RADIO
We are back to dealing with bye weeks in the NFL, with the Denver Broncos, the Detroit Lions, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the San Francisco 49ers all on a bye week in Week 9. The Miami Dolphins, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills, and the Cincinnati Bengals are all on primetime games (or overseas games), leaving us with fewer options to choose from on a 10-game main slate in NFL DFS.
In this weekly article, we'll be taking a look at stacks and bring-back options that are ideal plays in GPPs (guaranteed prize pools) on DraftKings and FanDuel. Salaries and scoring formats can differ on both sites, making some players much better options on one site compared to the other.
When looking at stacks and bring-back players each week, you have to take into account potential game scripts and correlation. Before the ninth week of the season, here are my favorite stacks and bring-back options in NFL DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.
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New Orleans Saints vs. Chicago Bears
- Derek Carr ($5,700 DK, $7,100 FD)
- Chris Olave ($6,300 DK, $6,900 FD)
- Michael Thomas ($4,700 DK, $5,900 FD) or Rashid Shaheed ($4,500 DK, $6,200 FD)
It's tough to get overly excited about playing Derek Carr, but the experienced signal-caller has a premier matchup in Week 9 versus the Chicago Bears. Carr had his third straight 300-yard game in Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts and now returns home on Sunday. The Bears are 31st in pass defense DVOA and 10th in run defense DVOA, making them a pass-funneling unit. The New Orleans Saints are also tied for the highest projected total (24.5) on the main slate.
There has to be a week where Carr and Chris Olave work out the kinks in their rapport, right? Olave is too talented for him to continue falling short despite Carr leading the NFL in throws 20-plus yards down the field. The second-year wideout is certainly getting the volume (nine-plus targets in six of eight games this season), so he just needs some of these explosive plays to start bouncing his way — and not off of his helmet.
I'm fine stacking Alvin Kamara with Carr as he's now caught at least four passes on five-plus targets in four of his five appearances this season. Meanwhile, Michael Thomas and Rashid Shaheed are the other receivers to target in Carr stacks. Thomas now has at least six targets in all eight games and Shaheed is seemingly the vertical threat that Carr has chemistry with in the offense.
Bring-back options:
- DJ Moore ($5,900 DK, $7,600 FD)
- D'Onta Foreman ($5,700 DK, $6,800 FD) or Cole Kmet ($3,900 DK, $5,700 FD)
Even before Justin Fields suffered a thumb injury, DJ Moore was the only receiver on the Bears that we could trust. With Tyson Bagent starting in back-to-back games, Moore has now hauled in 12 of his 15 targets for 109 yards. The talented pass catcher should remain the only wide receiver worth rostering from the Bears.
Roschon Johnson returned to action in Week 8, and the Bears deployed a three-back committee of D'Onta Foreman, Johnson, and Darrynton Evans. Despite Foreman seemingly being the one who will receive the most carries, I wouldn't be going out of my way to play any of the backs on the Bears as the Saints allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. Cole Kmet is second on the team with a 20.8% target share and his red-zone usage (a team-high eight red-zone targets) makes him a viable tight end in Week 9.
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New England Patriots vs. Washington Commanders
- Mac Jones ($4,900 DK, $6,600 FD)
- Demario Douglas ($4,000 DK, $5,400 FD), JuJu Smith-Schuster ($3,100 DK, $5,200 FD), or Hunter Henry ($3,600 DK, $5,100 FD)
After recommending Carr, let's get even crazier by putting any sort of trust in Mac Jones and the offense of the New England Patriots. If Jones is going to have any ceiling games this season, there aren't many better opportunities than facing the Washington Commanders right now. The Commanders dealt Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the trade deadline after already boasting the 30th pass defense in DVOA. Washington's defense has allowed quarterbacks to throw for 279-plus yards and multiple touchdowns in five straight games. And three of those quarterbacks were Justin Fields, Desmond Ridder, and Tyrod Taylor.
