Well, we had an absurdly good run-out last week. We had two hits at running back in Tyjae Spears and Tyler Allgeier, we recommended Troy Franklin and Malik Washington, and both lower-rung Texans receivers came through as well. I’m not much of a horn-tooter because I recognize how much variance is in this game and know that things could have gone differently but for a few small things, but I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t proud that sticking to some of the guys who thudded in Week 7 actually paid off.
Here we go again, into the fold.
Once again, my rules for this weekly article:
1) I will not recommend quarterbacks — you’re on your own there.
2) I will not recommend any running back who costs more than $5,000, wideout who costs more than $4,500, or tight end that costs more than $4,000 in DraftKings’ DFS Slate — I just figured this was an easy cutoff for what a FLEX really is.
3) I consider any player who garners over 50 yards or scores a victory for the column — anything more you get out of that, well, great for you. Let’s set expectations low because we are combing for outliers.
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▶ Running Backs
TreVeyon Henderson, NE — $4,900
You already dropped him, I know. I don’t think Henderson is actually making a move on Rhamondre Stevenson, and I don’t think 10/75 changed anybody’s mind about what Henderson is best at.
However, Stevenson isn’t at practice on Wednesday — my deadline for this column — and the Patriots signed D’Ernest Johnson off Arizona’s practice squad. That speaks loudly that Henderson may at least split the workload evenly in Week 9. (If Mike Vrabel happens to have someone he just signed take over for Henderson I simply must tip my cap to a legendary owning.) The Falcons have been a better pass defense this year than a run defense, as they gave up Christian McCaffrey‘s best rushing line of the season and have allowed each of the last four opponents they’ve played to go over 134 rushing yards against them. That volume will play.
Zonovan Knight, AZ — $5,000
So this is a weird situation: I actually kind of think the Cowboys will hold the Cardinals passing attack down on Monday night. I think Arizona’s passing attack holds itself back fairly well when Kyler Murray starts, and I think the Cardinals are witnessing the unfolding of the Murray franchise quarterback degradation arc. I’m not saying this to tell you there’s no way you should start an Arizona receiver or Murray — the numbers are what they are — but I can’t shake the bad vibes around the situation.
What I can say is that, at least for the next 24 hours, Knight is the presumed starter in the Arizona backfield. I think the Cowboys’ run defense is as soft as it gets — the Broncos had them in shambles — and I think the volume should make this game pretty approachable for Knight.
Kyle Monangai, CHI — $4,600
Running back my last two running backs of last week, I assumed that Monangai would succeed against the Ravens, but Baltimore’s defense actually showed up with the season on the line. A unit that has not shown up? That’d be the Bengals defense, who have allowed 253 points through their first eight games, tied for 13th-most since the 1970 merger.
I think things may actually get even better for Monangai if Joe Flacco sits — that’s the kind of situation that could lead to a blowout, and coaches love to get rookie backs extended run in the fourth quarter of blowouts. But even if Flacco does play, I think Monangai should have a high floor this week.
Brashard Smith, KC — $4,200
A down week for Smith as he was suddenly scripted out of the short-passing attack against a Commanders offense that didn’t really threaten the Chiefs much. But with Isiah Pacheco (knee) week-to-week, there will be extra carries for both Kareem Hunt ($4700) and Smith. I like both players quite a bit against a Bills run defense that has been up-and-down at best, and now is playing sans Ed Oliver.
Patrick Mahomes, Jonathan Taylor, Ja’Marr Chase, and Trey McBride highlight positional rankings for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season.
▶ Wide receivers
Christian Watson, GB — $4,400
The Packers are enormous favorites over the Panthers, but at the same time, the Panthers are generally a pass funnel defense. James Cook went to town on Carolina last week, but he’s a special back on a team that has had plenty of run success this year. In their other seven games this year, the Panthers have allowed only two opponents to go over 130 yards on the ground.
So if the Packers are going to score points, and if we can never trust Matthew Golden, I think Watson has a good chance to wind up as the No. 2 or Co-No. 1 receiver in this game. Green Bay hasn’t rushed over 100 yards as a team against a real NFL defense (not Cincinnati or Dallas) since Week 2 against the Commanders. Even with some restrictions on Watson due to the ACL recovery, I bet he can find 50 yards in this one.
Jauan Jennings, SF — $4,300
Seven targets in each of the last two weeks, Ricky Pearsall doesn’t seem to be coming back any time soon, and while Jennings is the third receiver, it’s a concentrated passing tree for the 49ers. They’re coming off playing against two of the roughest pass defenses in the NFL in Atlanta and Houston, and now they play the Giants, who among other crimes allowed the Broncos to rally from a 19-score deficit.
I like that 49ers-Giants matchup as a sneaky high-scoring game. In fact, I like it enough that…
Darius Slayton, NYG — $4,100
This is a weird one where I feel like Slayton is being slandered for his work in one week with Jaxson Dart, the loss against the Saints where he admittedly did drop one huge downfield throw,. But he’s immediately the best player left on the offense in the aftermath of Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers both being lost for the season. He immediately came back to five targets despite the Giants only mustering eight total possessions in a game where they couldn’t stop the run.
I’m sure Tyrone Tracy will be helped a little with Dart’s ability to run, but I think the Texans just proved you can eat over the middle of the field passing against this defense sans Fred Warner. And so I get the best offensive player on the team — albeit one who made some mistakes in his two starts with Dart — who is positioned to do that? For $4,100? I’m in.
Darnell Mooney, ATL — $4,200
This is a game where I bank on Michael Penix playing again. The Patriots do this thing where they have no interest in letting you run on them: They’ve allowed over 100 rushing yards to a team only twice this year, and one of those came in a game they won 42-13.
I don’t know about Drake London (hip) and how well along he is as I write this Wednesday, but I do think the Falcons passing game tree is pretty stuck on Mooney, London, and Kyle Pitts and that this is a game that I have a lean towards them throwing a lot in. Mooney is a cheap flier after last week’s dud.
Malik Washington, MIA — $3,900
It’s all the same stuff from last week. The Dolphins didn’t find anyone new to throw to — De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle are the only players this team have that are worth targeting. But Washington is our designated Wan’Dale On Main player on this team, coming off a 4/36/1 game with five targets despite the Dolphins slapping around the Falcons. Darren Waller and Tyreek Hill aren’t coming back.
Now they play a game against Lamar Jackson where they may actually need to throw the ball. I like Washington’s odds of coming up with 6-10 targets in this one.
Follow the latest injury news for fantasy football lineups in Week 9.
▶ Tight ends
Mark Andrews, BAL — $3,100
In his two most recent games with Lamar Jackson healthy, Andrews went for 6/91/2 and 7/30 on eight targets. I can understand looking at the yardage totals and being aghast, but I think this prices Andrews like a TE2 and I still feel like there are TE1 weeks out there. The Dolphins have remained a remarkably weak defense this year.
Colston Loveland, CHI — $3,300
While Cole Kmet (back) returned to practice on Wednesday, the Bears are in an injury crisis at the skill positions. Rome Odunze (heel) popped up as a DNP, and both Luther Burden (concussion) and Olamide Zaccheaus (knee) had injuries we’d already known about. This could be the fabled “the Bears are going to have to use two TE sets” week. OK, OK, I don’t actually believe that. But I do know that the Bengals allow 11.4 percent more points to tight ends than the NFL average per Establish The Run’s DVP calculator. Finally fully healthy, this could be the Loveland spike week and there’s a lot of volume out there to seize.
