Welcome to Week 9 of the 2025 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Fantasy/True False
- WRs Reuniting With Familiar QBs
- Hot October Quarterbacks
- Hot October Wide Receivers
Let's roll...
Matt Waldman: These three WRs have been fantasy starters in most league formats since Week 5
- George Pickens WR5 (4 games)
- Kayshon Boutte WR7 (4 games)
- Stefon Diggs WR12 (4 games)
Pick your bet as the player who remains at least a top-24 WR for the rest of the year. You can say all or none, but then choose the one most likely.
Dave Kluge: Stefon Diggs has quietly been one of the best receivers in football on a per-route basis. His 2.92 yards per route run are third behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. His 0.30 targets per route run rank behind only Nacua, Smith-Njigba, and Ja'Marr Chase.
The issue, of course, is that he's 68th in the league in routes run. At 32 years of age and coming back from an ACL tear, it's no surprise that he's limited. Last week's game marked his first game a full year removed from his injury, and there's hope that his role can expand as he gets healthier.
The good news is that even in a limited role, Diggs has been productive. If that role grows, though, he can help fantasy managers win leagues down the stretch.
Gary Davenport: Boutte and Diggs will have their weeks, but they will also eat into one another's production, and Drake Maye spreads the ball around so much he should have an endorsement deal with Nutella.
I'm not exactly going out on a limb here by selecting Pickens, who seems to be a just about unanimous choice of this week's panel. That might have something to do with him having the third-most receiving yards, sixth-most targets among wideouts, and third-most PPR points at wide receiver eight weeks in.
Yes, CeeDee Lamb is back, but Pickens has still had a 12-plus PPR points the past 2 weeks with Lamb back, and given the Cowboys new stealth defense (completely undetectable by opponents) Dak Prescott has little recourse but to try to score 40 points every week.
Tipp Major: It has to be George Pickens. Drake Maye has been playing out of his mind, but only the Seahawks, Eagles, and Ravens throw less often than the Patriots. Combine that with a defense allowing just 18 points per game, and it's a recipe for inconsistent wide receiver production.
Pickens, however, has been the exact opposite. He's already surpassed his season-high touchdown total of five and is on pace for 133 targets, which would be a career high. Only three teams average 30 or more points per game, and Dallas is one of them. It makes sense that they also give up the second-most points to opponents at 31.3 points per game. That guarantees more shootout opportunities — and when there are shootouts, there are fantasy points.