RADIO
Hey there RotoBallers! Week 9 brings us several tasty matchups from a fantasy standpoint, including a Saints-Rams game with a crazy 60-point over/under. The main slate also boasts three other games with over/unders of 50 points or more. That would include the Chiefs-Browns game (51.5 points), Lions-Vikings (50.5), and Buccaneers-Panthers (54). These are games you will want to consider getting some exposure to in DFS tournaments this weekend.
The goal of this weekly column will be to locate some of the best DFS stacks each week. Stacking, or pairing a quarterback with one of his pass-catchers, is a great way to maximize point scoring. This method is generally viewed as a strategy in tournaments, but I also have no problem using safe, high-floor stacks in cash games, as well.
The top Week 9 DFS stacks will be listed below, loosely sorted by salary. The focus will be on the main slate (1:00 PM and 4:00 PM EST Sunday) games across both sites. All references to team defense DVOA come from Football Outsiders while cornerback and wide receiver matchups and grade references come from Pro Football Focus.
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High-Priced Week 9 DFS Stacks
Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins and WR Adam Thielen vs. Detroit
Cousins is enjoying his first season with the Vikings, averaging 315 passing yards and 2.0 touchdowns per game over his first eight contests. In Week 9, he will take on the Detroit Lions at home. Detroit has had issues stopping the pass this season, ranking 30th in pass defense DVOA and has allowed multiple passing touchdowns in four straight contests. Cousins has a safe floor and plenty of upside in a game with a 50-point over/under.
Thielen just continues to roll as he has logged at least 100 receiving yards in each of his eight games this season. He has arrived as the most consistent receiver in fantasy and, despite his high price, is worth trying to shoehorn into lineups. His matchup against the Lions is not a foreboding one, as Detroit's top corner, Darius Slay, will spend most of his time covering Stefon Diggs. That will free Thielen up to run his routes at slot corner Nevin Lawson, who has a 56.1 grade at Pro Football Focus. From a pure points-scored aspect, the Cousins-Thielen stack can be projected as one of the highest scoring duos on the slate.
New Orleans QB Drew Brees and WR Michael Thomas vs. Los Angeles Rams
The return of Mark Ingram from suspension has put a bit of a damper on the New Orleans passing offense but their Week 9 showdown with the Rams can be considered a plus for Drew Brees and the Saints pass catchers. The Rams have one of the most explosive offenses in the league and should force New Orleans to pass frequently in a game with a lofty 60-point over/under. The Saints have an implied team total of 30.75 points, the highest on the entire slate.
Thomas has seen his ceiling lowered along with the rest of the New Orleans passing game but he is bound for a bounce-back performance in Week 9. He will run most of his routes at Los Angeles left corner Marcus Peters, who has not performed well this season. Peters has a 44.7 grade at PFF, which has contributed to the Rams ranking just 22nd in pass defense DVOA against the opposition's No. 1 wide receiver. The Thomas-Brees stack has as much upside as any on this weekend's slate.
Moderately-Priced Week 9 DFS Stacks
Los Angeles QB Jared Goff and WR Robert Woods/Cooper Kupp @ New Orleans
The Rams continue to roll on offense and quarterback Jared Goff finds himself in a favorable spot in Week 9. While the team has been able to lean on the run over the past few weeks, the Saints defense is excellent against the run (No. 2 in DVOA) and awful against the pass (No. 29). That discrepancy should serve to funnel additional opportunities to the passing game and away from Todd Gurley on the ground. Add in a Saints offense that is expected to score at least 30 points and this game has the makings of a shootout.
Goff's stack partner is dependent on the status of Cooper Kupp, who is tentatively expected to play after getting in a limited practice on Wednesday. If Kupp doesn't play, it will bump Robert Woods into the slot primarily whereas he would line up on the outside otherwise. Either way, fantasy gamers are going to want to target New Orleans slot corner P.J. Williams, who has a 34 grade at PFF and is allowing 4.8 receptions and 67.4 yards per game to wide receivers in his coverage. Be sure to follow the Rams' practice reports throughout the week and pair Goff with whoever will be the team's starting slot receiver.
Carolina QB Cam Newton and WR D.J. Moore vs. Tampa Bay
You are going to want to get plenty of exposure to the Carolina pass offense in Week 9 as they draw a fantastic matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has been very generous to opposing quarterbacks this season, ranking dead last in the league in pass defense DVOA and allowing the most fantasy points per game to the position. Newton is always a weekly DFS option based on his rushing upside alone. He should be even higher up on the list this weekend.
Devin Funchess has popped up regularly in this column but rookie D.J. Moore gets the edge over his veteran teammate for Week 9 after his 129-yard breakout last week. Moore should run most of his routes against either slot corner M.J. Stewart or left corner Brent Grimes. Both of those two defenders have a 55.8 or lower grade on PFF. All that being said, there's nothing wrong with rolling out a three-man stack with Funchess or even getting crazy and adding Greg Olsen for an onslaught approach. Tampa's defense is just that bad.
Bargain-Priced Week 9 DFS Stacks
Tampa Bay QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and WR DeSean Jackson @ Carolina
The Buccaneers turn back to FitzMagic after Jameis Winston just couldn't stop throwing the ball to the other team. Fitzpatrick got off to a red-hot start this season, tossing 11 touchdowns in a little over four games before the team reinstalled Winston as the starter. The Panthers represent a decent matchup for opposing quarterbacks, ranking 20th in pass defense DVOA and allowing the 17th-most fantasy points per game. The Bucs have plenty of weapons on offense and Tampa's atrocious defense ensures most of their games will develop into shootouts.
While many will pair Fitzpatrick with Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson makes for a solid pairing for those who wish to differentiate their lineups in what will be a game with many high-owned players. Jackson was excellent with Fitzpatrick over the first three games of the season, catching three touchdowns and topping 100 yards twice over that span. The veteran burner is always in play in GPPs thanks to his big-play upside.
Denver QB Case Keenum and WR Courtland Sutton vs. Houston
Keenum has failed to replicate last year's success with the Vikings in 2018 but he has been a serviceable, cap-saving quarterback option in most matchups. He will draw a neutral Week 9 matchup against the Houston Texans, who rank 14th in the league in pass defense DVOA. The Broncos are expected to score a reasonably-high 24.5 points according to Vegas and Keenum shouldn't have much trouble paying off his low salary.
Sutton instantly becomes one of the week's top free square receivers after Denver shipped former starter Demaryius Thomas to Houston ahead of the trade deadline. Houston will attempt to counter Sutton with cornerback Natrell Jamerson, who is four inches shorter than Sutton. Look for the rookie wideout to see plenty of red zone looks in Week 9 when Denver gets into scoring position.
"YOLO" Contrarian Stack
Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Antonio Brown @ Baltimore
This is most definitely not a safe play as the Baltimore defense has been tough against opponents this season. Furthermore, Roethlisberger's road struggles over the past few years are well-known in the fantasy community. Those two factors will combine to ensure that Big Ben goes mostly overlooked on the Week 9 slate. That being said, he remains one of the better quarterbacks in the league with one of the best supporting casts around.
Star wide receiver Antonio Brown can be expected to draw primary coverage from top Baltimore cornerback Jimmy Smith. While Smith has been suffocating in coverage over his career, he has gotten off to a slow start following his four-game suspension to begin the year. Smith grades out at just 43.8 over at PFF. Expect Brown to be less owned than he usually is, which makes him a great tournament option this weekend.
