Updated 10/31 – Rhamondre Stevenson is officially OUT. TreVeyon Henderson shoots up the rankings, but I still prefer Kareem Hunt, Tyrone Tracy, and Bam Knight over him (in that order).
Update 10/31 x 2 – D’Andre Swift is now also OUT. Kyle Monangai ROCKETS up the rankings. I dove deep into Kyle Monangai’s Week 9 Fantasy Football Outlook here. I prefer him to any of the four RBs covered here, and have Monangai at RB14 in my Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings.
Somehow, we’re at the midpoint of the NFL Season, which means 2025 Fantasy Football is more than halfway done. As typical this time of year, Week 9 Fantasy Football features some real ghouls and goblins that need to be considered for our lineups. Perfect, just in time for Halloween!
At Running Back, numerous Week 9 injuries have thrust multiple players into the limelight:
- Isiah Pacheco is week-to-week with a knee injury.
- Rhamondre Stevenson is OUT for Week 9 with a toe injury
- Cam Skattebo suffered a disgusting ankle dislocation and is done for the 2025 season.
- Trey Benson remains on the Cardinals IR, and they just released Michael Carter.
- D’Andre Swift is also now OUT with a groin injury
As such, Kareem Hunt vs. Bam Knight vs. Tyrone Tracy vs. TreVeyon Henderson and now Kyle Monangai have become the five most-questioned RBs this week on X. All five make intriguing starts this week.
Still, let’s dive deep into their Week 9 Fantasy Football Outlooks to see who’s the best.
Kareem Hunt Week 9 Fantasy Football Outlook
Spoiler alert: out of all three backs, Kareem Hunt ranks the highest in my Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings.
In 8 games without Pacheco last season, Hunt was a low-end RB1. He averaged 13.7 Half PPR FPPG, ranking 15th over that span.
In PPR formats, Hunt fell below 10 points in just one of eight starts, providing a sturdy floor. Hunt’s ceiling was solid too, with 50% of his games finishing in the Top-12. Per RotoViz’s NFL Stat Explorer:
The underlying usage was equally impressive. Hunt averaged a whopping 84% carry share without Pacheco last season. His field time was also solid, with a 59% snap rate and 41% route rate, per DraftSharks’ Jared Smola:
Ultimately, as a starter in 2024, Hunt was on pace for: 329 carries (!), 36 catches, 1513 yards from scrimmage (!), and 11 TDs.
This was all the more impressive when you consider the Chiefs were far less explosive as a unit in 2024. The currently rank 7th in points per game in 2025 (26.8), over 3 points more than 2024 (23.1).
Even more impressive? Hunt wasn’t on an NFL Roster until Week 3 last year. He jumped right from the couch into the Chiefs’ lineup, and immediately became a Top-15 Fantasy RB and featured back.
Entering his first start of 2025, Hunt has at least been active and playing quite well. Among 43 RBs with 45+ carries, Hunt ranks 11th in rush yards over expected per attempt and 23rd in PFF’s rush grade. Even in a timeshare, he’s already spiked for 18.7 and 17.2 FP performances on the season, largely due to his role as the Chiefs’ goalline hammer.
Granted, Hunt didn’t have an explosive rookie like Brashard Smith to contend with. I do love Smith, and expect him to continue evolving into the Chiefs’ newest “Jerick McKinnon” style player as the year unfolds.
Still, for Week 9 and the near future, Hunt is the clearly superior option for fantasy football. He squares off with a Buffalo Defense surrendering the 6th most FPs to RBs. In fact, outside of last week’s blowout of the Panthers, the Bills have allowed at least one RB to score 12.5 FPs or more in every single game this year.
Fresh off two TDs in Week 8, I expect the Hunt Express to continue rolling forward in a Sunday Shootout vs. the Bills. He is locked in as my RB19 (+4 ECR) in my Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings. He’s still only 57% rostered as well, so double-check your waivers, as Hunt is a borderline Must Start in Week 9.
Zonovan Bam Knight Week 9 Fantasy Football Outlook
If you missed out on Kareem Hunt, then Zonovan Bam Knight is a fine consolation prize. He also ranks as a high-end RB2 in Week 9 Fantasy Football.
