Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze has enjoyed a breakout sophomore season under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, recording 31 receptions for 473 yards and five touchdowns on 56 targets in seven games. The 23-year-old leads the team with a 25.5% target share and has built a solid rapport with fellow second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Odunze is coming off his best game since Week 3 against the Cowboys, catching seven of 10 targets for 114 yards in Week 8 at Baltimore, the fourth 100-yard game of his career. The 2024 first-rounder is again set up to reward fantasy managers with a beautiful matchup on deck against Cincinnati. Odunze ranks as RotoBaller's WR9 in PPR formats for Week 9.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (hip) practiced fully on Thursday and Friday after missing his team's Wednesday practice and is listed without an injury designation heading into a Week 9 road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Downs will look to build upon an encouraging Week 8 outing that saw him haul in all three of his targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Tennessee Titans. He has a great matchup on tap as the Steelers are allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season. Downs has been overtaken in the passing-game pecking order by Michael Pittman Jr., but he remains a solid WR3/flex option in fantasy in this prime matchup on Sunday.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has a three-game touchdown streak, finding the end zone four different times during that span. His sudden spurt of success has vaulted him to the overall WR24 spot in PPR leagues so far, and he'll look to climb even higher and extend his touchdown streak in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. This is a difficult matchup, as Atlanta has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025. However, they've been softer against perimeter receivers like Boutte, allowing the 12th-fewest points to receivers out wide. Between the matchup, Boutte's track record, and New England firing on all cylinders offensively, the 23-year-old receiver should be viewed as a fringe top-24 fantasy option this week. He's a high-end WR3 who can be a low-end WR2 in deeper leagues.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins has been one of the most underrated factors of the team's 6-2 start to the season. He has served as a reliable possession receiver who offers sure hands and an important veteran presence. Although he has just 18 catches through eight games, a big chunk of those receptions came last Sunday. In Week 8 against Cleveland, Hollins caught all seven of his targets for 89 yards. He has consistently earned playing time, logging more snaps than Stefon Diggs in three of the last four games. Under-the-radar production isn't exactly a new thing for Hollins, who quietly led the entire Buffalo Bills team in receiving touchdowns last year. Now contributing with the Patriots, he's offering similar value. This week, Hollins plays in a revenge game scenario against his old team, the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025, but Hollins still has low-end WR3/flex value in deeper leagues.

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New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson will likely operate as the team's primary option out of the backfield in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) has been ruled out already, leaving Henderson as the next man up, based on the depth chart. Of course, there's no guarantee that Henderson steps into an every-down role or even earns the start, as New England has been overly restrictive with his usage this year. The rookie is averaging just 6.6 percent touches per game, and he only played 21 percent of the offensive snaps last week. However, we can likely put those concerns aside now that Stevenson has officially been ruled out. Terrell Jennings should get involved, but common logic points to Henderson starting and handling at least 60 percent of the snaps on Sunday. His matchup is moderately tough; Atlanta has allowed the 15th-fewest fantasy points to running backs in 2025. On a positive note, they did allow 91 total yards and a touchdown to De'Von Achane last week. Henderson is a high-end RB3 with RB2 upside.

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Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore is coming off his best game of the season in Week 8 against the Ravens, catching four of his seven targets for a season high 73 yards. It's been an otherwise down year for the 28-year-old, failing to exceed 70 yards in every other game and scoring only one touchdown. His target share has dipped to just 17.3% in Ben Johnson's offense after being above 26% in both of his first two seasons in Chicago. Moore will have a chance to get back on track in Week 9 against a Bengals defense that hasn't slowed down any opponent this season and is tied for the highest net yards per pass attempt allowed in the league. Moore offers flex appeal in Week 9 in a favorable matchup, ranking as RotoBaller's WR31 in PPR formats.

