This is a great week to play guaranteed prize pools (GPPs), but it’s up to you guys to follow the news throughout the week. Not only did we have the trade deadline on Tuesday, but we had numerous quarterbacks get injured last week. That means these offenses could look completely different, and it’ll be interesting to navigate the waters with four teams on bye.
All of that will make this one of the most chaotic GPP slates of the year, but that’s the best time to play!
NFL Week 9 DFS GPP Lineup Advice & Picks
The players below are ones I’m looking at for GPP considerations for Week 9:
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Derek Carr (QB – NO): $5,700 vs. CHI
It was a rough start for Carr in New Orleans, but he’s starting to find it for the Saints. The former Raider has scored at least 20 DraftKings (DK) points in three straight outings, throwing at least 50 passes in two of those. That role is hard to overlook for a sub-$6K player, especially in this matchup. Chicago surrenders the third-most passing yards in the NFL while posting a 26th opponent rank (OPRK) against opposing quarterbacks.
Jordan Love (QB – GB): $5,500 vs. LAR
We had Love in here last week, and we’re going right back to him. This guy isn’t very good, but he continues to provide value from a fantasy perspective. Love has scored at least 16 DK points in six of seven games while averaging over 18 fantasy points per game. Los Angeles isn’t a bad matchup either, posting a 21st OPRK against opposing signal-callers.
FanDuel
Geno Smith (QB – SEA): $6,600 at BAL
It was wild to scroll this far down to find Geno. He’s had a disappointing season after a breakout year, and we have to assume he’ll get back to that with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf in the passing game. Nobody will roster him with the struggles, but this could be a shootout against one of the best offenses in the NFL. Geno-DK-Lockett could be one of the best GPP stacks out there with how affordable this team is.
Matthew Stafford (QB – LAR): $6,500 at GB
The status of Stafford is up in the air, but he’s an excellent GPP play if he’s able to go. This guy still has two of the best wideouts in the NFL, ranked Top 6 in air yards, pass attempts, and passing yards. The lack of touchdowns has held him back, but he’s a great GPP option at just $6,500 with so many question marks around his availability. Green Bay is a quality matchup, too, ranked 20th in points allowed.
Running Backs
DraftKings
Rachaad White (RB – TB): $5,600 at HOU
We’ve seen White become a significant part of the passing game over the last two weeks, combining for 13 catches and 135 receiving yards in that span. We love that paired with his rushing, guaranteed for double-digit carries and the majority of the goal-line work. That’s tremendous against a team like the Texans, allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing backs since the start of last season.
Kareem Hunt (RB – CLE): $5,500 vs. ARI
This is a timeshare between Hunt and Ford, but Kareem has been the better option over the last few weeks. He’s scored at least 14 DraftKings points in three straight games, seeing his touches rise throughout that span. He’s probably more talented than Ford, and he could be the featured back in the second half of the season. Arizona is a fantastic matchup, allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing rushers.
FanDuel
Tony Pollard (RB – DAL): $6,600 at PHI
Nobody will use Pollard with the way he’s been struggling. With that said, this was still a Top 10 pick in season-long leagues, and he has the capability of being one of the best backs in the NFL. That makes it hard to believe that he’s at just $6,600, ranked 14th in terms of salary. This much of a price drop is hard to overlook for such a talented guy, making him a worthy GPP play in what could be the highest-scoring game of the weekend.
Emari Demercado (RB – ARI): $5,800 at CLE
With James Conner out, Demercado has taken over this backfield. He played in 80% of the team’s snaps two weeks ago and is getting almost all the work out of the backfield. He’s got 17 and 21 touches in the two most recent outings, and no player with 20 touches should be below $6,000. We also love that he’s a great pass-catcher out of the backfield, which could give him a boost in a game where AZ will be trailing.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
Amari Cooper (WR – CLE): $6,100 vs. ARI
Coop seems to be undervalued every week, and it’s hard to understand why. This guy is a lock for 7-10 targets every game, recording a season-high 11 targets in his most recent outing. He’s also scored at least 15 DraftKings points in four of his last six outings and should never be this cheap with that sort of production. We couldn’t ask for a better matchup, with Arizona allowing the sixth-most yards in the NFL.
KJ Osborn (WR – MIN): $4,600 at ATL
Why is Osborn still below $5K? Many people will fade him without Kirk Cousins, but this guy is one of the safest bets for double-digit fantasy points from a sub-$5K player. He’s got at least four catches and 47 yards in four straight games, directly correlating with the Justin Jefferson injury. He also had eight catches for 99 yards last week and could have a nice rapport with whatever backup quarterback comes in and plays for Minnesota.
FanDuel
Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR): $8,700 at GB
Kupp rarely sees low ownership, but that’ll undoubtedly be the case here after two stinkers and some question marks surrounding Stafford’s status. We’re willing to overlook that because Kupp has been the top receiver in the NFL over the last three years. Seeing him third in terms of salary is strange, and it looks even better since his ownership percentage could be the lowest we’ve seen in years.
Zay Flowers (WR – BAL): $6,100 vs. SEA
Flowers hasn’t been getting in the endzone, but he’s still the focal point of this passing game. He’s playing in nearly 90% of the team’s snaps this season, leading the team with a 27% team target share. That’s ridiculous from a rookie, and we only expect it to get higher the better this guy gets! Not to mention, Seattle owns a 25th OPRK against opposing wide receivers this season.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
Logan Thomas (TE – WAS): $3,500 at NE
It’s wild to see Thomas sitting at just $3,500 because he’s quietly been one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL. He’s averaging 11.6 DraftKings points per game, scoring at least 7.3 DK points in all but one outing. That makes Logan an enticing GPP option because of this salary, and it’s not like we’re worried about the Pats posting a 15th OPRK against opposing tight ends.
FanDuel
Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL): $5,200 vs. MIN
The talent from Pitts has been immense, and we might be looking at a breakout since Atlanta might be changing quarterbacks. A switch to Taylor Heinicke could be massive for his fantasy value because Pitts has the ability to be one of the best tight ends in the sport. We’ve seen flashes of it, scoring at least 12 FanDuel points in two of his last four games.
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
Las Vegas Raiders D/ST: $3,600 vs. NYG
The Raiders haven’t done much right this season, but their defense is better than most people think. They rank 15th in yards surrendered, but this matchup couldn’t be much better. The Giants have lost their top two quarterbacks and are surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing D/STs. That’s clear when evaluating the betting lines because Vegas is a 3.5-point favorite in a game with a minuscule 38-point total.
FanDuel
Washington Commanders D/ST: $4,100 at NE
It’s sad that the Pats have become such a good matchup for opposing D/STs, but Tom Brady isn’t walking through that door. New England is 28th in yardage and 30th in points scored this season. The Commanders’ defense hasn’t been as good as we’d hope, but the Pats are only projected to score 21 points in what could be a defensive struggle for both teams.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
