Ellis Bryn Johnson | Thu, Oct 30th 2025, 7:19am EDT

5 Fantasy Football Smash Starts: Week 9 (2025)

Last week, I started this fantasy football article by saying we smash starts and break hearts. Well, broken hearts are what we received. When Bijan Robinson misses his projected yardage total by 93 yards, you know it’s a tough week. Unfortunately, we always reflect on our previous week’s selections for accountability, so let’s get this out of the way. Last week, we selected Bijan Robinson (RB39), Tyler Allgeier (RB26), Tee Higgins (WR27), Alec Pierce (WR39), Baker Mayfield (QB26) and Dallas Goedert (TE3).

There’s no way around it; we need to do better. Thankfully, we have another week coming up with some incredible matchups. My name is Ellis Johnson, and I appreciate you reading my work and trying to navigate the NFL landscape with me. Without further ado, here are your Week 9 smash starts.

Fantasy Football Smash Starts: Week 9

Travis Hunter (WR, CB – JAX)

Coming out of their bye week, the Jaguars’ passing attack has a great matchup against the Raiders. The Raiders are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to the wide receiver position and 25.7 points per game to opposing teams.

Heading into their bye week, Travis Hunter had his best game of his career so far, finishing with eight catches, 101 yards and a touchdown against a good Rams defense. Since then, we have seen reports that Hunter will continue to focus on offense. We have also seen reports that the team is accepting calls for Brian Thomas Jr. Putting these reports together, we may be on the verge of Hunter breaking out for fantasy.

It’s time we start talking about Thomas. Through seven games, he has only one week in the top 30 at the position. Add in the reports that they are open to trading him, and it all points to something going down behind the scenes. There is no way for us to know, but reading the tea leaves, Hunter should be the primary beneficiary. I have him as a top-15 receiver this week in a good matchup.

Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC)

The post-hype sleeper that no one expected may be Kimani Vidal. After being selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, there was buzz for him to be a deep dynasty breakout. Although it didn’t happen last year, the absence of Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton has allowed him to produce.

Hassan Haskins has yet to practice this week, setting up Vidal for another game as the Chargers’ lead back. Over two of his three games as the lead back, he has 124 and 117 rushing yard performances. This week, he faces the Titans, who allowed Jonathan Taylor to have his fourth three-touchdown game of the season.

On the season, the Titans are allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs. This includes the most rushing touchdowns per game for backs, allowing an average of 1.5 rushing touchdowns per game. With the Chargers entering the week as 9.5-point favourites, there should be plenty of opportunities for Vidal to have another big fantasy day. I have him ranked as a high-end RB2 this week.

Daniel Jones (QB – IND)

If high tide raises all boats, how did the Colts end up on the moon? The Colts have been dominant all season, and Daniel Jones has steered the ship admirably all season. He is fourth in fantasy points, passing yards and completion rate.

This week, the Colts take on the most expensive defense in the NFL. No, this is not the Broncos or the Texans; this is the Steelers. Despite spending more than any other team on that side of the ball, the Steelers are allowing the third-most yards per game to opponents. They are also the only team that hasn’t forced a turnover in any of their last three games.

Last week, Jordan Love passed for 360 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Jones has been white hot this year and should continue his success on the road this week. I have him ranked only behind Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.

Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL)

Maybe Kyle Pitts doesn’t do well with expectations. For the first time in his career, expectations for Pitts were minimal heading into the season. As a result, we have seen his best season since his rookie year. Unfortunately, he only has one touchdown on the season, but he is third at the position in receptions and has an 83% catch rate.

This week, the Falcons should have Michael Penix Jr. back as they face the Patriots. New England is averaging the seventh-most fantasy points to the tight end position, along with the fifth-most tight end yards per game. The Patriots are a tough matchup for the Falcons, boasting an incredible run defense and a top-tier corner.

Holding opposing running backs to an average of 54 rushing yards per game and likely shadowing Drake London with star sophomore corner Christian Gonzalez, someone will need to step up for the Falcons. I think Pitts will be heavily involved in this game, and I am calling for him to score his second touchdown of the season.

Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV)

I’m going with my gut on this one and calling for Ashton Jeanty to come out of his bye week on fire. I may need to keep my Pepto-Bismol on hand, but I have a good feeling about this one. Jeanty is averaging the 17th-most fantasy points per game at the position. Saying Jeanty hasn’t performed up to expectations is an understatement.

The good news is that on his own, Jeanty looks as advertised. Despite having the most broken tackles at the position, he also has the second-most tackles for loss. This indicates that even though he has been powering through contact, there isn’t much more he can do when the line continues to get him hit in the backfield.

With lesser-established rookies, we often refer to the week after the bye as the post-bye rookie bump. This is because over their bye week, coaches assess their team and find ways to get their young players more involved. The Bears are a perfect example of what we want to see from the Raiders. Since their bye, they have leaned more on rookie Kyle Monangai and improved their overall success.

The Bears’ run game has improved drastically since their bye. They went from averaging 110 rushing yards in their first four games to averaging 154 rushing yards per game over the three games after their bye. I’m not saying the Raiders will find the same level of success, but if they can find a way to do something similar, Jeanty could have a huge second half of the season. I have optimism that Jeanty will overcome a Jaguars defense that will be without star linebacker Devin Lloyd, and have him ranked as a top-10 option this week.

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