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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne will get another shot at starting when the team clashes with the New York Giants in Week 9. Ricky Pearsall (knee) will miss his fifth straight game, allowing Bourne to stand in again. Mac Jones (knee), with whom Bourne has demonstrated a solid rapport, will get his seventh start on Sunday, in place of Brock Purdy (toe), who is listed as questionable. The Giants have given up the most yards and third-most receptions to opposing wide receivers, but fantasy football managers will have to think twice before plugging Bourne into lineups. With Jauan Jennings' (ankle, ribs, shoulder) health improving and George Kittle back from injured reserve, Bourne's target share over the last two weeks sits at 11%. Bourne is projected as a borderline WR4/5 in Week 9, and deserves consideration only in deeper leagues.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins worked his way into a larger role for the team while injuries to Christian Kirk (hamstring) and Nico Collins (concussion) opened an opportunity. While he still has upside, he's tough to count on in fantasy linesups for Week 9 against the tough Broncos secondary, with both Kirk and Collins cleared to return. Higgins had four catches for 34 yards and a touchdown in Week 8's win, leading the team in targets with eight. He is unlikely to see that much volume this week, but he has shown an ability to make big plays, with two touchdowns on the season. This week, he'll be a touchdown-dependent flier play in a flex spot, and he's only the WR70 in RotoBaller's rankings. There are probably better options available for your lineup in most formats.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs, shoulder) logged three full practices this week and carries no designation on the team's final injury report. Jennings has been rather ineffective when active, catching just 18 of his 36 targets for 212 yards and one touchdown in six games. He has also looked out of sync with quarterback Mac Jones (knee), who has filled in for Brock Purdy (toe) in six starts this season and will get his seventh in Week 9. The Giants give up the sixth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers, but based on what we have seen from Jennings so far, he will be hard to trust on Sunday. Projecting as a borderline WR3/4, he probably needs to be used in three-WR setups and in deeper leagues, but fantasy managers in shallower leagues can and should find a more reliable option in Week 9.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel has been one of the team's busiest receivers in the last two weeks, hauling in nine of 13 targets for a total of 140 receiving yards in his last two contests. The rookie from Iowa State was filling in for Christian Kirk (hamstring) and showed the ability to make plays out of the slot. This week, Kirk is ready to return in a very tough matchup against the Broncos. While Noel will still likely mix in on a decent amount of snaps and brings big-play upside, he is very high-risk since he'll have a smaller snap share. He's RotoBaller's WR76, so even though he has some potential, there are probably better options available in most standard-sized leagues.

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Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker will face the Buffalo Bills in Week 9. Butker is coming off his third game of the season without missing a kick. The Chiefs' kicker has attempted at least 4 extra-point attempts in each of the last five games and made 19/20 (95%), giving him a solid floor to build on. Butker should be utilized often in this game with a nearly 53-point total, which is the second-highest total in Week 9. Butker is ranked K9 in our RotoBaller rankings, making him a startable fantasy kicker this week.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins is ready to return to the lineup in Week 9 against the Broncos after missing Week 8 with a concussion. Collins is in a tough matchup against a strong pass defense, but he still brings elite upside. The fifth-year receiver from Michigan has averaged 7.7 targets per game this season and has 26 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns. Before leaving Week 7's loss to the Seahawks, Collins had four catches for just 27 yards. He has been held under 100 yards in five of his six games this season, and even though he has WR1 upside, he's risky this week returning in such a tough matchup. The Broncos have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points in the NFL to receivers, so Collins checks in as the No. 18 WR in the RotoBaller rankings for the week. Get him back in your lineups this week, but temper expectations.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk is set to return in Week 9 from a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury, but he steps into a brutal matchup against the Broncos, who have allowed the second-fewest wide receiver fantasy points this season. Kirk has missed two games on two occasions this season with hamstring issues, and in his three healthy contests has totaled 10 catches on 16 targets for 109 yards. The Texans have young receivers who stepped up while Kirk was out, so it will be very interesting to see how the veteran works back into the mix on Sunday. He is the WR58 in RotoBaller's rankings for Week 9, so he's tough to start in most formats unless bye weeks and injuries have you desperate for PPR production.

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will face the Buffalo Bills in Week 9. Kelce caught six passes for 99 yards and a touchdown in Week 8 against the win over Washington Commanders. The veteran tight end has caught at least six passes in three of the last four games and is averaging 73 receiving yards per game in that span. In the past, Rashee Rice being healthy was a bad sign for Kelce's production, but the two were able to coexist in Week 8. Both Rice and Kelce caught at least six passes and scored a touchdown in their 28-7 victory last week. Kelce could find a way to produce despite facing the Buffalo Bills, who have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season. Kelce is ranked TE9 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a solid TE1 option this week.

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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey turned in his worst game of the season in Week 8. Against the Texans, McCaffrey toted eight carries for 25 yards and caught three of six targets for 43 receiving yards, all season lows and interrupting his streak of seven consecutive RB1 finishes to start the 2025 season. McCaffrey, being who he is, there is hope for a rebound in Week 9 against the New York Giants. Last week, the Giants gave up 174 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns to Saquon Barkley (groin) in three quarters of work and another 104 rushing yards to backup Tank Bigsby. Unfortunately, San Francisco's offensive line does not compare to Philadelphia's elite unit and will be missing starting center Jake Brendel (hamstring). Still, McCaffrey is one of the league's most dynamic playmakers, and if he is on your fantasy roster, he should be in the starting lineup for Week 9.

From RotoBaller