October 31, 2025
Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) was a full participant in practice on Friday and is not listed on the injury report ahead of Sunday's matchup against the New England Patriots. Penix was listed as limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but upgraded to full on Friday and is all set to return after missing Week 8 with a bone bruise in his knee. The 25-year-old has been up-and-down in six games this season, completing 61% of his pass attempts for 1,409 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. Penix will be joined by Atlanta's top wideout,
Drake London, as he will return on Sunday after missing last week's game with a hip injury. Penix will rank as a low-end QB2 in Week 9 against the Patriots.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Marc Raimondi
October 31, 2025
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Jordan Love is coming off his best fantasy outing of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he looks to carry that over in Week 9 as the Packers host the Carolina Panthers. Love was the overall QB1 last week, throwing for 360 yards and three touchdowns in their Sunday Night Football win in Pittsburgh. Despite that huge game, it's hard to imagine Love stringing together multiple fantasy-worthy games, as his last two back-to-back top-12 games came in Week 4 and Week 5 of the 2024 season. But we know Love has the potential to put up yards and fantasy points each week. It's also possible the Packers lean more on the run as the Panthers' defense is one week removed from letting Buffalo's
James Cook run wild for 215 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. In this matchup at home against Carolina, consider Love a low-end QB1 with some boom-or-bust potential.
--Kevin TompkinsSource: RotoBaller
October 31, 2025
Through his first seven games of 2025, Detroit Lions quarterback
Jared Goff has completed 74.9% of his pass attempts for 1,631 yards, 16 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Coming out of their Week 8 bye, Goff and the Lions will have a difficult matchup at home against the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota has allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards (1,428) in the NFL so far this season. Across two games against the Vikings in 2024, Goff completed 49 of 58 pass attempts for 511 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Lions scored 31 points in each of those contests, so they have had some success moving the ball against Minnesota in the past. Goff profiles as a borderline low-end fantasy QB1 and a must-start fantasy quarterback in two-QB formats in Week 9.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
October 31, 2025
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver
Drake London (hip) logged a full practice on Friday and will not carry an injury designation into his team's Week 9 matchup against the New England Patriots, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. London was a late addition to the injury report last week and ended up missing Atlanta's Week 8 loss to the Miami Dolphins. His return should be a major boost for the Falcons' offense, which will also be getting back quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (knee). Across six games played this season, London has recorded 38 catches for 469 yards and two touchdowns on 63 targets. Before missing Week 8, London had earned double-digit targets in three straight games. He profiles as a must-start fantasy wide receiver in Week 9, even in a tough matchup on the road against New England.
--Will BradySource: ESPN - Marc Raimondi
October 31, 2025
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said wide receiver
Puka Nacua (ankle) will play in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints, per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. Nacua missed the Rams' final game before their Week 8 bye due to a sprained ankle. When healthy, the 24-year-old has arguably been the NFL's best wide receiver this season. Across his first six games of 2025, Nacua recorded 54 catches for 616 yards and two touchdowns on 65 targets. He's been targeted at least 11 times in four out of six contests. Nacua profiles as a must-start fantasy wide receiver in a favorable Week 9 matchup against New Orleans.
--Will BradySource: Los Angeles Times - Gary Klein
October 31, 2025
Arizona Cardinals running back
Michael Carter has "been the first RB working with the starters both days this week," according to Theo Mackie of azcentral.com. Arizona re-signed Carter to a practice squad contract earlier this week after releasing him on Monday in a procedural move. With presumed RB1
Trey Benson (knee) sidelined for at least one more week due to a knee injury, Carter and
Bam Knight should see the team's carries in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Emari Demercado (ankle) could factor into the backfield mix as well. In Arizona's final two games before its Week 8 bye, Knight earned 29 touches compared to 20 for Carter. Still, it appears Carter will remain a part of Arizona's offensive game plan. He profiles as a low-end flex option for fantasy managers in a favorable Week 9 matchup against Dallas.
--Will BradySource: azcentral.com - Theo Mackie
October 31, 2025
Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver
Luther Burden III (concussion) has officially been ruled out for his team's Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals due to a concussion. Burden III suffered the injury during Chicago's Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and was a non-participant in practice this week. The 21-year-old has recorded 13 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets across seven games so far this season. Without Burden III, top Bears wideouts
Rome Odunze and
DJ Moore should still command the majority of the team's wide receiver targets. Additionally, WR3
Olamide Zaccheaus could see a slight uptick in playing time and target share.
