X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Daily Divide: Week Nine DFS picks

Daily Divide: Week Nine

Matt and Nathan each offer Week 9 cash game picks for every position, then the other insults or compliments those picks, as warranted. They hope their arguments debates provide enough information to make help people make their own decisions. Nathan probably makes more good points than Matt over the long haul though, so please pay special attention to his thoughts in this piece.

Matt: I’m really disappointed I haven’t earned the right to change the intro back.

You can follow the great Nathan Powell on twitter: @npowellff -- and the just okay Matt Rittle on twitter: @ffrittle. Matt: This is embarrassing for me.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

Nathan’s DFS Picks for Week Nine

QB: Drew Brees vs Ten
Some may call playing a quarterback who threw 7 touchdowns last week point chasing. I call it playing a quarterback who is playing the best football he has played all season. The emergence of Ben Watson has been nice for Brees and now he faces a mediocre Titans defense in New Orleans. The Saints are the second biggest favorite of the weekend as 7.5 point favorites with an implied team total of 27. Brees provides both a high floor and ceiling and he provides some roster flexibility that Brady and his price do not.

Stacking: Willie Snead, Ben Watson and Brandin Cooks are stacking options with Brees, but I am opting to go with Brees by himself.

Matt: The fantasy community is way too quick to end careers. While he’s not priced as the elite QB he is yet, I’m down for a “naked Brees” as we call it. (Naked = non-stacked QB)

 

RB: DeAngelo Williams vs OAK and Darren McFadden vs PHI
While Matt is going expensive at running back (see below), I am going in the opposite direction with a pair of mid-low priced backs.

DeAngelo Williams was the RB1 in fantasy through two weeks before Le'Veon Bell came back from suspension. Now, Bell is out for the season and Williams is reasonably priced against a middle of the road defense at home. Whenever you can get a starting running back in the mid-low range in a high scoring offense with an implied team total of 26, that is something I like to take advantage of. I expect Williams price to be closer to the RB1 range as early as next week.

If you are looking to go even cheaper at running back, Darren McFadden is another solid option at home against the Eagles. McFadden is the clear #1 back in Dallas with little competition for carries, he has played well in the last few weeks with 16 or more PPR points in each of his last 3 games. I expect more of the same as the Cowboys will continue to establish the run to avoid putting the ball in Matt Cassel’s hands .

Matt: Both should have enough usage to offer a nice floor regardless of tough matchups.
WR: Demaryius Thomas at IND
Last week against the Packers, Demaryius Thomas had one of his best game of the season with 24.80 PPR points. Adam Harstad often talks about positive touchdown regression, Demaryius Thomas ranks 7th in the NFL in receiving yards but only has 1 touchdown on the season, which means he is a candidate for some positive touchdown regression this week. Denver has one of the highest implied totals of the weekend slate with 25, helping make Thomas a great option for a wide receiver that is priced just below the top tier of wide receivers.

Stacking:I would not be stacking Peyton and his old arm with Demaryius this weekend.

Matt: Short version: Love this one. Slightly longer version: Peyton hasn’t been supporting two top WRs every week much this year, and I think Emmanuel Sanders draws the slightly better matchup. That’s my only thought here, though, as DT is a stud and the touchdowns will come far sooner than later. (FWIW I like Peyton this weekend, especially with his depressed price.)

 

TE: Jordan Reed at NE

When Jordan Reed plays football, he scores fantasy points, it is that simple. He has scored more than 14 PPR points in 4 of 5 games played, including a 30.20 PPR point performance in week 7 before Washington’s bye week. With the week off and the fact that he played the week before, he should be good to go for this weekend. Also, the Washington passing game will likely see plenty of volume against the Patriots as they are the biggest underdog of the week at +14.

Stacking: Kirk Cousins will get the volume, but the risk of high turnovers make him a no-go in DFS this weekend.

Matt: Not a great matchup this weekend, but Reed is a weekly option whenever healthy...

