Week 8 of the 2025 fantasy football season put a new meaning to ‘bye-mageddon’, especially at the wide receiver position. Just one of the current top-10 non-quarterbacks is a wideout.
With Monday Night Football pending, the top eight quarterbacks are Jordan Love, Drake Maye, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, Bo Nix, Joe Flacco, Tua Tagovailoa and Josh Allen. The top four scorers on the slate (Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, Breece Hall and Saquon Barkley) are all running backs. At wideout, Troy Franklin (23.9), Michael Pittman Jr. (19.5), Jaylen Waddle (18.4), Khalil Shakir (17.8) and Ladd McConkey (17.8) were the only ones to surpass 15.4 half-PPR points. It took until Sunday Night Football, but Tucker Kraft (29.8 fantasy points) made sure that National Tight Ends Day didn’t disappoint.
Here’s a look at Week 9 fantasy football rankings. Toggle between standard, half PPR (point per reception), and full PPR to see where players rank in your league’s format. Scroll to the bottom to view the complete rankings.
Our team at USA TODAY Sports has you covered with plenty of content to help with your Week 7 waiver wire and roster decisions. Looking for up-to-date player news? We’ve got it. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our content:
Waiver wire: 9 players to add | 5 players to drop
Fantasy analysis: Week 8 recap from every Sunday game | 10 players to buy or sell
Please note: These rankings will change significantly as the week goes on. Check back on Sunday morning for final updates.
(The risers and sleepers sections will focus on players available in at least half of Yahoo leagues. All snap and target data from PFF.)
Week 9 fantasy football quarterback rankings: Risers and sleepers
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers (47% rostered) – The veteran has showcased a solid floor this season, racking up at least 12 fantasy points in every game. Over his last three, Rodgers has posted 18, 25 and 17 fantasy points, respectively. In Week 9, he’ll go up against a Colts team that’s allowed more than 21 fantasy points to four of the six non-Cam Ward quarterbacks they’ve faced. The Steelers also have one of the friendliest slates of passing defenses through Week 16.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (42%) – After failing to eclipse 12 fantasy points in three of his first four games this season, Lawrence has rebounded nicely, posting totals of 27, 19 and 18 over his last three outings. He’s a top streaming option against a Raiders team that’s ceded more than 16 fantasy points to five of the six non-Cam Ward passers they’ve faced.
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold (36%) – Darnold was a rough watch in the season opener, but he’s garnered at least 16 fantasy points in five of his six contests since. He’s one of the safer streaming options against a Commanders defense that’s allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the position in 2025 (with MNF pending).
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (19%) – Starting Tua in fantasy is like going for a colonoscopy — you really don’t want to do it, but you might not have a better choice. The 27-year-old racked up four tuddies and 24 fantasy points in Week 8, and the matchup this week is even better on paper. To date, the Ravens have surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing signal-callers.
Week 9 fantasy football running back rankings: Risers and sleepers
Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (49%) – With Cam Skattebo out for the season, Tracy becomes the top priority on waivers. While he’s far from a model of efficiency, Tracy was the RB16 in fantasy from Week 5 and on in 2024. Tracy played 78% of snaps after Skattebo went down on Sunday.
Titans RB Tyjae Spears (31%) – While Spears and Tony Pollard finished tied with 12 touches in Week 8, the former led the way in snaps (37 to 33) and routes (18 to 17). With Brian Callahan no longer at the helm, this may become the norm. At worst, the 24-year-old is a solid bench stash in PPR leagues.
Dolphins RB Ollie Gordon (11%) – After head coach Mike McDaniel said he’d like to diversify the offense more, he went on to give rookie Ollie Gordon his highest touch (11) and snap total (21) of the season. Gordon turned that volume into 66 yards and a score. The 21-year-old is worth a speculative add in most leagues with deep benches.
Week 9 fantasy football wide receiver rankings: Risers and sleepers
Broncos WR Troy Franklin (37%) – In Week 8, Franklin was once again the clear WR2 behind Courtland Sutton, though his eight targets did lead the team. Franklin broke out with six receptions for 89 yards and two scores, making him the current overall WR1 on the week. While he won’t get to face the Dallas secondary every week, Franklin’s role seems stable enough to make him a weekly flex option.
Patriots WR Keyshon Boutte (40%) – While his five targets won’t jump off the page, Boutte did lead all Patriots receivers in snaps (50) and routes (31) on Sunday. The 23-year-old has now scored at least 12.5 half-PPR points in four of his eight games this season, including three straight. Boutte is an every-week high-upside flex play, especially in plus matchups.
Titans WR Chimere Dike (8%) – Dike has seen his role grow since Callahan’s departure, and in Week 8, he finished a hair behind Elic Ayomanor for the team lead in snaps (67 to 63) and routes (42 to 39). The 23-year-old led the Titans in targets (8) and receiving yards (93), and he’s now racked up 27.8 half-PPR points over the last two weeks. His role could diminish when Calvin Ridley (hamstring) returns, but given the play of the rest of this receiving corps, that doesn’t seem like the most likely outcome.
Packers WR Christian Watson (16%) – In his first game back since tearing his ACL in January, Watson played a larger-than-expected role. He finished third among Packers wide receivers in snaps (36) and routes (24), and second in targets (4). He caught all of his targets for 85 scoreless yards. Watson will always be a high-variance play, but those in deeper leagues should look to add him.
Dolphins WR Malik Washington (15%) – Washington has garnered at least five targets in all four games since Tyreek Hill’s injury, though he has yet to top 36 yards in that stretch. Washington has posted 8.0 and 13.6 PPR points over his last two games. Those in deep full PPR leagues could look to add him as a bye week fill-in at flex.
Week 9 fantasy football tight end rankings: Risers and sleepers
Bears TE Colston Loveland (22%) – With Cole Kmet out, Loveland got the start and saw an 81% snap rate while finishing third on the team with 32 routes. His output was uninspiring (5 targets, 3 receptions, 38 yards) but his role was encouraging considering Chicago’s upcoming opponent. In Week 9, the Bears will take on the Bengals, who have allowed 2.0 more half-PPR points per game to tight ends than any other team.
Saints TE Juwan Johnson (32%) – Aside from a three-week stretch where he was seemingly battling through injuries, Johnson has been a relatively stable option at an unstable position. The 29-year-old has been targeted at least seven times in five of his eight outings, and he’s totaled at least 7.8 half-PPR points in each of those five games. The return of Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill has not significantly reduced his playing time, as he has yet to see a snap share below 70%.