Thinking About Week 9 NFL DFS

Davis Mattek is taking a definitive stance to rank and play Adonai Mitchell ahead of Omar Cooper Jr. for the rest of the year. Mitchell has a better targets per route run than Garrett Wilson. Mattek believes Gino Smith specifically likes to throw to Mitchell on plays where both are on the field together, particularly on anticipation throws at the depths Mitchell runs. While Mitchell may not hit optimal lineups frequently this week, Mattek is prepared to have him ahead of Cooper Jr. based on target efficiency and quarterback preference.

Blake Corum is priced at $5,100 on DraftKings and is part of a high-upside stacking strategy with Kyren Williams. Davis Mattek projects Corum could post 80 yards and a touchdown with a couple of catches at this salary, making him a value play if the Rams establish an early lead and run-heavy game script. The Williams–Corum stack is positioned as a leverage opportunity against chalk receiver plays.

Braelon Allen is ranked in the top 15 fantasy running backs despite a 50/50 work split with Breece Hall at 6K salary in DFS. Davis Mattek prefers Braelon Allen over Saquon Barkley in the current matchup, stating the comparison is "not close" and favoring Allen "all day." Strong recent performance justifies premium consideration despite the shared workload.

Ranked in top 15 fantasy running backs despite 50/50 work split with Braelon Allen at 6K salary in DFS. Davis Mattek had both backs in his top 15 running backs, making them both premium considerations despite the identical salary and shared workload making them difficult to differentiate for DFS purposes.

Douglas has been the most efficient of the Dolphins pass catchers and runs the most routes with a downfield role; priced at 4,200 on DraftKings and received 5-6 targets last week, making him the preferred wide receiver option over Malik Washington for tournament DFS.

CeeDee Lamb remains a core Week 9 DFS play despite recent underperformance. Davis Mattek was frustrated with Lamb last week as the only non-flame in his lineup but still plans to play him this week, describing him as easier to rely on than other options like George Pickens.

Bell ran real routes and received 5-6 targets last week; priced at 3,300 on DraftKings and is stone cheap. However, conviction on which Dolphins pass catcher to target is extremely low due to inconsistent target distribution week-to-week among Dolphins receivers (Bell, Caleb Douglas, Malik Washington, and Greg Doulich all had 5-6 targets).

Has the ability to run go routes, though he did not execute them well in recent action. The source notes his route-running capability as a potential asset if deployed on deep patterns, but execution has been inconsistent.

Pass catcher in Browns offense competing with Casey Compton and Adonai Mitchell for targets; only one of the three typically produces in a given week. Limited and unpredictable target distribution makes consistent fantasy production difficult, with no clear preference from Davis Mattek among the trio.

May become a $4,600 workhorse back in Week 9 if Cam Scataboo is ruled out with his hamstring injury. The source is willing to play Singleary at that price even though he is not a preferred talent, given the volume opportunity against a terrible team. Also identified as pretty playable in a backfield that will likely feature him, Greg Droers, and Phil Mafa as depth options.

Garrett Wilson is used as a comparison point for target efficiency; Adonai Mitchell has a better targets per route run than Wilson. On the Jets' scripted drives last week, Wilson had six targets on the first two drives but they didn't result in productive outcomes, suggesting limited efficiency despite volume.

George Pickens is not running full routes and lacks motivation at $6,300 DFS salary. Davis Mattek characterizes him as a motivation-based player who knows he won't get a contract extension in Dallas and is essentially dogging it. He only locked in when CeeDee Lamb got hurt and knew he'd get targets, or when he had a grievance with referees; otherwise he's jogging around going through the motions. He's probably going to have sporadic big games when the mood strikes him, but he's tough to rely on.

Pass catcher in Browns offense competing with Boston and Compton for targets. Demonstrated strong fantasy performance with Shadur at QB last season, making him a viable option if Shadur starts this week despite unpredictable weekly target distribution.

Gibbs is priced $2,000 more expensive than Christian McCaffrey on DraftKings, which the source characterizes as insane given their respective team totals. However, the source also notes this aggressive pricing creates leverage opportunity by reducing his projected ownership from the typical 45% weekly floor.

Javante Williams is the most underappreciated $7,300 running back and projects well in DFS simulations. Davis Mattek notes Javante always sims very well because he never gets owned near as much as the simulations expect, making him a value play against Dallas.

Jaden Daniels will not be featured in a high-volume passing game. The source explicitly states the Rams are not going to generate 47 passing attempts from Daniels, constraining the total target pool for Rams receivers and making it likely that only one of Kairen Williams or Stefon Diggs will reach ceiling in a given week.

Milton is a 4K quarterback option against the Giants in Week 9 DFS. The source highlights his exceptional arm talent—described as the strongest in human history—and his ability to throw effortless 50–60 yard deep balls. However, the source expresses concern about Milton's rushing upside: in NFL starts he has maxed out at 15 rushes for 66 yards, except for his final start against the Giants in Week 18 last year (4 rushes, 43 yards). The source would only want to play Milton if he was closer to that 4-for-43 rushing line. Milton's preseason performance has been strong, and the source is committed to playing a Milton lineup this week on principle due to his Orange Bowl performance, but notes the Eagles' receiving corps uncertainty (DeVonta Smith and Dantavian Wix availability) limits the offense's fit for Milton's skill set of throwing 75-yard deep balls. Milton makes playing Malik Willis less attractive due to the ownership discrepancy and the Lions defense's weakness.

