Sep 12, 2026, 4:50 PM ET

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson had the best season of his career in 2025, recording 77 catches for 889 yards and three touchdowns on 102 targets across 17 games. With Saints rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) on Injured Reserve to begin the year, Johnson appears set to open 2026 as the number two option in the New Orleans passing game behind only star wide receiver Chris Olave. In Week 1, Johnson and the Saints will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. The Lions fielded a slightly below-average pass defense against tight ends in 2025, allowing the 13th-most fantasy points to the position. However, Detroit will be without starting safeties Brian Branch (Achilles) and Kerby Joseph (knee) to begin the year, and the team lost top coverage linebacker Alex Anzalone to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. With a favorable matchup against the Lions, Johnson profiles as a low-end TE1 option for fantasy managers in Week 1.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 12, 2026, 4:36 PM ET

Across 13 games in 2025, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele recorded 25 catches for 293 yards and two touchdowns on 39 targets. The 28-year-old saw minimal usage early in the year, but his production picked up following the Saints' midseason trade of former wideout Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks. With Saints rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) on Injured Reserve to begin the year, Vele could once again be the WR2 alongside Chris Olave in New Orleans. In Week 1, the Saints have a favorable matchup on paper against a Detroit Lions defense that will be without both starting safeties in Brian Branch (Achilles) and Kerby Joseph (knee). Across his final four games of 2025, Vele averaged over 12 PPR fantasy points per game. He profiles as an under-the-radar deep-league flex option in Week 1.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 12, 2026, 4:25 PM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles announced on Saturday that rookie tight end Eli Stowers (quad, hamstring) has been placed on Injured Reserve. A second-round pick out of Vanderbilt, Stowers is expected to play a complementary role in his team's tight end room behind Eagles TE1 Dallas Goedert. While Stowers may still eventually carve out a role in the Philadelphia passing game, his NFL debut will now be delayed by at least four weeks. With Stowers on IR, Goedert's fantasy outlook for the Eagles' season opener against the Washington Commanders on Sunday looks a little bit safer. Stowers remains a worthy stash in dynasty formats, but he should be off the radar of redraft managers for the time being.--Will Brady
Source: Philadelphia Eagles

Sep 12, 2026, 4:19 PM ET

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush (back) experienced back spasms on Saturday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. With Falcons quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) and Michael Penix Jr. (knee) both ruled out for Week 1, Rush is in line to start the team's season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Schefter reports that Atlanta still expects Rush to be active, but it appears he may not be fully healthy. A career backup, Rush threw for 303 yards, zero touchdowns, and four interceptions across four games (two starts) with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025. With a hobbled Rush under center, fantasy managers should downgrade expectations for Falcons wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. If Rush is unable to play, undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Strand would be the next man up for Atlanta.--Will Brady
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter

Sep 12, 2026, 4:11 PM ET

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave put together the most productive season of his career in 2026, recording 100 catches for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns on 156 targets across 16 games. The 26-year-old's numbers really took off in the second half of the season after Tyler Shough took over as the Saints' starting quarterback. Entering 2026, Olave will have a full season playing alongside Shough and should dominate target share in New Orleans, with Saints rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) opening the year on Injured Reserve. In Week 1, Olave and the Saints will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. Detroit's pass defense fell apart down the stretch of the 2025 season, allowing more than 250 passing yards in four out of its final seven games. The Lions' secondary still has major questions in 2026, as the team will be without both starting safeties in Brian Branch (Achilles) and Kerby Joseph (knee) to begin the year. All in all, Olave profiles as a high-end WR1 option for fantasy managers in Week 1.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 12, 2026, 4:03 PM ET

