Week 9 is here — a.k.a. Halloween week — and it started off with a treat for Lamar Jackson fantasy managers. Returning to the Ravens lineup, Jackson erupted for four passing touchdowns, continuing a season-long trend: star players returning from injury and immediately posting elite fantasy numbers. While we’ve lost some high-level performers like Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo, others have returned from short-term injury scares. CeeDee Lamb and Rashee Rice managers are feeling the same way after their own bounce-back performances.
This week also brings the return of Brock Bowers, while Puka Nacua avoided any serious injury and should continue delivering dominant, week-winning production.
The 2025 fantasy season is shaping up to be a wild one down the stretch — especially come playoff time. Variance looks higher than ever, and even the top seeds won’t be safe.
There are now only six weeks left for most dynasty managers. Halloween will quickly turn into Thanksgiving. The margins are tighter, there are fewer weeks to get valuable wins, and less time to make the trades that can propel your team to the fantasy playoffs.
This week on Dynasty Life, I discussed a few players that could help your win-now rosters with Jim Coventry of RotoWire. On School of Scott, Scott Barrett and I discussed some under-the-radar rookies that could make significant impacts over the second half of the season. Give those two shows a listen.
Now, onto Week 9.
Stock Up
Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
There are now growing calls to re-sign Breece Hall after his unbelievable performance in Week 8. A large segment of the dynasty community is hoping — and possibly praying — that Hall is moved to a team like the Kansas City Chiefs before Tuesday’s trade deadline. If Week 8 was indeed his last game as a Jet, it was one heck of a send-off.
The Jets were trailing big entering the fourth quarter, and Hall proceeded to rip off three touchdowns, including a passing score late in the game, as New York rallied to win 39–38 over Cincinnati.
Hall is quietly on pace for the most rushing yards of his career. He’s never eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards before, but at his current pace, he would finish with 1,234. Sunday’s game was a reminder that Hall can take over a football game and make a massive impact. If he hits free agency this offseason, there will be a long line of suitors waiting for him.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
What’s this? Positivity for Kyle Pitts in a dynasty article? After years of letting drafters down, Pitts is quietly having his best fantasy season ever. He has 16 catches over the last two weeks combined, including a 9-59 finish in Week 8. Pitts ranks top five among all tight ends in multiple metrics, including targets, target share, and air yards.
A former #4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts remains highly regarded in league circles despite multiple fantasy disappointments. His timing couldn’t be better — he’s in a contract year and set to enter free agency this offseason, potentially as a top-five scorer at the TE position.
Pitts is still only 25 years old.
James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
James Cook looked like a league-winner early in the season, opening with four straight games of 20.8 points or more. The Bills sputtered in Weeks 5 and 6, and Cook struggled along with them as his numbers came crashing down with back-to-back games failing to reach double-digit fantasy points. Buffalo entered its Week 7 bye on a rare losing streak.
There was plenty of speculation from Bills beat writers that a Week 8 return would feature a heavy dose of James Cook, as Buffalo looked to re-establish its workhorse back. There were also rumors that Cook’s role as a receiver would increase. Well, they got it half right. Cook was completely dominant on the ground, finishing with 19 carries for 206 yards and two touchdowns — though he failed to catch a pass (his fantasy managers hardly cared).
This week, Cook faces off against the Chiefs in the latest chapter of the Buffalo–Kansas City rivalry. The last time these two teams met — in last year’s playoffs — Cook put on an absolute show, posting 134 total yards, two touchdowns, and 28 fantasy points.
The only blemish in Cook’s profile is his limited passing-game usage. On the season, he has just 14 targets and 12 catches. If those numbers start to climb, Cook has a legitimate chance to finish as a top-five fantasy back. He’s a tremendous dynasty asset at the RB position, with contract security and a locked-in weekly role.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts
Every week, I write about at least one Colt. The “Greatest Show on Turf Part II” continued to roll in Week 8, completely steamrolling the hapless Titans 38-14. Jonathan Taylor was his dominant self, and Daniel Jones continued to enjoy a massive, career-narrative-changing, bounce-back season.
But lost in the shuffle was the outstanding play of Michael Pittman Jr. Pittman played through multiple injuries in 2024, including a fractured back. He showed grit and toughness but offered little in the fantasy scoring department, as his PPG average cratered to 10.4.
2025 has been a massive bounce-back. Now fully healthy, Pittman is averaging a career-high 15.7 PPG — almost identical to his 15.6 PPG mark from 2023. The past two weeks have been huge, with Pittman posting back-to-back games of 20.8 points or more. He now has six touchdown catches on the season, tying his career high. Having just turned 28 years old, Pittman is a testament to not overreacting to injuries in dynasty formats.
I had one league where I sold Pittman for J.K. Dobbins this past offseason — a trade I wish I could take back. On the flip side, any dynasty manager who bought low or drafted Pittman at a discount in a 2025 startup is now enjoying a clear edge at the position.
Heading into Week 9, he’s the WR10 overall in PPG. This offense is printing fantasy points every week — expect plenty more MPJ over the second half of the season.
Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers
Through eight games, Tucker Kraft is tied with Trey McBride as the TE1 overall on the season in PPG (16.2). Scott Barrett called him the next George Kittle — and for good reason. He is remarkably efficient (only ninth in targets among all TEs with 41) and explosive. Like Kittle, Kraft is a YAC monster, leading all tight ends and trailing only Ja’Marr Chase among all receivers. In Week 8, he put up a monster fantasy performance with a 7-143-2 finish.
