Stacks, foundational players and value picks to help you build the perfect daily fantasy lineup.
Living in the daily game world for any sport requires a lot of work with little reward for the casual player unless the stars align for one magical day. Most daily owners need to decide whether to be a grinder or a swing-for-the-fences player. One path keeps you alive for more days of action with the idea of building your bankroll slowly. The other has a donation feel while offering a pot of gold at the end of a distant rainbow.
Since the daily sites started offering the million-dollar overall prize, I’ve been trying to find my get-out-of-jail-free card. The goal is to handicap the main football slate on Sunday and invest in the best possible combination of foundation players. If my key players have success, I will be in the hunt with many teams. Each football season, I expect to be in the mix in four or five weeks.
All players listed are for the main slate of games on Sunday.
Quarterback Stacks
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Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
A late rushing touchdown allowed Allen to climb to second in quarterback scoring in Week 8. He draws another favorable matchup this week on the road against the Jaguars. I wrote about his matchup on Wednesday in the DFS Report. Allen rates as the top quarterback again this week while being on a path for 356 combined yards with 3.5 touchdowns. Stefon Diggs has yet to post an impact game, but he has scored in back-to-back weeks.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Prescott also found his way into my DFS writeup based on him having a favorable salary. However, the Cowboys need to clear CeeDee Lamb from his mid-week ankle issue before we decide on Prescott as the top ride in daily games. Dallas won’t have Michael Gallup back this week, but Cedric Wilson looks to be gaining momentum as their WR3 (3/84/1 in Week 8 with a 35-yard pass completion). If Lamb or Amari Cooper has an issue, Wilson should get a bump in targets while almost looking like a mid-week wide receiver handcuff in Dallas.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
In Jackson’s first two home games, he scored 36.65 and 47.30 fantasy points against the Chiefs and Colts. This week, Jackson makes his fourth straight start in Baltimore while not being a factor in the daily games over the past two matchups (15.45 and 25.65 fantasy points). Despite being on a career pace in passing yards (4,719 over 17 games), he only has one passing touchdown in six of his seven contests. In addition, Jackson scored twice on the ground while remaining active in the run game (76/480/2).
The Vikings struggled to defend the quarterback position in Week 2 (ARI – 431/4), but they’ve allowed fewer than 20.00 fantasy points in four of their last five matchups (SEA – 305/1, CLE – 166/0, DET – 203/0, CAR – 255/1). Minnesota will pressure the quarterback (24 sacks) with some risk defending the run (184/846/6).
Baltimore has yet to find their lead runner at the midpoint of the season due to injuries at running back. Jackson should be active on the ground, and Minnesota has the talent to force the Ravens to the air to win this game. Jackson is an interesting stack option. One or more of the Vikings’ players could also come in this week. Baltimore’s defense has struggled vs. tight ends (46/545/6) in most weeks.
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have scored only eight touchdowns over their past 42 possessions with 12 turnovers. Over this span, Mahomes attempted 200 passes. Unfortunately, he gained only 6.2 yards per pass attempt with five passing scores and 11 sacks. Over the first four games, Kansas City scored 15 times over 37 possessions.
The new dink-and-dunk style by Mahomes does lead to a high number of completions (27 per game), but the Chiefs still haven’t found a third player to stand out in the passing game. As bad as it may look, he is still on a path for 5,576 yards and 43 touchdowns over a 17-game schedule.
Green Bay sits just above the league average in fantasy points allowed (21.38 – 14th) to quarterbacks. They allow 6.9 yards per pass attempt despite playing without their best cornerback over the past few games. No team has passed for over 300 yards. The Packers held quarterbacks to two touchdowns or fewer over their seven wins.
With no Aaron Rodgers, the Packers should try to slow down the game with the run. Mahomes almost has an against-the-grain feel based on his matchup and the direction of Kansas City’s offense. A Mahomes/Travis Kelce island may end up being the brightest play of the day.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
Over the first seven games, Saints quarterbacks gained 1,585 combined yards (226 per game) with a surprising 19 touchdowns. However, there is no excitement in the production at wide receiver (56/830/8) or tight end (21/206/3). They’ve attempted only 27.7 passes per game.
