Week 9 Monday Night Football looks like an intriguing matchup between the Ravens who currently sit atop the NFC North and can move a full game ahead of the Bengals with a victory and the Saints who just held the Raiders scoreless in Week 8.
Heading into NFL Week 9 Monday Night Football, Stokastic is bringing plenty of NFL DFS tools and information for all of the different slates, game formats and sites.
This column will provide a free analysis of the single-slate action on DraftKings and FanDuel. It includes team capsules, player rankings, comments and NFL DFS picks. There is loads of information and NFL DFS Showdown analysis to get into for both DraftKings and FanDuel on this Week 9 Monday Night Football slate featuring the Baltimore Ravens at the New Orleans Saints.
NFL DFS Picks: Week 9 Monday Night Football | Ravens-Saints
Baltimore is going to be without TE Mark Andrews (knee), WR Rashod Bateman (foot) and RB Gus Edwards (hamstring) is doubtful. There are several players carrying the questionable tag including CB Marcus Peters (quad), G Patrick Mekari (back), LB Malik Harrison (foot) and WR Demarcus Robinson (groin).
New Orleans will try to slow down the Ravens without the services of CB Marshon Lattimore (abdomen) and LB Chase Hansen (knee). They will also be without Mark Ingram III (knee), Michael Thomas (toe) and Jarvis Landry (ankle) is questionable.
Baltimore Ravens: 24.75 Points
Quarterback
The Stokastic fantasy projections always love Lamar Jackson and his ability to rack up rushing yards in addition to being the starting quarterback. The 2019 NFL MVP has at least 58 rushing yards in five of his last six games, including reaching the 100 plateau twice.
Unfortunately, touchdowns have not been as plentiful in prior seasons with Jackson accounting for 15 through the air two on the ground. He has not thrown for more than 240 yards since the wild Week 2 track meet against the Dolphins. New Orleans ranks 11th against the pass and 12th against the run in DVOA per Football Outsiders, so Jackson will have his work cut out for him tonight.
Running Back
J.K. Dobbins (knee) is on the injured reserve and Gus Edwards (hamstring) is doubtful and unlikely to play. That opens the door for Kenyan Drake who has led the running backs in snaps for three of the last four weeks. The journeyman is a capable runner and receiver and should contribute in all facets of the game.
Technically Patrick Ricard has played more snaps than any other running back this season, though the 300-pound fullback is more like an offensive lineman. This year Ricard has three carries along with eight targets, but we can leave no stone unturned in our island game analysis.
Justice Hill is likely to work in as the backup for Drake and well-travelled veteran Mike Davis will be the third option. Keep in mind that Jackson is really the best runner on this team, and it makes sense that the rest of the backfield is fighting for scraps.
Wide Receiver
Rashod Bateman (foot) is out and Demarcus Robinson (ankle) is dinged up, so that leaves Devin Duvernay and James Proche as the two main wideouts. Duvernay has been quite efficient this season with three touchdowns on 32 targets, along with a rushing score and he also returned a kickoff 103 yards for a fifth score.
Robinson saw eight, zero and five targets over the last three weeks to lead the receivers in opportunities during that span. If he is out, then Tylan Wallace becomes a lottery ticket for those building more than 50 lineups at his minimum salary on both DraftKings ($200) and FanDuel ($5,000).
Tight End
Mark Andrews (ankle) leaves a major void to be filled, which bodes well for the fantasy prospects of rookie Isaiah Likely. Last week Andrews managed to stay on the field for just 10 plays and Likely turned in his best game bringing in six of seven targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. He is a steal at $7,500 on FanDuel ($7,500) and a solid option on DraftKings ($5,800).
Some combination of Josh Oliver and Nick Boyle will man the TE2 role, though only Oliver has seen any targets (8) thus far. Oliver is a decent blocker, and he should be on the field for close to half the snaps tonight.
Defense/Special Teams
Baltimore has three or more sacks in six of eight games and New Orleans is allowing just over two sacks per tilt. On the turnover front, the Saints lead the league with 16 giveaways and the Ravens 15 takeaways were the third most in the league heading into the Week 9 action.
New Orleans Saints: 22.75 Points
Quarterback
Andy Dalton has eight touchdowns in his last two games, though two went to the Arizona defense. Dalton is a below average starter at this stage of his career, but better than most backups. Baltimore had the eighth best passing DVOA and New Orleans is running short on pass catchers. Fortunately, interceptions are not too costly in DFS, though they of course end drives immediately.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara continues to be a force and he recorded his first three touchdowns of the season in London. The six-year veteran is averaging nearly 69 rushing yards per game and 7.5 targets for another 48 yards. Dwayne Washington will be the backup with Jordan Howard likely being called up from the practice squad as the emergency option. Keep in mind that Latavius Murray is with the Broncos and Tony Jones was released last month.
