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Week 9 fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Oronde Gadsden II, Harold Fannin Jr., Colston Loveland in 2025. Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
As we continue to make our way through the bye week portion of the season, every fantasy manager's depth is tested. If you've had to scramble for tight end options over the last few weeks or are looking for help to get through the next few weeks, a few rookie tight ends have emerged as solid options from the waiver wire.
Whether you're looking for an upgrade for a struggling starter or a tight end to fill in during a bye week, these three options are each worth a look in different formats and different spots. They all are getting plenty of work in their teams' offense right now, and are in position to give your lineup a nice boost.
So, should you pick up Gadsden, Fannin, or Loveland in your fantasy football leagues for Week 9 of 2025? Let's dive in.
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Oronde Gadsden II Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 61% of Leagues
Baller Move: Priority add in all leagues
The Chargers' rookie tight end from Syracuse has been a top-10 tight end for each of the last three weeks, posting the highest total at the position in Week 6 and going off again in Week 7, when the Chargers beat the Vikings on Thursday Night Football.
After 164 yards and a TD last week, rookie Oronde Gadsden is back in the end zone for the @Chargers!
MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RAZCq5UpeZ— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025
Gadsden finished with five catches for 77 yards and that touchdown on Thursday, after going off for 164 yards on seven catches against the Colts in Week 7, along with his first NFL touchdown.
At the start of the season, Gadsden wasn't even active, but he has worked his way ahead of veterans Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly on the depth chart. In his first career game in Week 3, Gadsden was filling in for Dissly, who was out with a knee injury, but even with Dissly healthy, Gadsden has a firm hold on the job.
Gadsden has racked up 19 catches on 22 targets for 309 yards and two touchdowns over the last two weeks. The Chargers are definitely relying more on Justin Herbert this season with a banged-up running game, and Gadsden has emerged as a go-to option with big play upside.
If you need a tight end and Gadsden is available, he is a top-priority pickup. He should be owned and started in all formats moving forward. The Chargers take on the Titans, Steelers, and Jaguars before their Week 12 bye week. If there's any way to grab Gadsden, he should be a consistent contributor moving forward in an offense that looks very strong overall.
Harold Fannin Jr. Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 46% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in Standard Leagues
In the 2025 NFL Draft, Gadsden was drafted at No. 165 overall, while Fannin was drafted two rounds earlier at No. 67 by the Browns. Cleveland already had a strong tight end in David Njoku, but the team saw the value of adding another young playmaker in Fannin, and the rookie from Bowling Green has met that expectation so far this year.
If you need help this week, Fannin isn't the right pickup for you since the Browns are on a bye week, but if you can wait until Week 10 and beyond, Fannin will likely be a strong starting option. The Browns' offense hasn't been very exciting this season, but there have been some young playmakers, like Fannin, who have shown promise.
Fannin has led the team in receiving in each of their last three games, including their most recent game in New England. He hauled in six of his team-high eight targets for 62 yards and this touchdown:
wide open look for the rooks!#CLEvsNE on FOX and NFL+ pic.twitter.com/mgAtR67fC8
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 26, 2025
While he hasn't had 100+ yards in any games yet this season, his connection with rookie QB Dillon Gabriel is strong, and his role as the focus of the offense is secure. He has at least four catches in four straight games, and he should remain one of the go-to options for the Browns as they continue to try to show signs of growth the rest of the way. Even if the Shedeur Sanders hype and attention eventually lead to him getting a chance under center, Fannin should remain one of his top options.
If he's still available in your league, he's a very safe pickup that can be used as a starter going forward after this week's bye. He has a very soft schedule coming out of the bye week with the Jets, Ravens, and Raiders on the board before a tougher matchup with the 49ers in Week 13. After that, he faces the Titans and Bears in two more favorable matchups. Fannin doesn't bring quite the sizzle that Gadsden offers, but he is more established and should be consistent enough to be a good play the rest of the way.
Colston Loveland Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 22% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add In 12-team PPR leagues for depth
The final tight end highlighted in this post was actually the first tight end taken in the NFL Draft, Colston Loveland. The Bears took him at No. 10 overall ahead of even Tyler Warren, who has looked like a total stud with the Colts. Loveland hasn't been nearly as productive as Warren, Gadsden, Fannin, or even some other rookie tight ends, but he has been trending in the right direction and still has the upside to be worth a look as a depth pickup in deeper leagues.
Loveland only had three catches in his first three games in the NFL combined, but he has three catches in each of his last two games against the Saints and the Ravens. He had a career-high 38 yards in Week 8, which does show he's trending in the right direction but also shows how slow his start has been.
Coach Ben Johnson continues to work to transform this offense under QB Caleb Williams, and the results have been a little inconsistent. Some weeks, they look very strong and efficient, and other weeks, they're still rough around the edges.
Loveland did get more work in Week 8 with Cole Kmet (back) out, playing 81% of snaps. If Kmet remains out for Week 9 against the Bengals, Loveland will be in a great matchup for a potential breakout in what is projected to be a very high-scoring game. He's still involved enough to bring enough upside to deserve a roster spot in deep leagues. He should also be watched in standard-sized leagues since the potential is there as the season goes on. At this point, though, he's hard to start in anything but the deepest of formats.
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