Hill takes over New Orleans’ offense after missing two games with a concussion issue. His only excitement in 2021 came over the first four weeks in the run game (16/77/3). Last season, he played well in two starts vs. the Falcons (577 combined yards with four touchdowns), but he had Michael Thomas (9/104 and 9/105) in the starting lineup for both games -- he won’t have Thomas here. Hill averaged 25.68 fantasy points over his four starts.
Atlanta ranks 29th in fantasy quarterback defense (24.31 FPPG), with four opponents delivering impact games (PHI – 326/3, TB – 279/5, WAS – 333/3, MIA – 320/4). Quarterbacks don’t have a rushing touchdown despite success running the ball (38/244 – 6.4 yards per rush).
Hill’s floor is set up by the run, and he will steal touchdowns at the goal line. His receiving corps has a lot to prove, but the same could have been said about Miami and Washington.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Over his last five games, Burrow passed for 1,628 yards with 13 touchdowns, pushing him to ninth in quarterback scoring (23.52 FPPG). Over this span, he gained 9.4 yards per pass attempt with excellent production from his running backs (24/261/4), wide receivers (73/1,108/7) and tight ends (19/259/5).
The Browns have struggled to score over their last three games at home (14, 17, 10), which came after a seven-touchdown pasting by the Chargers’ offense. Cleveland moved to 23rd in quarterback defense (23.65 FPPG) after playing well vs. the Broncos (187/2) and Steelers (266/1). However, their defense struggled in three matchups (KC – 33 points and 355/4, LAC – 47 points and 427/5, and ARI – 37 points and 232/4).
Cincinnati has the tools to shine in this game if they are forced to throw. They will make the Browns defend the whole field, and their overall receiving corps is deeper than any Cleveland has faced in 2021. I have a weakness for Burrow in my “Chase” to win a million dollars (see what we did there?).
Foundation Core Players
RB Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
Other than a down game against the Ravens (55 combined yards with four catches), Ekeler played at a high level in his other four games (495 yards with seven touchdowns and 20 catches) over his past five matchups. He’s gained over 100 combined yards in five contests while averaging 16.7 touches and 1.31 fantasy points per chance.
Philly ranks 29th defending running backs (1,341 combined yards with nine touchdowns and 61 catches). Over the past three games, backs have 31 catches for 241 on 33 targets vs. the Eagles.
The Chargers come into this matchup with back-to-back losses. Ekeler should be a big part of Los Angeles’ game plan in Week 9. For his ticket to pay off, he’ll need about 120 yards with two touchdowns and seven catches. His projections will be much higher when I do the second update on Friday night.
Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports
RB Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
If Aaron Rodgers were starting, Jones would be an attractive play vs. the Chiefs. Over the past two games, Kansas City played better against the run (TEN – 35/103/1, NYG – 20/72). Unfortunately, their season started with two disastrous showings vs. Cleveland (26/153/4) and Baltimore (41/251/3 – 16/107/2 by Lamar Jackson). Overall, running backs have gained 1,171 combined yards with seven touchdowns and 50 catches against the Chiefs.
Jones is on pace for 1,488 combined yards with 15 touchdowns and 70 catches over 17 games despite averaging 17.1 touches. The Packers continue to rotate in a second running back, but Jones’s ability to catch the ball and score helps his floor. His only impact game (41.50 fantasy points) came in Week 2 vs. the Lions.
With Jordan Love starting, Green Bay will lean on its star running back, and Love should look for him on many short passes. Kansas City will score, so the Packers should be in chase mode in this matchup.
Both Tyreek Hill and Amari Cooper appeared in my daily game article earlier this week.
WR Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
The Bills completed 121 of 184 targets to wide receivers for 1,466 yards and 10 touchdowns, which translates to 327.6 fantasy points in PPR leagues. Diggs’s share of the wideout pie comes to 33.7 percent, down from 37.8 percent in 2020. He is on pace for 102 catches for 1,221 yards and seven scores over 17 games. His one glaring shortfall comes in catches over 20 yards (four over seven games – he had 20 in 2020). He gained fewer than 70 yards in five of his seven starts. However, Diggs does have a score in his last two contests.