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New England Patriots running back Terrell Jennings will likely operate as the team's No. 2 option out of the backfield in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. With Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) ruled out and Antonio Gibson (knee) on injured reserve, Jennings should step up into the backup role behind TreVeyon Henderson. Even as the backup, Jennings figures to handle a decent workload. He has handled seven touches over his last two games, playing 14 percent of the snaps in Week 7. We would not be surprised to see him play at least 25 percent of the snaps with five or more touches against the Falcons, especially as the Patriots remain dedicated to gradually phasing rookie (and this week's starter) TreVeyon Henderson into the offense. Jennings isn't fantasy-relevant in most leagues, but we'll hear his name called several times this weekend.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has been a reliable touchdown scorer over the first half of the NFL season. Pittman has found the end zone six times in eight games in what has been a bounce-back season for him. Overall, Pittman has caught 43 passes for 446 yards while reestablishing himself as the No. 1 receiver in Indy after being outproduced by Josh Downs last season. Pittman will look to keep it going on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9. The Steelers have struggled against the pass this season, allowing wide receivers to score the sixth-most average fantasy points per game to the position. Pittman sets up as a rock-solid WR2 in fantasy heading into Week 9.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been a steady contributor in fantasy football this season. Through eight games, he's averaging 11.9 fantasy points (full-PPR) while ranking as the overall WR26. He has posted double-digit points in four of his last five games, and he salvaged last week's fantasy outing with his first touchdown of the season. While Kayshon Boutte has been a big-play threat in New England, Diggs has been more of a reliable, short-to-medium passing option for Drake Maye. The 31-year-old is listed first on the depth chart of a 6-2 team whose offense is firing on all cylinders. That's always a good sign. Despite the Falcons allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025, Diggs should be deployed as a low-end WR2.

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones continued his bid for comeback player of the year in a Week 8 win over the Tennessee Titans. Jones completed 21 of 29 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns in the 38-14 win. Jones has now thrown for 2,062 yards, 13 touchdowns, and three interceptions while adding four rushing touchdowns for the Colts this season. The veteran quarterback will look to keep it going in a Week 9 road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh's defense has really struggled against the pass this season, allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to the quarterback position in seven games. Jones remains a mid-range QB1 in fantasy and should be locked into starting lineups in most fantasy leagues heading into Week 9.

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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has been one of the best storylines this season, completing more than 75 percent of his passes for 2,026 yards, 15 touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also has 250 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. The UNC product has taken an extraordinary leap in his second pro season, leading the Patriots to a 6-2 record while entering his name into the MVP race. From a fantasy perspective, Maye is the overall QB2 and has established himself as a must-start player every week, regardless of matchup. That remains the case in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. Even though Atlanta has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, Maye should capitalize on a home matchup against a struggling Falcons squad. After all, Atlanta surrendered four touchdowns to Tua Tagovailoa last week. Maye is a strong, mid-range QB1 option once again.

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Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is putting together a historic season so far in 2025. Through eight games, Taylor has rushed for 850 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding two receiving touchdowns for the Colts. The best player in fantasy over the first half of the season, Taylor has scored exactly three touchdowns in a game four times so far this season, with the most recent instance coming in a Week 8 win over the Tennessee Titans. He will look to keep it going in a road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9. The Steelers have been solid against the run this season, allowing just the 22nd-most fantasy points per game to the running-back position through seven games. Despite the tougher matchup, Taylor remains a top-three fantasy running back in Week 9.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Bears rookie running back Kyle Monangai is in to handle the bulk of the carries with starter D'Andre Swift (groin) ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The rookie out of Rutgers has seen his workload increase over the last few weeks in a complementary role to Swift, but now should be expected to see the most touches of his young career. Fantasy managers who have been holding Monangai this season have been waiting for an opportunity to plug-and-play him as an RB2, and the matchup doesn't get much better in Week 9 against a porous Bengals defense. In Monangai's only game with 10 or more touches this season, he produced 94 total yards and a touchdown on 15 touches in Week 7 against the Saints. Monangai profiles as a borderline RB1 in Week 9, ranking as RotoBaller's RB13 in PPR leagues.

From RotoBaller

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams could be poised for a strong game in Week 9 against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that has allowed the second-most passing yards in the league, only behind the Dallas Cowboys. Williams wasn't bad in Chicago's Week 8 loss at Baltimore, completing 25 of his 38 pass attempts for 285 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. However, since his four-touchdown outburst against the Cowboys in Week 3, he's completed 60.8% of his passes while averaging 230 passing yards to go with three total touchdowns and two interceptions. The 23-year-old has still been solid for fantasy purposes, ranking as QB15 in points per game, and gets a pristine matchup in Cincinnati on Sunday. Williams is ranked as RotoBaller's QB9 for Week 9.

