Best player props for Week 9 Sunday Night Football on DraftKings

Sunday Week 9 concludes with a primetime matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota started the season 5-0, but lost two straight games to the Rams and Lions and is now 5-2. Indianapolis is 4-4, with the quarterback situation being the most notable storyline. While Anthony Richardson's prospects continue to develop, it will be Joe Flacco who starts at center tonight.

The Vikings enter the matchup as 5.5-point favorites. The Colts are listed as a +195 underdog on the DraftKings Sportsbook moneyline and the total number of games is set at 47. Here are my four favorite prop bets ahead of Sunday night's matchup.

Jonathan Taylor 100+ rushing and receiving yards (+115 odds)

As is often the case with Jonathan Taylor, injuries have prevented him from having an otherwise incredibly productive start to the season. After suffering an upper ankle sprain that kept him out of action in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, Taylor returned to the field non-stop last week. The Colts star ran for 105 yards on 20 carries last week and added 12 receiving yards last week. Taylor has played in five games this season and has recorded over 100 yards from scrimmage in four of them.

While the Vikings' defense started the season incredibly well, they have struggled as of late. Their inability to stop the run was one of the main reasons for this. The Vikings allowed 160 yards and two touchdowns to Jahmyr Gibbs in Week 7 and 106 yards and a touchdown to Kyren Williams last week. After being a top-15 defense in each of the first six weeks and a top-4 in three of those weeks, Minnesota has regressed. Taylor is an even more talented rusher than both of these defenders and will have the inside lane for a significant number of touches.

There should be more reluctance to stack the box against Taylor, especially after the quarterback change. Flacco also poses no threat of taking on urgent tasks himself, as Richardson can. Expect Indianapolis to lean on its star running back often and for him to once again eclipse 100 yards from scrimmage.

Justin Jefferson Longest reception for 26.5 yards (-115)

Justin Jefferson has accumulated 646 receiving yards so far this season, third among all NFL wideouts. He's the complete package of a wide receiver with sure hands, advanced route running and big-play potential on every play. So far this season, he has recorded receptions of more than 27 yards in six of seven games.

In addition to Jefferson's strong play, the Colts are prone to giving up big plays. While they've been able to prevent that the last two weeks with Tyler Huntley and Will Levis at quarterback, they've allowed the longest reception of more than 38 yards in all six other games. Overall, the Colts are allowing 7.1 yards per pass attempt, which ranks 24th in the NFL.

Expect Jefferson to continue to get opportunities to go up and grab deep passes and to make an impact in this game. He only needs one play to break that number, and the 26.5 yard line is too low given his talent and the opportunities in front of him. Expect Samuel Womack II to be given the primary job of stopping Jefferson, and expect the Vikings star to add to his already impressive stats this season.

Joe Flacco is expected to have more than 100 passing yards in each half (+130)

The Colts will have to make some tough decisions about the best route for Anthony Richardson moving forward. For now, however, Joe Flacco will step in as starting quarterback for the fourth time this season. In the three games in which he has attempted a pass, Flacco is averaging 238.7 passing yards per game. He had his best performance against the Jaguars, throwing for 359 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception.

As mentioned in the Jonathan Taylor section of the article, the Vikings defense appears to be floundering. Although Flacco's best days are undoubtedly behind him, he is still completely comfortable sitting in the pocket, delivering the right results and allowing the team's playmakers to do their jobs.

Looking at his overall passing performance, Flacco's total yardage is estimated at 241.5 yards, with the odds for the over-favorite at -120. He has a -350 chance of throwing for 200+ yards in the game, and splitting the bet to 100+ yards in each half is a good way to get some extra value.

TJ Hockenson Anytime touchdown (+165)

TJ Hockenson has officially been removed from the PUP list and will be active for the first time this season. He's about 11 months away from tearing his ACL, and he'll be looking to provide a boost to Minnesota's offense. So far there have been 21 balls from the tight end position for the Vikings and Hockenson is a much more talented pass catcher than Johnny Mundt or Josh Oliver.

Looking at this matchup, the Colts are having trouble defending their tight ends. They have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season and are sixth-worst in DVOA vs. tight ends. Before he was injured last year, Hockenson had rushed for 960 yards and five touchdowns. Once he establishes himself, he has a real chance to become the second option in the Vikings' offense.

Look for this to begin in today's match and for Hockenson to find his way into the end zone in his season debut. Expect the Vikings to make an effort to include the two-time Pro Bowl tight end and for Hockenson to capitalize on the Indianapolis defense's weakness.

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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds are subject to change.

I'm a promoter at DraftKings and also an avid fan and user (my username is Seanbarnard). Sometimes I play the games I give advice on on my personal account. Although I have expressed my personal opinions on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the opinion(s) of DraftKings and are not a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment when compiling their lineups. I may also use players and strategies other than those recommended above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to non-public information.