Noto's NFL DFS Key Personnel: Week 9

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious)

Created Nov 6, 2026

Last Updated 2026-11-07 15:59:32 Premium Content Part of the product NFL DFS

A daily fantasy sports OG, Notorious has been roaming the DFS streets ever since they were invented. So, who better to walk you through all of the key NFL DFS positions each week? Noto has racked up multiple live final seats and several six-figure tournament wins in his DFS career, and he will mix it up in all different types of contests. In his Key Personnel article for Week 9, he will walk you through his favorite NFL DFS picks, ways to pivot away from the chalk, and overall strategy for the upcoming featured slate.

Happy Week 9!

This is officially the halfway point of the season, which is both crazy and sad. The way I see it, we need to take a glass-half-full approach with each season. They go by far too fast, but we still have 9 more weeks of the regular season to look forward to.

This week’s slate should be a fun one. It’s full of cheap quarterbacks and strong value plays at each position. It’s extremely easy to build lineups, and there are plenty of ways to approach roster construction.

Let’s dive into it.

NFL DFS Top Picks & Plays: Noto’s Key Personnel for Week 9

Top Quarterback Plays

Tier 1 – Core Plays

Week 9 is officially the week of cheap quarterback plays. While we have plenty of values to choose from at the position, my favorite is Malik Willis ($5,100 DK / $6,500 FD). He has quietly averaged over 20 fantasy points in his last 3 games, despite the Dolphins playing at one of the slowest paces in the NFL. He’s been effective through the air and has rushed for over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns during that 3-game stretch. The main reason to like him this week is a matchup against the Lions, who are 29th in EPA allowed per dropback and 31st in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. The Dolphins are 7-point underdogs at home, so expect a pass-heavy approach.

Shedeur Sanders ($4,000 DK / $6,200 FD) will draw the start for the Browns this week, and you can’t draw up a better matchup for your first start of the season. The Saints are 23rd in EPA allowed per dropback and have one of the lowest pressure rates in the NFL. If you look back at his play from last season, Sanders was willing to throw the ball downfield when given time in the pocket. He has even better weapons to work with this season, and he gets to play indoors against the fastest-paced offense in the NFL. This should naturally result in more plays for the Browns’ offense.

Tier 2 – Strong Plays

If you don’t want to punt the quarterback position, my favorite spend is Brock Purdy ($6,800 DK / $8,500 FD). His efficiency has been terrific this season, and he has added 3.2 fantasy points per game on the ground. Mike Evans seems like he’s on the wrong side of questionable, which actually makes it easier to stack with Purdy. You can pair him up with Christian McCaffrey and/or George Kittle. The Niners have a massive team total (31 points) against the Raiders, who are quickly becoming one of the worst defenses in football.

If we knew Drew Lock ($4,000 DK was 100% healthy, I would have him tagged as a Core Play over Shedeur Sanders. However, Lock has been dealing with a right elbow injury and hasn’t been able to throw much over the last few weeks. I still view him as an excellent tournament play, as he has elite weapons and an elite matchup against the Cardinals, who are 31st in EPA allowed per dropback and 29th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. At min-salary on DraftKings, he deserves consideration even with the injury.

Want to read more? Sign up for NFL Premium!

-

-

-