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It's time for Week 9 of the XFL season. Half of the league's playoff spots have been decided, with the Defenders and Roughnecks heading to the postseason, but the other two spots are still up for grabs. Which teams will bolster their resume this weekend?
With DraftKings offering XFL contests again this year, I'll be here every week with lineup picks for the league. It looks like the plan at DraftKings is to do one four-game slate each weekend, even when there's a game on Thursday.
Below, you'll find my thoughts on the Week 9 DFS slate of XFL contests on DraftKings, which goes live on 4/15/2023 at 12:30 p.m. ET. Be sure to also read all our other weekly XFL fantasy football articles. Let's get to it, and good luck RotoBallers!
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DraftKings Quarterbacks - Week 9 XFL DFS Picks
Ben DiNucci - Seattle Sea Dragons - @ St. Louis BattleHawks - $12,200
With the BattleHawks sitting A.J. McCarron last week, the list of XFL quarterbacks who you can reliably count on every week has dwindled to one. And while McCarron should be back for this big game Sunday afternoon between the Sea Dragons and BattleHawks, I still think it's a good idea to lean on Ben DiNucci.
DiNucci has the best raw yardage numbers in the XFL by far. His 2,072 passing yards dwarfs McCarron, who is second with 1,544 of them. He's thrown two fewer touchdowns than McCarron though, as well as league-high 10 interceptions. But that'll happen when you're throwing more than any other QB. DiNucci has attempted 302 passes; second is Brandon Silvers at 235.
DiNucci and McCarron are both good plays here, but I like the collection of pass-catchers in Seattle a little more, so I lean DiNucci in this game.
Luis Perez - Arlington Renegades - @ DC Defenders - $8,600
I'm not usually going to go for value at QB in a league like this, because it can be so hard to predict which quarterbacks will even see the field. But I think there's something here with Perez.
For one, the Renegades traded for Perez during the season, a sign that they recognized how bad their QB situation was and that they saw Perez as a fix. I don't think they'll go away from him. In his Arlington debut, he completed 64% of his passes for 190 yards and led the Renegades to an 18-16 win. Now, he faces the Defenders, who are the XFL's best team, but who also allow the most passing yards per game in the league.
DraftKings Running Backs - Week 9 XFL DFS Picks
Abram Smith - DC Defenders - vs Arlington Renegades - $10,600
Look, I know Smith's really pricy for an XFL running back. But if you go value at QB with someone like Perez and thus have a little extra salary space, I'm cool with paying up for the former Baylor Bear, because he's been the league's best RB by a lot this season.
Smith had a game his worst game in a month last week against Seattle, but "worst game" is relative, as he still had 66 rushing yards and a touchdown, plus added an 18-yard catch. He's gone over 100 yards in two of the last four games, and has found the end zone six times in the last four contests. Playing Smith gives you both a high floor and a high ceiling.
Phillip Lindsay - Seattle Sea Dragons - @ St. Louis BattleHawks - $7,500
The former Denver Bronco made his XFL debut last week, carrying the ball eight times for 23 yards and a touchdown. He also caught both his targets for six yards. While you'd have liked to see a little more efficiency, I think the fact he came in mid-season and immediately led the backfield in touches is a good sign.
Another good sign: he takes on the BattleHawks this weekend. St. Louis has hemorrhaged rushing yards this season, allowing a league-high 132.0 per game, making them one of just two teams that allow over 100 yards per contest on the ground.
DraftKings Wide Receivers and Tight Ends - Week 9 XFL DFS Picks
Darrius Shepherd - St. Louis BattleHawks - vs Seattle SeaDragons - $9,200
After posting two really strong games in a row, Darrius Shepherd took a step back last week, catching two of his six targets for 23 yards. So why am I high on him this week? Because last week's numbers came with a backup QB. A.J. McCarron is back, and Shepherd has consistently produced with McCarron under center, catching four touchdown passes in a four-game span, with over 70 yards in three of those games. Ignore last week's disappointment.
Juwan Green - Seattle Sea Dragons - @ St. Louis BattleHawks - $6,100
We thought the Sea Dragons' passing attack made sense. You had Josh Gordon and Jahcour Pearson as the top weapons, and then you had Blake Jackson as a really good No. 3. But Gordon has vanished at ties, and Ben DiNucci has shown he'll spread the ball around, which is how Juwan Green saw a team-high 10 targets last week, catching seven of them for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
While I doubt he repeats that this week, I think $6,100 is really cheap to get part of the league's top passing offense, which is why I intend to go pretty heavy on Juwan Green this week.
Chris Blair - DC Defenders - vs Arlington Renegades - $5,900
I don't understand how Chris Blair is still this cheap after posting back-to-back 100-yard games. Against Orlando, he caught five passes for 139 yards and an 86-yard touchdown, and against Seattle he had five catches for 148 yards and a 70-yard touchdown. Yes, he's big-play dependent. But at $5,900, I'll take the risk that he doesn't get a big play, because the upside if he does is just too great to pass up.
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