Kraft is also climbing up the dynasty TE rankings and looks like the best player at the position from the highly regarded 2023 draft class. I have moved him ahead of Sam LaPorta and slotted Kraft as a top-four asset at the position — in a virtual dead heat with Tyler Warren, directly behind Brock Bowers and Trey McBride.
Stock Down
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders
I may have badly missed on this one a few weeks back. It has been all downhill since Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s big Week 5 performance against the Chargers. He finished with 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns as Washington rolled 27-10. Since then, the Commanders have dropped three straight games, and Croskey-Merritt has failed to deliver in any of them, with a combined 34-119 on the ground. He also continues to concede work in the passing game to Jeremy McNichols. This is a rough situation, and Croskey-Merritt needs to be on fantasy benches moving forward. A Jayden Daniels bailout could be on the way this week against Seattle, but we’ll believe it when we see it.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
The writing is on the wall in Carolina, and it appears as though Chuba Hubbard is going to take a slight back seat to Rico Dowdle moving forward. Hubbard is still a very solid NFL back, but his dynasty value is certainly going to take a hit with diminished weekly touches. The efficiency heavily leans in Dowdle’s favor — Hubbard is averaging 3.6 yards per carry, paling in comparison to Dowdle’s 5.7.
Hubbard is not going to disappear from the dynasty rankings, but he will certainly fall in them. There is an argument for buying low on him in the coming weeks if the production takes a hit. There is a good chance that he is still a starting running back for someone when the 2026 season kicks off (Dowdle is on only a one-year deal).
Watch List
Chimere Dike, WR, Tennessee Titans
Chimere Dike could have made the stock up category. He has back-to-back games with 16+ fantasy points scored and looks like one of the top options (possibly the top option) in the Tennessee offense moving forward. Dike, a 2025 4th-round pick, has electric speed. The Titans are using him in the slot, but also in two wide receiver sets. He also has 8 rush attempts on the season. Tennessee has one of the worst offenses in the NFL, expect Dike to have an opportunity to make a significant impact in the second half of the year.
Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints
Another rookie signal-caller will be behind center this weekend, as Tyler Shough takes over for Spencer Rattler. Kellen Moore indicated that there will be no QB musical chairs here — the job is now Shough’s. At 26 years old, there is a “what you see is what you get” element to Shough. Chris Olave fantasy managers are hoping that Shough can keep their strong season afloat.
Isaiah Davis, RB, New York Jets
Lost in the Breece Hall smash-game performance was a breakout game from Davis. The second-year back has taken on a greatly expanded role in the offense since the Braelon Allen injury. He has strong pass-catching ability, which was on display against the Bengals with five catches for 44 yards. Davis also added 65 rushing yards. New York needs playmakers, and Davis’ role should continue to be solid after the Week 9 bye. On the offhand chance that Hall is traded at the deadline, Davis could provide RB2 value for the rest of the season.
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
After bursting onto the scene as a rookie only to struggle with injuries in multiple seasons afterward, Christian Watson is very much back on the fantasy radar after his comeback performance in Week 8. Watson led Green Bay wideouts with 4-85. Is this a one-week performance, or can Watson separate himself from the rest of a crowded wide receiver room and be fantasy relevant for the rest of the season? Could Watson have his best fantasy season ever when the expectations are at their lowest? His presence could also boost Jordan Love’s rest-of-season outlook.
Tory Horton, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Tory Horton has frequently been mentioned in my waiver wire column due to his contingent upside and explosive playmaking ability. The rookie has three touchdowns on the season. Cooper Kupp’s Week 9 status is up in the air — if he misses time, we’ll get a long, extended look at Horton, and if he excels, he could become the WR2 in this offense opposite Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Games to Watch
A new weekly feature in the Market Report! I’ll single out a few games dynasty managers should watch, including at least one college football matchup. Our 2026 dynasty rookie drafts are only eight months away—between now and then, we’ll get you fully up to speed on the prospects you need to dominate and make the right picks.
This week, we take a look at one of the 2026 class’ top running backs, and an afternoon game between a pair of teams with a combined 6-8 records that is about as tilting as it gets for dynasty managers.
Purdue at Michigan, 7:00 PM EST Saturday
Jeremiyah Love is the RB1 in the class, but Michigan’s Justice Haynes is very much in the mix to be the second back off the board. He looks like a Day 2 pick — and likely an early one. The Alabama transfer has been terrific this season for the Wolverines and is coming off a 152-yard performance against Michigan State last week — his sixth 100+ yard game of the season. Haynes projects as a three-down back at the next level. In a class that is not very deep at the RB position, Haynes could become a priority pick for dynasty managers. Currently, I have him as my RB2 overall in the class and a first-round dynasty rookie draft pick.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 PM EST Saturday
There is not a single NFL fan outside of Raiders and Jaguars backers who would consider this matchup a must-watch. But for dynasty managers, this one is extremely tilting. Will Brian Thomas Jr. step up in a significant way with Travis Hunter now on the I.R.? Will Bhayshul Tuten see increased opportunities and a post-bye bump?
If those Jaguars-centric questions aren’t tilting enough, how about the Vegas side? Ashton Jeanty is currently the RB17 in PPG, and Brock Bowers — the Brock Bowers — is TE11. Bowers returns from an injury-riddled start and now appears to be fully healthy, while Jeanty is suffering from a terrible offensive environment.
There’s a lot going on here, and a ton of dynasty managers will be either extremely happy or extremely disappointed by Sunday evening.
