Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner had a dud of a performance in the team's Week 7 win over the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football, as he caught just one of his three targets for seven yards. It came a week after he had a season-high 71 receiving yards on three receptions in the victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The two weeks before that, the 23-year-old second-year TE had three total touchdowns. Seattle is now coming out of their bye in Week 8, and Barner will be on the TE2 streaming map this weekend against the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football, with four teams on bye this week. Target volume has been hit or miss for anyone in Seattle not named Jaxon Smith-Njigba this year, so Barner obviously comes with some risk. The good news is that Barner has been on the field a lot, playing at least 85% of the offensive snaps in four of his seven games this year.

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) most likely will not be available for Sunday's Week 9 showdown against the Buffalo Bills, which means that rookie Brashard Smith will see the field more as the complement to veteran Kareem Hunt in KC's backfield. The 22-year-old seventh-rounder only played 13% of the offensive snaps in the Monday night win over the Washington Commanders and had just three carries for eight yards. However, in Week 7, he played a season-high 35% of the snaps and had a season-high 14 rushing attempts for 39 yards while also catching all five of his targets for an additional 42 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders. Although Pacheco might only miss one game due to his knee injury with the Chiefs having their bye in Week 10, fantasy managers should expect Smith to be much more involved this weekend against Buffalo, making him a potential flex option in deeper fantasy formats.

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp entered last week's bye at a low point, having caught just three passes on four targets for 72 yards in his last two games, although he did salvage it with his first touchdown reception in the Week 6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 32-year-old veteran caught his only target for a gain of 32 yards in the Week 7 win over the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football, and he also threw an interception on a trick play. Kupp enters the Week 9 contest this Sunday night against the Washington Commanders with 24 receptions on the year for 293 yards and one touchdown on 33 targets through seven games. He'll have a good matchup against Washington's banged-up defense this week, but fantasy managers haven't been able to rely on Kupp at all in his first year in Seattle. Kupp has been a distant No. 2 behind breakout star Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the Seahawks' offense.

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New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton is a candidate for an elevated touch share moving forward in the team's offensive attack. With running back Cam Skattebo (ankle) going down with a gruesome injury, head coach Brian Daboll may deploy a more pass-heavy approach. Through eight weeks, New York has attempted a pass at the ninth-lowest rate in the league (54.39%). However, as Jaxson Dart grows and matures, it makes sense that Daboll would allow him more freedom in the passing game. That may come sooner, as New York will be without the driving force of its offense for an extended period. With teammate Wan'Dale Robinson in the fold, consistency could be hard to find for Slayton. Still, the latter is the only other active Giants' wideout who's accrued more than 160 snaps (341).

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (hip) remains a solid bet in fantasy, despite the team's aversion to 11 personnel. Through eight weeks, Indianapolis has run three-wide-receiver sets at one of the lower rates in the league (58.81%). Still, Downs has finished with double-digit fantasy points in four of seven appearances while participating on more than 60% of snaps just twice. Unfortunately, the former North Carolina Tarheel began the week as a DNP due to a hip injury, so fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on his status ahead of Sunday's road outing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Downs can't go, fellow wide receiver Alec Pierce projects to see a bump in targets alongside Michael Pittman Jr. and tight end Tyler Warren.

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Jacksonville Jaguars two-way star Travis Hunter usage on both sides of the ball in his first NFL season has been fluid through the first eight weeks of the season. However, he played a season-high 87% of the offensive snaps in London in the Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and head coach Liam Coen has hinted that the 22-year-old Heisman Trophy winner's role on offense could continue to grow in the second half of the year. ESPN's Michael DiRocco says not to be surprised if Hunter "starts getting the WR1 treatment." In the blowout loss to L.A. before the team's Week 8 bye, Hunter had his breakout game, catching eight of 14 targets for 101 yards and his first touchdown of the year. It will be interesting to see how Hunter is used on both sides of the ball down the stretch, but if he does end up becoming more of a full-time offensive piece, he'll have clear WR2 upside to close out his rookie campaign.

