacks. Easy avoid.
Running Backs
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Kamara appears to have lost a step. The Rams are the Saints’ opponent in Week 9. And they defend running backs exceptionally well. I will leave it like this: even if you are a start-your-studs guy, you can easily leave Kamara out. Not a stud anymore. He is more like a 57-year-old man in a room full of 25-year-old women. No one is interested.
Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
Aaron Jones is back, YES. Oh, wait, he only had five touches in Week 8? Yes. Did the two other running backs get touches as well? Yes. To top it off, this week the Vikings play the Lions, and the Lions give up the fourth fewest fantasy points to running backs. He is keeping up with this Jones seems easy.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
Chuba has been back in the lineup for two weeks and has not looked very good in either game. He is averaging 2.5 yards per carry. Even the coach finally said something about Nico Dowdle deserving more touches. Now for the kicker, the Panthers play the Packers, and the Packers are good at stopping the run.
Wide Receivers
Nico Collins, Houston Texans
If Nico plays, I am not interested in him in Week 9 against the Broncos. The Broncos give up the least amount of fantasy points to opposing teams’ wide receivers. No, no Nico for me.
Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers
The Panthers are a pretty good defensive football team. They give up the third-fewest amount of fantasy points to wide receivers. The Packers also tend to spread the ball around on offense. This has all the makings of yet another Tucker Kraft game in Week 9. Please don’t get caught asking yourself, Romeo, oh Romeo, where for art thou fantasy points in Week 9.
Tony Franklin, Denver Broncos
Tony Franklin was a hot commodity on the waiver wire. I mean, for everyone else, not me. I did not add him anywhere. He is a boom-bust type of player with two big games under his belt this season. To top all this off, this week the Broncos play the Texans, and I have already mentioned that the Texans defend the pass well. Pass on Tony in Week 9 like you should have with him on the waiver wire.
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
The Patriots play the Falcons in Week 9. The Falcons give up the fewest fantasy points to tight ends. Hunter Henry plays for the Patriots. I think you can easily pick up on what I just said.
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
The Bills give up the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing teams’ tight ends. The Chiefs play the Bills in Week 9. It feels like a rinse and repeat of the blurb on Hunter Henry. I will play Kelce in season-long, but no way in DFS. This week should be tough on him.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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