Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is set to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 of the 2025 season. The Chiefs will face off against the Chargers on Friday in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the first international game of the year. Mahomes is coming off a disappointing season from a statistical standpoint, but Kansas City still made it to the Super Bowl last year, so it wasn't all bad. That said, fantasy managers are anticipating a return to MVP form for Mahomes since he was drafted as the consensus QB6 across multiple platforms this offseason, despite finishing as the QB12 in 2024. There are reasons for optimism since the Kansas City offense looked in top form during their preseason game, and Mahomes looks to have a rejuvenated Travis Kelce to throw to. If the offense takes a step forward from last season, Mahomes could be a draft-day value.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) missed practice again on Thursday, putting his Week 1 availability in serious doubt. The 25-year-old has not practiced since undergoing foot surgery on August 1, and it appears unlikely he will be ready for the opener. Likely carved out a meaningful role in 2024, appearing in 16 games (nine starts) and recording 42 catches for 477 yards and six touchdowns. The expectation entering this season was that Likely would continue to complement star tight end Mark Andrews, but his absence to start the year should consolidate targets for Andrews in Baltimore's passing game. Fantasy managers should confidently deploy Andrews as a TE1, while Likely profiles more as a stash option who could regain relevance once healthy and gradually work back into a secondary role in the Ravens' offense.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (ankle) practiced in full on Thursday and has been officially removed from the team's injury report. Brown, who managed only two games in 2024 due to injury, will look to bounce back after posting just nine receptions for 91 yards a year ago. Now healthy, the Chiefs expect Brown to pair with rookie Xavier Worthy as their top outside threats in Patrick Mahomes' offense. While the seventh-year veteran has flashed upside in the past, he owns only one career 1,000-yard season and has struggled to stay consistent. Fantasy managers should view Brown as a late-round flier with speculative upside in deeper formats, especially if he can stay healthy and carve out a steady role as Kansas City's vertical weapon.

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Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper has informed the team that he intends to retire ahead of Week 1, citing a lack of desire to continue playing. Cooper, who joined the Raiders this offseason in hopes of competing for a starting role, was listed behind rookie Dont'e Thornton Jr. on the initial depth chart. The five-time Pro Bowler spent last season with the Browns and Bills, starting 10 of 14 games while recording 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns. Cooper leaves the NFL after a decorated career, finishing with over 10,000 receiving yards and 64 touchdowns across stops with the Raiders, Cowboys, Browns, and Bills. His departure opens additional opportunities for Thornton and fellow rookie Jack Bech to carve out meaningful roles in the Raiders' passing game this season.

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Receiver Amari Cooper has informed the Raiders that he no longer has any desire to play football and plans to retire, according to Ian Rapoport.

With Houston Texans wide receivers Christian Kirk (hamstring) and Braxton Berrios (hamstring) currently sidelined with injuries, KPRC 2 Sports' Aaron Wilson suggests that rookie Jaylin Noel "figures heavily into the replacement plan" heading into Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams. Wilson goes on to write that Noel is a "classic slot receiver with 4.39 speed and good hands." The third-rounder, not fellow rookie Jayden Higgins, could be the better DFS sleeper on Sunday against the Rams if Kirk is ruled out. The Iowa State product is coming off a 1,000-yard season in college and could be thrown into the fire right away, although Nico Collins, Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson could all see bigger roles on Sunday, as well, if Kirk is unable to suit up. Kirk is going to get the first shot at WR2 duties behind Collins, but he needs to be healthy in order to do so.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (foot) returned to practice on Thursday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. It's unclear if Reed was limited or a full participant, but the fact that he's on the field at all is good news for his chances of playing in the Week 1 season opener this Sunday against the division-rival Detroit Lions. The 25-year-old is working his way through a Jones fracture in his left foot and was listed as a DNP on the first injury report of the year. With all that said, even if Reed is able to suit up this weekend, there's a chance he'll be somewhat limited if he's still not 100 percent. Already a boom/bust fantasy wideout, especially after the addition of first-round rookie Matthew Golden, Reed would be a shaky WR4/flex starting fantasy option against Detroit. It's most likely that Reed will end up listed as limited on Thursday's final report.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk (hamstring) was not seen practicing with the rest of the team on Thursday in the portion of practice open to the media, according to Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle. Although Kirk's final practice participation is unknown, this is definitely something to watch after he was listed as a DNP on Wednesday. If Kirk ends up with a second straight DNP, his availability for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams will be firmly up in the air. When healthy, he's expected to start out of the slot as the No. 2 behind Nico Collins for the Texans, but a slow start or missed games due to injury will quickly open the door for rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. The 28-year-old will need to get in at least a limited practice on Friday to have a shot to play this weekend if he's DNP again on Thursday.