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (knee) looks likely to play Sunday against Detroit, but that does not make him a good fantasy start. Kamara practiced fully on Friday after being limited the previous two days, though he remains questionable with the knee injury that kept him out for most of training camp. The bigger issue is the workload. Travis Etienne Jr. is expected to lead the backfield, and the Saints can also mix in Kendre Miller even with Audric Estime ruled out. Kamara is coming off a 2025 season in which he ran for 471 yards and one touchdown in 11 games while catching 33 passes for 186 yards. Detroit was also one of the tougher matchups for running backs last season. RotoBaller has Kamara at RB63 for Week 1 and recommends leaving him out of starting lineups. His receiving role should eventually bring back some PPR value, but this is not the week to chase it.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 12, 2026, 3:55 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs defense will take on the Denver Broncos at home in Week 1. The Broncos offense was essentially middle-of-the-pack in 2025, scoring the 14th-most points in the league, but there are reasons to believe that their offense will be improved heading into 2026. The addition of Jaylen Waddle to the offense upgrades the Denver passing game by giving them a star receiver who has the ability to break off a big play at any time. The return of a healthy J.K. Dobbins also helps the Broncos' run game, giving them an explosive veteran out of the backfield. The Chiefs defense is also dealing with injuries, most notably Chamarri Conner being ruled out for Monday night. One positive note is that Andy Reid told the press star DT Chris Jones will suit up for the game. The combination of an improved Denver offense and a banged-up Kansas City defense makes them a shaky start this week. The Chiefs defense is ranked 19th in our RotoBaller Week 1 rankings, making them a low-end option. Fantasy managers may want to look for another defense to start this week.--Joshua Costello
Source: Harold R. Kuntz - Twitter

Sep 12, 2026, 3:52 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker will face the Denver Broncos on Monday night. Butker finished the 2025 season as the 10th-ranked kicker in fantasy, and he may be able to eclipse that mark this season. The Kansas City offense is expected to be improved going into 2026 with the addition of star running back Kenneth Walker and the return of Patrick Mahomes from his ACL injury. Butker hit 86.8% of his field goals in 2025, lower than his career mark of 88.4%. Despite a slight regression in accuracy, Butker could improve based on volume. If the Chiefs offense does improve year over year, there will be more scoring opportunities and therefore more kicks for Butker. His road to being a valuable fantasy kicker will be tough in Week 1 against the Broncos. If the Chiefs offense is unable to move the ball much, Butker won't find himself within field goal range often. Butker is ranked K21 in our RotoBaller Week 1 rankings, likely due to the strength of the Denver defense and the projected rust of Mahomes returning. Fantasy managers may be better off looking elsewhere for a kicker, at least for Week 1.--Joshua Costello
Source: ESPN.com

Sep 12, 2026, 3:50 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Emmett Johnson will man the RB2 role against the Denver Broncos in Week 1. Johnson has impressed throughout training camp and the preseason and has established himself as the RB2 on the Kansas City depth chart. It remains to be seen how much run he will get behind the presumptive bell-cow Kenneth Walker, but Johnson should be efficient with his opportunities. The rookie back displayed that his tackle-breaking ability has transferred over to the NFL from college as he shed defenders numerous times throughout the preseason. Johnson also showed some of his pass-catching ability, giving even more reason to view him as a desirable handcuff behind Walker. Johnson's opportunities may be few and yards may be hard to come by against the Denver defense on Monday night. The Broncos allowed the second-fewest rushing yards in the NFL last season, and that run-stopping ability is likely to carry over to this year. Johnson is ranked RB56 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, making him a very low-end flex option in deep leagues. Fantasy managers should view Johnson as more of a handcuff/bench stash rather than an actual viable starter in his current situation.--Joshua Costello
Source: ESPN.com

Sep 12, 2026, 3:49 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will have to face the Denver Broncos on Monday night in Week 1. It will not be a soft landing for the soon-to-be 37-year-old tight end. Kelce will have to face off against arguably the best defensive unit in football to start the 2026 season. It also remains to be seen how involved Kelce will be in the offense given his age and the addition of Kenneth Walker to the backfield. The entire Kansas City offensive game plan could shift toward a more run-heavy approach given the talent they recently acquired. The passing game will also run through Rashee Rice as the primary receiver with Kelce taking a backseat. That said, Kelce is just 45 receiving yards away from passing Jason Witten for the 2nd most receiving yards for a tight end in NFL history. Kelce is ranked TE9 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, making him a low-end TE1 option. Fantasy managers who decided to wait on TE can plug Kelce into their lineups despite the tough matchup.--Joshua Costello
Source: Rob Collins - Twitter

