DraftKings Week 9 Cash Game Picks and Strategy

Nov 05, 2020

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Below you'll find my Week 9 DraftKings cash game picks and strategy. By offering a general approach to the week, along with a player pool to consider, you should walk away feeling well-equipped no matter your bankroll strategy or game selection process.

In general, my cash game strategy revolves around the running back position. My main focus is to roster three running backs with workhorse-type roles that simultaneously allow me to build a high-floor lineup at the other positions. Certain weeks, we'll be able to jam in multiple high-priced running backs because of the value that presents itself at quarterback, wide receiver and tight end.

Other weeks we may have to dip into the mid-range at running back because value hasn't emerged at the other positions. Because quarterback is a position with a narrower range of outcomes, it often makes sense to pay down for a signal-caller. As always it will depend on the makeup of the entire lineup, but I'll usually favor spending down at quarterback.

For up-to-the-minute and Sunday morning updates, be sure to join the 4for4 DFS subscription-only Discord channel.

I'm not opposed to paying up at wide receiver or tight end if the constraints of the week dictate that it's the most prudent lineup construction. However, with the propensity to allot the most salary to the running back position, I usually attempt to roster the most targets per dollar at wide receiver. It often results in rostering mid-tier wide receivers and tight ends. Given the volatility and variance week-to-week in pass-catchers, it makes sense to not use a ton of salary there as a general rule of thumb. Defense/special teams usually comes down to the cheapest defense with a respectable matchup and a relatively high sack rate, as pressure is what creates the plays defenses need to score fantasy points.

SUNDAY UPDATE: I initially left Josh Allen and Russell Wilson off the cash list, but with the weather looking great in Buffalo coupled with some extra research pointing to a potential run-heavy approach in Arizona, I'm going to put Kyler on the GPP side of things of things. I'm also adding Russ and Allen to the cash game pool. some strategy that you could employ is using one of Russ or Lockett and try to capture the Seahawks points that way. If you roster both, it's fine because of their massive ceilings, but it is pretty risky to have $15k of salary tied up in a correlated throw-catch pairing.

A lot has happened at running back since I submitted my article. Both Troymaine Pope and Ezekiel Elliott have their status in doubt and I think one of our RB slots (actually the flex since it's the late game). should come from one of these their two teammates. Justin Jackson and Tony Pollard could be thrust into pretty serious roles. They both play in the late afternoon so you can swap off one or the other depending on how the inactives unfold. Pollard has a brutal matchup but if he is going to get 16-20 touches at min price, it's very doable. I'm guessing Josh Kelley will get work with Pope out, but Jackson has been outtouching him big time recently.

With little value going on anywhere else, we may need to roster a punt WR and Steven Sims was activated off IR at min salary. It's a bit thin of a play, but he played 90% of snaps and saw a solid target share before his injury. Dontrelle Inman is out so he should immediately hop in and get targeted. I would be somewhat worried about his toe, but the Football Team is coming off a bye and I'm guessing that has helped him get back to 100%. Marcus Johnson is our top point-per-dollar play so you could also consider him also at $3,000.

Quarterback

Lost in all the "Let Russ Cook" cheering is that Deshaun Watson ($7,100) has been the master chef since the firing of Bill O'Brien. Watson has hit the 300-yard bonus in the last four games while throwing multiple touchdowns. Watson has also been running a bit more over the last three weeks, surpassing 25 yards in three straight games. The Jaguars defense ranks 30th in aFPA to quarterbacks. There isn't much doubt that Watson has a clear path to smashing in this game. The only worry I have is that the Jaguars don't push the Texans enough for them to keep their foot on the gas. That said, it's not enough to get me off Watson as the passing game has been firing on all cylinders and if this is a blowout, Watson likely had a lot to do with it.