--Will BradySource: Chicago Bears
October 31, 2025
Chicago Bears running back
D'Andre Swift (groin) has been ruled out for his team's Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals due to a nagging groin issue, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. The 26-year-old has recorded 656 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns on 118 total touches through seven games so far this season. It's unclear how long Swift will be sidelined, but Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that the groin issue is something Swift has been dealing with for multiple weeks. Without Swift in Week 9, the Bears will likely rely heavily on rookie running back
Kyle Monangai. Monangai has been efficient on a limited workload so far this season, recording 247 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 48 total touches. He profiles as a must-start fantasy running back in a highly favorable matchup against Cincinnati in Week 9.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Kevin Fishbain
October 31, 2025
Arizona Cardinals quarterback
Jacoby Brissett "got the majority of snaps during the individual portion of drills" during the team's practice on Friday, per ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. Weinfuss also reports that Brissett was throwing to wide receivers at the top of Arizona's depth chart, while quarterback
Kyler Murray (foot) was working with the reserves. Brissett started in place of Murray in each of the Cardinals' last two games before their Week 8 bye while Murray was sidelined by a foot sprain. Earlier reporting indicated that Murray was being prepped to return in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, but it appears Arizona's QB situation remains up in the air. Brissett has played well in his two starts this season, completing 64.2% of his 80 pass attempts for 599 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. If he's pressed into action again in Week 9, he profiles as a mid-tier fantasy QB2 in a favorable matchup against Dallas.
--Will BradySource: ESPN - Josh Weinfuss
October 31, 2025
Carolina Panthers beat writer Joe Person reports that running back
Rico Dowdle will "start and get the bulk of the carries" in his team's Week 9 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Dowdle posted a dominant two-week stretch in early October when Panthers running back
Chuba Hubbard was sidelined by a calf injury. Across two games against the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys, Dowdle recorded 473 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 50 touches. In the two games since Hubbard has returned to the field, the two backs have split touches. However, it appears that will change in Week 9. It's unlikely that Hubbard's role in Carolina's offense will completely disappear. Still, Dowdle has a chance to see the majority of backfield snaps, which puts him on track to be a fantasy RB2 in Week 9 against Green Bay.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Joseph Person
October 31, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs running back
Isiah Pacheco (knee) has officially been ruled out of Sunday's marquee matchup with the Bills. The team described Pacheco as week-to-week after an MCL sprain knocked him out of Monday night's win over the Commanders, so the designation comes as no surprise. Kansas City is on a Week 10 bye, so there is a hope that Pacheco could miss only one game, but for as long as he's out, veteran
Kareem Hunt is expected to handle the bulk of the team's carries, especially near the goal line. Rookie
Brashard Smith is also likely to see an uptick in usage, primarily in third-down and two-minute situations, making him a viable flex option in deeper leagues and PPR formats.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Sam McDowell
October 31, 2025
Chicago Bears running back
D'Andre Swift (groin) has been on the team's injury report since Week 7, and head coach Ben Johnson believes the lingering groin issue dates back even earlier than that. To Swift's credit, he has played in every game this year and has not seen fewer than 13 opportunities in any of them. With the Bears currently sitting one spot outside the playoff picture, Johnson understands the importance of balancing the short and long-term health of his team. Rookie
Kyle Monangai was a popular Week 8 waiver wire add after seeing a season-high in snaps, carries, and yards in the team's Week 7 win over the Saints. And while he didn't see that type of usage in last week's loss to the Ravens, he was still on the field for 29 offensive snaps, compared to Swift's 31. In positive game scripts moving forward, the Bears might be more inclined to rest Swift, making the rookie a hold with a stretch of winnable games coming up for Chicago.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Adam Jahns
October 31, 2025
Houston Texans tight end
Dalton Schultz (knee/shoulder) was spotted during the stretching portion of Friday's practice after logging two straight DNPs. Schultz has provided a consistent fantasy floor for managers streaming the position, putting together a string of four consecutive games with at least five receptions before being held to only two catches for 24 yards in a Week 8 win over the 49ers. The Texans face a stingy Broncos defense in Week 9, and with
Nico Collins (concussion) and
Christian Kirk (hamstring) both appearing set to return, along with the recent emergence of rookies
Jaylin Noel and
Jayden Higgins, streamers would do best to look elsewhere this week.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Aaron Wilson
October 31, 2025
Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro pass-rusher and the NFL's reigning sack king, Trey Hendrickson (hip), is doubtful for the team's Week 9 matchup with the Bears. Hendrickson missed one game with a hip injury before returning for the Bengals' surprise loss to the Jets in Week 8. Having missed practice all week, he is unlikely to play in Cincinnati's final game before the NFL trade deadline. While trade rumors have followed Hendrickson since training camp, the team has maintained that he will not be moved. The Bengals enter Week 9 with a 3-5 record that is good enough for second place in the AFC North, so how they fare on Sunday could affect how willing they are to become buyers or sellers at Tuesday's deadline.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Kelsey Conway
October 31, 2025
Carolina Panthers wide receiver
Xavier Legette (illness) was a full participant at Friday's practice. Legette had been held out of the week's first two practices with an illness, but he appears to have recovered, and he carries no injury designation heading into the team's Week 9 matchup with the Packers. With quarterback
Bryce Young (ankle) also carrying no injury designation after missing one week with an ankle sprain, the Panthers' offense will look to get back on track after putting up fewer than 250 total yards and scoring only nine points in that Week 8 loss to the Bills. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere, though, as Legette's Week 7 explosion against the Jets is looking more like an outlier than a breakout, and
Jalen Coker continues to see his usage increase since returning from the quad injury that caused him to miss the first six games of the year.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Carolina Panthers
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