DFS Building Blocks – Week 9

Well, last week was a bit of a letdown in all honesty. The Ravens delicious matchup with the Cardinals was underwhelming and the Chiefs made a complete mess of a favorable matchup with a loss against Denver and Mahomes’ first ever road loss in the AFC. We saw another week where a couple big games dominated.

This week features one clear game in the Cowboys and Eagles. In a week like this, I like to build both a game overstack and a complete fade lineup, as your budget allows.

Game Overviews

Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons

Time: 1:00 PM ET

Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Moneyline: Minnesota Vikings +175, Atlanta Falcons -210

Spread: Atlanta Falcons -4

Total Points: Over/Under 37.5 (Opened: 37)

Who starts at quarterback for Minnesota will be a big factor in how we approach the Vikings’ offense this week. Regardless of who it is, they will be a downgrade from Kirk Cousins, which is bad news for Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson. If Joshua Dobbs starts, they have higher upside, but it’s a risky situation given Dobbs only joined the team this week.

For that reason, the best advice is to probably avoid most Vikings. The only Viking that could be playable is Hockenson. Tight end is tough to get production from, and he is such a focal point of the offense that he could still get enough work. At the end of the day, he is still one of the most talented tight ends in the league and we will at least get a better ownership percentage on him this week.

For the Falcons, Bijan Robinson is always in play, but the shine has been taken off him in recent weeks. Arthur Smith is determined to keep making Tyler Allgeier a thing. I am a believer that Taylor Heinicke replacing Desmond Ridder is good news for this offense overall, which helps to raise Bijan’s ceiling a bit.

It is a good matchup for the receivers, but Drake London is dealing with an injury and hasn’t practiced this week. There is no other receiver you want to be rolling out, so, if London misses, it might just give you more of a reason to play Bijan Robinson. He could pick up a few extra targets in that scenario.

The tight ends are a coin flip. Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith just take production away from each other and there is no guessing who could have a good game. I would avoid the situation altogether.

Building Blocks (stacks to build around)

Bijan + Hockenson

Individual Plays (players that can be rostered alone to fill out your lineups that are built around other stacks)

Bijan

Addison

Hockenson

Lottery Picks (stacks and individual players that can surprise in a large-field

tournament)

Mack Hollins

Arizona Cardinals @ Cleveland Browns

Time: 1:00 PM ET

Venue: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland

Moneyline: Arizona Cardinals +300, Cleveland Browns -380

Spread: Cleveland Browns -8

Total Points: Over/Under 37.5 (Opened: 37.5)

This is another game that will be heavily influenced by the presence of backup quarterbacks. Clayton Tune could well take the field for the first time as a starter, facing off against a brutal Cleveland Browns defense, led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Myles Garrett. It’s simple, if Tune plays, you don’t consider any Arizona Cardinals. Don’t even think about it.

If Kyler Murray plays, it’s still a horrendous matchup. Maybe his presence would make Trey McBride a sneaky volume play, but I can’t see Marquis Brown succeeding against this elite secondary, who are giving up the lowest completion percentage in the league.

As good as the Browns are on defense, the Cardinals may be the opposite. There are delightful matchups all over the field, and I expect Amari Cooper to be the main beneficiary. PJ Walker hasn’t exactly been lighting up the field, but he has a good enough connection with Cooper to trust him this week. $6,100 on DraftKings is a great value.

It is also a great matchup for the Browns’ running backs, but it is difficult to know who to trust. They all got over nine carries last week, with Kareem Hunt getting the most work, but Jerome Ford being the one trusted to close out the game. I’ll be leaning to Ford stacked with Browns DEF in most lineups.

Finally, David Njoku and the Browns D/ST also get the seal of approval. The Cardinals are surprisingly stingy against tight ends, but the Browns should have enough opportunities to get Njoku home. The defense should also have a big game, regardless of whether they face the rookie in his debut or Kyler after his long absence.

