5 Daily Fantasy Football Matchups to Exploit in Week 9
Denver Broncos Rushing Offense
Devontae Booker's debut performance as the Denver Broncos' lead back was all right. He finished with 14.9 FanDuel points, enough to return value as the most popular running back on the slate.
It was also utterly perfect.
Despite fumbling and suffering a shoulder injury -- two things that could easily handicap a rookie -- Booker still played 83.1% of the snaps and controlled 19 of the team's 22 running-back carries. Given all that went wrong, that's not a bad workload. Now, he gets a dream matchup for his encore.
The Oakland Raiders have been widely recognized for their struggles against the pass, but they have actually fared worse against the rush. They rank 31st in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play while sitting 25th versus the pass, a pain point that has shined through in looking at how opposing running backs have performed while facing them.
Over the past seven weeks, they have allowed seven different running backs to record at least 12 half-PPR points against them. Both Spencer Ware and Jamaal Charles hit that mark in Week 6, and the only team not to have a back get there was the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7. They've allowed three players to rush for at least 110 yards, and another guy hit 90. This is a place where Booker can fully announce his presence.
The first concern with Booker would be his floor. The Broncos are on the road, and we generally prefer running backs at home. Additionally, Vegas doesn't foresee a blowout in which the Broncos can pound on the ground with the line at a pick 'em. What happens if they were to fall behind?
Booker's usage in Week 8 offers a bit of solace there. In addition to the 19 carries and hefty snap rate, he also netted six targets. If they fall behind, they're comfortable using him in the passing game, and that boosts his floor.
As for the ceiling, that's not a concern, either. The Broncos ran 15 plays in the red zone, and 10 of them resulted in an opportunity for Booker. He had seven carries to go with three targets, and six of his opportunities came inside the 10-yard line. You're not going to find this floor and ceiling combo at his price often.
With Booker, you'll have to monitor his shoulder injury throughout the week. He was able to practice Wednesday, which is a good sign, but it's worth it to check back in as the week progresses. And if he's good to go, he's an easy way to get cheap upside at running back.