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The Buffalo Bills signed free-agent veteran kicker Matt Prater to their practice squad on Thursday, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Fantasy managers that drafted Tyler Bass (hip) as their starting kicker need to pay close attention heading into this weekend. Although Bass was limited in Wednesday's practice, he could be in danger of missing the Week 1 game on Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens. If Bass is questionable on Friday's final injury report, we'd suggest going in another direction at the position unless you want to get stuck choosing from a kicker from the Monday night game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. Bass has been managing a hip injury since the end of July, although he was able to take part in the preseason finale two weeks ago.

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Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden has done nothing but impress since the team selected him in the first round out of Texas in April. "Phenomenal," one team source said of Golden's presence. "Makes a wow play every day." The 22-year-old is already listed as a starter on Green Bay's depth chart, and the Packers "aren't hiding their affection for him." Although the Packers will use plenty of two-tight end sets, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Golden's "talent looks undeniable." With Jayden Reed (foot) up in the air to play in Week 1 against the division-rival Detroit Lions this Sunday, Golden could be a big part of Green Bay's passing attack right away, putting him in the WR3/flex conversation immediately in fantasy. Dontayvion Wicks and Savion Williams have also been banged up, giving Golden a clear path to opportunity.

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Dan Graziano of ESPN says that he's drafting Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka "everywhere I can." Not only did Tampa fall in love with the former Ohio State star before taking him in the first round, but they've "grown to covet him even more since" and "believe he can play any of the wide receiver positions in their offense." In addition to all that, Chris Godwin (ankle) has yet to practice after dislocating his ankle in Week 7 of last year, and Jalen McMillan (neck) could miss around half the year. Graziano says to expect the Bucs to use Egbuka "in the slot and on the outside as needed." In a pass-happy offense, the 22-year-old pass-catcher could be targeted heavily early on behind WR1 Mike Evans. And the good news for those that took Egbuka in their drafts is that he should remain involved once Godwin and McMillan return, whenever that may be.

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ESPN's Dan Graziano thinks that Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten could come out of nowhere to surprise everyone in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. Graziano doesn't think the Jaguars even know yet how their backfield will shake out in 2025. Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby are the incumbents, but the team took both Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. in this year's draft. Graziano writes that while Etienne and Bigsby will get the first shot, the "new front office and coaching staff drafted Tuten and Allen and have plans for them." Tuten is a "home run hitter" and is the most explosive of the group, and his explosiveness "could lead to greater opportunities sooner rather than later." The 23-year-old is an interesting watch candidate in shallow fantasy leagues to begin the season and is worth a stash in deeper leagues, especially if you already have Etienne or Bigsby rostered.

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Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott gets his season underway on Thursday in a division rivalry matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. In two meetings against Dallas last season, Elliott was perfect from the spot, making all four of his field goal attempts and going nine-for-nine on extra points. He did struggle on attempts from beyond 50 yards in 2024, making just one out of seven tries, but was one of the best in the league from 40-49 yards, going eight-of-nine from that range. The Cowboys also let up the second most points per game last season (27.5), and with Philly's high-powered offense it seems likely they'll put a good amount of points on the board. Elliott should be a starting kicker in fantasy lineups for Week 1.

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Washington Commanders head coach Kliff Kingsbury acknowledged the preseason "hype train" for rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt leading into the 2025 regular season during a press conference on Thursday. Kingsbury also mentioned that he has a lot of respect for Croskey-Merritt's journey from being a practice-squad player to making it to the NFL. "He can't get enough," Kingsbury said. The 24-year-old's love for football has catapulted him to potentially having a big role in Washington's backfield in his rookie season. However, the Commanders listed him as the RB4 on their first unofficial depth chart of the year in what is shaping up to be a full-blown committee involving JCM, Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and even Jeremy McNichols. Ekeler is probably the safest flex play in PPR leagues in Week 1 against the Giants, but it's a dicey fantasy situation right now.