Following an unfortunate season-ending injury for Kendrick Bourne, the Patriots will need Demario Douglas and JuJu Smith-Schuster to be the top two receivers now. Douglas has four-plus receptions in back-to-back weeks and Smith-Schuster just scored his first touchdown as a member of the Patriots. The Patriots could deploy more 12 personnel with Bourne sidelined, giving more opportunities to Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki. Rhamondre Stevenson is also a fine stacking piece with Jones as he's garnered four or more targets in three consecutive games. Stacking the Patriots is extremely cheap, allowing us to use a few expensive players elsewhere in our lineups.
Bring-back options:
- Terry McLaurin ($5,600 DK, $7,200 FD)
- Jahan Dotson ($5,000 DK, $5,900 FD) or Logan Thomas ($3,500 DK, $5,600 FD)
While the Patriots are always viewed as a defense to avoid, they are ravaged by injuries on all three levels of their defense. Terry McLaurin remains the No. 1 option for the Commanders as he leads the way with 31.5% of the team's air yards. The big-play wideout now has five or more receptions in six of eight games this season, and the Commanders are third in neutral pass rate since Week 5.
Jahan Dotson finally arrived this season in Week 8, producing eight catches for 108 yards and a score on 10 targets. Curtis Samuel is dealing with a toe injury, so Dotson becomes an even more enticing option if Samuel is ruled out. Logan Thomas continues to be a tight end no one wants to play, but he has the 13th-most targets (40) at the position despite missing a game earlier this season.
Carolina Panthers vs. Indianapolis Colts
- Bryce Young ($5,100 DK, $6,900 FD)
- Adam Thielen ($7,500 DK, $8,300 FD)
- Jonathan Mingo ($3,400 DK, $5,100 FD) or Tommy Tremble ($2,600 DK, $4,700 FD)
There were positives from rookie Bryce Young in the first win of the season for the Carolina Panthers in Week 8. With Thomas Brown now calling plays, there was a rhythm to the offense, and Young looked more comfortable en route to completing 22 of his 31 attempts for 235 yards and a touchdown. After a positive outing, Young and the Panthers will host an Indianapolis Colts team that is playing at the fastest pace (22.5 seconds per snap) and is running a lot of plays each game. Carr just threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns on the Colts last week.
Even with Brown calling plays now, 33-year-old Adam Thielen remains the go-to target for Young. Thielen now has double-digit targets and eight-plus receptions in four of his last five games despite his salary trending upward on both sites. The experienced receiver is a much better play on DraftKings as you aren't reliant on a touchdown as he can get home with plenty of catches.
Rookie Jonathan Mingo had his best game of the season coming out of the bye week in Week 8, totaling four catches for 62 yards on five targets. The Panthers desperately need someone else aside from Thielen to contribute in the passing game, and Mingo at least brings YAC ability and an ability to convert explosive plays. Tommy Tremble could unseat Hayden Hurst soon as the young tight end caught his second red zone touchdown of the season against the Houston Texans last week.
Bring-back options:
- Jonathan Taylor ($6,400 DK, $8,000 FD)
- Michael Pittman Jr. ($6,600 DK, $7,300 FD) or Josh Downs ($5,200 DK, $6,400 FD)
Jonathan Taylor received 11 rushing attempts in the first half of last week's game versus the Saints, only for him to finish with 12 carries. It remains to be seen if Taylor picked up an injury, but the dynamic looked good by producing 95 rushing yards against a stout Saints defense. Zack Moss figures to continue getting touches behind Taylor. At the same time, the Colts could lean into giving Taylor more touches down the stretch and the Panthers are 32nd in run defense DVOA.
Michael Pittman Jr. has combined for 19 receptions, 232 receiving yards, and two touchdowns on 32 targets in the last three weeks with Gardner Minshew starting at quarterback for the Colts. Meanwhile, rookie Josh Downs has also accumulated 17 catches, 218 receiving yards, and two touchdowns on 23 targets in that same span.
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