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.

From RotoBaller

Tennessee Titans kicker Joey Slye should generate some interest as a low-end fantasy streamer ahead of his Week 1 matchup with the Denver Broncos. While Denver has a good defense, Slye stands to benefit because the Titans' offense could be more likely to stall out in scoring position, leading to field goal opportunities. Additionally, the veteran kicker has a very strong leg, converting from as long as 63 yards out last season with the Patriots. His kicking power could translate nicely to this week's matchup, as the thin altitude at Mile High Stadium is a kicker's best friend. While we'd prefer a highly dependable kicker in a high-powered offense, managers looking for last-minute replacements should be content with the idea of streaming Slye this week.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell will open the 2025 season with a home matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Mitchell finds himself buried on the team's depth chart behind Josh Downs, Michael Pittman Jr., and Alec Pierce to open the year. The wideout showed some flashes in his rookie season last year, but he is unlikely to see enough opportunities to be a difference-maker in fantasy, at least early in the season. Mitchell is not a recommended fantasy option at the moment, but remains a solid stash in dynasty formats.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (oblique/calf) has been limited in training camp and did not play in the preseason. He was diagnosed with an oblique injury in August but was able to put in limited practices all week until returning to a full practice on Friday. Since he doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game at Indianapolis, Hill should be ready for a full workload in Week 1. He's coming off a disappointing season last year, when he only had 81 catches for 959 yards and six touchdowns. There was plenty of drama at the end of the season and offseason, but the team seems ready to put that behind them and play ball this season. The Colts' secondary should be a good matchup for him to start a potential bounce-back season against, and Hill is WR15 in the RotoBaller rankings. He profiles as a strong WR2 in standard leagues with a potential high ceiling if he breaks out for a big play or two.

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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will open his second pro season against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Maye showed several flashes of potential last year, and there's optimism that his accurate passing skills and mobility could make him a fringe top-12 quarterback this year. He definitely has top-12 upside in Week 1 against the Raiders, who allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks last year. It also helps that Maye is playing with the best receiver group of his career, headlined by veteran Stefon Diggs. Maye should be started in all two-quarterback formats, and he's even a strong option in deeper single-quarterback leagues.

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Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren will make his NFL debut at home against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. Warren will draw a decent matchup against a Miami defense that allowed the 11th-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends in 2024. The first-round rookie out of Penn State drew rave reviews throughout training camp and should be a big piece of the Indy offense starting in Week 1. He can be slotted into starting lineups as a low-end TE1 and even as a flex option in tight-end premium leagues for Sunday's contest.

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New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson remains a fine RB3/FLEX option for fantasy football heading into Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders. While the writing is on the wall for rookie Tre'Veyon Henderson to eventually take over this backfield from Stevenson, the Patriots' unofficial depth chart lists Stevenson as its No. 1 running back for the season opener. This could be an elaborate smokescreen, but it's more likely that the Patriots open the year with Stevenson leading their backfield while Henderson gets acclimated to the NFL. The window is closing fast for Stevenson, but he does still have a couple of weeks left as a solid RB3/FLEX.

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Indianapolis Colts kicker Spencer Shrader will open the year against the Miami Dolphins at home in Week 1. Shrader takes over for Matt Gay, whom the Colts released back in April, with the team indicating that their belief in Shrader was part of the reason they made the move. The Dolphins were generous to opposing kickers last year as they allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to the position. That being said, it remains to be seen just how well the Colts are able to move the ball with Daniel Jones under center.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

From RotoBaller

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.

From RotoBaller