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Hayden's fantasy football risers, breakouts, waiver wire sleepers for Week 9 of 2025. Are these unexpected booms legit for Oronde Gadsden, Samaje Perine, Harold Fannin Jr., others?
Week 8 featured a lot of dominant team performances. The blowouts started on Thursday Night Football when the Chargers crushed the Vikings by a 37-10 score. They continued full throttle on Sunday, too. The Bills beat the Panthers 40-9, the Dolphins drubbed the Falcons 34-10, and the Buccaneers battered the Saints 23-3. There was just a single game decided by one score on the day.
There were also many dominant individual performances in fantasy football, particularly from running backs. Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, Breece Hall, and Saquon Barkley all scored more than 30 half-PPR points on Sunday, providing huge boosts to their managers. All four helped their real-life teams to victory this week, too.
Some great outings were also had by non-star players, though. A number of guys who can be found on waiver wires played at a high level. Determining if they can repeat their production will be important when setting waiver claims ahead of Week 9. For that reason, let's take a look at five of this week's unexpected booms.
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Oronde Gadsden, TE, Los Angeles Chargers
Chargers tight end Gadsden had an electric game in Week 7 versus Indianapolis. He had seven grabs for 164 yards and a touchdown that week, putting up his best stat line of the season so far in the process. Still, skepticism lingered about whether Gadsden, a fifth-round rookie, could continue to post strong numbers in games without such a favorable game script.
Gadsden showed the doubters his power just four days after that huge performance against the Colts. Gadsden caught all five of his targets and picked up 77 yards on Thursday versus Minnesota. He also found the end zone for the second consecutive week in his team's big victory in prime time.
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
The rookie scored 16.2 half-PPR points on the night, making him Week 8's TE3 ahead of Monday Night Football. This was the third straight game Gadsden has had with five or more catches and at least 68 receiving yards. He has also averaged 7.3 targets over the past three weeks, and his snap shares are now routinely above 70 percent.
At this point, Gadsden must be rostered in fantasy football outside of very shallow leagues. The Chargers do have a wealth of receiving options for quarterback Justin Herbert, which will limit Gadsden's outlook. Still, though, Gadsden's consistent production as of late while growing into his starting role in Los Angeles makes him undeniably a real asset, both for the Chargers and fantasy football rosters.
Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have had an extremely difficult time running the football this season. Entering Sunday, Cincinnati was dead last in the NFL in rushing yards and was tied for the fewest rushing touchdowns in the league. The Bengals were also averaging just 3.7 yards per carry (29th out of 32) and 1.6 yards before contact per attempt (31st).
Moreover, veteran back Perine had not been getting much work in this ineffective rushing attack. The 30-year-old entered Week 8 averaging 1.9 half-PPR points per game, and his season-high in rushing attempts was seven. However, that season-high was in Week 7, meaning it directly preceded his explosive performance on Sunday against the Jets.
Although Cincinnati fell to New York 39-38, handing the Jets their first win of the season, Perine had an efficient outing. He finished with nine carries for 94 yards and a touchdown, and he tacked on a six-yard reception to reach 100 scrimmage yards. Perine ended the game with 16.5 half-PPR points, making him Week 8's tentative RB11.
Samaje Perine 32-yard house call for the Bengals!
NYJvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/lb4h3g9ng3
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
Perine remains a backup to Chase Brown in the Cincinnati backfield. Brown led the team in rushing attempts on Sunday with 12, and he averaged a strong clip of 6.1 yards per carry. Fantasy managers in dire need of RB help should at least consider Perine, especially as the Bengals have found more success on the ground since trading for QB Joe Flacco. Still, Perine's status as the clear RB2 on the Bengals offense makes him an uninspiring option.
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Cleveland Browns
Rookie tight end Fannin came out of the gates hot for the Browns. He caught seven of his nine targets in Week 1 for 63 yards, making him a top waiver wire target. However, in five of his next six games, Fannin failed to reach any of those target, reception, or yardage numbers that he had in his debut. Some fantasy managers remained doubtful about Fannin, who is rostered in just 46 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
That figure will tick upward before Week 9. Fannin had an admirable performance versus the Patriots in a losing effort on Sunday. The third-round rookie grabbed six of his eight looks for 62 yards. He also scored a touchdown, the second of his career, and added a two-yard run on the ground. Fannin led Cleveland in catches, targets, and receiving yards.
Dillon Gabriel floats one to Harold Fannin Jr. for a rookie to rookie TD!
CLEvsNE on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/Xs7u7OSXA8
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
Fannin's stat line resulted in 15.4 half-PPR points for fantasy managers. He stands as Week 8's TE4 through Sunday's games. Per PFF, this marked the second time Fannin played more snaps than teammate David Njoku among the six full games they have played together. It is also the third straight game where Fannin led the Browns in receptions and receiving yards.
Fannin has averaged 8.4 half-PPR points per game this year, and he has been inside the top-eight TEs twice in the past three weeks. Fannin and quarterback Gabriel have shown a good connection since Gabriel took the reins of the offense. Fantasy managers needing tight ends should first check Gadsden's availability, followed by Fannin's.
Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos
Second-year wideout Franklin raised eyebrows in Week 2 when he caught eight of his nine targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. He spent the next five weeks struggling to match that production, though. From Week 3 through Week 7, Franklin averaged 3.0 receptions for 27.2 yards and 0.2 touchdowns.
The young Bronco bucked that trend with an elite performance on Sunday. Franklin saw eight targets, of which he caught six. He tallied 89 receiving yards on those grabs and tacked on two touchdowns. Franklin paced Denver in receptions, targets, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in their 44-24 demolition of Dallas.
Nix to Franklin again!
The former @oregonfootball duo keep the @Broncos rollin'
DALvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/kElzy31Vcd
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
Franklin's flashy game amounted to 23.9 half-PPR points, making him the week's WR1 through Sunday Night Football. This marked the best performance of Franklin's career, surpassing his aforementioned Week 2 stat line. This was also the second week in a row where Franklin at least tied for the team lead in targets.
When perusing wide receiver options on the waiver wire this week, give a long look to Franklin. He is worth adding, as while he is highly inconsistent, he has shown that he can get the target volume to support valuable production. Franklin will look to convert this momentum into another strong showing in a tougher Week 9 matchup at Houston.
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
Titans running back Spears suffered a high-ankle sprain in the preseason, resulting in him missing the first four weeks of the regular season. Spears began getting work in Week 5 after returning to action, but not enough to move the fantasy needle much. He entered Week 8 averaging 4.6 half-PPR points in his three healthy contests.
Tennessee's bout with Indianapolis on Sunday was a disaster for the team, but Spears still managed to turn in a solid performance. He rushed the ball nine times for 59 yards, both season-highs. Spears also caught three passes for 23 yards, marking his third-straight game with at least three catches. Finally, he scored a three-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter with the game's outcome no longer in question.
Tyjae Spears in for the Tennessee TD
TENvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/xzpFOUITav
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
The bulk of Spears's rushing production came on an explosive 41-yard near-touchdown in the second quarter. That big play, as well as the later score, helped spur Spears to 15.7 half-PPR points for the afternoon. Spears ranks as Week 8's RB12 entering Monday. More importantly, though, is whether he will rank as Tennessee's RB1 moving forward.
Spears is currently stuck in a split backfield with Tony Pollard. Pollard's 13 opportunities on Sunday narrowly edged out Spears's 12. Per PFF, Spears played 37 snaps compared to Pollard's 33. The even split will harm both backs fantasy-wise, although Spears may continue to eat up more of Pollard's share of touches as the season progresses. For that reason, Spears is an intriguing option on waivers this week.
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