This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The Week 9 NFL main slate begins Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT and features 12 games. The Steelers and 49ers are on bye, while the Thursday Night Football (Texans-Jets), Sunday Night Football (Colts-Vikings) and Monday Night Football (Buccaneers-Kansas City) participants play outside the main slate in Week 9. Yahoo will be running plenty of NFL DFS contests for Week 8, but the biggest is the NFL $100K Guaranteed contest, which pays out a guaranteed prize pool of $100,000 to the top 1,144 finishers, including $20,000 to the winner. You can submit up to 150 entries into this contest, which has a maximum total capacity of 5,850 entries but will still run if it doesn't fill, potentially providing you with enhanced odds of winning, also known as overlay.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared towards head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two, while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. Your NFL $100K Guaranteed lineup will consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Suggested Week 9 plays include a few players ready to break out again after being hampered by injuries earlier this season, as well as a star TE who's heating up following a slow start.
QUARTERBACK
Matthew Stafford, LAR at SEA ($23): Stafford's valuation hasn't caught up to his change in situation yet, as his fantasy outlook is completely different with his top two WRs, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, back from their respective injuries. Week 8 against the Vikings marked the first time this season that Nacua and Kupp both played the full game, and it's no coincidence that Stafford posted a season-high 25.76 fantasy points in that game thanks to four touchdown passes. Nacua's knee is banged up again, but if Stafford has them both at his disposal, he should easily outperform his valuation as the 19th-priciest QB in the main slate. Seattle's reeling defense has allowed 30.4 points per game over the last five.
Honorable Mentions:
Jalen Hurts, PHI vs. JAC ($31); Bo Nix, DEN at BAL ($30); Jordan Love, GB vs. DET ($29)
Against the Grainers:
Josh Allen, BUF vs. MIA ($34); Derek Carr, NO at CAR ($25); Daniel Jones, NYG vs. WAS ($24)
RUNNING BACK
Alvin Kamara, NO at CAR ($33): Kamara was slowed down by a broken hand and fractured ribs for a few weeks after a hot start, but he bounced back with 122 scrimmage yards in Week 8 against the Chargers, finding the form he flashed when he racked up 110-plus scrimmage yards in each of his first four games. The expected return of QB Derek Carr (oblique) should benefit Kamara as well, with the threat of Carr's arm backing defenses up a bit more than rookie Spencer Rattler did to open up running lanes, while Kamara should see his usual heavy dose of checkdowns as the versatile RB looks to pad his NFL-leading total of 40 catches. Most of Kamara's damage should come on the ground against Carolina's league-worst run defense, which has surrendered the second-most rushing yards (1,028) to go with a league-high 15 scrimmage TDs to RBs. Kamara churned out 19.5 fantasy points against the Panthers back in Week 1.
De'Von Achane, MIA at BUF ($27): Achane has excelled when Tua Tagovailoa plays, with an average of 23.1 fantasy points in Tua's three starts, including 26.0 in a 31-10 Week 2 loss to Buffalo. The Bills have won 12 of the last 13 meetings in this lopsided AFC East rivalry, but Achane has already shown he can excel in a blowout loss against a Buffalo defense that's most vulnerable to runs and short passes while taking downfield opportunities away with a two-deep shell. The Bills have allowed a league-high 434 receiving yards and a decent 4.5 yards per carry to RBs. Even with Raheem Mostert potentially vulturing some goal-line opportunities, Achane's elite speed and high touch floor (20.7 touches per game with Tua) make him a sneaky-strong Week 9 option.