Jonah Coleman is expected to be the most-owned player in DraftKings salary cap DFS contests for Week 9, positioned as the primary back for the Colts with clear volume opportunity ahead of any potential Jonathan Taylor trade.

Jonathan Taylor is expected to play despite ongoing trade speculation. Davis Mattek believes Taylor will ultimately be traded but expects him to play in the Cowboys–Colts game because the Colts need to maintain leverage in trade negotiations; holding him out would signal they're willing to trade him and undermine their negotiating position. Taylor is positioned as a low-ownership DFS play at $7,500 against a terrible Dallas defense; he's one of the best running backs in the NFL. A 70–30 workload split with Seth McGawan is expected regardless of trade status.

Returning from injury in Week 9 priced at $5,250 on DraftKings, which Davis Mattek deems not playable for his first week back. However, Mattek has very high expectations for Tyson as a player—he was Mattek's number one wide receiver in his draft class—and expects him to have a strong finish to the season. Mattek anticipates Tyson will be in a good snap/route split with Bryce Young and should ramp up to a startable option in start-sit leagues and DFS next week after this week's acclimation. Mattek hopes Tyson plays this week to look solid before becoming a core play next week.

Keenan Allen is a consistent, reliable Week 9 DFS play with predictable target and catch volume. Davis Mattek notes he can be freely played every week due to his consistent eight targets and eight catches projection.

Walker is priced aggressively but remains a strong DFS play against the Jets this week. Despite recent fantasy production decline, his role is intact with 21 carries and 5 targets last week. The source attributes recent underperformance to unsustainable efficiency regression over five weeks rather than role loss, and expects Walker to succeed against a Jets defense that has been horrible all year and is missing key defensive pieces (David Bailey, Devandre Sweat). The source was out on Walker against Seattle and Denver but is in on playing Walker in the main slate this week because the Chiefs can get away with it against the Jets. Walker is expected to pulverize this team.

Murray's hamstring injury is being treated as a soft bench situation. Per Adam Schefter on ESPN, benching him for Carson Wentz in 2026 would be completely insane, indicating the injury is not severe enough to warrant a full benching.

At $7,600 on DraftKings, Kyron Williams is positioned as a high-value DFS play in a game with massive playoff implications for both teams. The source projects Williams could post 80 yards and a touchdown with 5-6 catches, and notes he's likely to be chalk (in all optimals). Stacking Williams with Blake Corum ($5,100) creates a leverage pair that could generate significant fantasy points if both hit, though this strategy kills Puka Nacua's ceiling in the same game.

Luke McAffrey's snap share and usage are expected to be minimal in this high-stakes game. Davis Mattek notes that as games become more consequential (both teams facing must-win scenarios with major playoff implications), target shares condense and snap shares for borderline players shrink. McAffrey is explicitly called out as a player to avoid in this context.

Washington received 5-6 targets last week and is priced at 4,700 on DraftKings, but feels like a boom-bust play that will likely end up with 4 catches for 62 yards most weeks even in good weeks, making him unreliable for tournament DFS despite the cheap salary. He is viewed as an inferior wide receiver option compared to Douglas in the Lions stack.

Omar Cooper Jr. demonstrates extreme weekly volatility that makes him unreliable for fantasy. He operates with 70%+ route participation but got absolutely nothing on offense in the Raiders game despite the Jets smashing the run game hard. He recorded huge games two and three weeks ago followed by zero catches this week. Davis Mattek is ranking him behind Adonai Mitchell for the rest of the year, citing Mitchell's superior target efficiency and Gino Smith's clear preference for Mitchell when both are on the field. High target share does not translate to consistent fantasy production, making him difficult to predict week-to-week.

Puka Nacua's ceiling is compressed in a game where Kyren Williams and Blake Corum both hit as a DFS pair. Davis Mattek identifies this as a leverage opportunity: playing the Rams stack (Williams + Corum) kills Puka's upside because it concentrates Rams production in the backfield and receiver, leaving fewer targets for Nacua in a game that won't feature 47 passing attempts from Jaden Daniels.

Hamstring issues are limiting his snap count in Week 9. The source sarcastically notes Barkley is getting only about one out of every four snaps at running back, significantly reducing his volume and DFS appeal.

Seth McGawan has earned a legitimate role in the Colts backfield and is expected to operate in a 70–30 workload split with Jonathan Taylor, with Taylor receiving the larger share. This usage pattern is expected regardless of Taylor's trade status.

Stefon Diggs is positioned as an appealing leverage play against chalk receiver Kyren Williams. Despite being 33 years old, Diggs' usage did not change after McLaren's departure, as Dan Quinn indicated. Davis Mattek expects Diggs to receive high-value targets on third downs and in the red zone, mirroring his production in the Rams' first game without McLaren. Diggs scoring well directly competes with Williams for targets in a game unlikely to feature 47 passing attempts from Jaden Daniels, making him a contrarian play.

May return this week at $3,200 DFS pricing against the Commanders' horrific pass defense. The source identifies him as potentially the best punt play on the slate if he clears health protocols, noting the matchup is very favorable and the Rams desperately need him back with Puka Nacua as their only real pass catcher.

Losing significant work to Dylan Samson in pass-down and early-down roles; limited to approximately nine routes per week and capped at one to two catches per game. Davis Mattek notes Spears will dominate carries but if the Titans fall behind at all, it's all Samson. Playability depends entirely on game script control and scoring multiple touchdowns; without 100-yard bonus or two TDs, unlikely to be fantasy-relevant. Mattek's hope is that the Titans are able to control the game and Spears racks up 20 carries and two touchdowns.