Sunday’s Week 9 NFL slate opens with a 9:30 a.m. ET game in Madrid between the Bengals and Falcons, but the real DFS action starts at 1:00 p.m. ET. The DraftKings main slate covers 11 games, including seven at 1:00 p.m., Texans at Chargers at 4:05 p.m., and three more at 4:25 p.m. Only the Steelers and Titans are on bye, and the top total of 51.5 is shared by Cowboys at Colts and Raiders at 49ers.

This is a week loaded with expensive studs at running back and receiver, so the plan is to anchor around a couple of premium skill players and find salary relief elsewhere. Quarterback is a down spot on the main slate, which opens the door for a smart, correlated build. Here are five Sunday NFL DFS picks to build around, with salaries from DraftKings and FanDuel where available.

Jahmyr Gibbs, RB — Detroit Lions (DK $10,000 / FD $10,200)

Gibbs is the most expensive player on the DraftKings board, and the workload explains why. Through seven games he has 157 carries for 773 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, plus 34 catches for 285 yards and two more scores. He carried 23 times for 153 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota in Week 8, one week after getting 29 carries against Green Bay.

Detroit travels to Miami as a 6.5-point favorite with an implied team total of 28.0 in a game with a 49.5-point total. That is the kind of game script that keeps a lead back on the field. For both cash game picks and GPP picks, Gibbs offers a rare combination of floor and ceiling, even at a hefty price.

Puka Nacua, WR — Los Angeles Rams (DK $8,800 / FD $9,200)

Nacua has been a target magnet whenever he has been on the field. In six games he has 56 catches on 74 targets for 565 yards and three touchdowns, an average of 12.3 targets per appearance. He averages 24.1 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring, trailing only Jaxon Smith-Njigba among all players, and he has cleared 14.0 points in every game he has played. Last week he caught 11 of 12 targets for 80 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers.

The matchup at Washington is a good one. The Commanders allow 149.0 receiving yards per game to wide receivers and rank 28th in passing yards allowed. They are also down to three healthy receivers after Terry McLaurin was lost for the season, which could push this game toward the Rams controlling the ball. Pair Nacua with Matthew Stafford ($6,200 on DraftKings) for an easy Sunday NFL DFS stack in a game with a 47.5-point total.

Brock Purdy, QB — San Francisco 49ers (DK $6,800 / FD $8,500)

San Francisco has the highest implied team total on the slate at 30.75 points as a 10-point favorite over the Raiders, and Purdy is the quarterback leading that offense. He has thrown 15 touchdowns against four interceptions in five appearances, averaging 239.2 passing yards per game, and he has added 161 rushing yards and a score on 32 carries.

Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel Sr. and Christian Kirk are all out, which leaves George Kittle ($6,000 on DraftKings) and Christian McCaffrey as the clear top two targets in the passing game. That concentrates the offense, which is exactly what you want when stacking. The game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET, so you can lock your early players and use late swap on the 49ers pieces after inactives post.

Jonah Coleman, RB — Denver Broncos (DK $5,300 / FD $6,300)

Coleman is the best salary-saving running back on the board. With RJ Harvey placed on injured reserve, Coleman handled 11 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown against Kansas City in Week 8, and added four catches on five targets for 63 yards. That works out to 104 scrimmage yards on 15 touches.

Denver is a 2.5-point favorite at Carolina in a 44.5-point game, and the Panthers rank 28th in points allowed. If the increased role carries over, Coleman has a clear path to outproducing his price tag. His low cost makes it much easier to fit the expensive studs above.

Harold Fannin Jr., TE — Cleveland Browns (DK $4,700)

Tight end is pricey on the DraftKings main slate, so a cheap option with a real role is valuable. Fannin has 35 receptions for 411 yards and three touchdowns this season and averages 11.9 fantasy points per game, which ranks eighth among tight ends. Last week he caught 10 passes for 154 yards, good for 27.4 DraftKings points.

Shedeur Sanders is set to start under center for Cleveland at New Orleans, with Deshaun Watson questionable and still in concussion protocol. Fannin has already shown chemistry with Sanders, which makes him a strong punt option for lineups that spend up elsewhere. Confirm the quarterback situation at kickoff, since the Browns-Saints game has a modest 42.5-point total.

Building Your Lineup

The cleanest build starts by getting to one or two of the premium plays, Gibbs or Nacua, then saving at quarterback and using Coleman and Fannin to cover the cost. A Rams stack of Stafford and Nacua gives you a high-volume correlation, while a 49ers stack of Purdy and Kittle is a strong late-window GPP pick. Check the live NFL odds for line movement before lock, since several totals have shifted this week.

Ownership is another factor. The field is expected to be heaviest on San Francisco, Kansas City and Detroit, so pivoting to the Rams or Broncos can differentiate your FanDuel picks and DraftKings lineup without sacrificing much upside. If you are playing DFS on other apps, our PrizePicks review covers another way to play. Inactives post around 11:30 a.m. ET for the 1:00 p.m. games, so check them before lock and swap as needed.