The Jaguars have allowed over 38.00 fantasy points in six of seven matchups to wide receivers. They rank 24th in wide receiver defense (104/1,346/8). Six wideouts (Brandin Cooks – 5/132, Courtland Sutton – 9/159, A.J. Green – 5/112, Christian Kirk – 7/104, Tyler Boyd – 9/118, Tyler Lockett – 12/142) gained over 100 yards against Jacksonville, but none of these players scored. Over the last two weeks, Jaylen Waddle and DK Metcalf both scored a pair of touchdowns.
Diggs looks poised to move back up the wide receiver rankings. I have him projected for seven catches for 89 yards and a touchdown, leaving him one big-play away from an impact game.
TE Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
Over the past two games with Zach Ertz out of the picture, Goedert finished with two steady outings (3/70 and 6/72) on 12 targets. His opportunity (4.4 targets per game) has been much lower than expected, but he still ranks 12th in tight end scoring (9.23 fantasy points) in PPR leagues.
The Chargers are 26th in tight end fantasy defense (39/522/5), with Kansas City (11/122/1) and Cleveland (7/149/1) having the most success.
Goedert needs the Eagles to throw more passes to become a more attractive play in the daily space. At the very least, he is a top-two option in Philadelphia’s passing game with scoring ability in the red zone.
Value Options
RB Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins
Timing Gaskin has been challenging in 2021. He played his way into a bench role in the season-long games early in the year, only to post a surprising week (99 combined yards with two touchdowns and 10 catches) against Tampa. Over the previous two weeks, Miami had him on the field for over 60 percent of their plays, leading to 132 combined yards with a score and seven catches on 34 touches.
Houston sits 22nd in running back defense (26.09 FPPG). They allow 4.8 yards per rush, with backs scoring 12 touchdowns. Over the last five weeks, the Texans have struggled to defend the run (40/199/2, 30/126/1, 26/174/2, 37/172/1, 31/165/2). Teams’s success on the ground led to minimal chances in the passing game (27/212/2).
Gaskin seems overpriced, but his matchup gives him a chance at 100-plus yards with the upside of multiple scores.
WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Through eight games, Waddle has gained over 20 yards on two of his 48 catches. He is on pace for 102 catches for 856 yards and six touchdowns. His play has been much better on the road (32/249/3 over five games) than at home (16/164 over three games).
The Texans are just below average defending wide receivers (99/1,430/7), with the most struggles coming over the last two games (16/186/2 and 16/268/2). Five opponents gained over 200 yards from their wideouts. D.J. Moore (8/126), Stefon Diggs (7/114) and Cooper Kupp (7/114/1) had the highest production.
SI Sportsbook has Miami as a 5.5-point favorite with an over/under of 46.5. Miami threw the ball better in its two games (329/2 and 291/4), pointing to their offense playing much better in Week 9 vs. a weaker opponent.
TE Jared Cook, Los Angeles Chargers
Cook will be in the free-agent pool in many leagues this week, and most of the fantasy teams that own him will choose to leave him on the bench. He gained fewer than 30 yards in five of his previous six starts while averaging five targets. His best game (6/70/1) came at home in Week 4 against the Raiders.
The Eagles are 28th defending tight ends (56/471/6). Over their previous six matchups, they gave up 119.50 fantasy points in PPR leagues (19.20 per game).
Cook can’t excel without more chances, but he does have a matchup that should lead to him scoring over 12.00 fantasy points.
Here’s my perfect lineup for Week 9:
More fantasy coverage:
- NFL DFS Week 9 Picks, Plays & Values
- Week 9 Rest-of-Season (ROS) Rankings
- Week 9 Rankings & Stat Projections
- Fantasy Playoff Prep
Senior analyst Shawn Childs is a multi-sport, high-stakes fantasy legend with lifetime earnings in the high six-figures. He has been providing in-depth, analytical breakdowns for years all while helping his subscribers to countless titles and winnings across season-long & DFS. An inaugural inductee of the NFBC Hall of Fame, Shawn can teach you how to prep like a champ!