FanDuel Single-Game Daily Fantasy Football Helper: Week 9 Sunday Night (Titans at Rams)

On NFL odds, the Los Angeles Rams are 7.0-point home favorites over the Tennessee Titans in a game with a 53.5-point total. That makes the implied score 30.25-23.25 in favor of the Rams.

For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, kickers are included in these contests, and there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5-times his total fantasy points, making this spot crucial.

Our Brandon Gdula has done a deep dive on single-game strategy, and we have projections for the single-game slate if you select the game from the slate tab. It's worth checking out both of those things before you make your lineups.

MVP Candidates

This is a really fun slate with more than a couple of high-upside players at our disposal. Our model projects six guys for at least 13.0 FanDuel points, including three with at least 18.9. While you can make a case for going a few different ways at MVP, the three top options are Matthew Stafford ($17,000 on FanDuel), Cooper Kupp ($16,000) and Ryan Tannehill ($14,000).

Stafford and Kupp have been outstanding together, and they are unlikely to slow down versus a pass-funnel Titans defense that is allowing the most FanDuel points per game to wideouts (39.2) and the ninth-most to quarterbacks (21.2). I don't need to sell you too hard on either dude. Our model has them as the top two options, forecasting Stafford for 23.0 FanDuel points and Kupp for 19.7.

Tannehill is an interesting pivot at MVP, and we should always be at least intrigued whenever any signal-caller isn't going to be a super popular MVP pick. Tennessee will likely have to be more pass-heavy without Derrick Henry, and that's before factoring in that they're 7.0-point 'dogs in this one. The Rams' D isn't playing at the level we expected coming into the year, ranking just slightly above the league average by our numbers. We project Tannehill for 18.9 FanDuel points.

If Tanny eats, A.J. Brown ($12,000) likely will, too, and stacking the two won't be as popular as pairing Stafford with one of his pass-catchers.

Brown has been getting elite usage of late, slotting in second among all wideouts in both target share (35.5%) and air yards share (49.8%) over the last three weeks. Brown could see a good amount of Jalen Ramsey, which isn't ideal, but he's a top-shelf talent who is garnering pristine volume -- and that might increase sans Henry. Projected for 15.3 FanDuel points, AJB is a weird-but-not-super-weird MVP play.

So is Darrell Henderson ($13,000). While Tennessee is surrendering the 10th-fewest FanDuel points per game to running backs (18.7), Henderson's role in an outstanding offense keeps him fairly matchup-proof.

Prior to seeing a 61% snap share in last week's blowout win, Henderson had played 82% and 88% of the snaps in the past two games, one of which was another lopsided victory. He's logged at least 15 total touches in every game he's played and has 75% of the Rams' carries inside the 10. He's projected for 15.1 FanDuel points.

Flex Breakdown

Anyone listed above who you don't use as an MVP is a fantastic flex play, too.

Among players we're haven't yet touched on, Van Jefferson ($8,000) is my favorite play, and the salary is super handy. Jefferson has been in on 94% and 84% of the Rams' plays the last two weeks, and he has a 17% target share and 24% air yards share over the last four weeks. In that same time, Robert Woods ($11,500) owns a 19% target share and 15% air yards share. Even disregarding the salary gap, Jefferson looks like the better play, and I'm sure the second-year wideout will be a go-to salary-saver.

Sticking with the LA side, Tyler Higbee ($7,500) is a viable value, too. The box-score numbers haven't been there, but Higbee is still getting a lot of snaps, playing every single snap in Weeks 6 and 7 before getting a 69% snap share in last week's scrimmage against the Houston Texans. A 15% target share in that span leaves us wanting, but he'll be out there a lot and could get a touchdown.

Pairing Jefferson or Higbee with Stafford and Kupp is a fun three-man stack that still leaves you a good amount of salary for your final two slots.

With the Titans, Adrian Peterson ($8,500) and Jeremy McNichols ($10,000) are taking over for the injured Henry. McNichols seems like the better play this week as he's been with the team and should get a lot of usage as the pass-game back. The $10,000 salary is tough to stomach, though, especially if Peterson dominates goal-line work. Our model projects Peterson as the much better option straight up (9.6 FanDuel points to 7.5). I'll probably just stay away from this backfield.

Julio Jones ($10,500) was not listed on Tennessee's injury report but is really hard to like at his salary. Our algorithm rates him as the worst point-per-dollar play among anyone with a salary above $10,000. With that said, you can tell yourself a tale with Julio this week. Tennessee should have to pass more, and if you're wary about using Brown due to Ramsey, Julio is the logical alternative.

The punt range ($7,000 and down) is the punt range, which is to say it stinks.

I can kind of stomach Sony Michel ($6,500) as a dart throw at a touchdown. He's seen 11, 9, 2 and 9 carries the past four games. That's not bad for $6,500.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine ($7,000) has made a little splash this year with some touchdowns, but he was in on just 32% of the Titans' plays last week in a game in which Julio didn't play. Chester Rogers ($6,500) played 42% of the snaps in Week 8 but has only one target apiece in the last three games.