Spooky season is upon us, but perhaps nothing that comes this Hallow’s Eve could be spookier than Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season.
The week that was turned out to be utter carnage for most of the losing teams, with a larger percentage of lopsided victories than any other week since 1970. That made betting and fantasy football difficult, but our DFS sleepers and value plays still came through for us.
It’s been more treats than tricks for our weekly column, which shines a light on the most undervalued and overlooked names in each week’s daily fantasy player pools. We scour DraftKings DFS and FanDuel DFS like children looking for King-sized candy bars, then we pinpoint the best value plays and serve them up for you like dads with spiked cider on Halloween night.
If you can’t find the best deals, you probably won’t be winning much prize money each weekend. Let us do the research for you — we’ll highlight the best players at every position on DraftKings and FanDuel, so you can create an optimal lineup and cash in on Sunday.
As always, we review the previous column to see how we fared, like your kids will be reviewing their candy take at the end of Friday night. Let’s take a peek at our biggest hits last week, with each player’s DK salary and ultimate Week 8 fantasy production:
| Pos. | Player | Week 8 matchup | Salary | Points |
| QB | Drake Maye | Patriots vs. Browns | $6,200 | 27.3 |
| QB | Bo Nix | Broncos vs. Cowboys | $6,000 | 24.8 |
| QB | Joe Flacco | Bengals vs. Jets | $5,400 | 24.3 |
| QB | Daniel Jones | Colts at Chargers | $6,100 | 23.2 |
| RB | Breece Hall | Jets at Bengals | $6,100 | 37.9 |
| RB | Chase Brown | Bengals vs. Jets | $5,300 | 25.5 |
| RB | J.K. Dobbins | Broncos vs. Cowboys | $5,800 | 17.1 |
| WR | Michael Pittman | Colts vs. Titans | $5,600 | 23.5 |
| WR | Rome Odunze | Bears at Ravens | $6,300 | 21.4 |
| WR | Kayshon Boutte | Patriots vs. Browns | $4,800 | 16.5 |
| WR | Zay Flowers | Ravens vs. Bears | $5,400 | 14.3 |
| TE | Harold Fannin Jr. | Browns at Patriots | $4,400 | 18.4 |
| TE | Dallas Goedert | Eagles vs. Giants | $4,200 | 17.8 |
| TE | Kyle Pitts | Falcons vs. Dolphins | $3,900 | 14.9 |
| DST | Buffalo | Bills at Panthers | $3,300 | 17.0 |
We struck gold with four of our six QB picks, especially MVP-candidate Maye (QB2 on the week), the still-sizzling Nix (QB7) and the resurgent Flacco (QB8). Hall and Brown were RB4 and RB5 on the week, and Pittman and Odunze were WR3 and WR4. We also locked down the fourth, fifth and sixth-best TEs of the week and the DST2. LFG!
Let’s keep the hits coming and fire away at the Week 9 main slate! Here’s the Sporting News’ DFS sleepers and value picks for DraftKings and FanDuel tournaments. Good luck, have fun and enjoy your Halloweekends!
MORE: Learn how to play NFL DFS
Best NFL DFS sleepers for Week 9: QB value picks
Daniel Jones, Colts at Steelers (DK: $6,200 | FD: $7,900)
Over the past three weeks, Danny Dimes has posted DK totals of 23.5 (vs. ARI), 22.2 (@ LAC) and 23.2 (vs. TEN). And yet, somehow he has only gone up in price by $100 on DK. Time to capitalize on this dude.
Is anyone really afraid of the Steelers D at this point? Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay have largely looked old and slow, and the presence of All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor will limit T.J. Watt’s impact on the pass-rush.
Pittsburgh has surrendered the second-most DK points to QBs this season — this ain’t your father’s Steel Curtain defense. Ride with Dimes and hope for another elite-level performance.
Jared Goff, Lions vs. Vikings (DK: $6,000 | FD: $7,600)
Goff is due to go off (get it!?), and we like his chances this weekend against a scuffling Minnesota secondary. The Vikings have surrendered back-to-back 30-point fantasy performances to Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert, and even Dillon Gabriel put up 20-plus on them three weeks ago.
Coming off a Week 8 bye, look for the veteran QB and his vast arsenal of weapons to have a good game plan for this divisional matchup. He might not duplicate his season-best 37 points from Week 2 vs. Chicago, but he should be able to reach the 20s like he did vs. Detroit in Week 6.
Other QBs whose Week 9 values exceed their price tags
- Aaron Rodgers, Steelers vs. Colts (DK: $5,800 | FD: $7,000)
- Caleb Williams, Bears at Bengals (DK: $5,700 | FD: $7,300)
- Joe Flacco, Bengals vs. Bears (DK: $5,600 | FD: $7,200)
- Brock Purdy, 49ers at Giants (DK: $5,500 | FD: $7,100)
- Jaxson Dart, Giants vs. 49ers (DK: $5,200 | FD: $7,400)
Best NFL DFS sleepers for Week 9: RB value picks
Kimani Vidal, Chargers at Titans (DK: $6,300 | FD: $7,700)
Vidal obviously serves as a sell-high in season-long redraft fantasy leagues, but he’s a clear buy-now in DFS formats. He’s the indisputable RB1 for the Chargers while rookie Omarion Hampton recovers from his ankle injury, and he’s got a dream matchup against the bumbling Titans.
