September 5, 2025
The Baltimore Ravens defense/special teams has one of the tougher matchups in Week 1. They take on the reigning MVP,
Josh Allen, and the Buffalo Bills, who put up 27 points on them with no turnovers. The Ravens did add two highly touted rookies to the defense in Mike Green and Malaki Starks, while adding veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, who was cleared from the injury report. While RotoBaller has the Ravens ranked as the fourth-best defense heading into this season, they're only projected to get 4.0 points. Fantasy managers may just have to take the gamble and look towards better matchups throughout the season.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
September 5, 2025
Houston Texans tight end
Dalton Schultz restructured his deal this offseason and remains the top pass-catching tight end in his team's passing game. However, he posted five-year lows last year with 53 catches for 532 yards and only a pair of touchdowns despite playing in all 17 regular-season games last year. He still has 500+ yards in five straight years with an average of 4.8 touchdowns per year, and if the Texans' offense bounces back, he could climb back to fantasy relevance. Without
Christian Kirk (hamstring), he could get a few more targets in Week 1 against the Rams, but he starts the year at No. 24 in the RotoBaller rankings. He has touchdown-dependent upside, but he doesn't have as much dynamic play-making upside as other fringe starters.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 5, 2025
Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. will make just the fourth start of his professional career on Sunday, coming into the Week 1 contest with a 58.1 percent completion percentage and a 3:3 TD:INT. While that may not inspire confidence, the former eighth-overall draft pick has had plenty of time to prepare for the home matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that ranked third-worst in terms of passing yards per game (245.3) and allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing signal callers in 2024. However, the Bucs' pass defense will be healthier than they were last season, will have added veteran linebacker Haason Reddick, and the Falcons will be without starting right tackle Kaleb McGary and backup Storm Norton, leaving the 25-year-old's blind side to third-stringer Elijah Wilkinson. Mix in a banged-up
Darnell Mooney (shoulder), and the University of Washington product should be considered a low-end QB2 in Week 1.
--Jarod RuppSource: Pro Football Reference
September 5, 2025
Baltimore Ravens kicker
Tyler Loop has big shoes to fill in his first season after being drafted with the 186th overall pick this year. Despite the shaky last season and shady off-field allegations, the Ravens were used to one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history with
Justin Tucker. Loop showed some impressive leg strength throughout training camp and the preseason, and he should get plenty of opportunities with the way this offense can move the ball. Another aspect in his favor is that head coach John Harbaugh is a former special teams coach who knows when to put trust in his guys. Loop's ADP was in the middle of the pack for his position, but he has the highest Week 1 projection in RotoBaller's rankings with 8.9 fantasy points against the Buffalo Bills.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
September 5, 2025
Houston Texans wide receiver
Jaylin Noel will make his NFL debut on Sunday against the Rams, and there could be work available since
Christian Kirk (hamstring) is out, moving him up the depth chart. While
Jayden Higgins and
Xavier Hutchinson will likely rotate across from
Nico Collins, Noel is a more natural fit in the slot, where Kirk is expected to spend most of his time when healthy. If the Texans choose to keep Collins out wide, Noel could slide into Kirk's spot in the slot. The third-round pick is coming off a 1,000-yard season for the Iowa State Cyclones and will be a very important sleeper to watch in Week 1 to see how ready he is to contribute to Houston's offense if Kirk misses more time. Noel is ranked as just the WR91 in RotoBaller's rankings in Week 1, so he is still a long-shot starter, but definitely a sleeper to monitor.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 5, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers running back
Kenneth Gainwell is set to make his regular-season debut for the team in a Week 1 contest against the New York Jets. Gainwell, who spent the first four years of his career in Philadelphia, is listed as Pittsburgh's RB2 to open the campaign and should mix in behind
Jaylen Warren. While rookie RB
Kaleb Johnson is expected to eventually carve out a significant role, it may take some time before he earns snaps over the proven veterans. Still, it's unlikely that Gainwell offers much fantasy value, especially in this matchup. The Jets were solid against opposing backs last season, and Sunday's contest isn't projected to be high-scoring. Fantasy managers can keep an eye on his usage, but Gainwell can be left on waiver wires for the time being.