Building Blocks (stacks to build around)

Ford + Browns D/ST

Individual Plays (players that can be rostered alone to fill out your lineups that are built around other stacks)

Ford

Hunt

Cooper

Njoku

McBride

Browns D/ST

Lottery Picks (stacks and individual players that can surprise in a large-field

tournament)

Elijah Moore

Los Angeles Rams @ Green Bay Packers

Time: 1:00 PM ET

Venue: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Moneyline: Los Angeles Rams +135, Green Bay Packers -155

Spread: Green Bay Packers -3

Total Points: Over/Under 38.5 (Opened: 38.5)

The Rams offer the perfect opportunity for the Green Bay Packers to get some confidence back into Jordan Love. Love’s game has dropped off dramatically after a good start to the season. The Rams also started strong and have dipped in recent weeks, with the youthful nature of their side starting to emerge.

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys absolutely shredded them last week. If you can nullify the threat of Aaron Donald, there is very little else to scare you and the Packers should look to take advantage of this matchup. Love’s inaccuracies still make him and his receivers hard to trust, but risks can often lead to the best outcomes in DFS. We saw how soft the Rams’ secondary was last week, so why not use one lineup on a high-risk, high-reward Packers stack?

Your best bets with the receivers are Christian Watson or Romeo Doubs. Doubs will get the volume whereas Watson has the best chance of catching a long touchdown. I’d stay away from Aaron Jones in the backfield for now. His usage has been strange all year and if there’s a rushing touchdown, there’s every chance it comes from AJ Dillon instead.

For the Rams, the only people you want to trust are Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. With Stafford injured, it looks like Brett Rypien is set to start, which is bad news for everyone. Cooper Kupp and Puca Nacua should be fine on volume, but you don’t want anyone else in the passing game.

In an effort to hide Rypien, more work will likely be given to the Rams’ running backs. Royce Freeman and Darrell Henderson are the best options, with Henderson slightly more preferable. It is clear that McVay trusts him, and he isn’t a bad option as a receiver out of the backfield.

Building Blocks (stacks to build around)

Love + Watson + Musgrave

Love + Doubs

Individual Plays (players that can be rostered alone to fill out your lineups that are built around other stacks)

Henderson

Freeman

Watson

Doubs

Musgrave

Packers D/ST

Lottery Picks (stacks and individual players that can surprise in a large-field

tournament)

Jayden Reed

Washington Commanders @ New England Patriots

Time: 1:00 PM ET

Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Moneyline: Washington Commanders +140, New England Patriots -165

Spread: New England Patriots -3

Total Points: Over/Under 40.5

The Washington Commanders have entered their rebuild mode, blowing up their defense by trading away two of their best defensive linemen, Montez Sweat and Chase Young. The Patriots are not the best team to try and take advantage of this personnel change. They are PFF’s 27th-ranked offense and have a distinct lack of explosive playmakers.

Following Kendrick Bourne’s injury, there are fewer Patriots to pick from. Hunter Henry should pick up a few more targets from the tight end position, and Rhamondre Stevenson could be another beneficiary of added volume in the passing game. The only other player worth considering is Demario Douglas, the speedy rookie receiver whose role will increase now. Douglas has shown some burst and shiftiness but has yet to put together a good fantasy performance. He is more of a watch for now but could be a cheap lottery pick in your flex if you’re feeling dangerous in a matchup where the Commanders may have already given up.

For the Commanders, I am not so keen on McLaurin this week. Belichick tends to focus on the opposition’s best weapon, and even at the best of times, McLaurin hasn’t been a fantasy goldmine this year. Jahan Dotson is an interesting name though. He has seen 18 targets over the last two weeks and had his best game of the season by far last week. I quite like him and Logan Thomas as the options in the passing game.

All the running backs in that matchup are low-upside plays in backfield committees. The best of the lot is Stevenson though, who has seen plenty of targets and likely has the highest chance to score.

Building Blocks (stacks to build around)

Jones + Douglas + Dotson/Thomas

Stevenson + Dotson

Individual Plays (players that can be rostered alone to fill out your lineups that are built around other stacks)

Stevenson

Robinson

McLaurin

Dotson

Henry

Thomas

Lottery Picks (stacks and individual players that can surprise in a large-field

tournament)

Demario Douglas

Chicago Bears @ New Orleans Saints

Time: 1:00 PM ET

Venue: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans

Moneyline: Chicago Bears +300, New Orleans Saints -380

Spread: New Orleans Saints -8.5

Total Points: Over/Under 41.5 (Opened: 40.5)

It was a good week for New Orleans last week. The offense has been disjointed this year, but last week’s 38-point performance versus the Colts was very promising. Derek Carr threw for 310 yards and 2 touchdowns, with most offensive weapons chipping in. Rashid Shaheed’s fantastic three catches for 153 yards and a touchdown was the standout performance, but there were excellent touchdowns from Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill as well.

