NFL fantasy football news and player signals for Tuesday, December 9, 2025

With the number one receiver likely out for multiple weeks, DJ Moore will have elevated opportunity running 90% of routes, though consistency is near zero. The source would prioritize him over alternatives like Trey Tucker given the increased volume from the top receiver absence and Roma Dun's injury status, suggesting conditional value in a depleted receiver room despite overall inconsistency.

Definitely hold; in first game back with Amari and Hampton still very involved, went over 100 yards of scrimmage thanks to a big play through the air. Expected to be part of a two-back committee going forward.

Has been passed by Pat Bryant in the depth chart; though there may be usable games in the near future, predicting them is almost impossible. Faces tough slate with Green Bay, Jacksonville, and Kansas City matchups; acceptable to drop if needed.

Currently on injured reserve; acceptable to drop.

Droppable in most leagues; only worth holding in 14+ team PPR formats due to limited role.

Hold recommended; was a penalty away from another touchdown last week and has touchdown upside going forward.

Has produced more dud games than good games; however, Tampa Bay is a favorable matchup for Thursday Night Football this week, making him a potential desperation start. Once Drake London returns the following week, Mooney likely reverts to a limited role, so holding is preferred over dropping.

Had one strong week against Cincinnati; if Darnell Washington misses Week 16 against Miami at home, Freiermuth should see 70–80% route share and consolidate tight end targets in Pittsburgh's passing game, creating a solid floor and making him a viable streamer over alternatives like Kobe Parkinson or Ben Sinnott in deep leagues.

In the concussion protocol and may miss Pittsburgh's week 16 game against Miami at home, which would open up route share and target consolidation for other tight ends on the Steelers.

Owned in fewer than 50% of leagues (42%) and is on some drop lists, but the source strongly advises against dropping him; despite only 30% snap share in Week 15 against a team Miami controlled, Waller should be kept for weeks 16-17 when Miami plays Cincinnati and Tampa Bay, as playing a tight end against Cincinnati is an automatic lineup decision.

Historically when Jamar Chase is out, Mike Caseiki gets a huge boost in playing time, production, targets, and volume; this context is provided to explain Caseiki's expected role expansion with T. Higgins out.

Has a knee injury but needs to be owned everywhere if not already; the source emphasizes the urgency of acquiring him despite the injury concern.

Runs the most routes in the Raiders offense, establishing him as the primary receiver target. Has good matchups at Philadelphia and Houston, plus week 17 against Indianapolis, but questionable whether he would be started in a championship game; acceptable to drop.

Established as the top tight end in the Raiders offense.

Day-two pick who has jumped Troy Franklin in route share and is now the second-highest route runner in the Raiders offense, running 50–60–70% of routes. One of two rookies simultaneously coming up together with Jack Bash. However, the source is not overly optimistic about his ceiling given the Raiders' inability to protect Gino Smith and low passing volume, comparing him to a Jakobi Meyers/Romeo Dobbs archetype.

Running every single route on his team and led the team in receiving yards with 40 yards last week despite Tyler Shuck running in multiple touchdowns. Upcoming matchups are great (Carolina, New York Jets at home, Tennessee). Should definitely be owned and could work as a flex option in a pinch.

With Roma Dunce sidelined, Burden saw an uptick from 50% to 70% of snaps and is getting a decent amount of targets—four straight games with at least five targets. Faces Cleveland in Week 15, which is a good defense but has been vulnerable in random weeks. The source likes Luther Burden and would prefer him as a target in the Chicago Bears passing offense, though wishes to see him get 90% of routes.

48% owned and should have been stashed all season. Came back and ran about 65% of routes in Green Bay's offense in their first week back. Green Bay has a tough schedule ahead (at Denver, at Chicago Week 17, against Baltimore), but Reed is a very talented player in a high-octane offense. Can be started as a wide receiver three or flex play.

Suffered a hip injury mid-game in Week 14; reports indicate it's not overly serious. With two weeks to recover before Week 15, he's expected to be fine, though practice reports are pending.

If Tyrone Tracy misses Week 15 against Washington due to his hip injury, Singleary is in for a floor of 15 PPR points with all Giants backfield touches consolidated. Even if Tracy plays, both backs will likely get 12–15 touches each, and Washington is horrendous against running backs, making Singleary a good flex play either way. Tracy suffered the injury mid-game in Week 14 but reports indicate it's not overly serious, and with two weeks to recover before Week 15, he's expected to be fine, though practice reports are pending.

Titans handcuff to grab as insurance in case the starter misses Week 15 at Pittsburgh, though the source doesn't expect that to happen. The starter is probably fine and won't be limited or held back going forward.

Colts WR negatively impacted by both Philip Rivers and Riley Leonard at QB. The source states Pierce "feels like the odd man out here because he capitalizes so heavily on deep passes, accurate deep passes outside the hashes. And I don't really feel confident that Riley Leonard or Philip Rivers are able to do that."

