Week 9 winners and losers: Bowers and McCaffrey shine, Taylor and Gibbs fizzle

Week 9 of the 2025 fantasy soccer season featured large days by a mixture of each place, but in addition a number of disappointing efforts by among the league’s finest fantasy choices.

Who have been the massive winners and losers?

Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft provide their analyses.

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Rating winners | Rating losers
Greatest accidents and what’s subsequent

1. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders: Bowers’ 43.3 factors within the time beyond regulation loss to the Jags have been the best single scoring sport by a decent finish this season. After lacking the final three video games with a knee harm, Bowers placed on a clinic on this one, successful at a number of ranges of route tree, producing after the catch and discovering the tip zone. Bowers caught 12 of 13 targets for 127 yards and had three touchdowns, plus he added one carry for six yards. And the play pace jumped right here. He’s a simple mover with the ball in his arms. Bowers has a harder matchup in Week 10 versus the Broncos protection, however he needs to be locked-in as a top-3 play on the place. –Bowen

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers: We’ve obtained a brand new No. 1 scorer, as McCaffrey scored 34.3 fantasy factors, in every week through which Jonathan Taylor was held quiet (extra on that later), to take over the scoring lead along with his 231.2 factors by the 49ers’ first 9 video games. It’s probably the most scored by a operating again by that many video games since Alvin Kamara’s 246.4 in 2020. McCaffrey has finished it regardless of the 49ers’ common quarterback, Brock Purdy, sitting out seven of these video games due to a toe harm, and their protection having been hit particularly exhausting in accidents. McCaffrey will face a a lot harder matchup within the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10, however his receiving potential makes him one of the crucial steady forces in fantasy soccer. — Cockcroft

3. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons: London made a number of big-time performs in a Week 9 loss to the Patriots, posting a season-best 38.8 factors. London caught 9 of 14 targets for 118 yards, and he was dynamic ultimately zone, flashing his high-level ball expertise on three landing grabs. London has scored 30 or extra factors in two of his previous three video games. With a Week 10 matchup towards the Colts, I’ll have London ranked as a midtier WR1. — Bowen

4. Chicago Bears offense

5. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens: His return Thursday evening, after a three-game absence due to a hamstring harm, couldn’t have gone significantly better. Jackson scored 25.56 fantasy factors by finishing 78.3% of his passes, averaging 8.9 yards per try and passing for 4 touchdowns, although his managers would absolutely wish to see the return of his lofty speeding numbers in future weeks. However he’ll have 9 days to relaxation between video games, which is able to assist with harder matchups towards the Minnesota Vikings (Week 10) and Cleveland Browns (Week 11) up subsequent. — Cockcroft

6. Joe Flacco, QB; Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: Flacco’s 30.7 factors and 470 yards passing have been each season highs in a Week 9 loss to the Bears. Flacco tried 47 passes as sport circulate compelled the Bengals to throw with quantity. And this has grow to be the norm due to Cincinnati’s sub-par protection. Flacco completed with 4 landing throws and two interceptions, and he has scored not less than 24 factors in three straight video games. Higgins’ 33.1 factors have been additionally a season excessive, as he recorded 121 yards on seven receptions, and added two touchdowns. Lot of one-on-one wins right here for Higgins towards a banged-up Bears secondary. The Bengals head into their bye subsequent, returning in Week 11 with a street matchup towards the Steelers. — Bowen

7. Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers: That is what we wished to see with Dowdle within the lead position for the Panthers, proper? Dowdle out-touched Chuba Hubbard 27-5 in Carolina’s upset win over the Packers, speeding for 130 yards and two scores, and he caught two passes for 11 yards (28.1 factors). There’s extra pace and extra manufacturing when Dowdle has the ball in his arms. With Dowdle again within the No. 1 spot, he might be performed as an RB2 for the Week 10 matchup towards the Saints. — Bowen

8. Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants: It’d’ve been a principally garbage-time effort — his Giants trailed by not less than 10 factors for the ultimate 31 minutes, 55 seconds — however fantasy managers respect his contributions however. Dart scored 15.74 of his 27.24 fantasy factors within the fourth quarter, giving him a complete of 134.10 by his first six profession NFL begins, the Tenth-most by any quarterback in historical past. In Week 10, he will get a dream matchup towards a Bears protection that was clobbered for 30.70 factors by Flacco on Sunday. — Cockcroft

9. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers: For the third consecutive week and fourth time this season, he exceeded 25 fantasy factors, scoring 27.70 in what was a surprisingly aggressive sport towards the 1-8 Tennessee Titans. Herbert continued to get issues finished along with his legs, whereas finishing a number of passes to 5 totally different receivers, although he did have a primary quarter pick-six. He continues to be the focus of the Chargers’ offense whereas Omarion Hampton (ankle) heals, and a Week 10 matchup towards the Pittsburgh Steelers ought to buoy his standing as a top-six positional play. — Cockcroft

10. Matthew Stafford, QB, and Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams: Puka Nacua’s return to the lineup considerably boosted the Rams’ offense, however didn’t impede Adams’ potential to attain 20-plus fantasy factors for a second consecutive sport. Stafford scored 27.14 fantasy factors and Adams scored 23.0, with the 2 connecting for a pair of touchdowns. Adams once more dominated close to the aim line, as all 5 of his touchdowns in his previous two video games have been on four-yard performs or shorter. Regard Stafford a back-end QB1 and Adams a strong WR2 for his or her Week 10 matchup towards the San Francisco 49ers. — Cockcroft

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions: With restricted numbers within the run sport, and a scarcity of massive performs as a receiver, Gibbs had a season-low 5.8 factors in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. Gibbs averaged 2.8 YPC on this one, whereas his three receptions totaled solely three yards on the day. Gibbs, who simply had a season-best 36.8 factors in his earlier sport towards Tampa Bay, will look to rebound towards the Washington protection in Week 10. — Bowen

2. Indianapolis Colts offense: The league’s top-scoring offense getting into Week 9 was one of many week’s most disappointing, because the Colts dropped a 27-20 stinker to the Steelers. Solely huge receiver Michael Pittman Jr. put up huge numbers, 20.5 fantasy factors, principally as a result of he had 12 targets. The Colts might want to swiftly proper this ship in time for his or her Week 10 abroad sport towards the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin. However they do have a bye after that. Right here’s how issues unfolded in Week 9 among the many notables:

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