NFL Week 9 Anytime Touchdown Scorer Picks & Predictions (2025)
National Tight Ends Day was fun in Week 8, getting to the window on Hunter Henry and George Kittle at odds near 2/1, as well as Mason Taylor at some juicer odds for his first career touchdown. I'm back to diversifying the portfolio this week, with every offensive position represented in the typical +200 to +400 range, as well as some payers closer to even odds who present good value. I've enjoyed writing these articles and cashing some tickets every week. Check out my top NFL Week 9 anytime touchdown scorer picks below.
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Best NFL Week 9 Anytime Touchdown Scorer Picks
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Atlanta Falcons @ New England Patriots
Kayshon Boutte (WR – NE) | +225
Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is in the middle of his breakout campaign, establishing what will hopefully be a really nice connection with second-year quarterback Drake Maye for the foreseeable future in New England. Boutte has proven to be the deep threat in this offense, currently third in the entire NFL with 18.7 yards per catch with a reception of 16+ yards in every single game.
Boutte has five touchdowns on the season, with four coming in the Patriots’ previous three games, including one last week against a really stout Browns defense. While the Falcons’ defense he'll see on Sunday has looked pretty good on paper in terms of points and yards allowed per game, they seem to be falling apart. They were just exposed by a mightily struggling Dolphins team without Tyreek Hill, allowing Tua Tagovailoa to throw four touchdowns.
Boutte’s profile as the explosive deep threat means he doesn't get quite the same amount of opportunities in the red zone. However, he should get a few opportunities against a Falcons secondary that is pretty vulnerable aside from cornerback A.J. Terrell. I love these odds for Boutte to find the end zone again this week.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Tennessee Titans
Quentin Johnston (WR – LAC) | +190
I'm buying low on Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston to score this week after recently recovering from a hamstring injury and tossing up a goose egg last week on Thursday Night Football in a game that saw the Chargers put up 37 points. I expect the Chargers will put up plenty of points this week as well, taking on a Titans defense ranked in the bottom 10 in total yardage allowed per game and in the bottom five in points allowed per game.
The Titans are also allowing the 11th-most fantasy points per game and are tied for allowing the 11th-most touchdowns to opposing receivers, despite the fact that most opponents have taken early leads and adopted run-heavy game scripts. Johnston was debatably the Chargers’ No. 1 WR in a loaded wide receiver room through the first four weeks of the season, with seven or more targets and 71+ yards in each of his first four games for four touchdowns. His recent swoon now has him as the fifth-most likely Charger to score, which isn’t reflective of his overall involvement in this offense.
While Keenan Allen is the top option in terms of targets around the red zone, Johnston has double the amount of targets inside the 10-yard line than Ladd McConkey, whose odds to score are noticeably shorter than Johnston's. I've cashed on Allen and McConkey when they had the longest odds of the trio to score earlier in the season, and I think Johnston does exactly that against a really bad Titans team this week.
Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals
Kyle Monangai (RB – CHI) | +210
Bears Rookie running back Kyle Monangai seems to be acquiring his footing in the Bears’ offense, garnering 13 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown (all of which are career highs) against the Saints two weeks ago. He tied his second-most carries of the season (seven) in a trailing game script against Baltimore last week. This week sets up perfectly for the Bears’ rushing attack to have a massive day, as they'll be up against a Bengals defense that ranks dead last in the NFL in terms of points allowed per game, as well as both total yardage and rushing yards allowed per game.
Against opposing running backs specifically, the Bengals are allowing the most fantasy points per game of any team in the NFL, and the nine touchdowns they have conceded are tied for third-most in the NFL. Add in the fact that quarterback Joe Flacco's health is questionable for this game, and the Bears could find themselves in a very run-heavy, favorable game script against Jake Browning.
Ben Johnson has made a concerted effort to get Monangai the ball in recent weeks, and he has totaled 22% of all Bears carries inside the 5-yard line despite not being involved in the offense until recently. Give me Monangai to take advantage of a pitiful Bengals defense and find paydirt again this Sunday.
