3 Daily Fantasy Football Players to Avoid in Week 9
We have loads of pieces on numberFire dedicated to helping you figure out which plays you should target in your daily fantasy football contests on FanDuel and DraftKings. And you should definitely check them all out!
But an underrated aspect of the DFS process is figuring out who you shouldn't play. Narrowing down your shortlist of potential plays by avoiding those who are overpriced and/or in tough matchups goes a long way towards ensuring that you create optimal lineups.
Let's go through three guys to consider fading on this week's DFS main slates.
Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
FanDuel Price: $7,400
DraftKings Price: $5,700
It has not been a great 2019 so far for Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles, and unfortunately, a matchup this week with the Chicago Bears may not get him on track, either.
First, let's look at the signal-caller's performance recently. He's passed for fewer 200 yards in four of his last five games, and his efficiency has been so-so. His mark of 0.11 Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) per drop back ranks him 20th among the 33 quarterbacks with 100 or more drop backs.
Facing Chicago's third-ranked passing defense -- per our metrics -- could make for another long afternoon, and Wentz doesn't offer enough upside in this spot to be worth rolling the dice on as a contrarian play.
Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
FanDuel Price: $6,800
DraftKings Price: $5,700
Priced as a top-10 back this week, Derrick Henry has been very consistent this season, reaching double-digit FanDuel points in six of eight contests.
But in peeping our heat map, this week is going to be a tough one. The Tennessee Titans have an implied team total of only 19.50 points, and that's partially because of their underdog status against the Carolina Panthers.
While Carolina has struggled against the run this year, they're third-best against the pass, per our so Ryan Tannehill and this offense could have a long day. Plus, Tennessee's methodical offense doesn't do it any favors as they rank 26th overall in overall pace.
If Henry sees a positive game script, this could be a good spot for him, but if the Titans fall behind, he could post a low number.
Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings
FanDuel Price: $7,900
DraftKings Price: $7,600
Over the last few weeks, Stefon Diggs has been absolutely ballin' out for the Minnesota Vikings, recording a combined 21 catches and at least 140 receiving yards in each game. He's now passed the century mark in receiving yards in four consecutive contests.
While his matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs looks fairly juicy, this Chiefs pass D has quietly been pretty good, clocking in 11th via our per-play metrics. Also, it looks likely that stud wideout Adam Thielen will suit up, eating into Diggs monster market share a bit.
If Thielen sits, then Diggs could go off again, but if Thielen suits up, Diggs is a lot tougher to stomach at his pricey salary.
Matt Kupferle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matt Kupferle also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username MKupferle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
