FanDuel Fantasy Football Lineup Sleepers for Week 9
Fellow RotoBallers and weekly league fantasy football fans, I am here every week to help you identify some players to consider inserting into your FanDuel lineups. By identifying which players have good Week 9 matchups in relation to their prices on FanDuel this week, we can hopefully find some DFS sleepers who can help you win.
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Editor's Note: If you're looking for an extra edge for your Week 9 FanDuel, DraftKings and DFS weekly league lineups, check out our Weekly DFS Lineups Advice Exclusive Newsletter which has been going bonkers. Our in-house experts bring you their weekly DFS lineup picks based on countless hours of research and analysis.
Quarterback Value Picks for Week 9
QB: Brian Hoyer ($6,200): Hoyer has started to hear the whispers of Johnny Manziel with his recent struggles. He has only one game this year with more than one touchdown pass, but does have over 200 yards passing in every game thus far. The Browns get a favorable match-up with the Bucs this week who allowed a good game to Teddy Bridgewater last time out and has also traded safety Mark Barron. He will certainly not be a top five quarterback, but if he can manage to put up 250 yards and two scores he will hit value and allow you to afford studs at nearly every other position.
QB: Eli Manning ($7,600): The other Manning has quietly been one of the most consistent fantasy quarterback of the season. Besides his stinker two weeks ago against Philadelphia, Manning has 2+ touchdowns passes in five of his last six outings. His yardage totals haven’t been all that high, but he does also have over 230 yards in those five outings. This week the Giants play a Colts team that just gave up 500 yards and 6 touchdown passes to the Steelers. Look for Manning to continue his consistent play for a nice price.
Running Back Value Picks for Week 9
RB: Jonas Gray ($6,000): This pick is certainly a gamble as no one ever seems to know what Bill Belicheik is thinking in New England, but Gray did look good last week. He led the team with 17 carries and 86 rushing yards. Those numbers are right in line with what Ridley had been seeing prior to his injury a few weeks ago. Tom Brady certainly has the Patriots pass offense humming, but with Peyton Manning coming to town, the team will want to limit Denver’s possessions and eat on the clock so a steady run game should be on the menu. Again Gray could just as easily see 1 carry as 25 so be prepared, but if you can get a starting running back that gets 17 carries, $6k is a steal.
RB: Darren Sproles ($6,100): All signs point to Sproles returning this week for the Eagles as they take on Houston. Prior to his injury, he had a few rough outings against solid defenses in Washington and San Francisco, but started the year out hot with touchdowns in the Eagles first two games. LeSean McCoy has started to get the running game going, but Chip Kelly will undoubtedly want to keep Sproles heavily involved in the passing game. Along with that, the best way to beat a pass rush that has J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney is to hit them with screens and quick passes; right where Sproles excels. Because he doesn’t get the volume of most running backs he is a bit risky, but for $6,100 he has the ability to be the top scoring back in all of fantasy each week.
Wide Receiver Value Picks for Week 9
WR: Mike Evans ($6,000): Talk about consistent, Evans has exactly four receptions in every game he has played as a rookie. He has touchdowns in two straight weeks prior to last week. The good news out of his last game is that he led the team with seven targets and has proven to have the trust of Mike Glennon. Despite not having a 100 yard game, he does have over 49 yards in every game he has played. The other great note for this week is that Joe Haden is likely to be on Vincent Jackson which means Evans should see an even bigger boost in targets, especially in the red zone where his big body should prove useful. Look for Evans to have his first 100 yard game and a touchdown in this one.
WR: Riley Cooper ($5,300): After a breakout season in 2013, Cooper started out the year slowly, failing to find the end zone until the fifth game of the year. He also has failed to reach 100 yards in a game this year, but is gaining momentum with season highs in yards the last two weeks while hauling in 20 catches over the last four weeks. Jeremy Maclin has cemented his status as the number one target, but Cooper has separated himself from the likes of Ertz and Matthews in the Eagles pecking order.
WR: Tavon Austin ($4,900): Austin has been in large part a bust throughout his short career. However, he has a few positives going his way this week. Brian Quick is now out with an injury meaning more targets will get open, the Rams are likely to be trailing the 49ers so they will need to throw, and left tackle Jake Long is out so the quick passing game will be important. He has yet to have a big game this year, but he gotten at least four offensive touches over the last three weeks. Although that does not seem like much, the dynamo only needs one big play to blow out his value.
Tight End Value Picks for Week 9
TE: Chase Ford ($5,000): The little known tight end of the Vikings has seen his usage pick up with the injury to Kyle Rudolph. That culminated with career highs in receptions (6) and yards (61) last week against Tampa. Those numbers are not outstanding, but for near minimum salary they can be very useful when fitting in other stars. Ford gets to face a Washington team that was just shelled by tight end Jason Witten; despite not being the talent Witten is, Ford should be able to hit value with a few catches and a potential trip to the end zone.
Defense Value Picks for Week 9
DEF: Cleveland ($4,800): As with every week, I strongly advocate not to pay up for defenses as they are extremely unpredictable and value can usually be found. This week the choice is the Browns who get the advantage of playing a Tampa team whose top two play makers, Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin, come in nicked up. Along with that, Cleveland has scored 8+ fantasy points in each of the last three games. They should be able to apply a ton of pressure to Mike Glennon which should result in a few sacks and an interception, which for this price is more than you will need to hit value.