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Week 9 fantasy football takeaways: Rico Dowdle makes a statement
Green Bay Packers' Edgerrin Cooper (56) pursues Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) during the third quarter of their game Sunday, November 2, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Week 9 fantasy football takeaways: Rico Dowdle makes a statement

After a high-scoring Week 9 in the NFL, let's break down the four biggest fantasy football storylines from Sunday's action.

Rico Dowdle is an RB1 moving forward

We tried to tell you about Dowdle jumping back to his workhorse role with the Carolina Panthers, so hopefully, you started him in Week 9. Dowdle played 42 snaps to Chuba Hubbard's 13, touched the ball 27 times and finished with 141 total yards and two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers. In three games as the starting RB in Carolina's offense, Dowdle has scored 32.4, 33.9 and 28.1 PPR points. 

The Panthers will continue to feed Dowdle at a high rate, making him an RB1 in fantasy football for the rest of the season. 

Parker Washington is Jacksonville Jaguars' best fantasy WR

A big fantasy storyline heading into Week 9 was the Jaguars' passing game without Travis Hunter. This was Brian Thomas Jr.'s chance to turn his season around, but it was WR Parker Washington who emerged as QB Trevor Lawrence's favorite target. Washington recorded a team-high nine targets, eight catches and 90 receiving yards against the Las Vegas Raiders.

If Washington is still available on your waiver wire, do everything you can to pick him up. 

Brock Bowers is the overall TE1

It's been a frustrating year for Bowers owners, but their patience finally paid off in Week 9. The star tight end went off for 12 catches, 127 yards and three touchdowns (43.3 PPR points) against the Jaguars, solidifying his place as the overall TE1 for the rest of the season.

Bowers was clearly hampered by his knee injury after Week 1, but he's back to full health and looking like the unstoppable receiver we saw as a rookie. Now that QB Geno Smith's lead target is back to his old self, Bowers should be ranked as the No. 1 tight end every week moving forward. 

Los Angeles Chargers WRs can't be trusted

We have enough evidence at this point to say the top three wide receivers on the Chargers aren't consistent fantasy players. QB Justin Herbert spreads the ball around so much, making it impossible to predict which WR will pop in a specific game. 

Ladd McConkey, who had 34 targets and averaged 19.8 PPR points in his previous three games, recorded only four catches for 56 yards against the Tennessee Titans. Quentin Johnston, who managed only six total catches in his last three games, led the unit in fantasy points (15.3) on Sunday thanks to his 53 yards and a touchdown.

Keenan Allen is in a different category, as he played only 37% of the team's offensive snaps in Week 9 and 25% in Week 8. The veteran is only playing in three-wide receiver sets right now, so you might want to look for a better fantasy option at WR. 

Jack Dougherty

Jack Dougherty has been writing professionally since 2015, contributing to publications such as GoPSUSports. com, Centre Daily Times, Associated Press, and Sportscasting. com

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