Hill had 2 touchdowns as a rusher and looked good for the second game in a row. He is a boom-bust player but there aren’t many tight ends with an upside like him. I wouldn’t talk you off him, especially in a game where the Saints would expect to put up a few points.

The only person who missed out was Chris Olave. He had just 46 yards on 5 receptions, turning in yet another let-down game. For whatever reason, it seems that Derek Carr and Olave struggle to get on the same page. This matchup feels more like an Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill game, so I would temper expectations with Olave this week. He is due a big game, but we have seen that he is not an essential part of this offense.

The outlook for the Bears offensive players isn’t good this week. The Saints are a good defense and the fun Tyson Bagent story took a hit last week. I don’t see the offense moving the ball well, and with Marshon Lattimore likely to shadow DJ Moore, there aren’t many Bears worth playing.

With tight end being as tricky as it is, Cole Kmet could be an option. Bagent targeted Kmet 10 times last week, resulting in 10 receptions for 79 yards.

Building Blocks (stacks to build around)

Carr + Kamara

Kamara + Saints D/ST

Individual Plays (players that can be rostered alone to fill out your lineups that are built around other stacks)

Kamara

Olave

Shaheed

Hill

Kmet

Lottery Picks (stacks and individual players that can surprise in a large-field

tournament)

Darnell Mooney

Seattle Seahawks @ Baltimore Ravens

Time: 1:00 PM ET

Venue: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

Moneyline: Seattle Seahawks +210, Baltimore Ravens -250

Spread: Baltimore Ravens -6

Total Points: Over/Under 44.5 (Opened: 42.5)

The Seahawks ground out a solid win versus the Cleveland Browns last week, but they are right up against it this week against the Ravens. Baltimore is a top-four defense against both wide receiver and tight end in fantasy this year, making all of the Seahawks’ receivers hard to trust. They are slightly more forgiving against running backs, but a good performance from Zach Charbonnet last week could threaten Kenneth Walker’s workload.

I don’t mind throwing DK Metcalf or Tyler Lockett into your lineup, but I wouldn’t want too much exposure to them. Metcalf is getting plenty of targets from Geno Smith, and Lockett seems to play better when Metcalf is on the field. If there is going to be production through the air, Lockett might be the most likely source. He is $700 cheaper than Metcalf this week and I think it is a coin flip as to who has more production.

For the Ravens, everyone is in play. Zay Flowers had a down week last week but remains a solid option at an affordable price every week. The Seahawks are a bottom-10 team against wide receivers this year, so I like him. Mark Andrews also remains a top option every week as one of Lamar Jackson’s favorite targets.

Building Blocks (stacks to build around)

Lamar + Flowers + Andrews (+Metcalf)

Edwards + Flowers + Andrews

Individual Plays (players that can be rostered alone to fill out your lineups that are built around other stacks)

Edwards

Walker

Flowers

Metcalf

Lockett

Andrews

Lottery Picks (stacks and individual players that can surprise in a large-field

tournament)

Agholor

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Houston Texans

Time: 1:00 PM ET

Venue: NRG Stadium, Houston

Moneyline: Tampa Bay Buccaneers +125, Houston Texans -145

Spread: Houston Texans -3

Total Points: Over/Under 39.5 (Opened: 38.5)

On paper, this is a tough matchup for the Buccaneers’ wide receivers. Houston is giving up the second-fewest points to the position, but that is more to do with a lack of touchdowns rather than yardage. Only 1 touchdown has been scored against Houston by a wide receiver this year. I am happy rolling with Godwin and Evans this week as the Buccaneers’ run game has been pretty non-existent.

Speaking of the running game, Rachaad White has maintained some good outings despite averaging 3.3 yards per carry. He has been getting by on volume through the air, and with the Texans offering a softer defensive threat than most, I think he is a good option this week. He looked sharp against the Bills last week.

For Houston, I think this is a great bounce-back opportunity for the passing game. They struggled against Carolina last week, in what looked like a great matchup on paper. CJ Stroud had his worst game of the year and it impacted Nico Collins and Tank Dell greatly. The Buccaneers are 28th against wide receivers in fantasy, so I am happy to go back to the well with them this week.

