Dak Prescott and Week 9’s Top Daily Fantasy Football Value Picks at DraftKings

Sometimes picking the right value plays in daily fantasy football isn’t just about trying to save calary cap to pay up for elite players. Instead, it often can be as simple as not being able to pass up an elite talent who isn’t priced the way he arguably should be.

Paying up for the would-be studs could have actually gone horribly wrong in week eight, as Julio Jones did nothing and David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliott – while solid – didn’t put up the type of numbers you were paying for.

Most weeks the elite options will pan out, though, and nailing those top shelf value plays can potentially put your DFS roster over the top.

Guys like Derek Carr, Devontae Booker and Davante Adams could have been a big piece to a successful puzzle last week, and there are more tantalizing NFL DFS bargains ahead of week nine. Let’s see who the top value plays are at DraftKings as we prepare for another new week of daily fantasy football action:

Quarterback

• Dak Prescott – Cowboys ($6.1k)
• Ryan Tannehill – Dolphins ($5.6k)
• Josh McCown – Browns ($5.4k)

You could make a case for a few other guys here, but the harsh reality is there isn’t much reliable value under center this week. Banking on Blake Bortles lucking his way into elite DFS numbers isn’t our idea of value, either, especially with a daunting matchup with the Chiefs in week nine.

Instead, we’re probably paying up this week – likely for one of Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees or Andrew Luck.

If you want to save at quarterback, however, Prescott heads a small list of value plays to consider. This guy has really come on strong lately (20 and 28 fantasy points over the past two games) and gets a Browns defense that has struggled all year.

Prescott is the easy choice, but guys like Tannehill or McCown look to be in good spots and can save you even more cash. We trust McCown a bit more, as he’s at home and has looked pretty good in the two games he’s appeared in. Tannehill has a lower floor, but probably boasts more upside with a date with a bad Jets pass defense.

Running Back

• Jay Ajayi – Dolphins ($6k)
• Todd Gurley – Rams ($5.8k)
• Jonathan Stewart – Panthers ($5.2k)
• Charcandrick West – Chiefs ($4.4k)
• Latavius Murray – Raiders ($4k)

Ajayi has to make our list based on price and recent performance (back to back 30+ fantasy point outings), but we’re a little tentative to fire him up against a really tough New York run defense. He’s been shredding and could still be totally fine at this price, but just not the matchup is far from ideal.

The guy we’re really into this week is Gurley, who is obviously an elite talent and is insanely cheap right now for what he can do. A date with the Panthers doesn’t look great, but Gurley is at home and a huge game is right around the corner. Even if he doesn’t go nuts, you’re paying very little for a guy who should get around 20 touches and always has a shot at a huge game.

I’m not a big fan of Jonathan Stewart, but it’s tough to deny a guy completely when he’s put up 20+ fantasy points in two straight games. Stewart looks healthy again and if his role is going to be this big, you can’t ignore this cheap price. I’m not sure he shreds the Rams on the road, but he’s worth a cursory glance at the very least.

Jamaal Charles and Spencer Ware are both in danger of missing week nine, which naturally vaults Charcandrick West into the value pick discussion at running back. KC loves to feature their running backs and we saw last year what the versatile West is capable of. If he’s the guy this week, it’s going to be tough to fade him with a beatable matchup versus the Jaguars.

Murray also needs to be pointed out, as he’s been healthy for two weeks now and is insanely cheap. Oakland threw the ball a ton last week, but Murray still turned 16 touches into 71 total yards (12 fantasy points). He’s at home against the Broncos this week, but if he’s got a strong role at this price, he’s going to be in play.

Wide Receiver

• Demaryius Thomas – Broncos ($6k)
• Stefon Diggs – Vikings ($5.9k)
• Davante Adams – Packers ($5.9k)
• Quincy Enunwa – Jets ($5.1k)
• Kenny Stills – Dolphins ($3.9k)

Wide receiver feels like a great place to pay up in daily fantasy football leagues this week, as there is some stud talent and really not a ton of amazing value.

That being said, I like DT quite a bit this week, as he’ll be at home against a very burnable Raiders secondary. Thomas hasn’t been amazing in 2016, but he’s been fairly reliable. With 12+ fantasy points in six of eight 2016 contests, he may be too good of a deal to ignore.

Diggs has fallen off the map ever since a strong start, but he’s healthier now and remains a very nice price. I’ll certainly consider deploying him against an awful Lions secondary this week.

Adams and Enunwa are easy value calls, as Adams has a monster role right now (13 and 12 catches in his last two games) and Enunwa has also stepped up in the wake of Eric Decker’s season being over. Adams it the better play of the two, but both are going to be heavily involved going forward and sport plus matchups.

Stills is a flier play, as he’s below $4k and really only needs one good deep ball to pay off. Against a burnable New York secondary, this is one of the better spots to give him a shot.

Tight End

• Kyle Rudolph – Vikings ($4k)
• Jack Doyle – Colts ($3.6k)
• Coby Fleener – Saints ($3.4k)

I hate tight end this week. Rob Gronkowski is on bye and Greg Olsen and Travis Kelce both have tough matchups by the numbers. I’ll ultimately probably roll the dice with Olsen, but punting the position or shooting for some value may be the call in the end.

Rudy could help you with that decision, as he’s been fairly stable in 2016 (10+ fantasy points in five of six contests) and is a threat to score every week. Facing a bad Lions defense, he might be my favorite tight end value for week nine.

I’m also looking at Doyle and Fleener, both of which had bad week eights and could be in better spots to succeed this week.

Defense

• Philadelphia Eagles ($3.1k)
• Green Bay Packers ($2.7k)
• New Orleans Saints ($2.3k)

Defense is another place to pay up. Kansas City, Minnesota, Dallas, Denver and Carolina all make the most sense. They’re expensive, but they’re elite and/or have a tasty matchup.

If you want value, the Eagles stand out as they take on the Giants. New York’s offense is insanely unpredictable and considering they can’t run, this could be a great spot for the Eagles to step up.

Green Bay could be in play, too, as they save you a little more cash and get a plus matchup with a struggling Colts team at home. Indy could always go off just as easily, but if the Packers can get some healthy bodies back on defense, they’d feel a lot safer.

The Saints are a total flier, but on a weird week like this, they feel in play against a suspect 49ers offense. New Orleans lacks upside or safety, so this is all about price and matchup.

That does it for our look at the top bargain buys over at DraftKings in daily fantasy football contests this week. Hopefully some of our picks help you form the ideal team and win some cash. Regardless of which path you take, good luck in your NFL DFS games this week!