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Alex's fantasy football WR waiver wire pickups for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season. Free agent wide receivers to add, stream, and stash off waivers.
Howdy, RotoBallers, and welcome back to another edition of our fantasy football wide receiver waiver wire pickups -- Week 9. If you made it through this week's bye-pocalypse unscathed, hats off, because it was an interesting week for fantasy. It was the running backs that stole the show in Week 8, but there are still some wide receiver gems to unearth as we cross the season's midpoint.
Quarterback play, overall, took a slight step back this weekend, with two or fewer passers eclipsing 300 yards for the third time in 2025. As a reference, that occurred just three times over the course of last season, furthering the case that passing continues to dip. It's an unfavorable landscape, but there are still receivers worth grabbing. More on that below.
As always, the options listed here are available in 50% or more of leagues, and highlighted in order of priority. Be sure to assess your league's settings before making a claim, as PPR is assumed. And don't miss RotoBaller's other waiver wire pickup features for all your positional needs. Happy hunting!
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Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos - 37% rostered
A capricious Denver offense got a get-right game against an exploitable Dallas defense, as QB Bo Nix shows some signs of life. For the second consecutive game, he connected with his former Oregon Duck teammate, Franklin, in the endzone. Franklin scored twice in this one, churning out 89 yards on 6-of-8 receiving. All of which were team-highs.
The second-year pro didn't see nearly as many deep shots as he did a week ago, but it was encouraging that the team drew up designed screens for him. Furthermore, I enjoyed watching him work the intermediate area and get a few layup targets.
Denver was a top-ten scoring offense a season ago (24 points per game), and is right there again in 2025. If the passing attack starts to click, Franklin is the most likely candidate, aside from Courtland Sutton, to be productive.
Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots - 40% rostered
Not even a staunch Browns defense could slow down quarterback Drake Maye and a Patriots squad on a roll. Maye has been incredible, and Boutte continues to be a factor in this offense.
BOUTTE BOMB 💣@DrakeMaye2 | @KayshonBoutte1
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/swF9gYUYS8
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 26, 2025
The Louisiana native caught his fourth TD in three games in the team's 32-13 win over Cleveland, racking up 75 yards on three receptions (five targets). Boutte hasn't been a high-volume option, but hasn't needed to be with the team firing on all cylinders.
Unfortunately, we can't bank on him finding pay dirt every week. Still, New England will eventually be in more competitive games, forcing them to air it out more than the 24 times they've averaged over their five-game winning streak.
It'd be nice to see Boutte command more targets. As it stands, the touchdown upside is nice, and Maye looks for him deep.
Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans - 8% rostered
Cameron Ward showed some growth in the team's 38-14 loss to Indianapolis. There's still a way to go, but if it ever clicks for Ward, Tennessee's offense could be an exciting one. Between rookie wideouts Dike and Elic Ayomanor, and tight end Chig Okonkwo, the Titans offer a bevy of after-the-catch weaponry. For now, let's focus on Dike.
Another big play from @chimdk11 on the 18 yard catch & run
📺: #TENvsIND on @NFLonCBS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/vmufYRgbuW
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) October 26, 2025
The former Florida Gator was again Tennessee's most productive receiver, leading his teammates in yards (93) and receptions (seven), while tying Ayomanor and Van Jefferson for the lead in targets (eight). Furthermore, it was the first time all season that he outpaced Jefferson in snaps. The rookie was out there a season-high 63 times -- four fewer than Ayomanor, and seven more than Jefferson.
Regardless, the Titans used three-wide receiver sets at the highest rate heading into Week 8 (78.27%) and showed no signs of slowing in their loss. Calvin Ridley (hamstring) will be back eventually, but that shouldn't affect Dike, who mainly operates from the slot. He gets a bump in leagues that afford points for return yards.
The 23-year-old is trending up.
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers - 16% rostered
Watson was activated ahead of Green Bay's bout with the Steelers on Sunday Night Football and immediately led all Packers' wide receivers in receptions and yards (4/85). That was despite placing third behind teammates Romeo Doubs (51) and Matthew Golden (42) with 36 snaps. Expect that figure to rise as he's further removed from his ACL injury.
It was mostly the Tucker Kraft show in Week 8, but Watson is poised to play a prominent role for the Pack. He's a legit deep threat, too, something that Green Bay's offense has been lacking. I should have mentioned him here again last week—shame on me. Fortunately, he's available in a wide array of leagues.
