Hot Take #1
Brian Thomas Jr. Breaks Out Again…
Brian Thomas Jr. was a first-round pick in most fantasy league circles heading into the 2025 fantasy season, but he has underdelivered mightily to this point. It only made sense that he was drafted that high because he was a rookie Receiver out of LSU who had over 1,200 yards in his first season in the NFL, but things have come to a screeching halt. He has only finished inside the TOP 30 once this season. That was in Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks.
There are a few reasons that I am projecting a week 9 breakout again for Brian Thomas Jr.. One being that he is just so extremely talented that he is bound to break out of this slump. Unlike Marvin Harrison Jr., we have seen him be great at the NFL level, so it is easier to believe. The next reason that I believe Brian Thomas Jr. will breakout in week 9 is that Liam Coen is a good coach, and coming out of their bye week, he should be able to scheme up ways for Thomas to get hot and be the wide receiver that he was a season ago. The third reason I believe in a breakout is that his volume of opportunity is there with the best of them. He gets 6 – 12 targets a game without faltering.
The Raiders‘ defense is middle of the pack and should be no issue for Thomas. Usually by this time, you can see who the players are at this point in the season, but on the same token, betting on talent is a bet I am willing to make. This is not making a bet on RJ Harvey or TreVeyon Henderson, where volume is not guaranteed; this is betting on a guy who has just not done enough with the volume he has gotten.
Hot Take #2
Steelers Expose Colts
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a group that has all the experience in the world, headlined by quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Head Coach Mike Tomlin. They are coming off a tough loss to the Green Bay Packers and losing in an upset the week before the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers are going to win this game. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a really good NFL Team. I refuse to believe that they will fall to under .500 this late into the season.
The Indianapolis Colts are a very good football team is well, but everyone I know and on the internet is surprised to see them dominate week in and week out. Now, I am a fan of what they do on offense; their Head Coach, Shane Steichen, has helped Daniel Jones become very good in this league. I have one question for you… What is the Colts’ X-Factor? It is Jonathan Taylor. He has been absolutely unbelievable this season. Rushing for 850 yards and a total of 14 touchdowns so far, but the Steelers have a good run defense. They just held All-Pro Josh Jacobs to under 40 yards on the ground last week. Now, Jacobs was coming off an injury, but less than 40 yards is an impressive feat.
I think that this game will be a regression back to the mean that we will all be expecting for the Colts. Who is the only team that has beaten the Colts so far? The Rams with a veteran head coach and quarterback in Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford. The Steelers win 28 – 20 this weekend, with big fantasy days from Rodgers and D.K. Metcalf.
Hot Take #3
Marvin Harrison Jr. Doesn’t Smash Against the Dallas Defense?
I am not sure if this is even a hot take at this point, but what to give. The movable object vs. the stoppable force. These two entities are like oil and water. The Dallas defense can’t stop an absolute nose bleed if it tried with a steel wall, and then Marvin Harrison Jr. was too hyped up for his own good in the NFL. I have no idea what happened in this match, candidly, but I think it was worth talking about. I am very interested to see if Marvin Harrison Jr. can prove his draft stock. The Cardinals are coming off a bye, which should help, but you never know.
Brian Thomas Jr. and Marvin Harrison Jr. were both stud wide receivers drafted in the same year in the first round. One has looked way better than the other through their 27 cumulative weeks in the NFL, but they both find themselves in similar positions as we find ourselves in week 9 of the 2025 NFL Season.
The Dallas passing defense should be enough for anyone to be able to get off the schnide. Heck, they gave Bo Nix a one way ticket wherever he wanted to go last week and they do not have anyone nearly as talented as Marvin Harrison Jr. I am rooting for another great WR in the NFL, and think that MHJ has the tools to be it, but between inconsistent QB play and faulty schematic issues with him, it has been difficult, lets see what happens against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend.
