This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
There are a total of six NFL teams on bye this week and it's causing panic in fantasy football lineups everywhere. That's why we play daily fantasy football. We have the ability to create our own lineups every week without worrying about bye weeks. I will provide you with some value players based on their FanDuel price tags so you can fill the rest of your roster with top-dollar options.
Quarterback:
Geno Smith ($7,500) at Arizona Cardinals
Smith has back-to-back games with more than 200 passing yards and multiple touchdowns. He does a great job protecting the football, with just one interception in his last five games. Smith will have to throw a bunch this week to keep pace with Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals offense. Luckily for Smith, the Cardinals' defense is ranked 27th against the quarterback position. They have given up seven touchdowns to quarterbacks in the last two games. Four of those were to Andy Dalton, and they even allowed Kirk Cousins to rush for a score. This game has shoot-out potential and Smith has the ability to hold his own in that type of game.
Aaron Rodgers ($7,000) at Detroit Lions
I never thought I'd be saying Rodgers is a value pick in DFS, but here we are. Look, Rodgers is clearly not having his best season, but he's still Aaron Rodgers, and someone who has thrown multiple touchdowns in seven of his last eight games. If there was going to be a game in which Rodgers has his first three-plus touchdown game of the season, it's this one. The Detroit Lions have shown they can be competitive on offense, and they will have to be against the Packers. The Lions are ranked 31st against quarterbacks and have allowed the likes of Carson Wentz and yes, Smith to have great fantasy games. This is the Rodgers game of 2022.
Running Back:
Aaron Jones ($7,800) at Detroit Lions
No. 2 of the three-part Packers stack (keep reading) is Jones. Not only can Jones dominate on the ground, but he has shown he can be a reliable target for Rodgers in the receiving game. Jones has been targeted by Rodgers 15 times in his last two games. The Lions are just a bad defense all around, so this game has me liking the Packers' key weapons. The Lions have given up the third-most fantasy points to running backs, and we have seen Jones give us week-winning type games. This feels like that kind of week.
Travis Etienne ($7,600) vs. Las Vegas Raiders
James Robinson is gone and Etienne is THE guy in Jacksonville. The man has caught fire, rushing more than 100 yards and scoring in back-to-back games against better run defenses than what he'll see this Sunday. The Las Vegas Raiders are ranked 26th against running backs this season. They have allowed running backs to do damage on the ground and through the air, and Etienne is capable of both. Although the Raiders haven't allowed a running back to rush for more than 100 yards yet this season, the Jaguars' star back is primed to be the first in Week 9.
Wide Receiver:
Tyler Boyd ($6,900) at Carolina Panthers
With Ja'Marr Chase sidelined, Boyd has a great opportunity for targets and production on this Bengals offense. He has scored in two consecutive games and is just two weeks removed from a 155-yard and one touchdown performance. The Carolina Panthers have given up the 11th-most fantasy points to wide receivers, including giving up 100-plus yards to two separate receivers from the same team back in Week 3 against the Saints. This week, Boyd and Tee Higgins have a chance to do the same.
Josh Reynolds ($5,700) vs. Green Bay Packers
Josh Reynolds had a string of games in which he was looking like a consistent option for Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions offense. Unfortunately, Reynolds hasn't performed well in his last two games. The Packers have been a difficult matchup for wideout, ranking ninth in the league against the position. So why add him to your DFS lineups? T.J. Hockenson was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, and Amon-Ra St. Brown will likely be covered by Packers' star corner, Jaire Alexander. Goff will need Reynolds more than ever in this game if the Lions have any chance of producing through the passing game.
Tight End:
Robert Tonyan ($5,000) at Detroit Lions
Here it is. The third installment of the Packers three-way stack. Tonyan is top-five among tight ends in receptions with 35 on the season. He has been targeted a total of 22 times by Rodgers in just the last three games. He'll look to keep that momentum going against the Lions who rank 28th against the tight end position. They have allowed four touchdowns to the position in their last four games. Tonyan is due to score, given his target and reception volume. He hasn't scored since Week 4.
Defense:
New England Patriots ($4,900) vs. Indianapolis Colts
With all the value you're getting in the picks listed above, it's time to spend up on defense. The New England Patriots defense has been a consistent producer this season. They have generated double-digit points on FanDuel in three of their last 5 games. The Colts offense is broken and has given up the second-most fantasy points to defenses this season. This is a perfect formula for the Patriots to be the top-scoring defense in Week 9.
