Six teams are on a bye in Week 9 of the NFL season, which will make for some tough decisions for fantasy football players on one-week DFS sites such as DraftKings.
Here’s our DraftKings dream lineup for Week 9.
Quarterback: Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers ($6,900)
We will continue to put Rivers in our dream lineup, because he’s still a good value as the seventh-most expensive quarterback on DraftKings despite leading the league in passing yards. Rivers has thrown for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns in five straight games.
Running Backs: Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams ($6,900); Dion Lewis, New England Patriots ($6,400)
Todd Gurley has rushed for more than 120 yards in each of the last four games and he’s scored three touchdowns in the last two games. He’s a must-play this week.
Lewis always is a threat for 100 total yards and has become a trusted target of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in New England’s high-powered offense. He caught six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown in a Week 8 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Wide Receivers: Odell Beckham Jr. ($8,800); Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears ($6,700); Brandon LaFell, New England Patriots ($3,200)
Beckham Jr. caught eight passes for 130 yards and three touchdowns on nine targets last week, and he’s among the safest DFS plays with a touchdown catch in five of the Giants’ eight games.
Jeffery caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets in Week 8, and he has a favorable Week 9 matchup against the Chargers’ 21st-ranked pass defense that lacks a shutdown cornerback.
LaFell improved against the Dolphins after a horrendous performance versus the New York Jets in Week 7. He caught four passes on seven targets and is a great value at just $3,300. The Patriots are the highest-scoring team in the league, which gives LaFell a chance to find the end zone.
Tight End: Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints ($4,00)
Anyone catching passes from Saints quarterback Drew Brees is worth starting this week, including Watson, who caught nine passes for 147 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets in New Orleans’ 52-49 win over the Giants on Sunday.
Flex: C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos ($4,400)
Anderson, who’s been the largest fantasy disappointment all season, is a bit of a risk, but one worth taking after he tallied his first touchdown and 100-yard game of the season in a Week 8 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Defense: Philadelphia Eagles ($2,700)
The Cowboys couldn’t get in the end zone against the Seattle Seahawks last week and starting quarterback Matt Cassel failed to consistently move the ball with just 13 completions on 25 pass attempts. The Eagles defense has the fourth-most interceptions in the league and opposing quarterbacks have a mediocre 79.1 passer rating against them.
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Images
