RADIO
Are these 5 players must-have breakouts? Andy's Week 9 fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for unexpected boom performances from RJ Harvey, Isaiah Davis, Harold Fannin Jr., others.
Every week, fantasy managers see an underrated player finish near the top of their respective positions in that week. However, it is crucial to take a deeper look to determine if that was a breakthrough performance or just fool's gold.
In this week's edition, we will post a rookie running back and a second-year WR who could be taking the next step in his development.
Should fantasy managers add these players to the waiver wire and plug them into the starting lineups for Week 9? Let's dive in!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) rankings
- Quarterback (QB) rankings
- Tight end (TE) rankings
- Defense (D/ST) rankings
- Kicker (K) rankings
- FLEX rankings
- Dynasty rankings
Tua Tagovailoa, MIA - QB (at ATL)
Among the top QBs in Week 8, there weren't that many surprises, outside of Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa. In their upset victory over Atlanta, Tagovailoa was near-perfect, going 20-for-26 with 205 passing yards and four touchdowns. This is his first time throwing four passing scores in a single game this season and only his second multi-touchdown performance since Week 5.
Verdict:
While this performance was quite impressive, Tagovailoa remains on the border of a mid-to-high-end QB2 in Week 9. Since Week 5, Tagovailoa has averaged a low 191.5 passing yards per game and led an 8:6 TD:INT. During this stretch, Tagovailoa has only eclipsed 20.0 PPR points twice.
While he has a prime matchup in Week 9 against a struggling Ravens secondary, he is best left for deeper 14+ team formats as a sneaky streaming option. Given his inconsistencies, Tagovailoa could still disappoint despite this prime matchup.
RJ Harvey, DEN - RB (vs. DAL)
RJ Harvey was a popular sleeper candidate in the offseason, but he has seen his fantasy stock plummet. After being selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, many expected him to immediately operate as the RB1 in Denver. However, J.K. Dobbins has dominated the workload, leaving Harvey as the clear RB2.
However, in their dominating victory over Dallas on Sunday, Harvey enjoyed his best showing of the season, totaling three touchdowns and 51 total yards on eight total touches. While his volume remained low, Harvey flashed the elite upside he possesses with the ball in his hands.
Verdict:
Similar to Tagovailoa, managers should not trust this breakout. Despite his three-touchdown performance, Harvey logged just 26% of the snaps, while Dobbins saw 53%. Since Week 5, Harvey has never logged more than 30% of the snaps in a single game and is averaging just 4.3 rushing attempts per game over this stretch.
While he remains an elite handcuff if Dobbins were to miss time, he should not be started in any standard leagues in Week 9, facing the Houston Texans.
Isaiah Davis, NYJ - RB (at CIN)
The other running back who enjoyed a breakout showing was Jets No. 2 RB Isaiah Davis. Despite operating as the clear No. 2 to Breece Hall, Davis took seven carries for 65 yards and caught all five of his targets for 44 yards. This was his second-straight game seeing at least four targets and catching at least two passes.
Similar to Harvey, while his volume has not been overly high, when given the opportunity, Davis has shown promise both as a ball carrier and a pass catcher.
Verdict:
While Harvey stands as the clear RB2 in the offense, Davis is making a strong case to see an impressive increase in playing time. Over the past two weeks, Davis has logged 48% and 44% of the snaps, respectively. This was a stark jump from the 26% of the snaps he saw back in Week 6.
With Hall's name circling trade rumors, Davis is a top stash candidate in all formats, as he could carry high-end RB2 upside if he were to move into the starting role. Even with Hall in action, Davis carries solid FLEX value in PPR formats, going forward.
Isaiah Davis Sets Season-High in Touches, Yards https://t.co/ggH8TgfET6
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 27, 2025
Roman Wilson, PIT - WR (vs. GB)
After being an afterthought during his rookie campaign, appearing in just one game (and not catching a pass), Roman Wilson appears to be taking the next step. During their loss to the Packers on Sunday night, Wilson led the Pittsburgh receiving room with four catches for 754 yards and a touchdown. Wilson saw five targets.
In Weeks 6 and 7, Wilson saw just three total targets and appears to be seeing his role gradually increase in the offense.
Verdict:
While Wilson has not entered must-stash territory, he is named to closely monitor, especially those in deep three-WR formats. In this game, Wilson logged 48% of the snaps, which was much lower than the 80% and 95% Calvin Austin III and DK Metcalf saw. However, this was now the second-straight week in which Wilson operated the clear WR3 on the roster, over Ben Skowronek, who saw more opportunities earlier in the season.
Managers in deep leagues should pay close attention to his status this weekend, as he could become a sneaky stash candidate for the second half of the season.
Harold Fannin Jr., CLE - TE (vs. NE)
While Oronde Gadsden fits this article's mold, he was discussed in last week's edition, and for the sake of repeating names, let's take a look at another rookie TE who is beginning to find his footing. Fannin has produced at times this season, but has seen his overall ceiling capped due to splitting time with David Njoku and subpar QB play in Cleveland.
In Week 8, Fannin caught six of his eight targets for 62 yards and a touchdown. This was his third straight game seeing at least five targets and third-straight game bringing in at least four of them.
Verdict:
Fannin should be the priority player to roster in this week's edition. Even with Njoku back in action in Week 8, Fannin is still projected as a top option in the passing attack. When Njoku missed time in Week 7, Fannin led the way, logging 82% of the snaps.
In fact, since Week 4, the rookie has logged at least 74% of the snaps in each game and has eclipsed the 80%-snap mark in three of them. With Njoku's name in heavy trade discussion, Fannin could carry must-start TE1 upside during the first half of the second half. He is a priority wire target in all formats.
Harold Fannin Jr. Leads Browns in All Receiving Categories on Sunday https://t.co/EhIqYwAOpx
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 27, 2025
Read more player news and updates for Week 9
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Tua Tagovailoa, Isaiah Davis, RJ Harvey, Roman Wilson, Harold Fannin Jr.. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 9. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 9 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Tua Tagovailoa, Isaiah Davis, RJ Harvey, Roman Wilson, Harold Fannin Jr.. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 9.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 9 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 9 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 9 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 9 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Tua Tagovailoa, Isaiah Davis, RJ Harvey, Roman Wilson, Harold Fannin Jr. compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