Colts pass-catcher who benefits from Philip Rivers at QB for improved stability and checkdown opportunities compared to Riley Leonard. The source cautions against over-projecting Pittman's strong Week 14 performance with Leonard, noting Jacksonville was up 2–3 touchdowns and playing cover-four defense designed to funnel checkdowns, not indicative of sustainable target share.

Indianapolis is reaching out to Rivers as a potential QB signing. Rivers has not played since 2020 (5-year layoff) and showed only okay arm strength in his recent workout. Unlike Joe Flacco, who has remained active in NFL training camps and practices over the past five years, Rivers faces significant rust and diminished arm talent compared to his final Colts season. If Rivers starts over Riley Leonard, the source feels slightly better about Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman due to Rivers providing more stability and checkdown opportunities, though the source lacks confidence in his deep-ball accuracy for Alec Pierce.

Colts starting QB diagnosed with grade one PCL sprain, likely not long-term and expected to miss only this week. As a mobile Notre Dame QB with 17 rushing touchdowns in his final year, he has superflex upside when healthy. Rates as a streamable QB2 in superflex leagues if desperate, but the source lacks confidence in his ability to throw accurate deep passes outside the hashes, which negatively impacts Alec Pierce. Caution against over-projecting Michael Pittman's strong Week 14 performance with Leonard, as Jacksonville was up 2–3 touchdowns and playing cover-four defense designed to funnel checkdowns.

Out for the season with a ruptured Achilles. In dynasty leagues, the source completed a trade sending 2026 and 2027 second-round picks (with a 2026 third in return) to acquire him as a long-term QB3 asset, recommending acquisition at a second-round pick or better.

Jayden Daniels is unlikely to play this week or anytime soon due to injury, making him unavailable for Week 15 fantasy lineups.

Mason Taylor posted 8 targets last week, which is positive, but faces significant downside this week: the Jets quarterback is potentially Brady Cook, a day-three pick from Missouri who Chris Rodriguez characterizes as not a good player. This creates uncertainty around the passing game.

Marcus Mariota has averaged 19.8 fantasy points per game over his last three starts, which Chris Rodriguez identifies as a really strong number for a quarterback streamer option. He is the preferred QB option in one-QB leagues as a safer alternative to streaming unproven options like McCarthy, Shuck, or Shadore in the fantasy playoffs.

Isaiah Likely has posted 10-plus PPR points in his last two games and should have scored touchdowns in back-to-back weeks (one fumbled into the end zone). Against Cincinnati this week, he faces a Bengals defense that allows the most PPR points per game to opposing tight ends—a gap as large as the difference between Cincinnati and the third-best defense (Raiders). Dawson Knox and Don Concincaid both put up strong performances against Cincinnati last week.

Colston Loveland is ranked as consensus tight end 12 this week and sits just below the 40% route share threshold. Since week 9 against Cincinnati, he has posted 29.8, 9.57, 14.9, 5.8, and 12.9 PPR points, displaying boom-bust tendencies typical of the tight end position. His route share has remained stagnant despite playing alongside Kolkat.

Harold Fannon is identified as a potential league winner down the stretch, though Chris Rodriguez notes he is unlikely to be available on most waiver wires. He represents the type of rookie tight end upside the source is chasing.

Jack Besh, the Raiders wide receiver, posted a 79% route share this past week with 6 targets, 6 catches, 50 yards, 2 first downs, and 1.61 yards per route run in a game where Kenny Pickett was at quarterback. Chris Rodriguez suggests he could be a deep league option down the stretch despite the brutal offensive environment.

Jaden Reed is working his way back from injury with the Packers and could be a factor down the stretch. Chris Rodriguez identifies him as a tight end option worth monitoring on the waiver wire.

Pat Bryant's route share fell 10% this week, but he has run more routes than Troy Franklin in two consecutive weeks since the bye. However, Chris Rodriguez notes that Sean Payton's system is tough to trust despite the positive route share trend.

Ryan Flournoy is an okay waiver option whose value depends entirely on CeeDee Lamb's status. Lamb suffered a concussion in Thursday night's game and has extra recovery time, but his status for upcoming games remains uncertain. If Lamb cannot play, Flournoy has been a solid flex option, ranking 13th among 88 qualifying wide receivers in first-downs-per-route-run, 32nd in yards-per-route-run, and 38th in targets-per-route-run.

CeeDee Lamb suffered a concussion in Thursday night's game. While the extra recovery time helps, his status for upcoming games remains uncertain.

Luther Burden is the top rookie wide receiver target, rostered in only 15.9% of leagues. In Week 14, he ran a season-high 69% route share (up from 57%), led Bears receivers in target share, first-read share, and receiving first downs with 6 targets, 4 catches, 67 yards, and 8.3 yards per air yard. His 9% first-downs-per-route-run mark is second only to Teddy McMillan on the year. He is the only rookie receiver with 20%+ targets per route and 2+ yards per route, suggesting he is sprinting toward 80%+ route share as soon as this week.