The Cardinals are fresh off a Bye Week, but the last time the played, Knight posted some solid usage peripherals: 64% RB rush share, 12% target share, and a 30% route share. He ultimately finished with 9.4 FPs in Week 7, good for RB23 on the week– a number he has hit in three straight weeks.
In the two games since Trey Benson went down, Knight has emerged as the lead back. Per FantasyLife’s Usage Hub, he has seen 48% of the snaps, 53% of the rush attempts, 29% of the routes, and 7% of the targets. He averages 14.5 touches per game and 10.8 FPPG, good for RB18 in that time frame.
Those numbers are fine, but not Earth-shattering. Still, there’s two reasons for more optimism in Week 9:
A) The Cardinals released Michael Carter, who was their next highest-usage RB after Knight. According to Arizona Sports’ Dan Bickley, the team did this because of their commitment to Knight moving forward:
Over the last two weeks, Carter has absorbed 41% of the snaps, 34% of the rush attempts, 38% of the routes, and 9% of the targets. The vacated receiving work in particular is intriguing, although Emari DeMercado is practicing in a limited fashion and would likely inherit the majority of the pass-catching usage..
Still, with Carter removed, Knight should see a season-high in snaps and touches in Week 9 Fantasy Football. This will be especially juicy because:
B) Knight faces the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys are surrendering the 3rd most FPs to RBs for 2025. They are allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game, the second-highest explosive run rate, the ninth-highest yards after contact per attempt, and they have the lowest stuff rate. Here are how RB1’s have scored against the Cowboys in Half-PPR this year:
- 16.4
- 12.9
- 9.3
- 29.7(!)
- 15.5
- 31.9 (!)
- 23.6 (!) (while also giving up 13.5 to another RB)
In general, Dallas trails only the Bengals in total points allowed per game (31.3), creating fertile fantasy environments for scoring across all positions.
Sure, Knight hasn’t been overly efficient. He’s hit exactly zero explosive runs (15+ yards), and has only a 7% missed tackle rate and 1.31 yards after contact per attempt.
Still, between the team’s endorsement through cutting Carter, to the juicy matchup vs. the Cowboys, Knight is set up for a season-high performance. He’s a phenomenal streamer in Week 9 Fantasy Football, ranking as my RB21.
Tyrone Tracy Week 9 Fantasy Football Outlook
As a rookie last year, Tracy was a Waiver Wire darling who panned out huge for fantasy football owners. He became the starter in Week 5, and from that point on, Tracy was the RB16, averaging 13.2 PPR FPPG.
He spiked for some massive games, too. Tracy topped 22 FPs in two games, while posting Top-12 numbers in 31% of his starts.
Tracy achieved this in an offense that ranked 31st in scoring (16.1 points per game) and featured atrocious QB play. While the Giants have lost many key pieces throughout the year, Jaxson Dart looks like the truth. New York is scoring 21.6 points per game in 2025, nearly a fully TD more of points. This improved environment should only help Tracy.
As a starter last year, Tracy posted a 72% RB Rush Share per game and 11% target share. He averaged 13.2 carries and 3.5 targets per game in this span. If last week’s usage following the Skattebo injury is any indication, Tracy should once again be leaned upon throughout the remainder of 2025.
Tracy played played 78% of the snaps once Skattebo left the game, compared to just 22% for Devin Singletary. He saw 9 opportunities (7 carries, 2 targets) compared to just 3 for Singletary as well.
While I doubt Tracy will be leaned upon quite as heavily as Skattebo was, Brian Daboll does seem to prefer bell cows. DraftSharks highlights Skattebo’s usage as a clear-starter this year:
“Skattebo had two games (Weeks 4 and 5) as lead back without Tracy. In those, he:
- Averaged 20.0 carries and 4.5 targets per game
- Ranked fifth in expected points per game
- Ranked 23rd in actual points per game
Then Skattebo spent Weeks 6 and 7 in a slightly less dominant lead role ahead of Tracy. His usage and production in those games:
- Averaged 17.5 carries and 4.0 targets
- Ranked sixth in expected points per game
- Ranked fifth in actual points per game”
Tracy probably won’t see quite this level of heavy usage. Still, he has a history of seeing ~70% of the work under Daboll, and typically performing quite well with it.
