Only four teams are on bye during Week 9, so there is no shortage of DFS options to ponder. Two of the teams are the Jets and Browns, neither of which have a ton of appealing options anyway. Let's dig into the Sunday FanDuel NFL DFS slate and highlight some of the top players to consider.
The Games
A lot of the focus of NFL DFS picks is on individual players. Skills certainly matter, but finding game environments that are likely to promote a lot of points scored is a way to narrow the focus of our player pool.
| Over-Under | Road Team | Road Team Total | Home Team | Home Team Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50.5 | Bears | 26.5 | Bengals | 24.5 |
| 48 | Vikings | 19.5 | Lions | 29.5 |
| 43.5 | Panthers | 14.5 | Packers | 28.5 |
| 39.5 | Broncos | 19.5 | Texans | 20.5 |
| 44.5 | Falcons | 19.5 | Patriots | 24.5 |
| 48 | 49ers | 24.5 | Giants | 23.5 |
| 50 | Colts | 26.5 | Steelers | 23.5 |
| 43.5 | Chargers | 26.5 | Titans | 16.5 |
| 43.5 | Saints | 13.5 | Rams | 29.5 |
| 44.5 | Jaguars | 23.5 | Raiders | 20.5 |
| 52 | Chiefs | 26.5 | Bills | 25.5 |
There is one game with a total below 40 points and three with at least 50; the favorites with the highest totals include the Lions, Rams and Packers
Value Options
Kareem Hunt, BUF vs. KC ($5,900): The Chiefs will take on the Bills before having their bye in Week 10. Isiah Pacheco (knee) is considered week-to-week, potentially lining Hunt up for an expanded role. Hunt hasn't piled up a ton of rushing yards, but he does have five total touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Bills have allowed 5.26 yards per carry to running backs, leaving Hunt with the potential to provide his best stat line of the season.
Alec Pierce, IND at PIT ($5,700): Pierce only has a 13.3 percent target share for the Colts, but he has remained productive because he has an average depth of target of 21.3 yards. That's not a new trend, either, considering that he had a 21.4 aDOT last year. This is a great spot to provide value given that the Steelers have allowed the most passing yards per game in the league.
Other Value Options
QB Caleb Williams, CHI at CIN ($7,300)
QB Aaron Rodgers, PIT vs. IND ($7,000)
RB D'Andre Swift, CHI at CIN ($6,900)
RB Rico Dowdle, CAR at GB ($6,400)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., NYG vs. SF ($6,000)
WR Travis Hunter, JAC at LV ($6,000)
WR Calvin Austin III, PIT vs. IND ($5,600)
WR Tre Tucker, LV vs. JAC ($5,500)
TE Jonnu Smith, PIT vs. IND ($5,100)
TE Colston Loveland, CHI at CIN ($4,800)
Stacks to Consider
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Indianapolis Colts
Aaron Rodgers ($7,000) threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Packers last week, a stat line we've become accustomed to seeing from him this season. He has not topped 249 passing yards in a game yet, but he has finished with at least two touchdowns in five of his seven games. Not only could the Colts' passing attack have a big performance in this game, but so could the Steelers. The Colts have allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game in the league and 14 passing touchdowns.
The top option on the Steelers to stack with Rodgers is DK Metcalf ($7,600), who had five receptions for 55 yards and one touchdown against the Packers. He has finished with a touchdown in five of six games and is on pace to reach double-digit touchdowns for the third time in his career. While he only has one game with at least 100 receiving yards this year, he has accounted for 41.8 percent of the Steelers' air yards.
Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans
With the Chargers dismantling the Vikings in Week 8, Justin Herbert ($8,100) only attempted 25 passes, though he still finished with 227 passing yards and three touchdowns. He even added 62 rushing yards on seven carries. That marked his fifth multi-touchdown game of the season and his third game with three scores. Up next is a great matchup against the Titans, who have allowed the second-highest completion rate in the league. Herbert showed last week that, even in a blowout, he can still produce a valuable stat line.
There is no shortage of stacking options to go with Herbert: Ladd McConkey ($7,800), Keenan Allen ($6,600) and Quentin Johnston ($7,000) have each had stretches when they've been productive. However, the best player to stack with Herbert this week might be Oronde Gadsden II ($6,400), who had 19 receptions for 309 yards and two touchdowns on 22 targets over the last three games.
Other Stacks to Consider
Colts – Daniel Jones ($7,900) + Michael Pittman Jr. ($7,200)
Chiefs – Patrick Mahomes ($8,500) + Rashee Rice ($8,200)
Raiders – Geno Smith ($6,500) + Brock Bowers ($6,800)
High-Price Heroes
Jonathan Taylor, IND at PIT ($11,000): Taylor's salary makes it difficult to build a well-balanced lineup, but he is still one of the top options on the slate. He only had 12 carries against the Titans last week but still ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a receiving touchdown, marking his fourth game of the season with at least three scores. With the Steelers allowing an average of 25.0 points per game, Taylor could receive multiple opportunities to reach the end zone again.
Josh Allen, BUF vs. KC ($8,900): The Bills outscored the Panthers by 31 last week, so Allen finished with a season-low 19 pass attempts. He still had one passing touchdown to go along with two additional scores on the ground. The man is a touchdown machine, totaling 17 scores across seven games. Including the playoffs, Allen has faced the Chiefs nine times during his career, and he's scored at least two touchdowns in each. Expect him to have an extremely high floor in their 10th meeting.
The Smash Spot
Christian McCaffrey, SF at NYG ($9,500): The Giants are allowing 6.12 yards per carry to running backs; no other team has allowed more than 5.26. They have also given up an 80.0 percent catch rate to running backs. Meanwhile, McCaffrey is averaging 24.5 touches per game and has six total touchdowns across eight games despite all of the injuries that the 49ers have dealt with on offense. Don't expect the Giants to be the team that slows him down.
