NFL Week 9 DFS Picks: Best Value Plays

Week 9 is here, officially marking the halfway point of the regular season. Sunday afternoon’s slate sees 11 games of action between the 1 and 4 p.m. ET slates. With another international game on the cards and more teams on bye, let’s break down what players are worthy of a spot on your DFS lineups for Week 9.

Here are the best Week 9 DFS picks and lineup recommendations for Sunday’s games. Be sure to check out our NFL betting trends page as well, for data and odds on every game.

NFL Week 9 DFS Picks

Pos	Player	Matchup	FPPG	Salary
QB	Matthew Stafford	LAR @ WAS	19.0	$6,200
RB	Rhamondre Stevenson	GB @ NE	12.5	$6,100
RB	Jonah Coleman	DEN @ CAR	11.0	$5,300
WR	Matthew Golden	GB @ NE	17.6	$7,000
WR	Antonio Williams	LAR @ WAS	7.8	$4,100
WR	Keenan Allen	DAL @ IND	10.6	$4,900
TE	Harold Fannin Jr.	CLE @ NO	11.9	$4,700
FLEX	Christian McCaffrey	LV @ SF	20.7	$8,000
DST	Lions	DET @ MIA	5.1	$3,400

Matthew Stafford, LAR/QB ($6,200)

Reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford kicks off our lineup with a solid Week 9 matchup against the Commanders. The veteran QB will look to bounce back after a relatively tame performance last week, finishing with just 157 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT in a dominant 24-9 victory. Sunday could require him to throw more against a Washington side that can turn this game into a shootout despite its poor record.

The Commanders have scored 25 or more points in two of their last three games, and Sunday’s 48.5-point implied total suggests another high-scoring affair. Opposing QBs have had their way against this Washington secondary, which gives up the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position (20.6) and 243 passing yards per contest. With Washington’s run defense so effective, teams have found the most success through the air, and the Rams are equipped to do the same.

Rhamondre Stevenson, NE/RB ($6,100)

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson will once again serve as the lead back on Sunday and has been very effective in that role this season. With fellow RB TreVeyon Henderson ruled out for Week 9, Stevenson should see a workload similar to what he has handled for much of the season. He played over 76% of New England’s offensive snaps last week and saw a season-high 19 carries in the 24-19 win over the Dolphins, finishing with 82 yards on the ground. He now looks to build on that against a Packers defense that ranks around the middle of the pack against the run.

Green Bay concedes nearly 111 rushing yards per game, and with Henderson out, a large chunk of those should belong to Stevenson. None of his three catches last week resulted in much yardage, but he has been a threat through the air this season and could bring in a few receptions on Sunday. With Green Bay conceding the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing backfields and Stevenson’s sheer volume, he should produce enough to justify his low $6,100 price tag.

Jonah Coleman, DEN/RB ($5,300)

Denver rookie RB Jonah Coleman has burst onto the scene amid the injuries his squad has faced at the position. He has almost certainly taken over as the team’s RB1 heading into Week 9, playing 67% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps in Week 8 while out-touching J.K. Dobbins 15 to 7. The 23-year-old saw every second-half touch in Denver’s late comeback and was pivotal on the final drive with a 51-yard catch and a 5-yard TD run. He finished with 11 carries for 41 yards and 4 receptions for 63 yards and will look to showcase his talents further as the lead back against a Panthers defense that has struggled all season.

The Panthers rank 30th in the league, conceding over 140 rushing yards per game. Opposing backfields are scoring 28.3 fantasy points per game against Carolina, and the Panthers have allowed 10 rushing TDs entering Week 9. Coleman’s 4.5 yards per carry bodes well, with more volume expected on Sunday afternoon. Denver has leaned on Coleman (5 attempts) over Dobbins (1 attempt) in the red zone in recent weeks, and against a run defense like Carolina’s, it would not be a surprise to see him find the end zone for the third time in four weeks.

Matthew Golden, GB/WR ($7,000)

Returning to the NE/GB game, we kick off our WRs for Week 9 with Packers young star Matthew Golden. The sophomore has blossomed into the team’s WR1 after a relatively quiet rookie season and has been extremely productive in the role. He enters Sunday having caught a TD in four of his last six games, with at least one red-zone target in each of those contests. His production does not rely on scoring, however, as he sees plenty of volume and serves as a possession WR for a team in solid form.

Golden leads the team with a 27.2% target share, and his 10.3 targets per game rank seventh among all WRs. His 43 receptions rank in the top 10, and he has benefited from playing in the league’s second-ranked passing offense. He faces a Patriots secondary with several question marks heading into Week 9, with both Kevin Byard and Carlton Davis questionable. That would greatly affect a unit that has been fairly strong all season, ranking 13th and conceding 217.3 yards per game, though that will not scare a Packers offense averaging over 270 passing yards per game.

