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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Jennifer Piacenti

NFL DFS Week 9: Lean on Cowboys and Eagles

With four teams on bye and lots of questions at quarterback, this week’s main slate is a little ugly. We are also without Chiefs, Bengals, Chargers, Jets, Bills and Dolphins -- all of whom are playing in other time slots this week.

The highest game total of the week is the Cowboys-Eagles matchup, which is set at 46.5 on SI Sportsbook. There will be heavy exposure to this game, so if you choose to stack these players, be sure to also check out our bargains article Friday to get some variety for tournament play.

Let’s break down some of the promising options -- regardless of salary -- at each position.

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Quarterbacks

Dak Prescott, Cowboys

Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports

Prescott has been good for two consecutive weeks, including throwing four touchdown passes last week vs. the Rams. The quarterback pool is thin this week for the main slate and Prescott’s matchup with the Eagles is a good one. Philadelphia has allowed the fifth-most DFS points to opposing passers this season, including an average of 250 passing yards and two touchdowns per game across the last four contests.

Lamar Jackson, Ravens

Seattle isn’t the best matchup for passers, but it could be a good matchup for a mobile-upside quarterback like Jackson. The Seahawks have allowed 5.4 yards per carry to opposing QBs this season (third-most). Jackson has finished as a top 9 option at the position five times this season.

Jalen Hurts, Eagles

It isn’t a great matchup for Hurts on paper as the Cowboys have allowed the fourth-fewest points to opposing QBs this season, but no passer on this slate has more DFS points per game than Jalen Hurts this year. The Cowboys have been more generous vs. mobile quarterbacks, allowing 24 rushing yards per game, which is the fourth-most in the NFL.

Running Backs

Jonathan Taylor, Colts

If there’s a week for Taylor to get going, it’s this one. Despite being brought in gradually from injury, Taylor is averaging 4.7 yards per carry this season and he’s caught 10 of his 13 targets for another 109 through the air -- averaging 10.9 yards per reception. No team has allowed more touchdowns to running backs than the Panthers this season (14). They are also allowing 5.02 yards per carry and 126 rushing yards per game. You’ll see Zack Moss in tomorrow’s bargains article as a pivot if you want to save some salary.

Saquon Barkley, Giants

Barkley ran the ball 36 times for 128 yards on Sunday, and with a banged-up Daniel Jones likely starting on Sunday, the Raiders should prepare for a heavy dose of Saquon. Las Vegas has allowed the third-most rushing yards per game this season to opposing runners (120), and they have also allowed a healthy five catches and 33 receiving yards per game to opposing runners. Jones will likely need to lean on his running back for check-downs vs. a Vegas team that will be fired up after the team fired head coach Josh McDaniels on Halloween.

Alvin Kamara, Saints

Kamara has finished as a top 10 DFS option in every single game played this season. If that and his nine targets per game aren’t enough to convince you, the fact that no team has allowed more receiving yards (497) or touchdowns (5) to opposing runners than the Bears should.

Wide Receiver

CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys

If we are backing Dak, we also have to back CeeDee Lamb, who had a career-best day last Sunday with 12 catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns. We aren’t just chasing the points here. Lamb has commanded 38% of the teams receiving yards this season with an 82.1% catch rate, and the Eagles have allowed the second-most receiving yards per game to opposing wideouts this season (191).

A.J. Brown, Eagles

Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports

If you’re betting on Hurts, you’re also betting on A.J. Brown, who now has 125-plus receiving yards in six consecutive games. Could the Cowboys be the first team to stop him? Sure. But, with the highest game total on the main slate, I’d bet on Brown still putting up solid numbers on Sunday.

Davante Adams, Raiders

This is a contrarian play. No one is going to play Adams after he had one catch for 11 yards last weekend. Yet, Adams remains one of the most elite receivers in the NFL. Along with the coaching change, the Raiders announced that rookie Aidan O’Connell will start at QB. We’ll see if he looks to lean on his star receiver.

Nico Collins, Texans

The matchup vs. the Buccaneers is favorable this week for Collins, who leads the team with a 20.2% target share and an average of 82 receiving yards per game.

Tight Ends

Dallas Goedert, Eagles

To complete your Eagles stack, consider Dallas Goedert, who has seen an average of 6.7 targets per game since Week 2. Dallas has allowed the eighth-most DFS points to tight ends this season.

Taysom Hill, Saints

The New Orleans Swiss Army knife is bound to be involved vs. a Bears defense that ranks at the bottom of the league vs. whatever position Hill actually plays on Sunday. 

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