Welcome to Week 9 of the NFL season and the next edition DFS RB Coach! For a third straight week, I had the top scoring back included in here with Christian McCaffrey (29.8 points) leading RB scoring this week. I also had the third highest scoring back, Alvin Kamara (27.0) and the chalky Breece Hall (21.3) proved to be good chalk for us. Kareem Hunt (13.7) did fine for us, but we did get a big letdown from Rhamondre Stevenson (7.0), as the Patriots abandoned the RB passing attack this week, despite it being a great matchup for it (doesn’t really make sense to me). Enough about last week though, let’s look to keep that momentum going into Week 9. It’s time to start putting those DraftKings and FanDuel lineups together and hit the big paydays! Let’s dive into my favorite RB plays!

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Week 9 Plays

NFL DFS RB Top Plays

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

We are going right back to Kamara again this week. He has scored at least 17.4 points in all four of his games this season and is getting monster volume, averaging 17.2 carries per game and 8.8 targets per game. He hasn’t averaged more than 3.6 YPC in any of his past four games, which is pretty gross, but it doesn’t matter because he is scoring points, despite the poor averages on runs. The Bears are a great matchup for running backs this season and Kamara is probably the safest play on the slate, while also carrying big upside. He is worth spending-up for. 

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Barkley has scored 13.8, 19.8, and 18.8 dk points in his three games since returning from injury. He has been a workhorse with 24, 21, and 36 carries in those three games. The Giants clearly have no faith in their passing game right now and will continue to lean on Barkley. He has also caught at leat three passes in every game that he has played in. This matchup against the Raiders is a great one, ranking in the top-5 for running backs. When you mix a hefty workload with a great matchup, it usually is a receipe for success, so we will bank on that being the case for Barkley this week. 

 

 

NFL DFS RB Mid-Tier Plays

Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

I haven’t played Taylor in any of his first four games and that has been a fruitful endever thus far, as he has only scored more than 11.5 points one time. However, that changes this week and I will have some Taylor in my lineups. He has looked better the last two games, rushing 18 times for 75 yards and then rushing 12 times for 95 yards. He is still splitting work with Moss and that is scary, making him a risky play and a gamble, but this matchup with the Panthers is a great spot. I could see both Taylor and Moss having strong games here, the better play will come down to who catches more passes and/or finds the end zone.

Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

White hasn’t had a whole lot of success on the ground this season, but the Bucs seem to have found something with him in more of a James White type of role. He started the year with 17, 17 14, and 15 carries but wasn’t producing much. He has had 7, 13, and 9 carries over the last three games, but is actually playing better. He has had 13 receptions on 13 targets over the last two games and has had at least 3 receptions in six straight games. This matchup with Houston is a fine matchup and if we can continue to get a ton of passing work out of White, he should pay this off easily. 

 

NFL DFS RB Value Plays

Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals

Demercado has a tough matchup against the Browns, so there is more risk involved here. However, he is soo cheap, like crazy cheap for a back who has 17 and 21 touches over the last two games. He hasn’t found the end zone in either of those games and that has limited his upside, but I can’t ignore this type of volume at this price. If he catches a few more passes and/or finds his way into the end zone, he will smash this price tag and be a very strong play that allows you to get some of the high-priced players into your lineup. 

UPDATE: Demercado is out. Ingram is the simple switch as the Cardinals starting RB now, but I don't like him really and won't play him. 

 

NFL DFS RB Fades

Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

Jones has… simply been bad. There is no way around it. He has scored 2.4, 8.7, and 8.6 dk points over his last three games. That is disgustingly horrendous. Yet he is still being priced as one of the pricier mid-tier backs. Why? He hasn’t even crossed 41 yards rushing in a single game this year and hasn’t foud the end zone since Week 1. The Packers offense is terrible too, so that doesn’t inspire any confidence of a turn around either. On top of all that, the Rams rank as one of the hardest matchups for running backs this season. I just can’t see any world where playing Jones makes sense this week.