We keep mentioning this in the introductions of this specific column, but injuries — and returned from injuries — are starting to force players into different roles. More importantly, these players are being forced into opportunities that don’t always align with the salaries assigned to them at the start of the week. It’s not practical to make a lineup entirely filled with players who are seeing a shift in value, but there are so many that it is worth mentioning them as we move through out builds.
Based on our expected Week 9 DFS game flow analysis and Week 9 DFS Overview published earlier, we can carry our thoughts into actual lineup positions. The long list of players that fit the requirements set forth by the projected flow of the game was cut dramatically by the requirements set forth by salaries.
Below are Sporfolio’s DFS Week 9 Plays:
Quarterback
Justin Herbert – The Chargers have been an interesting case study this season as they have not at all been the team people expected to see, but they are winning games that past Chargers teams would’ve found a way to lose. Among the curious developments within this team has been the offensive game plan that has seen Justin Herbert’s upside be largely limited due to generally cautious play-calling. Despite that, and a slew of injuries to his offensive weapons, Herbert has quietly gone about his business this season and continues to be one of the most reliable quarterbacks in football. Through seven games, Herbert has scored fewer than 14 fantasy points only one time and has exceeded 20 points in four games. The absence of Mike Williams and Keenan Allen is likely to keep most DFS players away from Herbert, but great quarterbacks have the ability to overcome those injuries, and this could be a great time to buy low on Herbert. The matchup could not be much better against one of the league’s worst defenses, and given the fact that LA is coming off of their bye week should mean they are very prepared for this game and matchup. It isn’t often we can look at one of the elite players in the game and say he is being overlooked in a great matchup, but that appears to be the case for Herbert, and we will happily go against the grain with him this week.
Zach Wilson – There is no denying that the New York Jets have an extremely tall task ahead of them with the Buffalo Bills coming to town. That, alone, should force the Jets’ offense to eventually throw the ball in an effort to keep pace with a Bills team that averages just under 30 points-per-game. The real reason why we are targeting Zach Wilson, however, is how quickly the fantasy market turned against him. Wilson had not been playing well during the Jets’ four-game winning streak — he had a total of one passing touchdown and two interceptions during that time — but received the accolades as if he were developing as a quarterback. In reality, he put together his best DFS outing of the season last week in a loss precisely because of the aforementioned comment of needing to throw the ball more often. Wilson’s price makes him a rather difficult player to use, so there’s great leverage in slotting him into a DFS lineup.