The Yahoo Fantasy Football crew reveals their boldest takes for Week 9. Check out what Scott Pianowski, Matt Harmon, Ray Garvin, Justin Boone and Joel Smyth have to say.
Prediction 2-fer: Raiders’ star duo delivers post-bye
I’m going to do something that’s a little scary: I’m going to trust the Raiders (well, quasi-trust them). You know, that offense that had all of three first downs the last time we saw it in action. But Las Vegas also had a much-needed Week 8 bye, and I have to assume getting Ashton Jeanty going was a big focus during that break. Jeanty was an excellent pass-catcher in college and in this reveal week, I’m looking for his best receiving game to date. Call it seven catches or more, sparking his best fantasy game of the season. Push the easy button, Chip Kelly. — Scott Pianowski
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It’s been a minute since we’ve seen Brock Bowers on the field for the Raiders, but he’s getting back in the lineup at the right time. The 22-year-old, who’s practicing in full coming off the bye, will suit up against a Jaguars defense that’s given up a touchdown to a tight end in three of their last four outings, as well as the 13th-most fantasy points to the position on the season. In his lone matchup with Jacksonville last year, Bowers caught 11 of his 13 targets for 99 yards. Don’t forget about what he did during that 112-catch, 1,194-yard, five-touchdown rookie campaign or his 103-yard effort in Week 1 prior to getting hurt. The former first-round pick is about to remind everyone just how dominant he can be when healthy. If you were thinking about buying low on him, that window has closed. — Justin Boone
Christian Watson scores his first touchdown of the season
Watson returned from season-ending knee surgery and a PUP stint and Green Bay dropped him right back into the fire. In Week 8, he was second on the team in receptions, led Packers receivers with 85 yards and turned four targets into explosive chunk gains. That usage matters. Jordan Love is the league’s No. 1 quarterback in EPA per dropback right now, and when the Packers are humming, they hunt shot plays off play action. The market backs the script too, with Green Bay favored by 13.5, and a 44.5 game total. Carolina hasn’t been a pushover against the pass, but its offense struggles to sustain drives, which sets up short fields and extra bites at the apple. In his second game back, the speed shows up again, the confidence clicks and the downfield chemistry with Love pays off. Watson finds the end zone in Week 9. — Ray Garvin
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Kareem Hunt is a top-15 RB in Week 9
Nothing could be less exciting than starting Kareem Hunt in the year 2025 but if Isiah Pacheco misses a game with his knee injury, it can work out for you. The Chiefs’ run game isn’t explosive but it’s effective and keeps the offense moving down the field. Kansas City has the lowest rate of runs that go for zero or negative yards this season, the only team below 10%. The problem is how split this backfield has become. If it consolidates around Hunt without Pacheco, the former gets on the starting radar. That’s what will likely happen as rookie Brashard Smith is used on designer plays, not true running back work.
Hunt has been more effective than you think this season, averaging 4.72 yards per carry on zone runs and maintaining a top-seven success rate on gap runs, per Fantasy Points Data. That latter portion is what makes him a strong option against Buffalo. The Bills allow the third-most yards per game on runs up the A and B gap; they struggle when teams run power concepts right up the gut. That’s what Hunt specializes in, especially in short yardage. Look for him to plunge in at least one goal-line touchdown again this week as Patrick Mahomes and Rashee Rice move the ball at will against the Bills’ zone coverage looks on defense. — Matt Harmon
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DJ Moore has his first ceiling performance of the season
Rome Odunze is the Bears’ WR1, Williams is struggling and DJ Moore has one double-digit fantasy performance on the year. Not much has gone the veteran’s way, but Week 9 is the perfect bounce-back spot.
With Moore still getting a decent amount of opportunities in the screen game and on the ground, he sets up well against a Cincinnati defense that’s struggled to tackle playmakers. The Bengals are last by a decent chunk in yards after catch allowed and have allowed the most total passing TDs this season (if including RB pass attempts). With Rome Odunze projected to be shadowed by rising corner DJ Turner, Moore can find himself with a bump in volume in a very advantageous spot. If Ben Johnson can scheme Moore open in space, watch for the Bears wideout to finally provide a big day for fantasy managers. — Joel Smyth
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba finishes as THE WR1 of Week 9
I don’t think we’re talking enough about Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s season. Seattle’s WR1 is (STILL) leading the league in receiving yards despite being on bye last week. His 4.33 yards per route run aren’t just a number for nerds to recite. During Tyreek Hill’s back-to-back 1,700-yard campaigns, he averaged 4.26 and 3.7 yards per route run through the first eight weeks of the season.
Sunday sets up as another environment to keep Smith-Njigba on a similar path. Washington’s secondary has allowed the seventh-most receiving yards (171.5) and sixth-highest completion rate (68.4%) to WRs since Week 5, plus the third-most passing TDs from a clean pocket. Their mix of zone and man coverage won’t help either, as JSN is the most efficient receiver against both coverage schemes. Even if the Commanders’ pass rush forces Sam Darnold to speed up his process, Smith-Njigba’s ability to create with the ball in his hands will make him the top receiver in Week 9. — Chris Allen
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