The 49ers are also middle-of-the road from a matchup perspective. They surrender the 17th most FPs to RBs, but were much stronger to start the year than recently. Over their past five games, the 49ers have surrendered:
- 19 Half PPR FPs to Travis Etienne
- 27.1 to Kyren Williams
- 16.1 to Rachaad White
- 18.2 to Bijan Robinson
- 13.1 to Woody Marks
Tracy could absolutely be the next RB to hit 13+ FPs against the 49ers, especially since they’ve struggled versus receiving backs — Kyren, Bijan, and Marks all pasted San Fran for 66, 52, and 49 receiving yards respectively.
Ultimately, I prefer Hunt’s offensive environment, but Tracy slides in right after him at RB20 in my Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings, just ahead of Bam Knight.
TreVeyon Henderson Week 9 Fantasy Football Outlook
TreVeyon Henderson is the biggest wildcard of this list.
Rhamondre Stevenson hasn’t practiced in Week 9 due to a toe injury. If Stevenson misses this week’s game vs. the Falcons, Henderson’s coming out party may just be here. Updated 10/31 – Rhamondre Stevenson is officially OUT. TreVeyon Henderson shoots up the rankings, but I still prefer Kareem Hunt, Tyrone Tracy, and Bam Knight over him (in that order).
Understandably, Henderson owners may be reluctant to trust him, even without Stevenson. Henderson is averaging shares of just 32% snaps, 29% carries, 29% routes and 8% targets while ranking as the RB42 with 6.6 PPR FPPG. Where most rookies see their role increase as the year goes on, Henderson is coming off season-lows with 14% and 22% snap shares the past two weeks.
Meanwhile, Stevenson sits at 62% of snaps, 45% of rushes, 49% of routes, and 9% target shares. He is currently the RB29 on the season, albeit one of the least efficient ones in the league.
Considering Henderson’s ADP skyrocketed into the Round 4 range after a stellar preseason, the rookie RB is firmly in the Bust of the Year conversation thus far. Yet, if Rhamondre is OUT for Week 9, the Patriots may have no choice but to give Henderson an extended run. This could open the door for a second-half rebound.
Henderson is fresh off a 10 carry, 75 yard day. This marked his highest usage since Week 3, and his 7.5 YPC was extremely impressive especially versus a stifling Browns run defense that allows just 3.5 YPC to opposing RBs. Of course, Henderson also fumbled inside the 10-yard line and was never seen again the rest of the game.
After already losing Antonio Gibson for the year, the Patriots only other RB who’s played so far is a creature named Terrell Jennings. Honestly, given the team’s reluctance to use Henderson so far, I wouldn’t even be stunned if Jennings ended up seeing more work than Henderson… but you HAVE to assume TreVeyon would lead the way and get his first real shot to show what he can do.
Henderson was the third RB off the board in an impressive 2025 class for a reason. His burst and long-speed are uncanny, and Henderson averaged 7.06 YPC (compared to teammate Quinshon Judkins’ 5.46). Better yet, Henderson averaged an insane 7.60 YFS per touch, the most of any Power Conference RB (min. 135 carries) in four years (per FantasyPoints’ Scott Barrett). Henderson’s 9.45 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) ranks in the 95th percentile:
Henderson was also supposed to be the pass-catching jewel of this 2025 Class. He was widely regarded as the premier pass-protector of the RBs, while his career Yards per Target (9.65) ranked 2nd best. Yet, he’s trailing Rhamondre in routes, targets, long down-and-distance, and two minute snaps!
This preseason, Henderson looked like THE most explosive player on the field. In the regular season, that guy has been nowhere to be found. Yet, Henderson also may just not have been given enough of a chance to show it.
Ultimately, if Rhamondre is ruled out, Henderson will likely still rank below these other three RBs (Hunt, Tracy, Knight), despite having the highest ceiling of all three. I just don’t trust the Patriots to fully turn the keys over to him, even with seemingly no other options.
If they do, however, Henderson could easily finish among the Top-12 RBs of Week 9. The Falcons allow the 11th most FPs to RBs, and have been especially torched recently. They surrendered 35.6 Half PPR FPs to Christian McCaffrey in Week 7, followed by a combined 30 FPs to De’Von Achane and Ollie Gordon last week.
As of now, Henderson is just my RB36 and is borderline unplayable if Stevenson suits up. But assuming Stevenson is out, Henderson would shoot up to my RB22.
