DraftKings NFL picks, Week 9: Best DFS fantasy football values
By Drew DeLuca
DraftKings Week 9 Values: Running Backs
We’re a bit gun-shy on Christian McCaffrey (CAR at KC, $8,500) in DFS as the highest-priced player on the main slate in his first game back, so we prefer Derrick Henry (TEN vs. CHI, $7,900). However, our favorite running back with a price tag of $7,000 and up is Dalvin Cook (MIN vs. DET, $8,200), who squares up against a toothless run Detroit Lions run defense in what will likely be a positive game script, thanks to the Stafford COVID exposure situation and the Kenny Golladay injury.
James Robinson (JAX vs. HOU, $7,000) will be leaned on heavily with Gardner Minshew out. The rookie has come out of nowhere to outperform a highly heralded freshman class and should see that success continue against a defense ranked in the bottom five in fantasy points allowed to running backs over the last four weeks.
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In the $6,000 to $6,900 range, Chase Edmonds (ARI vs. MIA, $6,800) has our attention, but we’re even higher on Josh Jacobs (LV at LAC, $6,300). The former Alabama standout’s questionable tag gives us pause, but he draws a favorable matchup against a Los Angeles Chargers defense that has allowed 28.6 points per game to running backs over the last four weeks (27th in the NFL).
In the value tier ($5,000 to $5,900), we’re fans of Antonio Gibson (WAS vs. NYG, $5,800) and a pair of volume-driven options: David Montgomery (CHI at TEN, $5,700) and David Johnson (HOU at JAX, $5,600). Also, Zach Moss (BUF vs. SEA, $5,200) should benefit from Devin Singletary’s dwindling involvement in the offense: the Bills have a tasty matchup against a porous Seattle Seahawks run defense that has allowed 31.7 fantasy points per game to running backs over the last four weeks, ranking in the league’s bottom three during this recent span.
Meanwhile, Deejay Dallas (SEA at BUF, $5,000) won the weekly war of attrition in the Seattle backfield. With Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde ruled out, the rookie out of the University of Miami will be the primary ballcarrier against a Buffalo Bills defense that has allowed 529 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground over the last four weeks.
Best Bet: James Conner (PIT at DAL, $6,900). No team has allowed more rushing yards to running backs over the last four weeks than the Dallas Cowboys, a stretch that includes the Eagles without Miles Sanders, a Giants squad without Saquon Barkley, and the Washington Football Team. Arizona Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake, who has literally done nothing of consequence against any other defense this year, gashed this unit for 164 yards and two touchdowns on only 20 carries.
Bargain Bin Values: JK Dobbins (BAL at IND, $4,900) just put up 100 yards against the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers defense; there’s no reason he can’t repeat that feat and find paydirt in Indianapolis this weekend. With Joshua Kelley struggling, Justin Jackson (LAC vs. LV, $4,900) should see plenty of touches with Austin Ekeler and Troymaine Pope on the shelf.
Travis Homer (SEA at BUF, $4,000) should see enough third-down work to outperform his price, and of the mess that is the Miami Dolphins backfield, we like Jordan Howard (MIA at ARI, $4,000) to emerge as the one most likely to merit significant playing time, not to mention any goal-line work. Keep these two in mind if you need to fit a low-priced RB2 into a lineup laden with studs at other positions.