This is going to be a shortened version of the usual article, after I spent my Tuesday evening breaking down the fantasy implications of trades for Rashid Shaheed and Jakobi Meyers. I have to shift my focus each Wednesday to projections, matchups and injury reports for the upcoming slate (Week 10 in this case), leaving less time than I'd like to look back at the previous week's game.
Still, let's take a few minutes to look at some of the most interesting recent developments in terms of role/usage:
1. TE Brock Bowers returned to action with the top PPR score (43.3) of 2025.
- Key W9 Stats: 83% Route Share | 34% Target Share | 35% In-Line Rate
In his first game back from a knee injury, Bowers drew 13 targets, scoring two TDs in regulation and a third in overtime. He did it while playing less than 10% of his routes as an in-line TE, with both he and Michael Mayer topping 80 percent snap share even though the Raiders trailed for much of the second half.
Bowers too one-third of his snaps from the slot and 29.2% from a wide alignment, with just 35.4% tight to the formation (down from a 58.7% in-line rate in Weeks 1-4). The key takeaway is simply that Bowers is healthy and productive again, but fantasy managers can also be happy to see favorable stuff on the periphery to hint at big-time volume continuing through November/December.
Plus, the Ravens traded Jakobi Meyers to Jacksonville on Tuesday, increasing the odds that we see more of the "two-TE" offense in which Bowers is really just a receiver. Might this even lead to calls for dual-WR/TE eligibility in fantasy for 2026?
Brock Bowers ran a season-high 88.5% of his routes from the slot or out wide in Week 9. He'd been at least 46% inline during every other game.
Lockett or Jack Bech likely steps into Meyers' routes, but this mostly confirms Bowers is playing WR going forward.@FantasyPtsData https://t.co/5UeduFHipX
— Ryan Heath (@RyanJ_Heath) November 4, 2025
2. RB Chase Brown played 95% of snaps in Week 9 and got 14 targets.
- Key W9 Stats: 84% Route Share | 25 of 27 RB Opportunities | 19.2 PPR Points
Samaje Perine had been getting around one-third of the Bengals' backfield work recently, but third-stringer Tahj Brooks barely saw the field after Perine suffered a high-ankle sprain early in Sunday's loss to the Bears. Bengals coach Zac Taylor adjusted to the injury by putting Brown back in an every-down role, just like the second half of last season.
Perine probably won't be ready after a Week 10 bye, but there is some chance that the extra time allows Cincinnati to prepare Brooks (or someone else?) for a role behind Brown. If not, Brown could flirt with RB1 territory again, at least in PPR leagues. A tough schedule after the bye isn't necessarily disastrous for a guy whose value largely comes from check-down targets.
3. RB TreVeyon Henderson took 75% of snaps and 20 of 32 RB opportunities Week 9.
- Key W9 Stats: 66% Route Share | 87 Total yards | 14 carries, 6 targets
RB Terrell Jennings got the lone goal-line carry and the final two clock-killing totes, finishing with an 11-35-1 rushing line and 1-9-0 receiving. That's a real role, but Henderson came out way ahead in terms of snaps and targets, plus slightly ahead in carries.
With Rhamondre Stevenson (foot) still absent from practice as of Wednesday, it looks like we could see another 40-plus snaps from Henderson this Sunday at Tampa Bay. He's a reasonable RB2 start if Stevenson is out again, especially in PPR formats where there's opportunity to make up for TD/efficiency shortcomings with short receptions.
4. RB Devin Singletary took 55% of snaps and 10 of 19 RB opportunities in Week 9.
- Key W9 Stats: 46% Route Share | 8-43-0 Rushing Line
This was a big change compared to the previous game, in which Tracy dominated backfield work after Cam Skattebo suffered his season-ending injury. A week later, Tracy and Singletary essentially formed a 50/50 split on early downs, with Tracy getting a bit more playing time in passing situations.
However, Singletary took 82% of snaps in the fourth quarter with New York down by multiple scores throughout. That's more bad news for Tracy, who many were hoping could be an RB2 for fantasy after Skattebo's injury. The plan for Week 10 won't necessarily be the same as Week 9, so stay tuned for further developments, be it in favor of Tracy or Singletary.