Sep 12, 2026, 3:47 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was listed on the injury report with a shoulder injury but has since been removed after practicing fully all week. Worthy should operate as the WR2 for the Chiefs, behind Rashee Rice in the pecking order. Worthy could be in line for a sneaky good season if the Kansas City offense is able to bounce back. The addition of Kenneth Walker to the backfield could open up things downfield for Worthy to succeed. Defenses will not be able to focus solely on stopping the pass now that the Chiefs have a real threat at running back. Despite being set up to succeed, Worthy could have a hard time producing against the Broncos defense on Monday night. Injuries on the Kansas City offensive line could also make things difficult for Worthy. If Patrick Mahomes does not have time to let plays develop downfield, the passing game may have to focus on the short and intermediate parts of the field where Walker, Rice, and Travis Kelce operate. Worthy is ranked WR53 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, making him a dart throw option in deep leagues given the tough matchup and his shaky role in the offense. Fantasy managers may be better off taking a wait-and-see approach with Worthy in Week 1.--Joshua Costello
Source: Chiefs.com

Sep 12, 2026, 3:45 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was listed on the injury report with the knee issue he's been dealing with since last season, but he participated fully in practice all week and should be ready to roll. Rice will operate as the Chiefs WR1 again this season after dealing with legal and health issues this offseason. Rice has been nothing but effective for the Chiefs, producing WR1 numbers for fantasy, especially in PPR formats. The matchup this week will be tough given the strength of the Broncos defense, but Rice should be able to produce mainly as a slot receiver. The addition of Kenneth Walker should also help open things up for Rice in the middle of the field, since defenses will need to worry about stopping the run. Given the age of Travis Kelce, Rice should be the undisputed top target for Patrick Mahomes once again. These videos out of camp earlier this offseason were a bit concerning since Rice did not look fully healthy, but his ability to practice in full all week should give fantasy managers some optimism surrounding his health. Head coach Andy Reid also commented on Rice, stating that the wideout should be fine going into the season. Rice is ranked WR14 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, making him a high-end WR2 option against the Denver defense. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable putting Rice in their lineups, but keep in mind that his fantasy output could be diminished this week.--Joshua Costello
Source: SleeperNFL - Twitter

Sep 12, 2026, 3:44 PM ET

The Chicago Bears elevated wide receiver Kaden Davis from the practice squad to the game-day roster Saturday, according to Brad Biggs. The move gives Chicago another option at receiver with Rome Odunze (calf) questionable for Sunday's opener against Carolina. Odunze was limited in all three practices this week, although head coach Ben Johnson said Friday that he has looked good. Davis spent the preseason with Chicago and caught five passes for 93 yards before being waived at final cuts and brought back on the practice squad. His NFL experience is limited. Davis has appeared in three regular-season games and has yet to record a reception, with most of his work coming on special teams. Kalif Raymond and Zavion Thomas are already behind Odunze on Chicago's depth chart, so Davis isn't suddenly in line for a major offensive role if Odunze sits. This looks more like added game-day insurance and special-teams depth than a player fantasy managers need to add.--Bruno Mulé
Source: Brad Biggs

Sep 12, 2026, 3:42 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker will make his Chiefs debut against the Denver Broncos on Monday night in Week 1. Walker recently had an injury scare when he missed practice due to a foot issue, but it was stated to be an issue with his cleat that has since been resolved. Walker was not listed on the injury report this week, meaning that he should be a full go to begin the season. Walker was highly effective for the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs as the feature back after playing in a committee for the regular season, and now he will get the opportunity to be a bell-cow for Kansas City. The 25-year-old is in the prime of his career and should handle the vast majority of carries as well as a handful of catches out of the backfield each week. The Chiefs were among the best teams in rushing success rate last season but lacked the explosiveness to make big plays, so Walker should fill that role quite nicely. The season outlook for Walker is better than his Week 1 outlook, mostly due to the tough matchup. The Broncos defense allowed the second-fewest rushing yards in 2025, meaning that Walker could have a hard time getting things going on the ground, but he could get involved in the passing game. The Kansas City offensive line is also dealing with injuries, which could make things even more difficult for the Chiefs running back. Walker is also a home run hitter, meaning that it just takes one play for him to break off a big run and make an impact. There are obstacles in his way, but Walker should get ample opportunity to make something happen. Walker is ranked RB12 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, making him a back-end RB1 option this week. Fantasy managers should be excited by his new situation this season, but temper expectations in Week 1.--Joshua Costello
Source: SleeperNFL - Twitter