NFL.com analysts provide one bold prediction for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season, from fantasy forecasts to team-based takes.
NFL's receiving yards leader has first 200-yard game of career.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has recorded five games with 100-plus receiving yards this season, vaulting himself to the top of the receiving yards ranks with a total to date of 819. On Sunday, facing Washington's 26th-ranked pass defense, he'll hit the 200-yard threshold for the first time in his career -- and, just for good measure, notch his second career multiple-TD game, too.
Chargers second-year running back runs for 150 yards.
Kimani Vidal truthers weren’t wrong. They were just early. Since taking over for the injured Omarion Hampton, Vidal has played nearly 70 percent of the Chargers' offensive snaps, while logging almost 70 percent of the team's non-QB rushing attempts. He’s also gone over 115 yards in two of the last three games. That trend should continue this week against a poor Titans run defense -- especially if the Chargers have a second-half lead and are looking to grind the clock.
Texans defense shuts Denver's passing attack out of end zone.
Bo Nix has thrown a touchdown pass in 16 straight games. It's the third-longest active streak in the NFL heading into Week 9, as only Lamar Jackson (28) and Patrick Mahomes (18) have longer streaks. But the Texans, who boast the top overall defense league-wide, step up to the challenge of stopping him. Big outings from all three levels of Houston's defense help keep Nix from reaching the end zone through the air.
D'Andre Swift has best fantasy performance of 2025.
Swift is in his RB1 era, and he gets the best matchup in fantasy this week. Cincinnati has surrendered 15-plus fantasy points to 11 running backs in eight games and 30-plus to both Josh Jacobs and Breece Hall over the last three weeks. If he's healthy enough to play, Swift will top 150 scrimmage yards and 25 fantasy points in this game (and backup RB Kyle Monangai will tag on 15 fantasy points of his own).
UPDATE: Shortly after publication, Swift was ruled out with a groin injury -- so strap in, those of you with shares in Monangai, because I'm altering my prediction to send those 25 points his way instead!
Christian McCaffrey goes for 200 rush yards and two scores.
CMC puts his fantasy managers on his back against the Giants, who have allowed a league high 5.7 yards per carry and the fifth-highest explosive run rate this season. After an underwhelming performance in Houston last week, CMC feasts once again.