--Jorden HillSource: RotoBaller
September 5, 2025
Houston Texans wide receiver
Xavier Hutchinson earned more playing time with a big training camp, and he could have a chance to secure a bigger role moving forward since the team will be without
Christian Kirk (hamstring) for Week 1. Hutchinson finished last season with four catches for 52 yards in the playoff loss to the Chiefs, but the sixth-round pick from 2023 only has 20 catches for 207 receiving yards and no touchdowns in 32 games over his first two seasons. In camp, Hutchinson was operating as the team's third receiver behind only Kirk and
Nico Collins, working ahead of rookies
Jaylin Noel and
Jayden Higgins. Without Kirk, he could have a chance to step up in Week 1 if the rookies aren't ready, even though he's in a tough matchup on the road against the Rams. He's the WR86 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings, so he's still a deep sleeper but does bring upside worth watching.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 5, 2025
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver
DeAndre Hopkins looks to be stepping into the role that
Nelson Agholor played over the last couple of seasons. That isn't saying too much, as Agholor only amassed 231 yards and two touchdowns on 14 receptions last year. Hopkins is obviously the better talent of the two, but the 33-year-old finished as the WR48 last season and totaled 56 receptions for 610 yards and five touchdowns. He'll likely flash in a few games this season, but will ultimately be hard to trust week-to-week. He's not recommended in 12-team leagues for Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, especially with the six-point projection on RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
September 5, 2025
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver
Jayden Higgins could be called upon as the team's second receiver in his NFL debut since
Christian Kirk (hamstring) has been ruled out. Higgins was listed on the team's unofficial depth chart as starting next to Kirk and
Nico Collins, but with Kirk out, he could draw even more targets against a tough Rams defense. Higgins was impressive in training camp and finished with five catches on seven targets for 40 yards in the preseason. The No. 34 overall pick in this year's draft is viewed as a carbon copy of Collins' skill set, and he could be very involved right away. He's the WR58 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings, so he's still a long-shot starter, but he could be a flex flier worth considering in deep leagues. He's definitely an important rookie to watch in Week 1 to evaluate how ready he is to contribute moving forward.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 5, 2025
Baltimore Ravens tight end
Mark Andrews was the target of a lot of hatred and criticism the last time he took on the Buffalo Bills. His last-minute drop sealed their fate in the playoffs, then he had to hear his name in constant trade rumors. Despite the playoff miscue and a few goose eggs throughout the regular season, Andrews finished as the TE5 on the year with 55 receptions for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns on 69 targets. While the double-digit touchdown mark will be hard to hit again, Andrews has scored at least six times in five of his seven years. With
Isaiah Likely (foot) ruled out for Week 1, Andrews' value gets a bit of a boost as well. He should be considered a mid-level TE1 for this matchup.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
September 5, 2025
Houston Texans wide receiver
Nico Collins is usually a target magnet, and he could be even busier than usual in Week 1 since the Texans won't have offseason additions
Christian Kirk (hamstring) or
Braxton Berrios (hamstring) in addition to
Tank Dell (knee), who is expected to miss most or all of the season. The rest of the Texans' targets are inexperienced, with rookies
Jayden Higgins and
Jaylin Noel possibly getting a chance to step up, along with third-year receiver
Xavier Hutchinson, who has just 20 regular-season catches. Collins is coming off his second straight 1,000-yard season despite being limited to only 12 games. He had seven regular-season touchdowns and was a top-10 receiver in fantasy points per game for the second straight year. Without many other proven options, quarterback
C.J. Stroud could look his way early and often against the Rams. He'll be the focus of the passing game but will also get plenty of attention from the defense, leaving him as a strong starting option in all formats as the No. 9 WR in the RotoBaller rankings.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 5, 2025
Houston Texans running back
Dameon Pierce should have an opportunity to contribute early in the season for his team, since
Joe Mixon (ankle) is on the reserve/non-football injury list and will miss at least the first four weeks and possibly longer. Pierce is expected to share the workload in the backfield with veteran
Nick Chubb and rookie
Woody Marks. Chubb will likely take the lead on early-down work, with Marks playing on receiving downs and Pierce mixing in as well. Exactly how the timeshare is divided out will go a long way to determining the fantasy value of all three running backs at the start of the season. Chubb has been inefficient since returning from injury, but Pierce has also struggled since producing 939 rushing yards on 220 carries as a rookie back in 2022. He had just 40 carries last year but racked up 293 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. If Pierce stays healthy and Chubb struggles, the younger, more explosive back could play his way up the depth chart for new Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley if he comes out strong against the Rams in Week 1, so keep an eye on how the timeshare plays out. Pierce is extremely high-risk in the unclear situation, though, so he's only RB63 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings, and he shouldn't be started until his playing time is more certain.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 5, 2025
The Cleveland Browns defense will open up the 2025 season with a home matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. The Browns hope to bounce back on the defensive side of the ball after a disappointing 2024 season, but they draw a tough matchup against an explosive Cincy offense to kick off the season. The Bengals should have little trouble moving the ball and putting points on the board in Week 1, making the Browns D/ST a unit to avoid heading into the first weekend of the season.
--Matt TerelleSource: NFL.com
September 5, 2025
Houston Texans running back
Woody Marks will make his NFL debut on Sunday afternoon when the Texans head to SoFi Stadium to take on the Rams. Marks is expected to be the team's top receiving-down back and could play his way into a larger role with
Nick Chubb and
Dameon Pierce also expected to be involved while
Joe Mixon (ankle) is on the reserve/non-football injury list. Marks was a fourth-round pick for the Texans out of USC, and he racked up 63 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, along with four catches for 20 yards this preseason. He worked mostly behind Pierce and Chubb, but depending on the game script, he could be a sneaky FLEX play down the road. In Week 1, he's the RB60 in RotoBaller's rankings, so he isn't a good start just yet, although he's a strong stash based on his long-term outlook and potential upside.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 5, 2025
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver
Rashod Bateman finally flashed a bit of the talent last season that the team has been patiently awaiting. Entering his fifth year, Bateman more than doubled his career touchdown total last season as he hauled in nine touchdown passes. He also registered career highs in targets (72), yards (756), and yards per target (10.5). With that being said, Bateman is often third in the receiving pecking order, behind
Zay Flowers and
Mark Andrews.
Isaiah Likely (foot) has already been ruled out, but the Ravens picked up
DeAndre Hopkins in the offseason. That leaves Bateman as a touchdown-or-bust type of option against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. RotoBaller's projections currently have him down for around eight fantasy points in PPR formats, which would only make him relevant in deeper leagues.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
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