Josh Allen sits at the center of this Week 9 Monday Night Football showdown, and the Bills quarterback is the kind of player DFS lineups are built around. He’s averaging 26.8 Fantasy points this season, and even in a tough matchup, the case for playing him is simple: he can pile up points in every possible way Buffalo wants to use him.
That makes the rest of the lineup a balancing act, and that’s where Dawson Knox comes in as the captain choice. Knox hasn’t matched the Fantasy output he’s delivered in past seasons, but he’s still logging meaningful snaps and has a path to paying off at a cheaper salary.
The veteran tight end has played at least 61% of the snaps in every game this season, and while the production has been modest, his Week 2 outing - 8.5 PPR points - stands as his best Fantasy showing so far. That kind of role keeps him in play as a value captain who opens the door for higher-priced options elsewhere.
James Cook gives Buffalo another route to production. The running back has topped 16.3 PPR points in seven of eight games this season, and with the passing game potentially facing a difficult night, his rushing workload offers a safer DFS lane.
Justin Jefferson is the swing piece on the Minnesota side. He hasn’t yet broken through for more than 10 PPR points this season, but this matchup gives him a chance to change that.
The Bills are allowing 31.2 Fantasy points per game, 12th-most in the NFL, and if Minnesota is forced into a negative game script, Jefferson could be in line for the kind of volume that gets him back on track. The last time the Vikings faced the Bills, Jefferson exploded for 35.3 Fantasy points with 10 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown.
Carson Wentz steps in for Kyler Murray, who will be out for this game, and he could wind up being a useful passing option in this setup as well. It’s not his first time filling in for Murray this season, and this game could produce his best Fantasy performance yet.
Wentz has been all over the map in two appearances this year, posting 19.2 Fantasy points in one game and 6.3 in the other. The home setting matters here, too, since his 19.2-point outing came at home.
T.J. Hockenson rounds out the Vikings pieces.
He’s been a steady second target in the passing game and sits just three targets behind Jefferson for the team lead. Since the bye, Hockenson has posted at least 13.5 PPR points in both games, and he’s scored a touchdown in each of his last two.
He’ll try to make it three straight against Buffalo.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
In Other News...
Bills Defense Is Forcing A Bigger Question Than Fans Expected
Since their Week 7 bye, the Bills have looked noticeably sharper on defense, cutting down the yards and points they have allowed and making life much harder on opposing offenses. The turnaround has been enough to stand out even in a team that has leaned on its offense for much of the season, with Josh Allen and James Cook also doing their part to keep Buffalo moving.
Greg Rousseau has been one of the voices pointing to the change as something more lasting than a short hot streak, and the numbers back up why the conversation has shifted. With the defense producing sacks and takeaways at a much better clip over the last two games, the bigger question around Buffalo is no longer whether the unit can help, but how far this version of the Bills can go if it keeps playing this way. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Just Made An Aggressive Move Their Secondary Desperately Needed
The Bills moved quickly to shore up a secondary that has been under pressure, landing safety Amani Hooker from the Titans in a deal that cost Buffalo a second-round pick and sent a fifth-rounder back to Tennessee. Hooker arrives with a reputation for making plays on the ball, and he brings immediate credibility to a defensive backfield that needed help as the postseason picture tightens.
Buffalos timing was no accident. After the Jaguars added Jessie Bates III, the safety market started to shift, and the Bills answered with an aggressive move of their own to keep pace. Hooker gives them a proven difference-maker at a spot where they have been searching for more stability, and the next question is how quickly he can settle in and reshape the back end before the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Defense Nearly Pulled Off A Play Fans Never See
Late in the first half on Monday Night Football, the Bills defense came within a fingertip of one of those rare plays fans almost never see. Michael Hoecht jumped a Carson Wentz spike attempt and nearly came away with an interception, only for the ball to slip through his hands before Buffalo could turn it into a turnover.
It was the kind of sequence that fit the night for Buffalo, which kept control throughout a 23-6 win and moved to 7-1. Wentz never found much rhythm against the Bills, finishing 8 of 25 for 81 yards with two interceptions, while Buffalos defense kept making life difficult even when the unusual chances did not quite break its way. [Read more 🡒]