We had a really good read on how the cash game players played out last week because many of the guys we wrote up had high ownership. That’s just as important as getting the players right because it’s imperative to know how ownership percentages will play out in your cash games.
That sort of understanding can separate you from the field, and we’ll try our best to calculate that again this week.
NFL Week 9 DFS GPP Lineup Advice & Picks (2023 Fantasy Football)
The players below are ones I’m looking at for cash game considerations for Week 9:
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI): $8,000 vs. DAL
There are only two high-end quarterbacks on this slate, and Hurts is one of them. This guy has been a daily fantasy sports (DFS) machine since taking over last year, averaging 25 DraftKings (DK) points per game this season. His rushing touchdowns have established an elite floor as well, and he’s going to be one of the safest cash game options in what’s expected to be the highest-scoring game of the week.
Dak Prescott (QB – DAL): $6,500 at PHI
If this Philly-Dallas matchup is going to be a shootout, everyone will use these players in DFS. DraftKings is actually the better value on DK, sitting $1,500 below Hurts. That’s hard to understand when looking at his recent form, scoring 25 and 32 DK points in his two most recent outings. He’s also got the better matchup, with the Eagles posting a 28th opponent rank (OPRK) against opposing quarterbacks.
FanDuel
Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL): $8,600 vs. SEA
L-Jax is the most expensive quarterback on the slate, but he’s the best cash-game option when looking at everyone else. Injuries have obliterated this position, and Jackson is one of the only reliable ones left. He scored 34 FanDuel (FD) points just two weeks ago and has his season average above 20 fantasy points per game. We love the matchup with Seattle, sitting 20th in passing yards allowed this year.
CJ Stroud (QB – HOU): $7,000 vs. TB
You have to scroll down far to find Stroud, and it’ll likely have him highly rostered on this slate. This rookie has been a revelation, averaging 17 FD points per game. Most quarterbacks in the same price range are averaging 12-13 FD points per game, and it’s hard to understand why they’re keeping such a talented rookie so affordable. We also don’t mind that Tamoa owns a 21st OPRK against opposing signal-callers.
Running Backs
DraftKings
Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND): $6,400 at CAR
Taylor has been the top back in fantasy at times, and we’re encouraged that his role is finally getting back to where it used to be. He’s got at least 11 DraftKings points in three straight outings, regularly picking up 15 carries a game. That makes him challenging to avoid against Carolina at just $6,400, with the Panthers surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing backs this season.
Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL): $6,100 vs. MIN
Bijan has been one of the biggest busts, but this guy has all the talent in the world. That’s why he was a Top 5 pick in most season-long leagues, and people will roster him at just $6,100. DFS managers believe in the talent, and they will want to use him at what could be the cheapest price in his career. He’s also scored double-digit fantasy points in all but that one stinker two weeks ago, and a home matchup against Minnesota should keep that trend going.
FanDuel
Alvin Kamara (RB – NO): $9,200 vs. CHI
Kamara is the highest-priced player, and rightfully so! This All-Pro player has at least 14 FanDuel points in every game this year, flirting with a 20-point average. That’s the highest total of any player on the main slate, and we obviously don’t want to fade him against Chicago. The Bears own a 26th OPRK against opposing running backs, and Kamara could be in for a handful of goal-line carries in a game New Orleans is expected to roll.
Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG): $8,600 at LVR
Barkley just saw 36 carries last week. We might not see another usage output like that all season, but it makes Saquon an elite option in every DFS format. This quarterback situation has forced them into this role, and we can’t overlook one of the best backs getting 30 touches against Vegas. The Raiders rank 28th in fantasy points allowed to opposing rushers.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
AJ Brown (WR – PHI): $8,600 vs. DAL
It’s wild what this guy is doing right now. AJ has at least 125 receiving yards in six straight games, scoring at least 22 DraftKings points in all of those. That’s the greatest floor in fantasy right now, and it’s likely to continue since this is expected to be the shootout of the weekend. He’s destroyed Dallas, too, scoring at least 13 fantasy points in both of their matchups last year.
DJ Moore (WR – CHI): $5,900 at NOS
It’s hard to believe that Moore is sitting below $6K on DraftKings. He’s one of the highest-priced receivers on FanDuel, averaging nearly 20 fantasy points per game. The quarterback situation has hurt his value, but many people will pivot to Moore at this dirt-cheap price tag, especially since he’s one of the league leaders with a 30% team target share.
FanDuel
CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL): $8,800 at PHI
Lamb struggled through the opening month, but he was unleashed last week. Ceedee scored 35 FanDuel points in one of the best games of his career and will likely be utilized heavily for the remainder of the season. We can’t overlook a game like that in the highest-scoring game of the week, and it looks even better since Philly has surrendered the most fantasy points to opposing wideouts.
DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI): $7,000 vs. DAL
Everyone from this game will be heavily rostered in DFS, but Smith is one of the few guys who’s a good value. This stud was $1,000 more on each site this time last season and could be the sneakiest pick in this stack. He had 19 FD points in a bounce-back outing last weekend and is one of the best values when evaluating this tempting game stack.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
Mark Andrews (TE – BAL): $6,800 vs. SEA
With no Travis Kelce or George Kittle, Andrews is an easy choice for cash games this week. He’s been the second-best tight end over the last five years, averaging over 15 DraftKings points per game this season. Many people will pivot to him since TJ Hockenson just lost his quarterback as well, especially since Seattle ranks 23rd in passing yards allowed. The Lamar Jackson-Andrews stack will be extremely popular on this short slate.
FanDuel
Trey McBride (TE – ARI): $5,300 at CLE
Fans have been waiting for McBride to take over this tight end position all year, and now that Zach Ertz is out, he’s doing just that. McBride set career-high totals across the board last week, collecting 10 catches for 95 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets. Many tight ends don’t see 14 targets in a month, making McBride an immense value at just $5,300. Cleveland is a challenging matchup, but Arizona will have to throw a ton in a game where they’re expected to be trailing.
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
New Orleans Saints D/ST: $4,100 vs. CHI
The Saints have been one of the best defenses in the NFL, but they’re probably going to be under-owned because everyone will be using Cleveland against Arizona. We’ll pivot to the Saints, surrendering the fifth-fewest yards in the NFL. They also enter this game as a 6.5-point favorite in a game with a 41-point total, facing a Chicago team missing their top quarterback and running back. That’s forced Chicago to surrender the second-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs.
FanDuel
Cleveland Browns D/ST: $4,700 vs. ARI
Here we are with the Browns! Everyone knows just how dominant this defense has looked at times, and it’s scary to think what they could do against one of the worst offenses in the NFL. They enter this matchup as a 7.5-point favorite in a game with a 38-point total. That has Arizona as the lowest projected offense of the week, which is no surprise since they rank 22nd in points scored and 21st in total yardage. It’s wild that they’re only third in salary, and it’ll likely have them looking at 50% ownership on FanDuel.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