Over the three games since Vidal got his usage bump, he has averaged 18.7 DK points per game. Tennessee also allows the third-most RB points per game in all of fantasy. Don’t overthink this one — it’s a smash play.
D’Andre Swift, Bears at Bengals (DK: $6,100 | FD: $6,900)
You had me at “Bears at Bengals.” Cincinnati has made a ton of running backs look good this season, most recently the Jets’ Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis (they combined for 52.3 DK points to lead New York to its fist win of the season in Cincinnati). Add him to your lineup with the Swiftness.
More strong Week 9 RB values
- Chase Brown (DK: $5,900 | FD: $7,200) and Samaje Perine (DK: $4,400 | FD: $5,100), Bengals vs. Bears
- Travis Etienne Jr., Jaguars at Raiders (DK: $5,600 | FD: $6,800)
- Rhamondre Stevenson (DK: $5,400 | FD: $5,800) and TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots vs. Falcons (DK: $4,900 | FD: $5,300)
- Kareem Hunt, Chiefs at Bills (DK: $4,400 | FD: $5,900)
MORE: This Week’s Fantasy Rankings
Best NFL DFS sleepers for Week 9: WR value picks
Chris Olave, Saints at Rams (DK: $6,100 | FD: $7,100)
The Saints have been brutally bad — deplorable, even — but at least they’re getting Olave into the mix. The wideout has enjoyed a whopping 29 targets over the past three weeks, which he has turned into 259 yards and two touchdowns.
Don’t let the Rams’ secondary scare you, either — LA actually ranks as one of the 12 most PPR-generous defenses to opposing receivers this season. And we all know New Orleans will be trailing early and throwing often, no matter who lines up under center for Kellen Moore’s squad.
Ladd McConkey, Chargers at Titans (DK: $6,000 | FD: $7,800)
McConkey has been the cure for what was ailing Bolts QB Justin Herbert, and they lifted each other out of their early-season slumps in a major way. The strapping Ladd has three TDs over the past four weeks, and he has caught 22-of-34 targets for 255 yards and two scores over the past three.
The only ceiling-related worry we have is that Los Angeles levels the Titans so early that Herbert and company won’t need to throw very much. However, with the massive target share McConkey has enjoyed, it would be a surprise if he dipped below his recent floor of around 15 points. Just look at what Pittman did to Tennessee last week (8-of-9, 95 yards, 1 TD).
Michael Pittman, Colts vs. Titans (DK: $5,900 | FD: $7,200)
Speak of the devil! Pittman has been absolutely incredible this season, and the only reason we’re not talking about it more is because Jonathan Taylor is on pace for friggin’ 30 touchdowns.
Still, look at the Pitt-Boss’s numbers the past two weeks: 15 catches on 18 targets for 153 yards and two TDs. He caught a TD with his bicep last weekend — do we really think the ghosts of Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey are slowing him down!?
More strong Week 9 DFS values at WR
- Jordan Addison, Vikings at Lions (DK: $5,800 | FD: $7,400)
- Xavier Worthy, Chiefs at Bills (DK: $5,600 | FD: $6,800)
- D.K. Metcalf, Steelers at Colts (DK: $5,500 | FD: $7,600)
- Wan’Dale Robinson, Giants vs. 49ers (DK: $5,100 | FD: $5,900)
- Tre Tucker, Raiders vs. Jaguars (DK: $4,800 | FD: $5,500)
- Travis Hunter, Jaguars at Raiders (DK: $4,700 | $6,000)
- Alec Pierce, Colts at Steelers (DK: $4,600 | FD: $5,700)
Best NFL DFS sleepers for Week 9: TE value picks
Kyle Pitts Sr., Falcons at Patriots (DK: $4,600 | FD: $5,100)
The Patriots have been god-awful at defending tight ends this season, allowing an average of 17.1 DK points per game to the position. Pitts has also played to his potential this season, for the first time since his rookie breakout so long ago. This is easily the best bargain play of all the TEs.
More Week 9 TEs worth a look
- Sam LaPorta, Lions vs. Vikings (DK: $4,300 | FD: $5,500)
- T.J. Hockenson, Vikings at Lions (DK: $3,400 | FD: $5,200)
- Jonnu Smith, Steelers vs. Colts (DK: $3,400 | FD: $5,100)
- Colston Loveland, Bears at Bengals (DK: $3,300 | FD: $4,800)
FANTASY LINEUP TIPS: Week 9 Start-Sit Advice | Week 9 Waiver Wire | Week 9 Sleepers | Week 9 Busts
Best NFL DFS sleepers for Week 9: D/ST
Denver Broncos at Texans (DK: $3,200 | FD: $4,500)
The Broncos have been elite all season — again — and they’re coming off a domination of Dak Prescott, who looked like an MVP candidate earlier this season. C.J. Stroud and the Texans looked good last week against San Francisco last week, but let’s not forget how banged-up that Niners’ D has been over the past few weeks. Denver’s going to smash Houston around.
More sleeper D/ST plays for Week 9
- New England Patriots vs. Falcons (DK: $3,600 | FD: $4,700)
- San Francisco 49ers at Giants (DK: $3,400 | FD: $4,400)
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