September 6, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Keenan Allen dominated in his return to his former club on Friday evening during their victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Allen saw a team-high 10 targets and was able to bring in seven of them for 68 yards and a touchdown. Despite entering his age-33 campaign, Allen was able to emerge as a top option in this offense, alongside second-year wideout
Ladd McConkey. Allen found the back of the end zone in the third quarter on an 11-yard strike from
Justin Herbert. Despite playing on a subpar Chicago offense last season, Allen remained productive, totaling 744 yards and scoring seven touchdowns on 70 receptions. Even though he is playing in a crowded offense with McConkey,
Quentin Johnston, and a strong running back room, Allen appears to have WR3 upside going forward. He should be started in most 12+ team leagues heading into a Week 2 tilt against the Las Vegas Raiders.
--Andy SmithSource: ESPN.com
September 6, 2025
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver
Alec Pierce will open the 2025 season with a home matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Pierce missed some time over the preseason with a groin injury, but he is off the injury report and ready to roll for Week 1. The speedy wideout will operate as the team's WR3 behind
Josh Downs and
Michael Pittman Jr. in a
Daniel Jones-led attack. Pierce has shown the ability to break off explosive plays over his career, but his consistency isn't always there. He sets up as a low-end flex/WR6 heading into Week 1.
--Matt TerelleSource: NFL.com
September 6, 2025
The Tennessee Titans defense should be avoided ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Tennessee didn't make many additions on the defensive side of the ball over the offseason, and they're relatively ill-prepared to face off against a Broncos offense that exceeded expectations last year. Denver has a young star at its quarterback position in
Bo Nix, expects big things from wide receiver
Courtland Sutton this year, welcomed a huge tight end upgrade in
Evan Engram, and added youth and proven track record at running back with
R.J. Harvey and
J.K. Dobbins, respectively. The Broncos' offense can attack teams with a variety of its skill position players, and Tennessee might not have an answer for it. They rank outside the top 20 fantasy D/ST units this week.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 6, 2025
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver
Josh Downs will host the Miami Dolphins to kick off the 2025 NFL season in Week 1. Downs dealt with a hamstring injury for much of August, but he is off the injury report and ready to go on Sunday. The veteran receiver will take on a Dolphins secondary that is considered a team weakness and could struggle to slow opposing pass-catchers. Downs is likely to operate as
Daniel Jones' top target this season, provided he can stay on the field and shake the injury bug that has plagued him over his career. Fantasy managers can treat Downs as a solid WR3/flex option heading into Week 1.
--Matt TerelleSource: NFL.com
September 6, 2025
Tennessee Titans tight end
Chig Okonkwo could carve out a fantasy-relevant role during Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. While the Broncos have a strong defense and could strategize to rattle rookie quarterback
Cameron Ward, Okonkwo is in a favorable position as a tight end, because he should serve as a short- to medium-yardage security blanket for Ward. Plus, while Denver was spectacular against running backs and wide receivers last year, they were merely average against tight ends and allowed the ninth-most receptions to the position. Okonkwo isn't a household name at the tight end position, but he could be a top-18 option this week and therefore warrants some consideration for your lineups in deeper leagues.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 6, 2025
Miami Dolphins running back
Ollie Gordon II is set to be the primary backup for the team when they open the season on Sunday afternoon against the Colts. Gordon had a strong preseason with 126 rushing yards and a touchdown, along with three catches for 48 receiving yards over his three preseason games. Gordon was a sixth-round pick of the Dolphins out of Oklahoma State, and he was the biggest running back in the draft class. He showed off his power running style this preseason and could grow into a nice complement and change-of-pace option behind
De'Von Achane.