The same goes for Stroud if you want to go for a cheap option at quarterback. The Buccaneers are second-best against running backs so I expect most of the Texans’ yardage to come through the passing game.

The Texans running backs are not appealing options. However, with Dameon Pierce not practicing this week due to injury, it is worth monitoring his game-day status. If he sits, then Singletary could be a cheap lottery pick in your flex.

Building Blocks (stacks to build around)

Stroud + Collins + Evans

Stroud + Dell

Individual Plays (players that can be rostered alone to fill out your lineups that are built around other stacks)

White

Singletary (if Pierce sits)

Godwin

Evans

Collins

Dell

Schultz

Lottery Picks (stacks and individual players that can surprise in a large-field

tournament)

Otton

Indianapolis Colts @ Carolina Panthers

Time: 4:05 PM ET

Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Moneyline: Indianapolis Colts -145, Carolina Panthers +125

Spread: Indianapolis Colts -2.5

Total Points: Over/Under 43.5 (Opened: 42.5)

Is this going to be the Jonathan Taylor blow-up week? He had a fantastic first half last week, topping 90 yards against the tough Saints defense. This week, he faces off against a Carolina defense that has conceded the most fantasy points to the running back position.

The only issue for Taylor is the presence of Zach Moss. Moss has performed brilliantly with his touches this year, so there is simply no reason to stop giving him work. Last week, the Colts were able to roll with him when Taylor was hobbled with a minor injury. He remains a threat to steal work and touchdowns from Taylor. Even so, they just gave Taylor a massive contract, and I am certain that they want to get some usage out of him. I think he goes big.

I don’t like the Colts receivers in this matchup. One of them might get into the end zone, but I think this is a week for the running backs. Last week, Carolina managed to keep Dell and Collins quiet, so I am happy to just focus on Taylor and Moss.

On the Carolina side, it’s nice and simple. Play Adam Thielen, and if you’re feeling desperate for some more Panther action, then Chuba Hubbard is the only other player worth picking. He has taken over the starting role and should see a good amount of work. Whether he turns that into a good fantasy day is another question. I’d only select him if you need a really cheap option in your second RB or flex slot.

Building Blocks (stacks to build around)

Taylor + Thielen

Individual Plays (players that can be rostered alone to fill out your lineups that are built around other stacks)

Taylor

Moss

Hubbard

Thielen

Pittman

Downs

Lottery Picks (stacks and individual players that can surprise in a large-field

tournament)

Mingo

New York Giants @ Las Vegas Raiders

Time: 4:25 PM ET

Venue: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas

Moneyline: New York Giants +105, Las Vegas Raiders -125

Spread: Las Vegas Raiders -2

Total Points: Over/Under 37.5 (Opened: NL)

There isn’t much offense to be excited about in this one. The Giants have been limping through games and the Raiders will be turning to Aidan O’Connell after Jimmy Garopollo’s awful Monday Night outing.

On the Giants’ side, the only player worth picking is Saquon Barkley. He essentially seems to be the entire Giants’ offense, getting 39 touches last week against the Jets. He has only topped 4 yards per carry once this year and is getting by mostly on volume. He popped back onto the injury report this week, referencing the high ankle sprain that caused him to miss a few weeks earlier this year. Those injuries linger for running backs and will likely hamper him all year long. The matchup is good, and he can certainly be played, it just might not be an enjoyable watch.

On the Raiders side of things, they simply had to make a change at quarterback. The coaching staff is gone and it is time to try again. Davante Adams has been a forgotten man in recent weeks, but the new coaches have got to recognize that getting him the ball needs to be a priority. I like him to bounce back this week.

Josh Jacobs could also be a good option. He topped 4 yards per carry for the first time last week against the Lions’ tough run defense, also scoring a touchdown. He doesn’t seem to have the juice that he had last year, but this is a good matchup and he should see plenty of work.

Jakobi Meyers should probably be left out this week, thanks to the questions at quarterback. The same goes for Michael Mayer, whose mini-breakout ground to a disappointing halt. Hopefully, the new coaching staff look to get him more involved moving forward.