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When asked if he envisions a similar workload split this year between running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in 2025, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton smiled and said, "We'll see." In 2024, Montgomery would often open the game in the backfield before giving way to Gibbs on the second offensive series of the game, but that could change in 2025 with Ben Johnson out of town. Lions beat writers got the impression during training camp this summer that Gibbs might be the "starter" to begin games this year, which would make fantasy managers that invested a top-five pick in him pretty happy. Montgomery is still going to be involved as long as he's healthy, though, and he could steal valuable goal-line touches from Gibbs. Both RBs should be rostered in all formats, but Gibbs' fantasy upside feels higher than it ever has before.

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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the San Francisco 49ers believe wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is "poised for a Year 2 jump." The former first-round pick dealt with a myriad of issues during his rookie campaign but is slated to handle a large workload in 2025 with the 49ers' wide receiving corps in shambles. Fellow wideout Jauan Jennings' (calf) recent return somewhat throws a wrench in that, at least for the time being. Still, it's unclear if Jennings will require ramp-up time, as he's dealt with a calf injury for the majority of the summer. Pearsall and quarterback Brock Purdy have spent time this offseason developing chemistry, and San Francisco's passing offense has been excellent with him at the helm. If Jennings is slow to find his groove, the Florida State product could be in for a tremendous season.

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce did not remark on whether this would be his final season in the league Thursday, instead noting he's "ready to rock" ahead of the 2025 season."It's the last year on the contract, but I'm feeling young and ready to rock." The 35-year-old has notably lost weight this offseason and appeared laser-focused as we approach his thirteenth NFL season. Kelce's production had declined in each of the prior two campaigns, but there's some hope he'll be rejuvenated and hungry after a Super Bowl loss. It's unclear if this season will be his swan song, but he'll be put to task as much as ever, particularly early on with the news of wide receiver Rashee Rice and his six-game suspension. The Chiefs have capped Kelce's reps in the past, but he'll still be fed a healthy diet of targets. The veteran is RotoBaller's TE6 ahead of the season's opening week.

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Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson has officially been named the team's backup option to open 2025, ahead of teammates Chris Brooks and the injured MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring). Wilson was the Pack's second-leading rusher in 2024 (502 yards), appearing in all 17 games during his second professional season. The 26-year-old flashed as he spelled starter Josh Jacobs, and has rushed for over 4.87 yards per carry in each of his first two campaigns. His upside (and floor) will be limited while Jacobs has a stranglehold on the lead job, but at least for the early part of this year, he'll be the handcuff to own. This situation could become more fluid when Lloyd returns following the first four games, but Wilson will get a chance to run away with the second-string job while he's shelved, and is capable enough to do so.

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Jacksonville Jaguars third-year tight end Brenton Strange is listed as the team's starting option on the official Week 1 depth chart. Strange appeared in all 17 games last season but played just 55.6% of Jacksonville's overall snaps. Even with ex-teammate Evan Engram missing a good chunk of the season (eight games), the 24-year-old never consistently impacted the field. In 2025, Strange will get the opportunity to be more productive than his 40/411/2 line from last season, though he'll face stiff target competition in wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and rookie Travis Hunter. There is a way to go before the Penn State product reaches fantasy relevance (RotoBaller's PPR TE20 in Week 1), but he could provide some spike weeks this season as the potential third option in the Jags' passing attack. He's a more intriguing asset in best ball and dynasty formats for now.

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The Miami Dolphins have listed veteran Darren Waller as their starting tight end on the official depth chart, placing him ahead of Julian Hill and Tanner Conner. Waller briefly retired before last year but returned to the NFL this offseason, landing in Miami via trade from the New York Giants. The Dolphins are counting on Waller to help replace former Pro Bowler Jonnu Smith, who was traded to Pittsburgh in a blockbuster trade. While Waller did not practice on Wednesday due to a hip issue, the team emphasized that he has not suffered any setbacks and remains on a ramp-up schedule. Miami opens the season on the road against the Indianapolis Colts, and the Dolphins are hopeful their new starting tight end will be active in Week 1.

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