Honorable Mentions:
Kyren Williams, LAR at SEA ($37); D'Andre Swift, CHI at ARI ($31); Chase Brown, CIN vs. LV ($21)
Against the Grainers:
Rhamondre Stevenson, NE at TEN ($24); Nick Chubb, CLE vs. LAC ($18); Alexander Mattison, LV at CIN ($18)
WIDE RECEIVER
A.J. Brown, PHI vs. JAC ($36): Brown has been sensational when available, with at least five catches and 84 yards in each of his four appearances, as well as a TD in all but one game. He's likely to keep rolling against a generous Jaguars secondary that has allowed the fourth-most yards (1,417) and fifth-most TDs (nine) to WRs. Three of Jacksonville's last four opponents have scored at least 30 points, and the only team that failed to reach that benchmark was a Patriots offense that's scoring the third-fewest points per game. DeVonta Smith ($27) is also a strong option in Philadelphia's passing game if you can't afford Brown's $36 cap hit or want to stack Eagles.
Jayden Reed, GB vs. DET ($24): Reed will be much tougher to trust if Jordan Love's groin injury presses Malik Willis into action at QB, but if Love's able to play, this is a nice opportunity for the talented wideout to get back on track. Reed has been slumping while playing through an ankle injury, but now that he's no longer enduring any limitations in practice, he's likely to rediscover the big-play ability that has helped him score 14 scrimmage TDs in his first 24 regular-season games and reach 138 receiving yards in two of Love's six starts this season. Detroit has given up plenty of big plays through the air, as the Lions are allowing a league-high 210.7 receiving yards per game to WRs. Romeo Doubs has stepped up in recent weeks, but Reed still has by far the highest ceiling in Green Bay's receiving corps.
Courtland Sutton, DEN at BAL ($20): Sutton set season highs with eight catches for 100 receiving yards in Week 8 against the Panthers, as the top option in Denver's passing game has been steadily improving his chemistry with rookie QB Bo Nix. All eight of Nix's passing TDs have come in the last five games and two of them have gone to Sutton, who scored 10 times in 2023. He should build on his recent momentum against a Ravens defense that has been much more vulnerable through the air than on the ground. Baltimore's allowing a league-low 69.9 rushing yards per game, but the most receiving yards (1,521) and receiving TDs (13) in the NFL to WRs.
Honorable Mentions:
CeeDee Lamb, DAL at ATL ($40); Malik Nabers, NYG vs. WAS ($36); Calvin Ridley, TEN vs. NE ($21)
Against the Grainers:
Terry McLaurin, WAS at NYG ($30); Ladd McConkey, LAC at CLE ($26); Marvin Harrison, ARI vs. CHI ($23)
TIGHT END
Sam LaPorta, DET at GB ($16): LaPorta has underachieved relative to expectations this season after scoring TDs on 10 of his 86 catches as a rookie, but he had a season-high six catches in a Week 8 win over the Titans and has scored in two of the past three games. The buy-low window's still open, and LaPorta has less competition for targets in what will be the second week of WR Jameson Williams' two-game suspension. The Packers have surrendered the fifth-most yards to TEs (479) and are tied for the eighth-most TDs allowed to the position with three.
Honorable Mentions:
Brock Bowers, LV at CIN ($24); Kyle Pitts, ATL vs. DAL ($19); Jake Ferguson, DAL at ATL ($18)
Against the Grainers:
Trey McBride, ARI at CHI ($22); Mark Andrews, BAL vs. DEN ($17); Taysom Hill, NO at CAR ($15)
DEFENSE
Cincinnati Bengals, CIN vs. LV ($13): Cincinnati's defense has had some ugly performances, including last week's loss to the Eagles, but that clunker was preceded by games with 8.0 and 15.0 fantasy points against the Giants and Browns, respectively. The win over Cleveland included a kickoff return TD by Charlie Jones, whose prowess in the return game raises the ceiling for this D/ST unit. Hosting the Raiders gives the Bengals a high floor, as Vegas has scored 20 or fewer points in five consecutive games, and Raiders QB Gardner Minshew has a 6:8 TD:INT.
Honorable Mentions:
New Orleans Saints at CAR ($19); Philadelphia Eagles vs. JAC ($15); Washington Commanders at NYG ($14)
Against the Grainers:
Baltimore Ravens vs. DEN ($14); New England Patriots at TEN ($12); Tennessee Titans, TEN vs. NE ($11)
