Fantasy Football: 4 Deep Sleepers for NFL Week 9

If you're in a deep league or are playing some large-field NFL DFS tournaments on FanDuel this week, you'll probably need some deep sleepers on your squad.

Here are some players who are on the majority of waiver wires but need to be on your radar this week.

We'll reference our fantasy football projections. All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook, and lines may change after this article is published.

Fantasy Football Deep Sleepers for Week 9

Calvin Austin III, WR, Steelers

FanDuel Salary: $5,600 | Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 9%

Calvin Austin III missed three straight weeks of fantasy after the Pittsburgh Steelers' bye week led into a two-game injury absence. He returned in Week 8 to log an 82.1% route participation rate and 19.4% target share, but his six targets amounted to just four catches and 28 yards.

Austin's 9% roster rate tells us the masses have forgotten about him -- maybe a little too much.

Taking out a Week 4 game he left early, Austin sports an 83.1% route participation rate, 18.6% target share, 40.0% air yards share, and 22.2% red zone target share this season. He leads the Steelers in air yards share while those other marks are all second behind only D.K. Metcalf.

Sunday's Steelers-Indianapolis Colts clash is showing one of the best game environments on the slate thanks to a high total (50.5) and close spread (3.5). A shootout could lift Austin to his best fantasy showing of the season.

Blake Corum, RB, Rams

FanDuel Salary: $5,100 | Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 8%

In a game where the Los Angeles Rams could name their number, Blake Corum stands out as a viable deep sleeper.

The Rams are at home, coming off a bye, and set to get Puka Nacua back this weekend. That alone should have us ready for the league's eighth-best offense, per our schedule-adjusted NFL rankings, to go postal. Add in a matchup against the New Orleans Saints, and there's reason to believe the Rams can mow past their 29.5 implied team total.

On the season, Corum is playing 24.1% of the snaps and handling 25.0% of the red zone carries. He's still a firm backup behind Kyren Williams, but Corum is actually outdoing Williams in both yards per carry and expected points added per carry this season. Moreover, we've seen Corum play 29.2% of the snaps and handle 40.0% of the red zone carries across LAR's last two games. He may have already earned himself a meatier role coming out of the bye, but a positive game script and high implied team total alone could result in a decent fantasy showing for the sophomore back.

Brashard Smith, RB, Chiefs

FanDuel Salary: $5,600| Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 16%

Isiah Pacheco (knee) is expected to miss this weekend's must-watch clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. His absence could end up opening some doors for Brashard Smith.

Smith's done the majority of his damage in garbage time, as he garnered a whopping 19 touches in a 31-point win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7. Kansas City tried to get him more involved in Weeks 3 and 4 when the run game was struggling, but Pacheco ended up finding his way and logged a 62.8% snap rate across the last four games.

But with Pacheco now out, it's up to Kareem Hunt and Smith to lead the attack against the Bills. Buffalo's defense ranks fourth against the pass but just 26th against the run. The Bills are coughing up a seismic 5.3 yards per carry (second-most in the NFL) and 1.29 rushing touchdowns per game (second-most) to opposing backs. Entrenched in a game that's showing a close spread (1.5) and high total (52.5), Smith could have a relevant fantasy week.

Theo Johnson, TE, Giants

FanDuel Salary: $5,300 | Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 28%

Cam Skattebo is out for the rest of the season, making Tyrone Tracy Jr. one of the top value plays at running back in DFS this week. Theo Johnson is another under-the-radar name we can consider on the New York Giants.

The Giants will host the San Francisco 49ers for a contest that's showing a close spread (2.5) and high total (48.5). Johnson sports the team's second-shortest touchdown odds (+170) behind Tracy (-110). The tight end is running 78.4% of the routes and earning an 18.3% target share across four games with Jaxson Dart under center. Meanwhile, the Niners are letting up the sixth-most targets per route run to the tight end position.

Our NFL projections consider Johnson the fourth-best value tight end on a points-per-dollar basis for the Week 9 main slate, and he paces the value category among tight ends that are salaried below $6.0K.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.