Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (illness) is doubtful for Monday Night's matchup against the Chicago Bears. The six-time Pro Bowler has missed most of Vikings training camp but participated in his first limited practice on Friday. Head coach Kevin O'Connell noted, "It's more of a physical ramp up as we move forward." With Smith unlikely to play, veteran Josh Metellus will step in at strong safety. This is a positive development for the Bears' offense, as Smith has long been a cornerstone of Minnesota's defense and a key player in defensive coordinator Brian Flores' scheme. Smith's next expected opportunity to play is Week 2 on Sunday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons, assuming a continued health ramp-up.

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Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson (calf/groin) is listed as questionable for Monday Night's matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The two-time Pro Bowler has been limited in practice all week, but given the high-profile matchup against Justin Jefferson, don't be surprised to see him suit up. In Jefferson's last three games against Johnson, he has recorded 13 receptions on 24 targets for 138 yards and a touchdown, averaging 8.8 half-PPR fantasy points per game. If Johnson sits out Monday, Jefferson is poised for a big game, and the Bears' defense will face major challenges containing Minnesota's high-powered offense.

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Los Angeles Rams kicker Joshua Karty is a fringe top-12 fantasy option heading into Sunday's season opener against the Houston Texans. With a strong offense in place, Los Angeles should be able to move the football quite well, even against an above-average Texans defense. This should lead to several field goal and extra point opportunities for Karty, who went 29-for-34 on field goals and 32-for-36 on extra points as a rookie last year. SoFi Stadium's ability to protect kicks from elements such as wind also benefits Karty, especially if he attempts any long-distance kicks on Sunday. RotoBaller's experts have the Stanford product ranked as the overall K11 this week, making him startable in leagues with at least 12 teams.

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Dynasty | Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 19-of-23 passes for 152 yards while adding 62 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles opening night win over Dallas. Dynasty Analysis: Hurts was efficient in this one and did what he was asked (and more on the ground) but the passing game was far from dynamic on opening night. With AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith nearly non-existent, Philadelphia and their new play caller are going to need to get more creative. Regardless, Hurts was solid and looked to be in complete control of basically everything. He has weekly overall QB1 appeal each week.

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Dynasty | Eagles running back Saquon Barkley had 60 rushing yards, four catches, 24 receiving yards and a touchdown in Philadelphia's opening night win over Dallas. Dynasty Analysis: Barkley was mostly bottled up by Dallas, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry on the night. In the end, this is likely just "one of those nights," but the Eagles offense looked a little inept without the services of old Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore. There should be brighter days ahead for Barkley, who remains a primary target for contending dynasty teams as he reaches the back half of his career.

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Dynasty | Cowboys running back Javonte Williams had 54 rushing yards, two catches, ten receiving yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Eagles on opening night. Dynasty Analysis: This is bound to be one of the bigger storylines of the week in terms of short-term fantasy league impact. Williams had 17 touches, while Miles Sanders had five and Jaydon Blue was a healthy scratch. The touchdowns mask the fact he only averaged 3.6 yards per carry but this was a big day for Williams as he attempts to resurrect his career. It will be very interesting to see if Blue is activated next week and if he overtakes Sanders, who had a costly fumble in the game. Williams could be a quick trade candidate if you're in a dynasty league and know you're not a contender as his value will be on the rise after this performance.

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Dynasty | Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 110 yards in a loss to the Eagles on opening night. Dynasty Analysis: Lamb could have had an even bigger night but two drops stopped that from happening. Still, the Cowboys offense looked better than most thought it would and Lamb himself looks like a player who is simply going to be fed the ball as many times as possible. While Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase will get all the headlines as potential WR1 candidates this year, Lamb has as big a chance as they do at actually getting that done.

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Dynasty | Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens had three catches for 30 yards in his Dallas debut. Dynasty Analysis: Any idea that Pickens (four targets) would compete with CeeDee Lamb (13) for looks on a weekly basis was likely squashed in this one. Still, you would expect he'd have better days moving forward. He remains a solid flex play but his production could be pretty up and down this season and his first game was a bit of a disappointment.

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Dynasty | Chiefs wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown had ten catches for 99 yards in the Chiefs season opening loss to the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: Brown had a whopping 16 targets on the night after the Chiefs lost Xavier Worthy to a shoulder injury. Six. Teen. This is a massive development as Worthy could miss more time and Rashee Rice is out for five more games. No other Chiefs receiver had more than five targets on the night and this performance is going to vault Brown right into weekly lineup consideration. He's also going to be a prime player to move via trade to a contending team if you're not going to be in contention because he's going to offer short-term upside but also likely fail to keep up this kind of momentum when the Chiefs get back to full strength.

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Dynasty | Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had two catches for 47 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs opening night loss to the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: The fantasy stats for the week will have the soon-to-be Swift husband towards the top of the rankings but this performance was very concerning. On a night where the Chiefs were without both Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (Kelce accidentally ran into him and knocked him out the game), Kelce still only had four targets. Despite saying all the right things about being young and rejuvenated, Kelce looks like a player well past his prime. Dynasty managers need to seriously consider what to do as the bottom may very well fall out in the coming weeks.

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Chicago Bears rookie running back Kyle Monangai (hamstring) is off the injury report and expected to make his NFL debut Monday Night against the Minnesota Vikings. Monangai was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday but saw full participation on Saturday and is in line to make his NFL debut this week. With Roschon Johnson (foot) very questionable this week, Monangai is projected to be the backup behind starter D'Andre Swift. He faces a tough matchup, as Minnesota allowed the second-fewest rushing yards in 2024. Monangai is expected to see some touches, which is notable for a seventh-round rookie. His volume is uncertain, but he is worth monitoring in deeper leagues or best-ball formats.