Matt’s DFS Picks for Week Nine

QB: Tom Brady vs WAS
How good has Tom Brady been? His very solid 312-3-1 line in Week Six was good for QB8 on the week, his worst weekly finish of the year. He has finished as a top five QB every other week he’s played, and has been a top three QB in four of his seven games. His per game average is over four points higher than the fantasy’s current QB2, and Vegas projects a massive Patriots team total of 33, a full touchdown higher than any other team this weekend. With his performance this year, the massive team total, facing a soft matchup against Washington (ranked 22nd in FootballOutsider’s DVOA against the pass), and plenty of value at every position, I may just pay up for one of the best fantasy assets of 2015.

Stacking: Take your pick. Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski offer the highest floors for cash games. Brandon LaFell’s performance hasn’t caught up to his snap count yet, but may be worth a flier in GPPs in this one.

Nathan: I like some of the slightly cheaper quarterbacks almost as much, but he he is definitely a (very expensive) option.

 

RB: Devonta Freeman (at SFO) and Todd Gurley (at MIN) DET
Devonta Freeman: Since taking over the starter role in Week Three, Freeman’s lowest yardage total came in Week Seven when he combined for 130 yards. Freeman combined for 54 touches in the last two weeks, but hasn’t scored since Week Six. With his usage and performance, the touchdowns are coming. Atlanta is installed as a seven point favorite, and playing against one of the worst starting NFL QBs in recent years, Blaine Gabbert, this may be low. With San Francisco ranking 27th in DVOA against the run, Freeman may be my number one play this weekend (where his price isn’t prohibitive).

Todd Gurley: Really wanted to write that Gurley put up over 150 yards in four consecutive weeks, but his 146 yard effort this last weekend ruined that sentence for me. His opponent this weekend has allowed the fifth fewest points to RBs to date, but with four of their six games coming against bottom seven NFL rushing defenses, they haven’t had many real tests yet. It may be worth noting FootballOutsiders ranks the Vikings rush defense 26th in DVOA. I may take a prototypical cash game approach to my lineups this week, paying up for QB and RBs while finding value at WR and TE. I’ll be playing at least one of these two foundational backs in every lineup I make.

Nathan: It is hard to argue against the two best healthy backs in fantasy football. So I'm not going to. You can play either or both of these guys with confidence this weekend.

 

WR: Stevie Johnson vs CHI
With Keenan Allen out for the year, Stevie Johnson figures to step up into a prominent role in the Chargers offense. They play similar styles of games, and Johnson has been pretty good this year when healthy. The Bears have the 24th ranked DVOA, and as a Bears fan that feels generous. Even if he disappoints to expectations somewhat, Johnson’s pricing doesn’t reflect his projected usage this weekend whatsoever. I’m looking to play some studs and Johnson fills in nicely as a capsaver.

Stacking:Philip Rivers’ weapons are a little dinged up, but his great play this year has put him in weekly consideration.

Nathan: I love the Chargers offense every week, and I like Stevie Johnson a lot this week. I am mostly paying up at wide receiver this week, but Stevie is a great cap saver for those going heavy at running back.

 

TE: Charles Clay vs MIA
Over his last six games, Clay has three top six finishes, including his 5-82-1 line in Week Three versus his former team and current opponent. He does have two duds over that span, but one came in Week Five when the passing game deflated to the tune of ten completions for 109 yards. His other came in one of EJ Manuel’s two starts who is horrible, and Taylor figures to return this weekend. Teams without TE passing game threats (Jaguars, Jets, Texans) have been blanked versus Miami, but receiving TE’s have flourished, finishing no worse than TE6 (Jordan Reed, Charles Clay, Delanie Walker, and Gronk). Add in the #Revenge or #OldTeamTheorem narrative (take your pick) and Clay makes both a sensible and fun cheap play at TE.

Stacking: #NahWaveNope.

Nathan: That's a lot of adjectives. Charles Clay has quietly been one of the best tight ends in the NFL this season. I like this play.

 

Watch The Pricing, But We Also Like

Nathan likes: Philip Rivers, Devonta Freeman, Jeremy Langford, Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, Antonio Gates.

Matt likes: Peyton Manning (where cheap), Jeremy Langford, Mark Ingram, Antonio Brown, Oakland WRs, Delanie Walker.

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF