Week 9 Fantasy Recap: Unlikely Hero Emerges in Jacksonville
Week 9 of the NFL season carried much disappointment for the Miami Dolphins. Aside from firing general manager Chris Grier, the South Florida crew looked abysmal at home against the Baltimore Ravens. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was at the forefront of the lackluster performance.
Winners
Jaguars WR Parker Washington
The Jags (5-3) faced the depleted Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) out West in a thriller. Jacksonville entered the fourth quarter down 9-6, but came out of overtime on top 30-29.
The extra frame provided Washington with greater opportunities to aid quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the receiving game. With wideout/cornerback Travis Hunter on injured reserve and Brian Thomas Jr. injured in the fourth quarter, Washington quickly became Lawrence’s first option.
The Penn State product posted 17 fantasy points on eight receptions for 90 yards. He earned himself an immediate starting job on fantasy rosters with the absence of his wide receiver counterparts.
Washington reeled in his highest quantity of catches across his three-year career.
With Hunter sidelined through Week 12, watch out for Washington to be a viable option at the wide receiver or flex spot.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr.
Etienne, one of the most inconsistent running backs in the league this season, totaled 16.5 fantasy points in Sunday’s win. While he did not find the end zone, the Clemson product saw his highest number of carries in 2025 with 22 and rushed for 84 yards.
Etienne was also effective in the pass game with 31 receiving yards on five catches. Both statistics are season-highs.
Following a week where the ball carrier saw just eight carries, fantasy owners may have been cautious regarding Etienne’s workload.
The Raiders’ run defense was ranked among the top half of the league, allowing 103.4 rush yards per game. Between Etienne, running backs Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr., wide receiver Dyami Brown and Lawrence, Jacksonville accumulated 151 rushing yards.
After opening 2025 averaging 16.65 points in the first four games, Etienne did not surpass 9.5 points between Weeks 5-7. The fifth-year rusher will face the No. 5 run defense in the Houston Texans next week.
Losers
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Thursday night proved that Tagovailoa’s bounce-back showing in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons was a one-off.
The sixth-year quarterback came out of primetime with 8.54 fantasy points on 261 passing yards and an interception. Tagovailoa tossed four touchdowns the week prior, but could not repeat the same success against an injury-riddled Ravens (3-5) defense.
Following the recent decision to part ways with Grier, Miami owner Stephen Ross made it clear that he is sticking with coach Mike McDaniel. While the organization thinks it has found its leader, previously assumed-franchise QB Tagovailoa may be on the chopping block this offseason.
If he were to be released prior to June 1, Miami would endure a $99.2 million dead cap hit. Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension last season.
Tagovailoa had 15 incompletions Thursday, his highest this season. While he posted his second-greatest passing yards total thus far, the Dolphins (2-7) could not find much, or any, success under the bright lights of “Thursday Night Football.”
Jaguars Defense
On paper, Jacksonville looked like it would dominate in Las Vegas. Instead, it was a shootout that went to OT. The Jaguars’ defense finished the contest with three fantasy points after averaging 6.8 heading into Week 9.
Prior to hosting Jacksonville, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith led the league in interceptions thrown with 10. He had been sacked at least four times in three separate games this season, but the Jaguars could only bring Smith down twice.
Smith finished the contest completing 29 of 39 passes for 284 yards and four touchdowns. He posted his second-highest passer rating of the season at 117.9.
The Jaguars disappointed many fantasy owners who started the group, as it was expected to conquer the scrappy Raiders’ offense.
Category: Fantasy Football, NFL
