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Duke Johnson is the latest example of why we should be stashing backup running backs this late in the season, especially those who project to be bell cows in the event of an injury to the starter. The fantasy community has waited years for him to have the opportunity he’s been presented for Week 10. With David Johnson yet to be cleared from his Week 9 concussion, Duke is looking at an every-down role in a narrative-soaked revenge game against his former team. You know what to do.

Since returning from a knee injury that cost him Week 6, Curtis Samuel has scored in three straight games and logged two 20-plus-point performances. He’s finally happening. He has seen his recent floor bolstered by carries and rushing touchdowns, and now Christian McCaffrey is in danger of missing this week’s contest. His dynamism will make him an enticing, high-ceiling Flex play down the fantasy stretch.

Kenyan Drake’s absence in Arizona can only mean one thing; get ready for a Chase Edmonds Dance Party! The third-year back is already enjoying a solid 2020 in his minimal role. Most impressive, he ranks No. 4 among qualified running backs with 222 receiving yards, No. 7 with 26 receptions and No. 9 with a 13.6-percent Target Share. Add in a full workload on the ground against Miami’s average run defense and it adds up to a big day for Mr. Edmonds.

With Myles Gaskin on IR, Matt Breida becomes the back to roster in Miami. Unfortunately for Breida, he is currently dealing with an injury of his own and will miss Week 9. That leaves Jordan Howard and Patrick Laird. YUCK! Avoid, avoid, avoid. Please. And go trade for Breida. Like NOW. Though Gaskin isn’t expected to miss more than a few weeks, the Week 9 Laird/Howard combo will leave the Fins clamoring for Breida’s return.

Given how Hayden Hurst has already seen four (No. 7 among qualified tight ends) Deep Targets and 412 (No. 3) Air Yards, we can expect him to pick up a few of each from Calvin Ridley, who leads the NFL in both categories. The game environment isn’t ideal. The Broncos rank No. 10 in Defensive Passing DVOA, but the Falcons defense is so bad that this game can easily shootout. Hurst projects for plenty of targets, both deep and in the red zone. He should be a cash lineup lock at his price.

Those who want to afford Dalvin Cook and Chase Edmonds in their cash lineups will likely need to pay down at one RB spot. Justin Jackson is the best pay-down option after he took command of the Los Angeles backfield last week. The Chargers are 1.5-point favorites at home against the Raiders. This game also has the third-highest total on the slate at 51.5 points. Sharp DFS gamers will want to play the RB that’s favored at home with a high total.

In Week 9, Christian McCaffrey is back for Carolina, and that means it’s time to dabble back in the Touchdown Dance. He returns for the first time since Week 2, coming off of back-to-back two-score games. In Week 9, he draws a Kansas City Chiefs defense that ranks No. 29 against the run.

Michael Thomas returns for the first time since Week 1, when he finished with a 3-17 stat line against Carlton Davis. In Week 9, Thomas draw Davis’ coverage again while coming off ankle and hamstring injuries. He’s likely to be a decoy in Tampa, aligning for an Emmanuel Sanders and Jared Cook-focused game.

D.J. Moore is coming off a disappointing Week 8 performance against a highly exploitable Falcons secondary where he failed to crest double digits fantasy points. However, those disappointed with him this season need to keep the faith. The last time he appeared on this list, he exploded for 25.3 fantasy points, finishing as the WR6 in Week 7. Moore should see penalty of opportunity in a negative Game Script against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Darius Slayton appears to have taken a back seat to Sterling Shepard in the Giants passing game. However, he still led the Giants with 122 Air Yards last week. Slayton previously scored 11.8 fantasy points against Washington in Week 6. With Shepard back to divert the attention of Washington’s defense, he should be able to realize some more Air Yards this week.

Remaining injury-free to this point of the season has allowed Will Fuller to reach his fantasy football potential. His dominance is represented in his +26.7 (No. 6 among qualified wide receivers) Production Premium and 28.4-percent (No. 18) Dominator Rating. Sidney Jones’ sample size is too small for his stats to qualify among cornerbacks, but his 14.5 Yards Per Reception Allowed is a problematic stat when matching up with a deep threat such as Fuller.

A touchdown in Week 2 prevented Marvin Jones from scoring under 10.0 fantasy points in each of the first five games despite Kenny Golladay missing the first two. Since then, he has scored 13.0 or more fantasy points in both of his games and had his two best showings as it relates to Air Yards. Fortunately for Jones, Minnesota’s primary coverage for him this week is Kris Boyd, who draws the start with the Vikings missing most of their cornerbacks due to injuries.

With an incredible 24.6 career Yards Per Reception average, Marvin Hall saw greater opportunity in Week 8 with Kenny Golladay exiting early with an injury. He took full advantage, showing off his explosive ability with 113 yards on four receptions. At $3,800, it’s hard to resist the upside Hall brings vs cost. He will see a Vikings defense that has allowed the third-most yards per pass attempt (8.5) and the third-most Fantasy Points per Game to wide receivers.

Even with Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster playing ahead of him, Chase Claypool has been incredibly efficient with his opportunities. We know he is capable of massive boom weeks, and Week 9 has all the makings of being one of those outings. With Diontae Johnson battling through injuries seemingly every week, the Steelers will lean on their star rookie more often. He is reasonably priced at $5,700 on DraftKings.

With no obvious cheap QBs and TEs on the main slate, DraftKings has some tough pricing decisions at the top. Paying down at one RB slot for a cash lineup makes sense this week. Justin Jackson is a clear lead back in a solid game environment with an elite matchup against the Raiders in a game with the third-highest total on the slate at 51.5 points.

J.K. Dobbins draws another tough matchup against a Colts defense that ranks No. 5 in Defensive Rushing DVOA, but his ability to evade tackles and create explosive runs for himself will allow him to remain efficient. His lack of receiving usage limits his floor, meaning he’ll need another 100-yard game or a touchdown to hit value in a cash lineup, but Dobbins is an exciting tournament option with a massive ceiling.

Mike Williams offers a main slate leverage play off of Keenan Allen for Week 9, with an enticing $5,100 salary on DraftKings and projected rostership at less than 10-percent. His 11.0 Weekly Volatility mark ranks No. 7 among qualified wide receivers and denotes his extreme fantasy scoring fluctuation. With the weather becoming more volatile week-to-week, indoor matchups like this one at SoFi Stadium against the Raiders offer static environments that favor scoring.

With a bye week to prepare the Jaguars offense under Jake Luton, it’s a low-key smash spot for D.J. Chark against the Texans. Houston’s secondary allows +6.90 fantasy points above the mean to opposing receivers, the fourth-highest mark in the league. Chark carries his lowest salary of the season ($5,500) on DraftKings, where it dipped below $6,000 for the first time. His rostership projects to be minimal, offering leverage in a game with a projected total of 50.5 points.

Devin Singletary has the No. 9-ranked Route Participation rate among qualified running backs, while also maintaining a 28.1-percent (No. 15) Juke Rate. Elusive pass catching running backs win weeks. As a bonus, Singletary has a juicy matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, who have the perfect combination of beatable defense and transcendent offense that forces opponents into pass-heavy schemes. Singletary is poised for a breakout performance and usable in all formats.

Antonio Gibson seems to be a fixture here on the DFS Value Index in the high single-digits. With Washington finally in a favorable matchup against the lowly Giants, this is a good week to capitalize on his reasonable cost. He averages over 70 total yards per game and has had touchdown success with four (No. 16) on the year. The touchdown rate may come down, but Gibson should be a lock in cash and a worthwhile play in GPPs while he’s this inexpensive.