Jaylen McMillan is a speculative deep-league sleeper who could emerge unexpectedly down the stretch. Historical precedent: last year he averaged 20 PPR points per game over Weeks 14–17 (21.9, 18.5, 16.7, 23 points), making him a league-winning asset in the fantasy playoffs. Chris Rodriguez notes these are the type of rookie receivers that "come out of nowhere and then all of a sudden you're starting them in week 16 and they go crazy." Currently buried on the depth chart coming back from a neck injury, but the upside is there if opportunity strikes.

Posted a 39% snap share in the most recent game, his highest since before the Week 9 bye for the Browns. While Judkins is not going anywhere, Samson might leapfrog Jerome Ford down the stretch and could be a league winner if Judkins gets injured.

Not a great player or add on his own, but becomes a must-start if Bam Knight goes down and the Cardinals backfield is depleted to a fourth-string running back. Posted 11.4 PPR points against Tampa Bay but was ineffective against the Rams; worth owning as a deep handcuff contingency.

Rookie backup running back worth rostering in deeper leagues despite lower current usage than Jaylen Wright across rush attempts, snap share, and route share. Role dynamics have shifted throughout the season, suggesting potential for further changes down the stretch in the playoffs.

Priority backup running back after Devon Achane's rib injury (deemed precautionary). Wright received the nod as true backup and shows better utilization metrics than Ollie Gordon across all categories: rush attempts, snap share, and route share per fantasylife.com. Ron Stewart identifies him as the priority waiver wire target in the backfield.

Identified as Bijan Robinson's handcuff; positioned as a backup option for teams needing depth at running back heading into the fantasy playoffs.

Hot waiver wire target with RB3 PPR scoring over last two weeks. Usage analysis shows Corum outgained Kareem Hunt on the ground in both recent games, finishing with only one fewer carry and involved throughout; positioned as a valuable handcuff that can flex or play RB2 if needed, with Rams' top-three implied total moving forward.

Week 15 waiver wire target with consensus RB30 ranking against Commanders, who allow the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Giants backfield has generated four top-15 PPR finishes in last three games between Singleary and Tracy.

Week 15 waiver wire target with 10+ touches in 4 of last 5 games; consensus RB28 ranking against Giants, who allow the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Ron Stewart identifies him as a viable RB2 option for the week.

Shedeur Sanders posted 34 fantasy points in a recent game and the coaching staff confirmed he is the starting quarterback through the rest of the season, but Harold Fannon recommends against picking him up. He has only 50 rushing yards in four games played and lacks the rushing upside to justify a roster spot, requiring 350+ passing yards per game which is unlikely with the Browns offense.

Tyrone Tracy suffered an injury but initial reports are positive; he is expected to play in week 15, which affects the contingency value of backup Devin Singleary.

Devin Singleary becomes a contingency play if Tyrone Tracy misses time. With both Tracy and Cam Scataboo out, Singleary would be the last man standing in the Giants running back room facing Washington, one of the worst defenses in the league, in a rare instance where the Giants would be favored.

Mike Evans is a much better pickup than Jaden Reed among returning-from-injury wide receivers. He is rostered in 74% of leagues and Harold Fannon recommends picking him up if available, especially given his rest-of-season wide receiver rankings.

Jaden Reed is returning from injury and could be an interesting pickup for leagues with multiple flex spots, but Harold Fannon does not recommend starting him. He is only worth considering as depth in deeper formats; Mike Evans is a much better returning-from-injury wide receiver pickup option.

Jaylen Wright is worth rostering in deeper benches as a contingency pickup despite being ranked lower due to expected Devon Achan availability. When Achan was injured, Wright was the primary backup with 100+ rushing yards on 24 carries. If Achan misses multiple weeks, Wright faces the Cincinnati Bengals, the worst rush defense in the league, in week 16.

Blake Corum posted multiple rushing touchdowns and over 100 rushing yards in a recent game, but is not startable over coming weeks unless Kairen Williams is injured. Speaker warns against starting him despite strong recent performance, citing Tyler Algier as a cautionary example of a backup RB who had multiple TDs one week then 'absolutely nothing' the next. His role is large enough to provide occasional usable weeks on a playoff team, but predictable production is unlikely.

David Injoku suffered an injury in week 14 with status for week 15 uncertain. His absence directly enables Harold Fannon's snap share increase to 90%+ and potential top-five tight end projection.

Harold Fannon is the number one pickup across all leagues and may project as a top-five tight end in fantasy football if David Injoku remains out. He has played 90%+ snaps for three straight weeks after Injoku's week 14 injury, with back-to-back double-digit fantasy point games including 25 points last week. Snap share increased dramatically from 76–96% early season (when Injoku was healthy) to 90%+ every week for the past three weeks. Injoku's week 15 status remains uncertain, positioning Fannon as a potential workhorse tight end. Fannon Fannon is one of only two Browns players Harold Fannon wants to start in week 15, alongside Quinn Sean Judkins, indicating a favorable role for the playoff stretch. Speaker plans to play him through the rest of the season.