Welcome to Sleeper Picks. Sleeper’s newest offering promised plenty of entertainment and action, and they delivered. We will break down our top three picks for this week’s NFL action. Sleeper is quickly becoming one of the most popular season-long fantasy platforms, and they are expanding into other areas based on demand. Each week in this space, we’ll talk about some strategy for the new platform while providing our favorite NFL more/less picks.
Sleeper Picks NFL Week 9
2024 Season record: 15-9
Derrick Henry (RB – BAL): 74.5 rushing yards (alt line)
King Henry showed that he is indeed human in Week 8, mustering just 73 rushing yards. Henry saw his fewest carries of the season in the unexpected loss but still managed 6.64 yards per carry, good for his third-highest mark of the season. He will look to bounce back this week against a Denver defense that has some formidable pieces. Gamescript is expected to be in the Ravens’ favor this weekend, so he should be back to the 15-25 carry realm, which should, on most days, mean he hits at least 75 rushing yards. The alt line of 90.5 does have some appeal, but sacrificing some multiplier to raise the probability makes all the more sense now that he fell under 74 rushing yards for the first time in seven games. Henry should hit at least 75 yards against a Broncos team that has allowed 84,5 rushing yards per game to the running back position. Hit the More on Henry for Week 9 at Sleeper Picks.
Pick: More
Khalil Shakir (WR – BUF): 39.5 receiving yards (alt line)
Shakir has looked like a different receiver since Amari Cooper joined the Bills roster. He now often draws the easier corner and is no longer identified as the only threat at wideout. Cooper will draw the top corners (provided they shadow), which will make things easier for Shakir, as he will get to face off against number twos instead of ones. He has averaged 86 receiving yards per game since Cooper joined the team. Slap the More on Shakir for Week 9.
Pick: More
Cedric Tillman (WR – CLE): 44.5 receiving yards
We could go for an alt line here, but this number was set at tight end level despite Tillman proving for two consecutive weeks that he is a favorite target of new Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston. In his last two games, Tillman has seen 21 targets and 15 receptions for averages of 7,5 receptions, 90 receiving yards, and one touchdown. We all know that Jameis has a well documented affinity for big bodied targets, so take advantage of Sleeper Picks being slow to place this number high enough to dissuade the sharps. This is going to be a popular play, so we could see the number rise and will definitely see a decrease in the multiplier. Lock this one in sooner rather than later. Tap the More on Tillman for Week 9 at Sleeper Picks.
Pick: More
Writers note: The lines are constantly changing on Sleeper, so there is a high probability that one or all of the numbers may no longer be the same when you open your app. There are excellent values when they are first posted, with the only catch being that they are not all released at the same time. Vigilance could provide a solid return on investment this season, literally.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.