From RotoBaller

San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddy Pineiro has played his way into being one of the more valuable kickers in fantasy football in 2025. Unsigned until the 49ers brought him in to replace the erratic Jake Moody after Week 1, Pineiro ranks fifth in both total fantasy points and fantasy points per game. In last week's slog against the Houston Texans, Pineiro's only opportunity was a single extra point try, which he converted. On the season, he is 10-for-11 on extra points and a perfect 17-for-17 on field goal attempts. In Week 9, the 49ers square off against the New York Giants, who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing kickers. Pineiro is a relatively safe bet for fantasy production out of the kicker slot and can be included in starting lineups in Week 9.

From RotoBaller

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz (knee/shoulder) is officially questionable for Week 9's matchup with the Broncos, but the veteran from Stanford was able to put in a full practice Friday and seems to be on track to play through the injury. He's RotoBaller's No. 20 tight end this week if he does play, and he'll be looking to bounce back from his quietest game of the season. Last week, he had two catches for 24 yards against the 49ers after hauling in nine passes for 98 yards the previous week against Seattle. On the season, he has 32 catches for 308 scoreless yards in his seven games. He can be a PPR emergency start if needed, but with Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring) back from their injuries, the Texans have lots of pass-catching options. It's also a very tough matchup for the passing game against a strong Broncos defense, so temper expectations for Schultz this week. He's only a starter if you have bye week issues or are in a very deep league.

From RotoBaller

Houston Texans tight end Harrison Bryant has been the team's primary backup since Week 2, but his production has been limited to just one catch for five yards on four targets all year. He could be lined up for more work this week, though, since Dalton Schultz (knee/shoulder) has a questionable tag heading into a tough matchup with the Broncos. Schultz has been a solid PPR producer since tight ends are usually heavily involved in Houston's passing game under C.J. Stroud. Bryant is the No. 64 tight end in RotoBaller's rankings, so he isn't a good play unless Schultz is out or limited, but it is worth monitoring if the sixth-year tight end gets more work this week.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Demarcus Robinson finally made it into the end zone last week, though it was only to secure a two-point conversion and not a touchdown catch. Robinson's snap share shot up to 55% in Week 8, his second-highest mark of the year, but it resulted in just two catches for five yards on three targets. Even with Ricky Pearsall (knee), Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs, shoulder), and George Kittle missing multiple weeks due to injury, Robinson has been an afterthought in the 49ers' offense. Pearsall is out again in Week 9, but Jennings and Kittle will play when the 49ers face the Giants on Sunday. They, along with Christian McCaffrey, will dominate the demand for targets, leaving scant opportunities for Robinson. Despite the fact that the Giants allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers, Robinson can be left off of fantasy rosters entirely.

From RotoBaller

Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn has been a starting kicker for fantasy teams for most of the season, but there may be a better option available this week. He has converted 17 of his 19 field goal attempts this season, with both misses from beyond 50 yards. He has made five field goals of more than 50 yards as well, though, and has also converted all 12 of his extra-point attempts. Fairbairn was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points last week against the 49ers, but this week, he's facing the Broncos in Houston. In that difficult matchup, he's only the No. 16 kicker in RotoBaller's rankings this week. He's still startable, for sure, but check what the alternatives are as well.

From RotoBaller

Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson has found the end zone three times in his last three games and is coming off a season-high five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over the 49ers. However, with Christian Kirk (hamstring) and Nico Collins (concussion) returning from their injuries, the Texans suddenly have a lot of receivers to rotate through. Hutchinson was rotating with rookie Jayden Higgins as the perimeter receiver across from Collins prior to all the injuries, and if he returns to that reduced role, he'll have a hard time putting up a big game against the Broncos, who have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Hutchinson is the No. 74 WR in RotoBaller's rankings this week, so in most formats, there are better flex plays available.

From RotoBaller