Jaylen Wright (knee) has been ruled out for Week 1, leaving Gordon as the primary backup behind Achane. Gordon is the RB41 in RotoBaller's rankings for Week 1, making him one of the best backups on the board, but a long-shot starter in most standard formats. He's definitely an exciting rookie to watch in Week 1, but his role isn't big enough to start him as a FLEX play quite yet.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 6, 2025
Tennessee Titans wide receiver
Elic Ayomanor is set to make his NFL debut against the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon. The rookie out of Stanford projects to operate as the team's No. 3 receiver behind
Calvin Ridley and
Tyler Lockett. On one hand, Ayomanor could see a bump in opportunities if Ridley is smothered by Patrick Surtain II and simply becomes a non-factor in the passing attack. On the other hand, though, many of those targets will be funneled to Lockett, and the Broncos' generally strong defense could rattle Ward enough to the point where he's ineffective passing to all of his receivers. Ayomanor is a fine fantasy stash, but he should be left on your bench until we have a clearer understanding of his exact role and usage in the Titans' offense.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 6, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs running back
Kareem Hunt was inefficient during their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday evening. Hunt ran the ball five times for a mere 16 yards, averaging a low 3.2 yards per carry. Through the air, Hunt was able to bring in two of his three targets for 10 yards. Despite his modest showing on the ground, Hunt saw the same amount of carries (five) as presumed starter
Isiah Pacheco. However, given Hunt's underwhelming production, the Chiefs may look to decrease his workload later in the season as Pacheco averaged 5.0 YPC in this contest. In 2024, Hunt replaced the injured Pacheco and served as the lead option for most of the campaign, but carried a low ceiling as he posted a similar 3.2 YPC on 200 attempts. For now, managers in deeper formats should view Hunt as low-range, touchdown-dependent RB3 heading into their Week 2 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
--Andy SmithSource: ESPN.com
September 6, 2025
Tennessee Titans wide receiver
Tyler Lockett will make his team debut in Week 1, facing off against the Denver Broncos. After a long and effective tenure in Seattle, Lockett is now a Titan and will catch passes from rookie quarterback
Cameron Ward. The veteran receiver could benefit from this week's matchup. Although Denver has a very strong defense anchored by elite cornerback Patrick Surtain II, Ward could look to funnel passes to Lockett if Ridley is routinely smothered by Surtain on the perimeter. Lockett has developed into a short- to medium-yardage option and can benefit Ward as he gets open to provide an outlet for the young quarterback. Lockett might not crack 50 yards and a touchdown, but he should see at least a handful of targets with the potential to be a low-end starter in deep PPR formats.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 6, 2025
Tennessee Titans wide receiver
Calvin Ridley is expected to have a strong season, but it could start off on a relatively sour note. Ridley faces the Denver Broncos on Sunday, which means he'll spend most of his time being covered by elite cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Last season, Surtain allowed just 1.15 fantasy points per target to opposing receivers, which ranked second-lowest in the NFL. As a team, the Broncos allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position, as well as the fewest touchdowns. While Ward will surely throw Ridley's way often, especially if the Titans are trailing, the odds of Ridley breaking off numerous big plays are severely reduced. For this week only, you can probably find a better WR3/FLEX option than Ridley.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 6, 2025
Miami Dolphins running back
De'Von Achane has no injury designation and should be ready to go on Sunday when the Dolphins face the Colts. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to a calf injury, but was able to return to full practice on Friday. He may share more work with exciting rookie Ollie Gordon with
Jaylen Wright (knee) out, but Achane's speed and play-breaking ability on the outside make him the favorite to carry most of the work in Miami's backfield this season. Last year, Achane played all 17 games, totaling 907 rushing yards on 203 attempts, 592 receiving yards on 78 catches, and scoring a total of 12 touchdowns. His dual-threat production has him ranked as the RB5 for Week 1 in RotoBaller's rankings, and he is an elite play who should be started in all season-long formats.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 6, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
Tyquan Thornton was given a larger opportunity on Friday evening during their contest against the Chargers, following the injury to top wideout
Xavier Worthy. Worthy suffered a shoulder injury in the opening quarter, which paved the way for Thornton to have a significant role in the season opener. Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes looked his way four times, but he was only able to bring in two of them for 41 yards. His longest catch of the evening came on a 38-yard pass. While Mahomes looked his way downfield, Thornton was unable to connect consistently. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Worthy's status, as Thornton could emerge as the team's primary deep threat if he were to miss an extended period of time. However, he will be tough to trust in most formats as he will likely slot in as the No. 3 WR in the offense, behind
Marquise Brown and
JuJu Smith-Schuster.
--Andy SmithSource: ESPN.com
September 6, 2025
Tennessee Titans running back
Tony Pollard opens the 2025 season with a difficult Week 1 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Pollard averaged 67.4 rushing yards per game last season, and he's facing a Broncos defense that allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards and fourth-fewest rushing touchdowns to opposing running backs last year. While Denver did show some susceptibility against pass-catching backs, Pollard will likely need to touch the ball around 20 times (or score a touchdown) to make him a meaningful fantasy starter. Managers should treat him as an RB3/FLEX option heading into this weekend.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 6, 2025
Tennessee Titans quarterback
Cameron Ward opens his NFL career on the road against the Denver Broncos in Week 1. This matchup would have an unfavorable outlook for any quarterback, and that's especially true with a rookie who has not yet played a regular-season snap. While Ward did show that he can handle tough matchups in college, a Broncos defense led by Patrick Surtain II and Nik Bonitto is a whole different beast. Fantasy managers should expect that Denver will implement a game plan intended to rattle Ward early. Whether that game plan is effective remains to be seen, but with such a difficult matchup waiting for him, Ward can be left on the bench in most fantasy leagues this week.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 6, 2025
Miami Dolphins quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa starts the season healthy and with a good group of pass-catchers as he leads his team to Indianapolis to take on the Colts. Since he doesn't run very much at all, the 27-year-old has limited upside. No quarterback in the NFL had a lower air yards per attempt (5.8) than Tua in 2024, and he averaged just over 260 passing yards per game while throwing 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games. The Colts were a slightly above-average matchup for quarterbacks last year, and Tagovailoa always has the potential for a big day if his playmakers find space. He typically focuses on short, accurate passes, though, rather than taking deep shots. He is the QB21 this week, making him a low-end starter in two-quarterback leagues in Week 1 even though his offense appears to be healthy.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
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