Fantasy Football Today – Week 9 Recap

Episode: Week 9 Recap! Rico Dowdle, Brock Bowers, Joe Flacco and More Winners
Date: November 3, 2025
Hosts: Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings, Mike

Brief Overview

This episode of Fantasy Football Today dives deep into the wild Week 9 slate, highlighting incredible fantasy performances, surprise breakouts, and fantasy disappointments. The crew spotlights historical outputs—especially Brock Bowers’ epic tight end performance—debates key buy/sell candidates, and delivers rapid reactions to the biggest developing fantasy storylines, providing advice, laughs, and a few classic podcast arguments along the way.

Main Themes & Episode Flow

• Historic individual performances (Brock Bowers and others)
• Winners/Losers of the Week, including surprise names
• Buy/Sell debates on players like Keenan Allen, Brock Bowers, Romo Odunze, and DJ Moore
• Waiver Wire headliners and actionable advice
• Rapid game-by-game breakdowns, focusing on fantasy-relevant implications
• Key injuries and news
• Notable listener emails and light-hearted banter

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brock Bowers' "Legendary" Tight End Game

• [02:57] Dave: "How can it not be Brock Bowers? 43.3 PPR points... highest total not just for any tight end this year, not just for any wide receiver, but for any flex player this year."
• Bowers' 12/13 catches (from Geno Smith), three TDs, saved seasons. Comparison with Kellen Winslow Sr.'s all-time records.
• [03:35] Adam: "Just what a glorious return for the best tight end in the world... he saved my fantasy season all by himself."
• Discussion of historical context; Bowers among Top 3 TE games ever in PPR.
• Rest-of-season TE #1? Unanimous agreement that Bowers is elite and is already the per-game leader.
• [11:30] Adam: "Brock Bowers will be TE1 per game, counting the first half of the season."
  [11:44] Adam: "The answer is buy."

2. Winners & Losers: Surprises and Slumps

Biggest Winners:

• [25:24] Dave: Rico Dowdle (25 carries/130 yds/2 TDs, "no-doubt start moving forward"), Dalton Kincaid (6/101/1, "best downfield target for Josh Allen"), T. Higgins (7/121/2), Joe Flacco (38.8 fantasy pts), Kyle Monangai (26/176/22 rec yds).
• [26:58] Dave: "Dowdle is a league winner next week. Faces New Orleans..."

Biggest Losers:

• [05:40] Adam: Jordan Addison ("2 catches, 48 yds... looks like probably not the same high pass volume offense with the rookie under center").
• [33:25] Mike: Keenan Allen (three sub-9 PPR games out of four: "We gotta start to downgrade expectations considerably").
• [34:49] Jamie: Kamani Vidal (another non-factor backup RB, cautioning on backup RBs who fall out of game script).

3. Buy/Sell Debates and Player Values

• [09:05] Adam & Dave: Chargers pass-catchers; debate between Arande Gadsden, Lad McConkey, Keenan Allen – consensus sees Allen dipping into TD-dependent status, with rookie Gadsden ascending.
• [13:13] Dave: Is QB so deep there’s no real edge? Most top QBs with ceiling games had 'good matchups'; some new names (Flacco, Williams) emerging with QB1 upside.
• [14:14, 15:18] Mike & Jamie: Romo Odunze "falling" (three of last four games under 6 points) vs. DJ Moore "rising." Jamie: "It's just a factual statement."

4. Waiver Wire: Early Headliners & Deep Stashes

• [22:11] Mike/Jamie: Parker Washington, Luke Musgrave, Devin Singletary, Michael Penix, and especially Colston Loveland ("the waiver wire guy, clearly" per Jamey).
• Injury shake-ups create additional RB/TE opportunities.