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Chicago Bears wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus begins his seventh NFL season on Monday Night Football against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings. He's coming off an impressive preseason, finishing with the second-most targets from rookie QB Caleb Williams, while logging 64% of the Bears' receiver snaps (third among the WR group). Operating primarily out of the slot in head coach Ben Johnson's offense, Zaccheaus draws a favorable matchup against a Vikings defense that surrendered the most fantasy points to wideouts in 2024. While he's not a recommended Week 1 starter in fantasy, Zaccheaus is a name to monitor on the waiver wire for potential upside.

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Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson (foot) is listed as questionable for Monday Night's divisional matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson was limited in practice on Saturday, but ESPN's Courtney Cronin speculated that it is a stretch we see Johnson this week. If he were to sit out, D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai will handle the backfield workload. Swift is projected for heavy volume, but a tough matchup against Minnesota's strong run defense drops him to a mid-tier RB2 for Week 1. Monangai would slide into the backup role behind Swift if Johnson misses the game. Johnson is expected to be a game-time decision and is too risky to start in fantasy this week, even if he plays. Fantasy managers should plan around Swift as the primary back and monitor Monangai for potential touches.

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Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee remains atop the depth chart heading into Week 1 against the Houston Texans, but he's not a reliable fantasy option given the competition for targets posed by wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Higbee has a track record of lower production when he's third or lower in the pecking order. In the two games where Higbee, Nacua, and Cooper Kupp were all healthy last year, Higbee averaged just 4.8 fantasy points. Fantasy managers should expect the veteran tight end to have a similar role this year, or perhaps a slightly smaller role if Terrance Ferguson emerges as a pass-catching threat. He can be avoided in all 1TE leagues this week.

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Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland makes his NFL debut on Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings. Drafted 10th overall in 2025, Loveland enters the league with high expectations as a long-term playmaker in Ben Johnson's offense. However, fantasy managers should temper expectations for Week 1. Loveland will begin his rookie season in a timeshare with veteran Cole Kmet, who has been a steady producer throughout his five-year career. With target competition across the offense and the necessity for a Caleb Williams Year 2 leap, Loveland's fantasy value may take time to materialize. The matchup doesn't help either, as Minnesota's defense allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends last season. Until his role becomes clearer, Loveland is best treated as a low-end TE2 in Week 1.

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Cincinnati Bengals tight end Noah Fant agreed to a one-year deal with the team in July. He began his career with the Denver Broncos before spending the last three seasons with the Seahawks. In 2024, the 27-year-old appeared in 14 games for Seattle. However, he wasn't very productive, finishing the year with 48 receptions for 500 yards and one touchdown. Fant should see some attention from quarterback Joe Burrow throughout the 2025 campaign. Still, Mike Gesicki is projected to lead the way in targets at the position. Of course, with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown in the equation, there likely won't be much work for anyone else. As a result, fantasy managers should keep Fant out of the lineup in Week 1 against the Browns. That's not expected to change in the weeks ahead.

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Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III makes his NFL debut on Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings. Drafted in the second round of 2025, Burden brings plenty of long-term excitement, but his early-season fantasy outlook is limited. Chicago's pass-catching group is crowded, featuring Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, veteran Olamide Zaccheaus, and two capable tight ends in Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland. For now, Burden slots in as the WR4 in Ben Johnson's offense, which leaves little room for consistent targets out of the gate. While his talent makes him a name to monitor for the future, Burden carries minimal fantasy value in Week 1 and should remain on fantasy teams' benches.

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Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson appeared to be on his way to becoming one of the league's best at the position. However, McPherson's production has gone in the wrong direction since his rookie year, and he finished the 2024 campaign by making only 72.7% of his attempts, a career-low. He was also limited to 12 games due to injury. The Bengals offense can move down the field quickly, which should give the 26-year-old chances to produce for fantasy managers. Still, until McPherson proves he can be trusted to capitalize on his opportunities, managers may want to consider other kickers for the Week 1 AFC North clash with the Browns.

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Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter is an intriguing dynasty stash given his draft capital, but he lacks short-term fantasy value. As a result, he can be left on your bench (or redraft waivers) heading into his Week 1 matchup against the Houston Texans. There are plenty of reasons to avoid Hunter this week. First, the Texans' run defense was very strong last year, allowing the sixth-fewest rushing touchdowns and fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2024. Additionally, he is buried on the Rams' depth chart. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are both ahead of him for now, and there's additional concern that he could drop to the fourth rung after Los Angeles elevated Cody Schrader from the practice squad on Saturday. The difference between third- versus fourth-string is the difference between being active or inactive on gameday, so it will be interesting to see his status when the inactives report comes out. Regardless, Hunter is not a startable fantasy option in Week 1.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell enters the season listed third on the depth chart, which likely leaves him off the fantasy radar for the time being. Although this week's matchup against the Houston Texans is enticing for receivers specifically, Atwell's volume will likely be impacted by the presence of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, two star pass-catchers who could each command at least 10 targets. Atwell figures to be the primary deep threat option in Los Angeles, which means that he will have some big plays and touchdowns, but he'll also have his fair share of dud games. As long as he's in the No. 3 role, it will be too difficult to predict when those boom or bust games will happen. For now, he can be left on waivers in most leagues.

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