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Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said that he is going to do a better job at getting wide receiver Jameson Williams "more involved," according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN. Morton told Williams he's "failed him" so far. "He just goes and plays. Like I told him, 'I wouldn't fault you if you're pissed at me,'" Morton said. Many fantasy managers will have Williams sitting on their benches coming out of the team's Week 8 bye when they face the division-rival Minnesota Vikings this weekend, but don't be surprised if Williams gets the squeaky-wheel treatment after failing to catch his two targets in the Week 7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 24-year-old has had two or fewer targets in two of the last three games and hasn't had a 100-yard performance for Detroit since Week 2 back on Sept. 14. Williams will likely continue to be a high-risk, high-reward fantasy wideout in a Lions offense with lots of mouths to feed.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill hasn't held much value throughout this season despite being the main pass-catching back for the team. He's had two finishes in the top 25 of running backs in half-PPR formats, and saw his snapshare fall a bit in Week 8 as Keaton Mitchell was active for the first time. Lamar Jackson returns for the Week 9 tilt against the Miami Dolphins, which means some more running plays designed for the QB and fewer touches for Hill. The Dolphins are ranked 28th against opposing backfields after giving up a total of 941 yards and six touchdowns on the ground versus 322 yards and one touchdown through the air. That likely means even more work for Derrick Henry, and if Mitchell keeps getting some snaps, that leaves Hill off the fantasy radar.

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Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop bounced back in a big way in the Week 8 win over the Chicago Bears. He made three field goals from 42, 28, and 32 yards while making all three of his extra point attempts as well. Now, Lamar Jackson returns in Week 9 against a Miami Dolphins defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing kickers and is tied for seventh-most points per game to opposing teams. That puts Loop firmly into the K1 conversation, and he's currently projected in the RotoBaller rankings to finish as the K5 in Week 9.

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Per the team, the Carolina Panthers have signed veteran quarterback Mike White from the practice squad to the active roster. Offensive lineman Brady Christensen (Achilles) was placed on IR in a corresponding move. Fortunately, Bryce Young (ankle) got in a full practice on Wednesday. However, that wasn't the case for teammate Andy Dalton (thumb). The 38-year-old picked up a thumb injury, presumably in Carolina's loss to Buffalo in Week 8, that kept him from practicing altogether. White's addition to the roster is likely just precautionary, as Young appears on track to play after a promising start to the week. Still, if Dalton trends in the wrong direction, it'll be White backing up Young when the team takes on the hosting Green Bay Packers this Sunday.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins got everyone's hopes up after finding the end zone in each of the first two games of the season. Since then, he's only received more than two targets once and hasn't caught a touchdown pass either. To make things even tougher on fantasy managers wanting to start Hopkins, the Miami Dolphins are ranked as the toughest defense against opposing receivers, only allowing 25.84 fantasy points per game to the whole receiver group. Fantasy managers will want to look for other options outside of Hopkins if possible.

