Week 9 NFL DFS Picks: Core Players for DraftKings & FanDuel

Every week, I'll review the players I am targeting for DFS across all games, tournaments, and game stacks.

The idea is to paint a clearer picture of how to build lineups.

Our core players are the ones we will have the most exposure to at their respective positions.

You can play them in cash games and tournaments.

I'll include analysis on the player selections and game writeups, but check out the Week 9 Worksheet for a fully detailed breakdown of the players and games.

Rich's Week 9 Quarterback Core Plays

1. Brock Purdy ($8,500 FanDuel/$6,800 DraftKings)
2. Jared Goff ($7,700 FanDuel/$6,600 DraftKings)
3. Patrick Mahomes ($7,900 FanDuel/$6,100 DraftKings)

Brock Purdy

Purdy comes out of the bye completing 69.2% of his passes (3rd) for 8.3 yards per pass attempt (4th), 12.0 yards per completion (6th), and a 7.1% touchdown rate (3rd).

He is second in passing points per dropback (0.53).

The Raiders have allowed 30-plus points in five straight games.

They are allowing 7.9 yards per pass attempt (28th), a 7.1% touchdown rate (30th), and have allowed multiple passing touchdowns in six straight games.

Purdy has faced the two teams below them in touchdown rate allowed (Arizona and Miami), scoring 28.5 and 31.3 fantasy points in those games.

Jared Goff

Goff is the archetype of an efficient passer that Miami has been dissecting this season.

Miami is blitzing at the second-lowest rate in the league (20.4%) and is 28th in sack rate (4.4%).

From a clean pocket, Goff has completed 73.1% of his passes for 8.2 Y/A with 12 touchdowns and 1 interception.

The Dolphins have been killed in the play-action game, allowing a league-high 80.3% completion rate, a league-high 12.5 yards per pass attempt, and 15.5 yards per completion.

Goff is using play action 36.3% of the time, third in the league.

On those play-action passes, Goff is averaging 9.2 yards per pass attempt (4th).

Patrick Mahomes

Mahomes is coming off a run of tougher matchups and low team totals, but he gets a break this week as a high-total, home favorite.

The Jets have been handing out fantasy points to quarterbacks lately, allowing Drake Maye (23.8 points), Malik Willis (26.0 points), and Kirk Cousins (28.2 points) to post high-end weeks against them over the past three games.

Willis and Cousins did add a rushing touchdown to their totals, but Willis still averaged 9.9 yards per pass attempt with 2 passing touchdowns, while Cousins threw for 9.5 yards per pass attempt with 3 touchdowns.

Rich's Week 9 Running Back Core Plays