NFL Predictions Week 9: Fantasy Guide, Odds Projections and Expert Tips

Week 9 of the 2019 NFL season is already underway, with the San Francisco 49ers claiming victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night.

Sunday will bring 12 more contests, including a marquee matchup between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens. The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants will finish out the week on Monday night.

While casual fans will certainly be able to enjoy the remaining Week 9 slate on its own, those looking for a little added action will have plenty of choices. From playing the over/unders to daily fantasy, there is no shortage of gaming options.

Here, we'll examine the top fantasy plays of Week 9, along with the latest odds and over/unders from Caesars. We'll also dig into two of the biggest games of the week.

Week 9 Fantasy Flex 50, PPR

1. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

4. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

5. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

6. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans

7. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

8. Josh Jacobs, RB, Oakland Raiders

9. Le'Veon Bell, RB, New York Jets

10. Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

11. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

12. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

13. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks

14. Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions

15. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

16. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

17. Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots

18. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

19. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

20. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

21. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

22. DJ Chark Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

23. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings

24. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

25. Darren Waller, TE, Oakland Raiders

26. Marlon Mack, WR, Indianapolis Colts

27. Phillip Lindsay, RB, Denver Broncos

28. James White, RB, New England Patriots

29. Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears

30. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

31. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

32. Tyrell Williams, WR, Oakland Raiders

33. Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens

34. John Brown, WR, Buffalo Bills

35. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns

36. Hunter Henry, TE, Los Angeles Chargers

37. Marvin Jones, WR, Detroit Lions

38. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

39. Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns

40. Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

41. Golden Tate, WR, New York Giants

42. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Redskins

43. Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants

44. Jaylen Samuel, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

45. Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

46. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

47. Mohamed Sanu, WR, New England Patriots

48. Kenny Stills, WR, Houston Texans

49. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

50. Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

NFL Week 9, Lines, Over/Unders and Predictions

Houston Texans (-1.5, 46.5 O/U) at Jacksonville Jaguars: Jacksonville 23-22

Chicago Bears (+4.5, 41 O/U) at Philadelphia Eagles: Philadelphia 22-20

Indianapolis Colts (even, 40.5 O/U) at Pittsburgh Steelers: Indianapolis 25-22

New York Jets (-3, 42.5 O/U) at Miami Dolphins: New York 18-16

Minnesota Vikings (no line) at Kansas City Chiefs: Minnesota 28-22

Tennessee Titans (+3.5, 42 O/U) at Carolina Panthers: Carolina 27-21

Washington Redskins (+10.5, 37 O/U) at Buffalo Bills: Buffalo 23-13

Detroit Lions (+2.5, 50.5 O/U) at Oakland Raiders: Oakland 30-27

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+4.5, 53) at Seattle Seahawks: Seattle 30-23

Cleveland Browns (-4, 39 O/U) at Denver Broncos: Cleveland 21-14

Green Bay Packers (-3.5, 48.5 O/U) at Los Angeles Chargers: Green Bay 27-20

New England Patriots (-3, 44.5 O/U) at Baltimore Ravens: New England 22-21

Dallas Cowboys (-7, 48 O/U) at New York Giants: Dallas 31-21

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

The Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars are set to kick off Sunday's action over in London, which means U.S. fans will be treated to some morning football. This game is intriguing both because the Texans and Jaguars are relevant in the AFC South divisional race and because of the dynamics of playing overseas.

It's a situation that Jacksonville head coach Doug Marrone knows well.

"It's awful, you get discombobulated," Marrone said, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. "You don't know what's up and what's down, if it's daylight, nighttime. It's brutal. I'm glad I've done it before."

The Jaguars have played in London every year dating back to 2013. For the Texans, meanwhile, the experience is almost entirely new—although they did play a game in Mexico City in 2016.

Because of this—and because Houston's 20th-ranked defense is now missing J.J. Watt—Jacksonville is an enticing underdog play. There isn't a large line here, but the Jaguars may have an even bigger home-field advantage than they might if playing in Northern Florida.

Because of travel and the unusual week of preparation, both teams may be a bit off early in the game. This bodes well for those betting the under.

In fantasy, Texans wideout DeAndre Hopkins should be the star. Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette is also a must-start, though he may not have a huge day running against the Texans' fifth-ranked run defense.

Instead, expect the Jaguars to test Houston's 28th-ranked pass defense early and often with DJ Chark Jr. Texans wideout Kenny Stills is a solid sleeper option with Will Fuller out of the lineup.

However, he may not be a massive piece of the passing attack, as Adam Levitan of DraftKings and Establish the Run has pointed out:

If you have Deshaun Watson or Gardner Minshew in your lineup, there is no reason to shy away from either quarterback.

New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

For many fans, Sunday night's game between the Patriots and the Ravens will be the highlight of Week 9. New England is one of the league's two remaining unbeaten teams, while Baltimore might just have the NFL's new most exciting quarterback in Lamar Jackson.

Jackson may not be able to carve up secondaries like Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers, but he is the premier dual-threat quarterback in the NFL and perhaps the best we've seen in the modern era. It's his running ability, though, that gives the Ravens a good shot at upsetting the Patriots.

New England has a dominant defense, there's no question. They've allowed a mere 7.6 points per game this season and just 148.8 passing yards per game. However, their run defense—which has allowed just 85.2 yards per game—has been misleading.

The Patriots have put up good numbers against the run largely because teams have abandoned it due to early score deficits. The Cleveland Browns stuck with the running game in Week 8 and racked up 159 yards on the ground.

The Ravens just so happen to have the league's No. 1 rushing offense, which averages 204.1 yards per game.

Because the Ravens can attack the Patriots' one defensive weakness, expect this game to be extremely close. Baltimore is worth taking as an underdog, even if it won't win outright. The under is also appealing here, as this should be a grinding, run-oriented game rather than a shootout.

From a fantasy perspective, Jackson and Ravens running back Mark Ingram are both must-starts. So is Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. While he isn't likely to carry the Patriots offense, he should have success in spurts against the Ravens 26th-ranked pass defense.

Patriots wideout Julian Edelman should be another big beneficiary.

Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown is expected to return after missing his last two games, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley:

However, Brown's production may be limited by New England's phenomenal secondary. Odell Beckham Jr. produced just five catches and 52 yards against it last week.