Antonio Williams, WAS/WR ($4,100)

Commanders rookie WR Antonio Williams could be in for a breakout game against the Rams on Sunday afternoon. He will serve as one of Washington’s lead targets alongside Stefon Diggs with Terry McLaurin, Treylon Burks, and Dyami Brown all out with injury. The matchup is tough against a Los Angeles secondary that has been among the best all season, but the underlying numbers suggest Williams is on the brink of a breakout, and at just $4,100 he is a solid budget option to do it this week.

He logged 83% of offensive snaps in the team’s first game without McLaurin and should see even more with the new injuries in the WR room. Williams ran the most routes and led the team in targets (7) and receptions (5) in Washington’s 27-10 victory over the Eagles, and has now caught 15 of 17 targets from his QB over the last few games. The Rams enter Week 9 ranked fourth, allowing under 200 passing yards per game, but the sheer volume Williams will see as one of the main options is enough to justify his very low price.

Keenan Allen, IND/WR ($4,900)

Colts veteran pickup Keenan Allen has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak season. He and QB Daniel Jones have been building a solid connection, particularly over the last few weeks. While Allen has not been a threat in the red zone or deep down the field, the 34-year-old continues to serve as an ultra-reliable option in the short and intermediate passing game. He has caught all 10 of his targets over the last two games combined and faces a Cowboys secondary that has struggled all season.

Allen enters Week 9 with a 21.2% target share and an impressive 26.2% first-read share in a fairly inconsistent Colts passing game. He has at least five receptions in four of his last five games and could add to his lone TD this season against a Dallas secondary that has allowed 1.0 receiving TD per game over the last eight weeks. The Cowboys are conceding the sixth-most fantasy points to outside WRs this season, and while Allen is no longer the player he once was, he continues to produce at a high level. At just under $5,000, he should have no trouble outproducing his price based on his volume.

Harold Fannin Jr., CLE/TE ($4,700)

Browns sophomore TE Harold Fannin Jr. enters Week 9 off one of the best performances of his career against the Steelers. The 22-year-old finished with 10 receptions for 154 yards and will look to replicate that against a New Orleans defense that has struggled all season. The Saints rank 24th against the pass, conceding 233.3 air yards per game, and Fannin should be in for another strong outing even if QB Deshaun Watson is unable to go with a concussion. New Orleans is allowing the sixth-most catches, yards, and fantasy points per game to opposing TEs this season, putting Fannin in a great position to follow up his career game.

The second-year man has seen 21 combined targets over the last few games and would be a dependable safety valve if QB Shedeur Sanders has to make his first start of the season. He and Sanders got plenty of reps together last year, with Fannin averaging around 8 targets per game with the former Colorado star under center. Sunday’s game could turn into a shootout like many Saints games this season, and another high-volume day for Fannin is likely if that is the case.

Christian McCaffrey, SF/RB ($8,000)

Going a bit cheaper at WR allows us to fit one of the best fantasy players in recent history, 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey, into our flex spot. The veteran back has shown no signs of slowing down and continues to serve as the lead man in an offense decimated by injury. Whether on the ground or through the air, McCaffrey produces at the highest level whenever he has the ball, and he has a solid matchup to do so again on Sunday. San Francisco takes on a Las Vegas defense allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season and now faces the RB with the third-most TDs this season.

McCaffrey has been one of the best pass-catching RBs this season and enters Week 9 with 34 receptions for 251 yards. His 91.4 scrimmage yards per game rank among the top 15 players in the league, and he has a chance for a lucrative yardage day against a Raiders defense that has struggled on the ground and through the air. Their 146.4 rushing yards allowed per game ranks 31st, while their 235.5 passing yards allowed ranks 26th. The Raiders are conceding 28.8 PPG this season, which explains why CMC and the 49ers are such big favorites and should dominate this matchup in the late-afternoon slate.

Lions D/ST ($3,400)

We cap off our Week 9 lineup with the Lions defense, which has not been particularly strong all season but has a solid matchup against the 1-6 Dolphins. Detroit has performed much better recently, conceding 17.6 PPG over the last three games. The unit still ranks last in passing yards allowed at over 275 per game, but should be able to slow down a Miami offense that has struggled badly this season. The Lions rank third in the NFL with 24 total sacks and could force several turnovers with the pressure they generate.

Miami is averaging just 16.7 PPG, the second-fewest in the NFL. The Dolphins surrender the second-highest sack rate (9.2%) in the league and concede 3.0 sacks per game, which bodes well for Aidan Hutchinson and company on Sunday. With how strong the Lions’ defense has looked against far better teams over the last few weeks, another solid outing against one of the league’s poorest offenses would not be a surprise.

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