Week 8 is in the books, it’s now time to start focusing on week 9 (I can’t believe it’s week 9 already. Time flies when you’re having fun, and hopefully winning money) Let’s kick off the positional focus pieces by taking a look at some QB plays. Note that these are value plays, under $6,300.

Derek Carr – $5,500

Derek Carr is legit. At the halfway point of the season, we know that he is the real deal. He silenced any of the remaining doubters last week when he faced a stout Jets defense and went 23-36 for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns. He quickly built great chemistry with Amari Cooper and has targeted Crabtree an average of 8.5 times per game. Last week when the Jets were able to relatively contain Cooper, Carr connected with Holmes for 2 TD’s. What I’m getting at is that Carr’s success has been based around him spreading the ball around. This week he has a juicy matchup vs the Steelers secondary. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that Carr was priced at only $5,500 and I plan on using him heavily in my lineups. He is averaging just under 20 fantasy points per game, so he will easily get you 3.5 times his value this week, in my opinion.

Andy Dalton – $6,200

Usually, I like to follow @LynnfieldDave’s philosophy of focusing on the main slate of games which start on Sunday at 1PM. However, I just can’t picture Dalton having another pedestrian performance this week against the Browns defense on Thursday night, and I will therefore roll him out in a few lineups. The Browns are ranked 24th against the QB position, and like Carr, Dalton offers great value this week at $6,200. Dalton is averaging 23 fantasy points per game thus far. I expect him to hit slightly above that average, and I am predicting that he will quadruple his value this week going against a Browns defense on short rest.

Jameis Winston – $5,200

Jameis is facing a Giants defense that ranks 29th against the QB position, and is fresh off a performance where they gave up 7 TD’s through the air. Granted, Winston is not Brees, but he could provide a lot of bang for his buck this week at $5,200. Jameis is mobile and has the ability to add valuable fantasy points on the ground as well. He has ran 24 times and has found pay dirt twice this season on the ground. The price is right for Jameis this week. Not only will he hit his value in cash games, but he will save you some salary so that you can afford a chalk player. I like him contingent upon Seferian-Jenkins returning to the lineup. Make sure you give me a follow on twitter, @therealspb, for updates on whether ASJ is a go or not, and who will replace Winston in my lineups if he sits.

Check back later on for more week 9 advice. As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment or hit me up on twitter.

-SPB