UPDATE: Kyle Monangai Week 9 Fantasy Football Outlook – The Top Option
With D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson now OUT for the Bears, Kyle Monangai immediately becomes the Number One RB streamer from this list. He should see an incredible workload in the juiciest possible matchup, making Monangai a must-start in Week 9. Let’s dive into his outlook a bit more.
The Bears took Kyle Monangai with the 233rd Pick in Round Seven of the 2025 NFL Draft. On a roster with only D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson, many analysts (myself included) were shocked that this was Chicago’s only addition to their backfield.
A 5’8″, 211 pound rookie out of Rutgers, Monangai doesn’t bring a ton of juice to the table. Despite his smaller size, Monangai managed just a 4.62 forty, and ultimately posted a 4.39 Relative Athletic Score (44th percentile):
Yet, what Monangai lacked in sizzle, he made up for in steak, with a highly impressive production profile.
Playing in the Big 10, Monangai faced elite competition. He played in an awful offense with an awful line, yet he still produced highly impressive numbers in back-to-back seasons:
- 270 touches 1364 yds, 14 TDs
- 250 touches, 1340 yds, 8 TDs
Monangai was the ENTIRE OFFENSE at Rutgers — the truly built the plane out of him. Also, Monangai’s 139 forced missed tackles over the past two seasons were the eighth most among FBS running backs, and he didn’t fumble once across four seasons of action with the Scarlet Knights over 670 carries
While Monangai isn’t a special athlete, he runs hard and is decisive, has zero career fumbles, and can eat volume when needed. He slides and weaves through the defense with strong shiftiness, despite his lack of a breakaway gear. Monangai is also a stout pass-protector, too.
He had a very strong camp, ultimately leaping Roschon Johnson on the depth chart. In fact, according to beat writer Ben Devine, Monangai was so impressive that his play convinced the team to stay out of the JK Dobbins / Nick Chubb sweepstakes later in the summer:
Monangai hasn’t had a chance to flash his skills much so far, which should change drastically this weekend.
Still, his small sample of work has been impressive. His 4.4 YPC ranks in the Top-24 RBs this season, and his 5.1 Yards per Touch is 17th. Ian Hartitz put together a list of RBs with 50+ opportunities and what percent of those went for TDs, explosive plays, or avoided tackles, and Monangai ranked EIGHTH with 39.2%!
Monangai only has one game with double-digit touches thus far, but his performance suggests more work is warranted. In Week 7 with the Bears up big, Monangai saw 15 touches (13 carries, 2 touches), which he turned into 94 YFS and 1 TD. This equaled 17.4 FPs — good for an RB12 finish that week!
Ultimately, with both Swift and Johnson OUT this week, Monangai should be fed all the work he can handle. That’s especially juicy, as Monangai will be receiving this work in THE BEST possible matchup. The Bengals surrender the most points to RBs, allowing nearly 5 more points to backs than the next-closest Titans.
Just last week, Breece Hall pasted them for 31.86 Half PPR FPs… and Isaiah Davis was still able to rack up 15.4 FPs too. The week prior, Josh Jacobs erupted for 29.5 FPs. Before that, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 33.4 Half PPR FPs. JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey linked up for 28.8 FPs, while Jordan Mason also roasted them for 23.6 FPs.
The Bengals are a GOLD MINE for RBs, and Monangai is the last man standing to collect all the wealth on Sunday. Shoot, their only good defender Trey Hendrickson is listed as doubtful.
Remember, Ben Johnson LOVES to pound in TDs. He’s had a “thunder back” score 17, 13, and 12 TDs across the past three seasons. In this soft matchup, Monangai has legit 2+ TD upside.
Between his dependable running style, workhorse history, and the juicy matchup, Kyle Monangai is a MUST START in Week 9 Fantasy Football. I currently have him at RB14 in my Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings, which is +14 ECR at the moment. The floor feels incredibly high with no other competition for backfield work, while the matchup also makes the ceiling astronomical.
Do you have a Sit / Start Question for The Wolf? Get it answered in two different times! On Saturday (11/1), The Wolf will be hosting an AMA on Reddit from 10am – 11am ET! As always, he will also go live Sunday AM (11/2) at 8am ET for his weekly Sunday Sit / Start Show!