Taysom Hill of course will be lining up all over the field and the QB/RB/TE saw 10 carries last week for 61 yards along with two targets which he converted into an 11-yard reception. On the season, Hill has completed six of eight pass attempts for 88 yards and a touchdown.
DraftKings has him priced like a backup quarterback at $6,400 which makes him an intriguing option. FanDuel has assigned him a $10,500 salary, so he really needs to find the end zone to make the optimal lineup on the blue site.
Wide Receiver
Michael Thomas is on the injured reserve with a dislocated to that will require surgery. Veteran Jarvis Landry has been out for a month with an ankle issue and longtime Saints Marquez Callaway and Tre’Quan Smith are barely replacement level receivers.
The lone bright spot in the passing game this season has been the rapid development of rookie Chris Olave. The 11th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft leads the team with 63 targets and he has 13 or more in three different games. He has tallied at least 100 yards or a touchdown in four of seven games and it is clear he will be the WR1 for the Saints going forward.
Kevin White and Rashid Shaheed have been filling in as the backups for the last three weeks, though they do not get many opportunities. Shaheed does have at least one target in each of these games, though at $5,000 on DraftKings, he is not overly appealing compared to White who has two targets as a Saint and a $200 minimum salary. Both can be taken out of the FanDuel player pool.
Tight End
Juwan Johnson is third on the team with 34 targets and he should be in line for a handful of opportunities tonight. Nick Vannett and J.P. Holtz will be the backups and Vannett is slightly intriguing at $400 on DraftKings, though he has just one target in his last 59 plays. Holtz has nine career targets and none since the 2020 season.
Defense/Special Teams
New Orleans has 18 sacks over their last half dozen games, though only seven takeaways on the season. Baltimore has allowed just over two sacks per game, accompanied by nine total turnovers.
Monday Night Football Single-Game NFL DFS Strategy For Ravens-Saints
The rankings below are best utilized for building out single-entry and three-max lineups, and for head-to-head and three-man formats. They provide a nice barometer for player value. However, those taking the MME approach should remember that correlation is key. This means matching a receiver or two with a quarterback in the Captain/MVP slot. That also works conversely, pairing a Captain/MVP pass catcher with their quarterback.
Week 9 Monday Night Football NFL DFS Rankings For Ravens-Saints
Top 10 NFL DFS Showdown Picks
- Lamar Jackson: Easily the top option on FanDuel, it is a little closer on DraftKings.
- Alvin Kamara: This duo should anchor most rosters tonight.
- Chris Olave: Last man standing in New Orleans.
- Isaiah Likely: Neither site adjusted his salary enough to account for the absence of Andrews, making him the best point per dollar option in both player pools.
- Kenyan Drake: Should get most of the work between the 20s with Jackson getting the red zone nod.
- Andy Dalton: Always at risk of a mid-game benching for Jameis Winston and Hill gets too many wildcat opportunities in the red zone.
- Devin Duvernay: Mr. Efficiency, also the main kick returner.
- James Proche: Mr. Opportunity, could take over some return duties with the thinned out receiving corps.
- Taysom Hill: Falls to the top of the next section on FanDuel.
- Justin Tucker: 91% career field goal conversion rate, 11 of 13 from 50 or more yards the last two seasons.
Secondary NFL DFS Showdown Picks For Ravens-Saints
- Will Lutz: Averaging just over two field goal attempts per game this season.
- Demarcus Robinson: Anything can happen in single-slate action.
- New Orleans D/ST: Looking for a splash play.
- Baltimore D/ST: Feels like a pick-six is all but preordained whenever Dalton is the opposing quarterback.
- Juwan Johnson: Steady option in the utility slot, do not waste the multiplier on him.
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Lottery Ticket NFL DFS Showdown Picks For Ravens-Saints
- Justice Hill: Should see around eight opportunities, last touchdown was in Week 17 of 2019.
- Jarvis Landry: How rusty will he be, even if active?
- Marquez Callaway and Tre’Quan Smith: Callaway returns punts and kickoffs, Smith has a more favorable salary on DraftKings.
- Patrick Ricard: DraftKings only, around lineup #20 or so.
- Josh Oliver: Worthy as a punt option.
- Jameis Winston: It is about time we have a backup quarterback entering the island game fray.
- Jordan Howard, Nick Vannett, Dwayne Washington, Rashid Shaheed, Mike Davis and Kevin White: Close your eyes and pick one.
- Tylan Wallace, Nick Boyle and J.P. Holtz: Thanks but no thanks.
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