The Week 9 main slate will feature 11 games and the return of Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey from injured reserve. Whether or not he’s worth paying up for this week is debatable, but if you want to spend the cash on him or, say, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (hint, hint) you’ll need to find some value plays.
Below are five for you to consider.
Jake Luton, Jaguars QB ($4,900)
With starter Gardner Minshew out with an injured thumb, Luton looks to take over the job. The rookie from Oregon State is taking starter reps in practice this week. I wouldn’t expect monster numbers for a rookie in his first start, of course, but Luton could do worse than to open his career against the Houston Texans defense, which ranks just 25th in the NFL against opposing QBs in DFS.
DeeJay Dallas, Seahawks RB ($5,000)
Keep an eye on the injury report before making this play. Starter Chris Carson continues to look more doubtful for Sunday with a nagging foot injury, while Carols Hyde may also remain out with an injured hamstring. If they both miss a second week, Dallas will get the bulk of the work again. Last week against the 49ers, he rushed 18 times for 41 yards and a touchdown while catching five passes for 17 yards and another TD.
Marvin Hall, Lions WR ($3,800)
Hall snagged four passes (on seven targets) for 113 yards in Week 8 against the Colts with Kenny Golladay out. Golladay should miss again this week against the Vikings, who are third-worst in the league against opposing wide receivers in DFS. Alternatively, we can cheat a bit on our value picks and take Marvin Jones at $5,100. Either Hall or Jones should be solid plays at their respective salaries.
Diontae Johnson, Steelers WR ($5,000)
Johnson experienced some surprisingly poor weeks in which he just caught one pass in each of two games, part of which can be attributed to him dealing with nagging injuries. In his other three games, he’s averaged eight receptions and more than 20 DFS points per game. In Week 9, he faces a Cowboys D that’s worst in the NFL against opposing receivers in DFS, so he could be in for a big day.
Noah Fant, Broncos TE ($4,600)
With No. 1 receiver Tim Patrick out last week, Fant caught seven of nine targets for 47 yards against the Chargers. Patrick remains questionable for Week 9, so monitor those injury updates. If Patrick doesn’t play, Fant could be in line for more targets. Fant has averaged nearly five receptions per game, but only has two touchdown catches, which has kept his salary down.