4 Best FanDuel NFL DFS Stud Picks for Week 9

Hitting on high-salary players is the first step to having success in NFL DFS on FanDuel.

These players take up the biggest chunk of your salary cap, and they need to deliver quality performances for your lineup to reach its ceiling.

With some help from our NFL DFS projections, here are four studs to target on this week's main slate, which starts at 1 p.m. ET.

All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL DFS Stud Plays for Week 9

Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

FanDuel Salary: $8,900

If you're allocating a large chunk of salary toward quarterback this week, you're turning to this Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills game. It has the main slate's highest total alongside a tight spread, elevating Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes as the clear Tier 1 quarterbacks for the Week 9 FanDuel NFL DFS slate.

I'll want exposure to both QBs, but if you're playing just one lineup, it's hard not to lean Allen's way due to his rushing upside. Though he's cracked 25 FDP only twice (compared to six times for Mahomes), Allen's true ceiling outcome is undoubtedly better than Mahomes'. The reigning MVP scored 41.8 FDP in Week 1 against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens; Mahomes has topped out at 31.5 FDP. Over the past three seasons, Allen has cleared 35 FDP five times; Mahomes hasn't done that since 2022.

It doesn't hurt that the Chiefs are favored in this game, which could force Buffalo into a negative game script and allow Allen to play more "hero ball" via scrambles. Allen's seen a third of Buffalo's red zone rush attempts this season while Mahomes is down at a 23% red zone rush share.

If this game lives up to the hype, there probably won't be a "wrong" answer when it comes to Allen or Mahomes. But in terms of true ceiling, Allen has the edge, making him the top high-salary quarterback.

Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

FanDuel Salary: $9,500

Jonathan Taylor's production has been hard to ignore, but he's up to $11,000 on FanDuel -- an incredibly difficult salary to fit into lineups when we have high-salary QBs and WRs to consider.

Instead, I'm circling Christian McCaffrey as the top stud running back on the main slate. CMC -- not JT -- has the most lucrative role in football, averaging a league-best 36 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) per game. That's resulted in 131.1 scrimmage yards per game, the third-most.

McCaffrey's receiving role (7.0 receptions, 9.3 targets per game) gives him a massive floor on a week-to-week basis, but his lack of touchdowns has limited the ceiling games. Despite ranking fourth in red zone rush attempts (3.9 per game) and leading the league in red zone opportunity share (59.7%), CMC has only 6 touchdowns -- tied for 10th. But he's second in expected (x) touchdowns (8.6), just 0.2 fewer xTDs than Taylor (who has 14 touchdowns).

Touchdown regression should come eventually for CMC, and I want to be there when it does. That could happen as soon as this week against a Giants team which ranks 26th in scoring defense (26.9 points allowed per game) and has given up the eighth-most touchdowns to opposing running backs.

In general, New York has struggled to stop the run this season. They're dead-last in adjusted run defense and have let up the third most FDP per adjusted opportunity to running backs.

Everything lines up for another busy day for CMC. Our projections have him posting a slate-best 22.7 FDP. If the touchdown regression finally hits, that could be the floor.

Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

FanDuel Salary: $8,200

Rashee Rice may be the most under-salaried player on the slate -- and that's saying something for someone with an $8,200 salary. It speaks to how incredible his role has been in his first two games of 2025.

In two active games, Rice has scored 19.7 and 21 FDP, amassing three touchdowns and earning 19 total targets. He's immediately stepped into a 28.8% target share -- a mark which becomes more impressive when you realize he's at just a 59% route participation. Rice has been targeted on an otherworldly 40.4% of his routes this season, even higher than notable target hogs Jaxon Smith-Njigba (37.8%), Puka Nacua (36.9%), and Ja'Marr Chase (34.1%).

The Chiefs have wasted no time making Rice the centerpiece of their aerial attack, and we especially see that in the red zone. His red zone target share is up at 40% through two weeks, and he's even seen a red zone rush attempt.

Perhaps the only real qualm with Rice's role is his lack of downfield work (2.5-yard average depth of target; 12.3% air yards share). But he doesn't need deep volume to be productive given his after-the-catch ability and red zone role.

That's an area where Buffalo has struggled. They've let up the seventh most yards after the catch per reception to opposing wide receivers -- all while allowing the eighth highest target rate and 10th most yards per route run to the position.

Mahomes and Rice make for one of the best NFL DFS stacks to target in Week 9. But in this game environment, at this salary, with this strong of a role, Rice is a clear priority regardless of who you slot in at quarterback.

Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers

FanDuel Salary: $6,200

I can get behind any of the five tight ends who are salaried in the $6,000s this week, although there's enough value further down at TE to make this position less of a priority with must-have studs elsewhere.

But you aren't crippling your lineup by allocating $6,200 to Tucker Kraft, and there's enough upside here to make him the top high-salary tight end.

Kraft is coming off a monster game: 7 receptions (on 9 targets), 143 yards, and 2 touchdowns -- good for 32.9 FDP. He's now scored four touchdowns over the last three games, and his six receiving touchdowns are tied for second at the position.

Green Bay's budding star has the kind of red zone role (35.5% red zone target share) to make him a priority play on a slate where the Pack are rocking a 29-point implied total. But it's his yardage upside that really separates him from the pack. Kraft leads the position with 67 yards per game, and he's the only tight end with multiple 100-yard games this season.

With 19 targets (30.2% share) across his last two games, Kraft's volume is peaking at the right time as the Panthers come to town on Sunday. Carolina is allowing the third-most yards per route run to the position, and they're the fourth best fantasy matchup for tight ends based on Brandon Gdula's player-level adjusted fantasy points allowed.

There's some risk of a blowout, but Kraft has established a solid-enough floor where he shouldn't hurt you even if he doesn't pop for 30 FDP again. He's finished with fewer than 8 FDP just once this season.

Between the role, matchup, and Green Bay's offensive expectations, Kraft is the top high-salary tight end to target.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.