Building Blocks (stacks to build around)

O’Connell + Barkley + Adams

Barkley + Adams

Jacobs + Adams

Individual Plays (players that can be rostered alone to fill out your lineups that are built around other stacks)

Jacobs

Barkley

Adams

Lottery Picks (stacks and individual players that can surprise in a large-field

tournament)

Mayer

Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles

Time: 4:25 PM ET

Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Moneyline: Dallas Cowboys +135, Philadelphia Eagles -155

Spread: Philadelphia Eagles -3

Total Points: Over/Under 46.5 (Opened: 46)

A blockbuster NFC East matchup will close out our Sunday slate. This game between two of the best teams in the NFC should feature lots of fantasy points from some of our biggest stars.

It goes without saying that Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown and CeeDee Lamb have some of the best upside this week and should be popular. In what should be a high-scoring game, I think DeVonta Smith is a solid option as well.

The secondary receivers in Dallas are less easy to decide on. Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks have chipped in with some okay performances without really staking a claim for more work. I would consider both of them no more than lottery picks. The best option might instead be Jake Ferguson. He caught a beautiful touchdown from Dak last week and has come up with some big catches this year. I would expect this game to be a back-and-forth affair, which should create opportunities for Ferguson. His opposite number, Dallas Goedert is an even better option at tight end.

In terms of the running backs, some good exposure to both D’Andre Swift and Tony Pollard would be recommended. It has been a really disappointing year for Pollard, but Dallas will need him in this one and I think he should be heavily involved. Swift also has a strong outlook. He is playing in one of the league’s best offenses, behind one of the best offensive lines and has blow-up potential every week.

Building Blocks (stacks to build around)

Dak + Pollard + Swift + Lamb + Smith + Ferguson

Hurts + Swift + Lamb

Hurts + Lamb + Goedert

Dak + Pollard + Lamb + Brown/Smith

Dak + Lamb

Individual Plays (players that can be rostered alone to fill out your lineups that are built around other stacks)

Swift

Pollard

Brown

Smith

Lamb

Goedert

Ferguson

Lottery Picks (stacks and individual players that can surprise in a large-field

tournament)

Gainwell

The Lineup Build

FD

One with full game stack of Cowboys and Eagles – take your pick but I’m going back to Dak. Dak + Pollard + Swift + Lamb + Swift + Smith + Ferguson. That’s a lot, but if it’s the only game that shoots out this week, we’re in business. And if it fails (which these NFC East battles sometimes do) we’ve got this lineup…

O’Connell + Adams to start and Barkley on the other side. Can lock in Taylor + Thielen. I’ll be playing around with Browns DEF and also playing around with TE to see what I like on Sunday.

Can also go riskier with a Packers stack. Thankfully, they are cheap so we can get Jordan Love, Christian Watson and Luke Musgrave into the lineup without spending too much. The range of outcomes with these players is high, so I am going to try and play it much safer with the rest of the lineup. Alvin Kamara is the most expensive running back but is surely due another big game, so let’s team him up with Bijan Robinson. Davante Adams is also due a bounce-back, so he comes in to fill the other wide receiver slot with Amari Cooper.

The Colts are a nice cheap option for the defense, and that leaves enough money to pick Nico Collins for the flex slot. If the Packers play well this week, this lineup smashes.

DK

Jalen Hurts is the most expensive quarterback on Yahoo and FanDuel, so he will kick off our DraftKings lineup with AJ Brown and Dallas Goedert. We had to pay top price for those studs so they will need to do most of the heavy lifting this week.

It means we need to hunt around for some cheaper options at running back and receiver. The options with the biggest upside come in the form of Rhamondre Stevenson, Rachaad White, Tank Dell and a punt on Demario Douglas.

Darrell Henderson goes into the flex as I expect him to feature heavily for the Rams as they try to hide Brett Rypien. And because the Rams will be trying to hide Rypien, I will go for the Packers’ defense, who he will be going up against.

Yahoo

The Ravens kick off the Yahoo lineup, with Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers forming the core of the team. Amari Cooper and Jonathan Taylor come into the team as well, with Chris Godwin rounding out the wide receivers. He has a rock-solid floor, which I like in this lineup, thanks to all the other explosive playmakers.

There are some great values on Yahoo, allowing me to pick up Tony Pollard and Bijan Robinson for the flex and other running back slots.

Finally, with Jaren Hall set to start for the Vikings, the Falcons will be my defensive selection to create a mini-stack with Bijan Robinson.