When healthy, the fourth-year pro has been as good a bet as any to lead this receiving corps. Look for him to be more involved in next weekend's clash with the Panthers and a potential impact asset down the stretch.
Xavier Hutchinson, Houston Texans - 1% rostered
Quarterback C.J. Stroud did well to spread the ball around evenly in their defeat of the 49ers in Week 8. Aside from a rougher outing last weekend, Houston's offense has picked it up over the previous few weeks. If they're turning it around, it's not out of the question that other receiving options could emerge here. Enter Hutchinson.
Personally, I'm more inclined to chase his teammate, Jaylin Noel, but Hutchinson is a clear second at his position in terms of snaps behind Nico Collins (concussion). Furthermore, he led his team in receiving (5/69) on Sunday and nabbed his third touchdown in as many games.
The 25-year-old is a favorite of Stroud's around the goal line, commanding the second-most targets of his cohorts in the red area (four), and the only option aside from Collins to garner more than two.
If Collins returns in Week 9, Hutchinson would lose some priority as a waiver add. With that said, Christian Kirk's (hamstring) injury situation is slightly more murky, and Hutchinson is preferred in two-wide receiver sets.
Deeper Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Pickups
Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans - 9% rostered
Due to the Texans playing last Monday night, I never had a chance to recommend Noel in Week 8's feature. He'd have made the list, though, and further strengthened his case as a waiver wire target in Sunday's convincing win over the San Francisco 49ers. With Collins (concussion) sidelined, most of Houston's pass-catchers ate. Still, Noel stands out.
First down factory!
📺 : @nflonfox pic.twitter.com/ySfTXfaF4S
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 26, 2025
The Iowa State product primarily runs out of the slot, which actually bodes well for him, considering that he shouldn't be affected by Collins' eventual return. Kirk (hamstring), however, could put a damper on the Noel breakout. It's unclear when he'll next be able to play, leaving the role in the rookie's hands for the time being.
Through the last two games, the 23-year-old has accrued nine receptions and a team-high 140 yards. His target share will come down some once Collins is back, but Houston came into this weekend operating in 11 personnel at the fifth-highest rate in the league (72.38%). The rookie is on the rise.
Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins - 15% rostered
The Miami Dolphins bounced back after a dreadful performance on the road in Cleveland in Week 7. The weather likely had something to do with their touchdown-less performance, but it was encouraging to see the offense move the ball. It's still the same short, quick passing game in Miami, though that's benefited Virginia Tech alum Washington.
Washington has now reeled in at least four receptions in four straight outings, and is the only skill player outside of fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle and running back De'Von Achane to see consistent usage. Oddly enough, teammate Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has been out there on more snaps, but he seems like a sacrificial X-receiver, catching one or fewer passes on six of eight occasions.
There will be some fluctuation in Washington's output, and he probably won't be too much of a factor outside of PPR leagues. However, he'll get a boost in formats that account for return yardage, and you could do worse as a low-end bye-week flex play.
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers - 41% rostered
San Francisco looked out of sorts on Sunday against a nasty Texans defense in their 26-15 loss. It's unclear exactly what went wrong for them, though they looked like they could use Aiyuk (knee) with the offense sputtering. Aiyuk is probably a few weeks away from in-game action. That said, his ownership has stayed steady, so there's still a chance to grab him.
Expectations need to be tempered, given that he is coming off a gruesome knee injury. The franchise has (unsurprisingly) slow-played his return. Reports are that he could start practicing next week, but there will likely be a ramp-up period. Moreover, the Rockland, California, native figures to be eased into the game script -- particularly with the 49ers' offensive unit finally getting healthy.
There are still some variables in this situation, and a myriad of mouths to feed in San Fran's offense. All that aside, Aiyuk was superb in 2023. It may take some time, but the Arizona State alum will be worth the wait if he can recapture his pre-injury form.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:
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2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Josh Downs, Troy Franklin, Chimere Dike, Christian Watson, Jaylin Noel, Kayshon Boutte, Tez Johnson, Chris Godwin. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
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 Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Josh Downs, Troy Franklin, Chimere Dike, Christian Watson, Jaylin Noel, Kayshon Boutte, Tez Johnson, Chris Godwin:
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