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When asked about Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Jaydon Blue and his performance following Sunday's 44-24 loss to the Broncos, head coach Brian Schottenheimer was disappointed in his output. "[Jaydon Blue] is a young back learning the speed of the game and the physicality of the game," said Schottenheimer. "But to me, I'm always going to go back to the consistency...You have to do those things." The "consistency" Schottenheimer referred to is blitz pickups and ball protection, something he feels Blue still needs to work on. Furthermore, Schottenheimer sang the praises of fourth-year pro Malik Davis after his second elevation from the practice squad. Blue has remained ahead of Davis in the depth chart, but the backfield split this weekend will be telling of Schottenheimer's sentiment about the duo moving forward. Fantasy managers should monitor this situation closely in Dallas' home meeting with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer shouldn't be a factor in fantasy this Sunday when the team takes on the hosting Detroit Lions. Although he gains some modest fantasy appeal, considering he's the second-string option behind fellow rookie signal-caller J.J. McCarthy (ankle). If all goes according to plan, McCarthy is Minnesota's starting QB moving forward. Encouragingly, he logged a full practice on Wednesday for the first time since Week 2. However, the high-ankle sprain he's been battling may linger, leaving Brosmer as the Vikes' only other option at QB. While fantasy managers may not call upon him in Week 9, the 24-year-old should at least be stashed in superflex dynasty leagues on the off-chance his team needs him down the stretch. In three appearances, he's completed 5-of-8 passes for 42 yards.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has registered just one week finishing in the top 36 of his position. That came back in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions when the Ravens were in a shootout that ended in a 30-38 loss. Lamar Jackson is back under center, which automatically increases Bateman's value, but the matchup isn't the best. The Miami Dolphins are ranked as the number-one defense against opposing receivers, and they tend to play zone more often than not, which doesn't play to Bateman's strong suit. Since the fifth-year pro is always a threat to take a deep-ball to the house, he still presents some flex appeal, but is a risky option compared to others that are likey on the waiver wire.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson made his long-awaited return in Week 8, posting four receptions for 85 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming off an ACL tear in Week 18 last season, Watson looked explosive in limited action, playing 50% of the snaps, just below his typical 60% share from 2024. Watson's big-play ability was on full display, but the Packers' crowded receiver room continues to limit consistent fantasy value. In Week 8, it was the Watson and Tucker Kraft show; next week, it could just as easily be Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden. With targets spread thin across the offense, Watson remains worth a bench stash, but Green Bay's wide receiver rotation makes it risky to trust any Packers' receiver in fantasy lineups right now.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews hasn't really been fantasy-relevant over the last three weeks. His best finish in that time has been TE20 in half-PPR formats, and the last time he put up double-digit fantasy points was in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions. A couple of things going in his favor this week are the return of Lamar Jackson and the fact that the Miami Dolphins are ranked 22nd against opposing tight ends. Having Jackson under center hasn't exactly made that much of a difference so far this season, as he had two points in the first two games. The biggest issue has been that the offensive line has been so terrible that they've needed Andrews to help block more often. Patrick Ricard's presence should help in this area, but until Andrews is more involved, he'll stick around the TE2 area with better options out there for fantasy managers.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco has been outstanding through his first three starts with the team, throwing for 801 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions. The 18th-year veteran has leaned heavily on Ja'Marr Chase, who's drawn an incredible 54 targets over that span. Flacco suffered a shoulder injury late in last week's loss to the New York Jets, putting his Week 9 status in doubt. With the Bengals heading into a Week 10 bye, the team may opt to give Jake Browning another spot start to allow Flacco time to recover. Even so, Flacco has played at a high level and remains fantasy-relevant across all formats once healthy.

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New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis had a breakout performance in Week 8, racking up 109 yards on just 12 touches in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets leaned on their backfield in their best offensive game of the season, with both Davis and Breece Hall taking advantage of Cincinnati's soft run defense. While Davis isn't yet a fantasy starter, trade rumors surrounding Hall could quickly change that. Hall is in the final year of his contract, and with the 1-7 Jets unlikely to contend, the team could look to move him for future assets. If that happens, Davis would step into a significant role and could emerge as a valuable fantasy stash with RB1 upside down the stretch.

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Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden has taken off over the last three weeks, recording 19 receptions for 309 yards and two touchdowns on 22 targets. Gadsden ranks as the TE2 in PPR points per game with 61.9, trailing only Green Bay Packers star tight end Tucker Kraft by half a point in that span. The 22-year-old is emerging as one of Justin Herbert's go-to targets along with sophomore wide receiver Ladd McConkey. The Chargers should continue to lean more pass-heavy with their elite crew of pass catchers, and now that left tackle Joe Alt is back to protect Herbert's blindside. Gadsden had an excellent prospect profile at Syracuse with strong athletic traits as a former wide receiver, and he has all the makings of a stud at the tight end position for years to come. He is ranked as RotoBaller's TE5 for Week 9 against the Titans.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir made a strong statement in Week 8, catching six of seven targets for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. Facing a defense that plays zone coverage at the highest rate in the league, Shakir showcased his strength as a zone-beater and delivered in a big way. Fans and media members have been calling for a larger role for Shakir, and he proved them right in the first game out of the bye week. With Josh Allen under center and a clear path to the WR1 role in this offense, Shakir now projects as a reliable WR3 with upside for the rest of the season.

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