Indianapolis Colts @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Tight end Jonnu Smith has assumed No. 1 TE duties in Pittsburgh from Pat Freiermuth, pacing him in both targets and receptions, as well as yards and touchdowns if you remove Freiermuth's mega outlier performance against the Bengals. While the 7-1 Colts team that the Steelers will face this weekend has seemed like an absolute juggernaut on both sides of the ball, the fact that they've been up so big in so many games provides ample opportunities for opposing pass-catchers.
Indianapolis ranks in the bottom 10 in total yardage allowed per game and in the bottom five in terms of passing yardage allowed per game. They are also surrendering the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends and are tied for allowing the seventh-most touchdowns to the position. Jonnu Smith has a long history with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, dating back to his days in Atlanta and Tennessee, which has manifested in him becoming a critical target around the end zone. Smith has garnered 22% of all targets (two) within the 10-yard line of all Steelers pass-catchers and converted both into touchdowns.
As underdogs of over a field goal in this game, it's logical to assume the Steelers will be chasing points in the late stages, giving Smith more chances to find the end zone in a sneakily advantageous matchup.
San Francisco 49ers @ New York Giants
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has given Giants fans something to be excited about, even though the team is in the middle of another underwhelming and injury-riddled season. The most recent of those injuries happened to rookie running back Cam Skattebo last week, unfortunately landing him on injured reserve (IR) for the remainder of the season.
Dart has been sneakily dangerous with his legs in his rookie campaign, carrying the ball five or more times in each one of his starts and recording four rushing touchdowns in five games. He's been responsible for 25% of the Giants’ red-zone carries, 28% of their carries inside the 10-yard line and 30% of their carries inside the 5-yard line, all of which figure to increase with the injury to Skattebo.
The 49ers’ defense is also dealing with massive injuries to star defenders Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, leaving them much more vulnerable than usual. Anything north of 2/1 odds is a play for me on Dart, who has been more than willing to tuck the ball and run it in the end zone in the early stages of his career.
Denver Broncos @ Houston Texans
Troy Franklin (WR – DEN) | +275
Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin is in the midst of a mini-breakout season, seemingly emerging as the No. 2 WR in Denver's offense. He has recorded eight or more targets in nearly half of their games, and his targets tend to come where it matters most. Franklin ranks third in the entire NFL in red zone targets with 12, which accounts for 34% of all red-zone targets to Broncos pass-catchers.
Franklin’s six targets inside the 10-yard line are also tied for the sixth-most in the league, and make up a third of all Broncos targets inside the 10-yard line. He's in great form right now, with three touchdowns in his last two games, and is coming off a season-high 89 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys. While the Texans are more stout on the defensive side of the ball, I just don't see these odds being reflective of how much work Franklin gets around the end zone. Give me Franklin to stay hot this week and make it four touchdowns in three games.
Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN) | +175
It's pretty insane to suggest that +175 to score an anytime touchdown as a wide receiver is a buy-low opportunity, but that's exactly what we have here with Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson, who still ranks fifth in the NFL in receiving yards despite having what he would probably describe as a mediocre to poor start to his 2025 season. J.J. McCarthy will return at quarterback for the Vikings this week, which could be a good sign for Jefferson, as his lone touchdown of the season came in a McCarthy start in Week 1 against the Bears.
While the Lions are not an easy matchup by any means, their play style and game scripts often leave opposing teams chasing points, which has led to them allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts, including 11 touchdowns, which is the second-most of any team. Jefferson is simply too talented to only have one touchdown this far into the season. His odds to score over the course of his career have been reflective of that, as he has typically been much closer to even odds.
I expect the Vikings to be trailing for a majority of this game, and I like for Jefferson to cash in on a scoring opportunity from the quarterback who has thrown him his only touchdown of the season, with odds that are rarely seen from a player of his caliber.
Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay Packers
Christian Watson (WR – GB) | +250
Packers wideout Christian Watson made his season debut in Week 8 and didn't seem to miss a beat, showcasing his explosive repertoire with four receptions for 85 yards at a clip of 21.3 yards per catch. That's pretty on par for Watson, who is an absolute stick of dynamite when healthy, as he averaged 21.4 yards per catch in 2024 and 15+ yards per catch in the two seasons prior. Matt LaFleur likes to get the ball to Watson out of the backfield as well. Watson is averaging five carries per season with two career rushing touchdowns.
I believe the Panthers’ defensive numbers are slightly favorably skewed due to their Week 3 shutout of the Falcons, but even that hasn't kept them from being a bottom-half scoring defense in the NFL. Although he's a little bit bigger, Watson profiles very similarly to Bills receiver Khalil Shakir, who scored a 54-yard touchdown against Carolina last week. Though there's obviously not a lot of data to draw from because Watson has only suited up for one game this season, he doesn't need to be a target monster to score from anywhere on the field. His odds won't stay this long for the remainder of the year. I'll jump in on Watson at the ground floor and take him to score his first touchdown of the year against Carolina this week.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Las Vegas Raiders
Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – JAX) | +105
I don't often love giving out the player with the shortest odds on the board to score, but sometimes the simplest answer is the best answer. As favorites of nearly a field goal, expect Jacksonville to employ a run-heavy game script this week, which is great for this play, as Etienne has 16+ carries in all but one of Jacksonville's wins. He has also recorded both of his touchdowns in victories this season.
The Raiders are a bottom-10 team in terms of points allowed per game, and the eight rushing touchdowns they have conceded are tied for the third-most in the entire NFL. Etienne is still garnering just shy of 50% of the Jaguars’ red-zone carries despite the love for rookie back Bhayshul Tuten and their willingness to let Trevor Lawrence carry the rock from time to time. The Jaguars should have several red-zone chances this week. I expected Etienne's odds to be much closer to the -150 range, so I'll take anything at plus-money for him to find paydirt this week.
New Orleans Saints @ Los Angeles Rams
Saints wide receiver Chris Olave has been one of the lone positives in New Orleans this season, currently ranking fifth among all receivers with 52 receptions and 13th with 503 yards. He's in really good form right now as well, as his previous four games have been better than his first four games in terms of yardage, touchdowns and yards per reception. While the Saints will be handing the keys to rookie quarterback Tyler Shough for what they hope will be the remainder of the season, that doesn't change the fact that Olave is virtually the only pass-catching threat on this Saints offense.
Olave's 83 targets are 26 more than the next most on the team, and his eight red-zone targets and three targets inside the 10-yard line comprise 29.6% and 27.3%, respectively, of the targets to all Saints pass-catchers. The Saints figure to be in a trailing game script this week, and they're surely going to want to see exactly what they have in Shough, so I expect Olave to have plenty of opportunities throughout the game. While the spot is admittedly not ideal, this play is all about the odds for Olave to score not being reflective of his role and the targets he should see in this offense. Give me Olave to stay hot and score his third touchdown in as many weeks, potentially being on the receiving end of Shough's first career touchdown.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Buffalo Bills
Marquise Brown (WR – KC) | +600
I get that the Chiefs finally have their full complement of receivers back, including a big bounce-back year from tight end Travis Kelce, but the odds on Marquise Brown to score this week are pretty ridiculous for someone with four touchdowns in his last five games playing with one of the best quarterbacks of all time. Brown leads all Chiefs pass-catchers in terms of re-zone targets (eight), and his seven targets inside the 10-yard line are tied for the second-most in the NFL.
Brown has been extremely opportunistic with those targets, as well, turning 66.7% of his red-zone targets and 60% of his targets within the 10-yard line, respectively, into touchdowns. Plenty of points are expected in this game, which features the highest point total on the board for Sunday's slate of games. The Chiefs should have plenty of scoring opportunities.
Brown is flat-out overlooked in this market, especially considering his involvement in and around the red zone, and I'll take this price on him every single time, no matter how many weapons are suiting up in the Kansas City offense. Give me Brown to find the end zone for the fifth time in six weeks in what should be an absolute banger of a game on Sunday afternoon.