Our Week 9 DraftKings tournaments lineup features a Ravens stack and several players whose arrows should be pointing upward as we approach the back nine of the NFL's first-ever 18-week season. The Buccaneers, Lions, Seahawks, and Washington are all one a bye, so while some studs are off the table, we have plenty of valuable potential DFS picks at our disposal. We think we have a nice mix of daily fantasy football studs and boom-or-bust value sleepers at wideout, which is usually the mix you want in GPP contests.
Before we break down our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Full-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, three-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
WEEK 9 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | Yahoo
DraftKings Picks Week 9: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
Sunday main slate, $50,000 budget
QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens vs. Vikings ($7,300). Jackson has performances of 37.3 and 45.9 DraftKings points this season, and another explosive showing will be in the cards as Jackson and Ravens look to get back on the winning track.
RB Joe Mixon, Bengals vs. Browns ($7,100). The Bengals took their foot off the gas last week and the Jets made them pay for it. Another letdown is unlikely with so much riding on Sunday’s divisional showdown. Mixon wasn’t the problem. He scored 25.1 DraftKings points -- the second game in the past three he’s reached that threshold. He received at least five targets in each of those contests, a trend that bodes well for DK’s full PPR format.
WEEK 9 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
RB Nick Chubb, Browns @ Bengals ($6,700). Chubb made a lackluster return to the field after missing two games with a calf injury. He had some rust to knock off against a stout Steelers defense, so 7.4 fantasy points wasn’t exactly a shock. The Bengals aren’t a wet paper bag of a defense, but Chubb will be in a better spot to perform at a high level another week removed from his injury. With Kareem Hunt (calf) set to be sidelined for several more weeks, Chubb is still destined for some hefty workloads.
WR Marquise Brown, Ravens vs. Vikings ($6,000). Brown has dominated target share, earning 14 looks in the Ravens’ Week 7 defeat. He finished with 19.0 DK points, but he managed "only" a 5-80-1 line, so his final tally could’ve been much larger. Coming off a loss -- with an extra week to let it stew -- Jackson, Brown, and co. will be firing on all cylinders. Brown has been held to single-digit scoring on just DK on two occasions, so he’s been a safe DFS play this season.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
WR Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins vs. Texans ($5,600). The target faucet kept flowing for Waddle in Week 8, but there wasn’t much to show for it against a stingy Bills defense. Waddle turned 12 targets into a measly 4-29 line and 6.9 DK points. This came on the heels of 29.0- and 15.3-point efforts, so he’ll be a solid bet to get back on a productive streak against a much more forgiving Texans defense.
WR Kadarius Toney, Giants vs. Raiders ($5,200). Toney missed nearly two games with a sprained ankle before returning to action on Monday night. Until Saquon Barkley returns to action and form, which may not be until after the Giants’ Week 10 bye, Toney will be the most dangerous offensive weapon on the roster. As long as Toney's hand injury from Monday night isn't serious, he figures to continue to receive a good amount of work.
WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
TE Dallas Goedert, Eagles vs. Chargers ($4,500). The Chargers will likely present a much tougher opponent than the Lions, who forced the Eagles to attempt just 16 passes. Goedert commanded seven of those pass attempts and finished with 13.2 DK points. His production has been relatively modest in the two games following Zach Ertz’s trade to the Cardinals, but in a contest that projects to require more passing volume, he’ll find himself in a position to post a gaudier stat line this week and in upcoming games.
FLEX Jerry Jeudy, Broncos @ Cowboys ($5,000). Jeudy caught all four of his targets in his return to the field after a six-game layoff and finished with 39 yards. His 7.9 DK points weren’t anything to be excited about, but his numbers should climb as he gets further away from his high-ankle sprain. His four targets were tied for the team lead, but it won’t be long before he’s commanding a greater share of the team’s pass attempts.
WEEK 9 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
DEF Carolina Panthers vs. Patriots ($2,600). A pair of poor outings notwithstanding, the Panthers have been one of the better fantasy defenses this season. They’ve reached double figures twice and have scored at least 8.0 DK points in six out of eight games. The Patriots, led by rookie Mac Jones, have turned the ball over 12 times, the fifth-most in the league. Meanwhile, the Panthers’ 25.4-percent pressure rate and 21 sacks rank among the league’s top 10.