5. WR Alec Pierce has a career-high 21.6% target rate in 2025.
- Key 2025 Stats: 2.4 Yards Per Route (10th among WRs) | 71.6 Yards Per game (11th)
The cumulative numbers don't look great, because Pierce missed two-plus games with a concussion and still hasn't scored a touchdown this year. He's otherwise on track for career highs by a country mile in numerous statistics, including targets per game (6.4), catches per game (3.4) and yards per game (71.6, 11th in the NFL).
Consider it one of the bigger statistical flukes of the season that a 6-foot-3 deep threat with seven TDs on 37 catches last season is now without a TD in 2025 even though he's getting more volume in a much better offense. Pierce should find the end zone soon enough, now getting more intermediate-area work (without losing any of the deep volume he saw last year).
If this is a genuine breakthrough, it's well-timed, with Pierce in the final year of his rookie contract and strengthening his case to be viewed as a quality WR2 in real life (he's more of a high-risk WR3 in fantasy). He's long been a full-time player, but with per-route target rates below 17%, and only 65-to-77 targets each year. He's now being targeted at slightly above the league-average rate for a wide receiver, and still getting a ton of deep routes/targets.
Will the new volume hold up entirely over time? Probably not, but neither will the miserable TD luck. For the time being, Pierce is an excellent WR3 start in standard formats and a tolerable one in full-PPR leagues.
6. TE Colston Loveland put up 6-118-2 on seven targets in Week 9.
- Key W9 Stats: 80% Snap Share | 76% Route Share | 71 Air Yards
Loveland finished with 3-35-0 on five targets in Week 8 when Cole Kmet was inactive against Baltimore due to a back injury. With Kmet returning for Week 9, there were some fools like me who dropped Loveland from their fantasy rosters. What happened next?
Kmet suffered a concussion early in the game, putting Loveland in an every-down role against the worst defense in the league. The Bengals helped him, no doubt, but Loveland also showed the impressive size-speed combo that made him such a dominant player (at such a young age) at Michigan. Kmet probably won't be out for long, but the role he returns to may not be the same as before (and Loveland was already making progress there, FWIW).
Colston Loveland in Week 9
29.8 fantasy points
75% routes
21% targets
71 air yardsCole Kmet suffered a concussion on the fourth drive.
Before that, Loveland had a 64% route participation vs. 21% for Kmet.
— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) November 2, 2025
7. RB Rico Dowdle took 74% of snaps and 28 of 34 RB opportunities in Week 9.
- Key Stats: 52% Route Share | 141 Total Yards, 2 TDs | 25 Carries, 3 Targets
Unfortunately, Dowdle then missed Wednesday's practice with a quad injury. It sounds like the Panthers expect him to play Sunday against the Saints, and there was no sign of trouble after the upset win at Green Bay.
8. TE Luke Musgrave played 78% of snaps after Tucker Kraft's ACL tear.
- Key W9 Stats: 3-34-0 on 3 Targets (23 Air Yards)
Musgrave is big and fast, but he's a far cry from Kraft when it comes to gaining yards after the catch, and also not as good with the finer points of pass catching. Still, Musgrave is justified as a top add in deep leagues and TE-premium formats, potentially taking on route shares north of 70 percent now that Kraft is done for the year.
9. WR Darius Slayton returned to a full-time role in his second game back.
- Key Stats: 89% Snap Share | 94% Route Share | 83 Air Yards | 5-62-0
After missing time with a hamstring injury, Slayton returned for Week 8 but finished with a lower-than-usual route share (69%) and just 26 yards on five targets (with a team-high 71 air yards). For Week 9, he was back to his usual, every-down role, ranking second on the team in routes and targets while again leading the way in air yards.
Slayton will probably never have great target rates, even with Malik Nabers gone, but even something around 17-18% could work out to six targets per week if he's averaging around 35 routes. WR3 fantasy value is possible if Jaxson Dart continues playing reasonably well.
10. WR Jaylin Noel played just 15% of snaps with Christian Kirk back from injury.
- Key W9 Stats: 9% Route Share | 0 targets, 1 carry
Even fellow rookie Jayden Higgins (45% snaps, 39% routes) played far more than Noel, not to mention fellow Cyclone Xavier Hutchinson (63% snaps, 68%) being solidly ahead of both. Kirk and Hutchinson combined for 56 yards on their 13 targets, not adding much on a day when C.J. Stroud (concussion) was knocked out early.