5. Rapid Game-by-Game Reactions

- Standouts, Trends, and Key Fantasy Takeaways -

• [40:02] Carolina 16, Green Bay 13: Romeo Doubs may be a must-start, especially with injuries.
• [42:16] Minnesota 27, Detroit 24: Jameson Williams flashes but remains a boom-bust flex; Laporta remains a top-5 TE but "up and down" season expected.
• [44:46] New England 24, Atlanta 23: Drake London (9/118/3 TDs) is a strong WR1—"definitely hold" per Dave.
• [47:19] Chicago 47, Cincinnati 42: Colston Loveland top-12 TE going forward? Crew is skeptical but sees short-term upside.
• [52:46] Denver 18, Houston 15: Buy-low on Courtland Sutton (favorable matchups coming); mixed optimism on Dalton Schultz.
• [55:32] Pittsburgh 27, Indianapolis 20: Daniel Jones’ home/road splits; is only a "maybe" starter except in domes.
• [61:20] San Francisco 34, Giants 24: Is there a George Kittle problem? Usage fluctuates based on game script, but still preferred to most TEs.
• [71:14] Rams 34, Saints 10: Kyren Williams gets volume but split with Blake Corum may be rising; trade value might be peaking given difficult ROS schedule.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rico Dowdle penalty/quote (TD celebration):
  [02:10] Jamie (reading from AP): "From my understanding... we go over stuff like this every week. I definitely think you're supposed to get two pumps. Hopefully I don't get a fine." (crew finds this hilarious)
• QB debate:
  [13:24] Dave: "There were eight quarterbacks with over 30 fantasy points..."
• Strong words on Chargers pass-catchers:
  [10:56] Adam: "As soon as we rank Keenan Allen outside of the top 30, he's going to score a touchdown and about 15 PPR fantasy points."
• Brock Bowers love:
  [04:39] Dave: "He's already TE1 per game on the season."
• Jordan Addison caution:
  [06:10] Adam: "Looks like probably not the same high pass volume Vikings offense when they're playing the rookie..."
• Winners/Losers summary:
  [25:53] Dave: "Dowdle, Kincaid are no-doubt starts from here on out."

Important Timestamps

• Brock Bowers' record day & TE historical context: 02:57–05:16
• Buy/Sell Chargers WRs discussion & Keenan Allen talk: 09:05–11:16
• QB landscape, Flacco & streaming: 13:13–14:14
• Romo Odunze vs. DJ Moore debate: 15:18
• Waiver Wire standouts & injury news: 21:30–24:18
• Winners & Losers full rundown: 25:24–35:28
• Rapid game roundups begin: 40:02
• QB streamer chat & next week preview: 64:34–65:34
• Final game recaps and trade value discussions: 71:14–71:53

Key News & Injury Notes

• [18:48] News run-down: C.J. Stroud leaves early. Aaron Jones says he'll play next week (shoulder). Notable WR injuries (Puka Nacua, T. Higgins, Justin Jefferson), multiple OL injuries for the Chargers and Lions.
• [21:30] Jamie: Early Waiver Wire pickups could be important given shifting injury landscape.

Episode Tone & Language

The crew keeps it fun, irreverent, and fast-paced. Running jokes (the “pump” rule, birthday jabs, fantasy group text drama), friendly trash talk, and honest admissions of their own fantasy heartbreaks keep listeners engaged. Recurring deep-dives on player outlooks, witty one-liners (“There are no moral victories in fantasy”—Jamie, [41:22]), and quick buy/sell pivots make it accessible for any fantasy gamer.

Useful Takeaways for Fantasy Managers

• Brock Bowers is the real deal: Must-start, matchup-proof, possible league winner.
• Rico Dowdle and Joe Flacco have carved serious, week-winning fantasy roles.
• Keenan Allen’s outlook is dimming; rookie pass-catchers and waiver TEs are rising.
• Don’t overreact to every down week—context (injuries, QB changes, defensive matchups) is critical.
• Quarterback is wild and deep; elite edges can still appear week-to-week, but new names can break in any time.
• Monitor WR injuries and RB usage as these situations are fluid and can yield surprise league-winners.

Table of Notable Player Takes

| Player | Take | Timestamp | |-------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|---------------| | Brock Bowers | Historic TE game, ROS TE1, must-start every week | 02:57–05:16 | | Rico Dowdle | Locked-in starter, possible league-winner | 25:24–28:41 | | Keenan Allen | Descending into TD-dependency, possible bench/sell | 09:35–11:16 | | Romo Odunze | Concerning. Trending down but may bounce back | 14:14–15:33 | | T. Higgins | Revival with Flacco, should "get what we thought" | 24:57–25:24 | | Joe Flacco | "Must-hold" even in 1-QB, as long as starting | 29:01–29:22 | | Dalton Kincaid | Weekly starter, top 5-7 TE ROS | 25:53–26:58 | | Colston Loveland | Top TE pickup, top-12 upside, especially with injuries | 22:11, 51:10 | | Courtland Sutton | "Buy low"—easier matchups post-bye | 53:19–53:27 |

Final Thoughts

Week 9 was memorable, historic, and wildly unpredictable. Whether your team soared on Bowers’ back or fell flat, the FFT crew are here to dissect the how and why—and get you setup for a playoff push with wisdom, waiver advice, and plenty of football banter.

"There are no moral victories in fantasy." – Jamie, [41:22]
"What a glorious return for the best tight end in the world." – Adam, [03:35]

For league domination, keep tracking injuries, ride your healthy volume monsters, and don’t be afraid to roll with new breakouts—the tides shift fast in fantasy!