We can all figure out who the studs are on a football slate. No one has to go out of their way to tell you to play Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen on a particular slate. What really takes the effort is combing through the player pool and figuring out who are some of the best values on the board ahead of the Sunday slate. That’s what we’ll do in this piece each and every week. I’ll help you save some salary while hopefully not skimping on the fantasy production.
Let’s get into some of the best value plays at each position for the Week 9 main slate on DraftKings.
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Quarterback
Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders at Minnesota Vikings, $5,400 — I think it’s fair to say that the REAL QB1 on the Commanders has been doing well in his two starts thus far. Against the Colts and Packers, Heinicke has thrown for 480 yards with three touchdowns, two interceptions, and 38.5 DKFP. In what’ll be his third start, he goes up against the Vikings in what could end up being another good spot. The Vikings have allowed an average of 21.3 DKFP to opposing quarterbacks thus far. They’ve also thrown for an average of 257 passing yards, which ranks in the top 10 most in the league.
Heinicke has also done wonders for WR1 Terry McLaurin ($5,900). Over the last two games, Heinicke has looked his way 16 times, resulting in 11 receptions for 186 yards and a touchdown. Pairing the two together will run you for a total of $11,300, which is only 22% of your $50K salary. Heinicke is averaging 7.5 yards per pass attempt and going up a generous secondary, he could be a solid value at $5,400.
Other Option – Justin Fields ($5,300) vs. Dolphins
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Running Back
Deon Jackson, Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots, $5,200 — Admittedly, the matchup for Jackson isn’t great against the Patriots. They’ve been one of the top run defenses in the league. However, with Jonathan Taylor ruled out and Nyheim Hines no longer on the team, volume is king when it comes to Jackson. He’s been a big part of the offense when Taylor has been out, logging 25 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown as well as 14 catches for 108 yards. Jackson did leave his last start earlier against the Jaguars due to injury, but still managed 28.1 DKFP before his exit.
There won’t be much behind Jackson in terms of depth, as the Colts will elevate Phillip Lindsay ($4,000), and recent acquisition Zack Moss ($4,800) is not expected to have much of a role yet. Even if the Colts are playing from behind, Jackson should see some targets out of the backfield.
Other Options – Travis Etienne Jr. ($5,400) vs. Giants
Wide Receiver
Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers at Atlanta Falcons, $5,100 — The Chargers offense is going to look mighty different this week. Despite returning in Week 7, Keenan Allen has been ruled out, as well as Mike Williams and Donald Parham. This leaves Palmer is the solidified WR1 in their clash against the Falcons. In his last game, Palmer drew 12 targets in which he made nine catches but only 57 yards against a good Broncos secondary. The Falcons’ secondary is great on paper but injuries have caught up with them, as they continue to be without AJ Terrell and Casey Hayward. Playing mostly wide right, Palmer should matchup against CB Darren Hall. He’s been targeted against 15 times allowing 11 receptions for 164 yards (15 YPR) and a touchdown.
Other Options – Garrett Wilson ($4,800) vs. Bills
Tight End
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Las Vegas Raiders, $3,300 – Engram has quietly carved himself a big role in the Jaguars offense as of late. He’s now posted double-digit fantasy points in three of his last four games, averaging 12 over that span. Engram has seen no less than six targets in those games and scored his first touchdown of the season last week against the Broncos. Now, he’ll draw a matchup against the Raiders, who have allowed the third-highest DKFP average at 16.2. The Jags are currently targeting the tight end position 21% of the time, which ranks 13th in the league.
Other Options – Brock Wright ($2,500) vs. Packers
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