Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo had a rough 2024, converting just 73.5 percent of his field goal attempts last season beforemissing the final three games with a hip injury. However, the 31-year-old comes into 2025 healthy and made four of five field goals in the preseason, with his only miss coming from 51 yards out. With the Falcons having an implied total of 23 in their Week 1 contest against the Buccaneers, there is expected to be a decent amountof scoring. The fact that the game is a home matchup inside the dome in Atlanta means Koo will not have to deal with the elements, providing him with a pristine kicking environment. The eighth-year pro ranks as a low-end, top 12 option for Sunday's matchup, although his upside is limited given this will only be Michael Penix Jr.'s fourth start of his career, so drives may stall quickly.

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Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane figures to serve as a depth option at receiver and handle punt return duties in Week 1 against the Giants. The trio of receivers ahead of Lane on the depth chart all finally seem to be healthy and present with the team for the first time all camp, with Noah Brown off the injury report and Terry McLaurin securing a long-term extension. Deebo Samuel Sr. has been healthy and making plays all camp, and Lane is another guy who is dynamic with the ball in his hands and can stretch the defense vertically with his 4.34 speed. The fourth-rounder started to really emerge late in training camp and in the second preseason game, showing flexibility from the slot and outside. Lane should mix into the receiver rotation and could earn a schemed touch or two on Sunday against the Giants. He is worth putting on watch lists in redraft leagues early in the season.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown was targeted 16 times during Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He accounted for 42 percent of the team's targets and finished the game with 10 catches for 99 yards. Brown saw an expanded role with Rashee Rice suspended and Xavier Worthy (shoulder) exiting in the first quarter, but even with those players absent, nobody expected Brown to have 16 targets and 10 receptions. These totals represented the second-highest marks of his career, as well as the highest since September 2022. He should be a WR3/FLEX next week and would sneak into FLEX territory if Worthy is forced to miss extended time.

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught two of four targets for 47 yards and one touchdown during Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The veteran only had one catch through the first three quarters, but he boosted his stats with a big 37-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. While he won't continue to score a touchdown in every game going forward, he still has a good chance to replicate his 12.7-point (PPR) performance given his alpha role in the Kansas City pass-catching unit. His role should only increase going forward with Rashee Rice suspended and Xavier Worthy (shoulder) potentially facing an extended absence.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 24 of his 39 pass attempts for 258 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions during Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He also added 57 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. While the Chiefs came up short in Brazil, Mahomes still had a solid fantasy showing. Specifically, he played turnover-free football and was able to make things happen both on the ground and through the air. He'll drop to the low-end QB1 range heading into next week's clash with the Philadelphia Eagles, who just limited Dak Prescott to 188 passing yards.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jordan Watkins (ankle) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. He didn't practice on Wednesday. While the rookie managed to log limited sessions on Thursday and Friday, it wasn't enough to avoid a doubtful tag. The 49ers injury report is already loaded, with Christian McCaffrey (calf) listed as questionable for Week 1. In addition, Brandon Aiyuk (knee) will remain out for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, Jauan Jennings (calf) is good to go, which should make life easier for quarterback Brock Purdy. With that in mind, even if Watkins somehow gets cleared to suit up, it won't mean much from a fantasy standpoint, especially since Ricky Pearsall and George Kittle are in the equation.

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Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn and the Texans take on the Rams in Week 1, giving Fairbairn a boost since he's playing indoors at SoFi Stadium. Last year, he connected on 36 field goals in 42 attempts, the second-highest season total in his eight-year career. He set a new career best with an impressive 13 field goals from 50+ yards, with a long of 59 yards. He also added 34 extra points in 36 attempts. The Rams ranked in the middle of the pack against kickers last season, while Fairbairn ranked sixth among kickers in standard scoring. He's also the No. 6 kicker in RotoBaller's rankings for Week 1, making the 31-year-old from UCLA an excellent play in normal formats to start the season.

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Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (hamstring) logged a limited practice on Friday. He carried the same designation on Thursday. While the Bears won't play until Monday night, when Chicago meets the Minnesota Vikings, the rookie's status is somewhat concerning. With Roschon Johnson (foot) missing practice for a second-straight day, it appears there's a real chance he won't be out there in Week 1. If that's the case, Monangai will climb to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, assuming he's cleared to suit up. All things considered, it should still be D'Andre Swift getting most of the work out of the backfield. Although Monangai could see more involvement, it likely won't be enough to make him relevant from a fantasy standpoint. Managers can expect another injury update on Saturday.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 24 of 39 pass attempts (62%) for 258 yards and a touchdown in the 21-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Mahomes also rushed six times for 57 yards and a touchdown in the contest. The Chiefs quarterback faced an uphill battle as he lost Xavier Worthy to injury less than two minutes into the first quarter. The 29-year-old locked in on Marquise Brown after the injury, peppering him with 16 targets in the loss. Mahomes had a good game from an individual standpoint, totaling over 300 yards and two touchdowns, but was not able to pull out the win. The Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles for a Super Bowl rematch in Week 2. The Eagles defense was arguably the best in the league last season, so Mahomes will have his work cut out for him next week. Given his strong performance against the Chargers, Mahomes should continue to be viewed as a mid-range QB1 heading into the matchup against Philadelphia.

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Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz restructured his deal this offseason and remains the top pass-catching tight end in his team's passing game. However, he posted five-year lows last year with 53 catches for 532 yards and only a pair of touchdowns despite playing in all 17 regular-season games last year. He still has 500+ yards in five straight years with an average of 4.8 touchdowns per year, and if the Texans' offense bounces back, he could climb back to fantasy relevance. Without Christian Kirk (hamstring), he could get a few more targets in Week 1 against the Rams, but he starts the year at No. 24 in the RotoBaller rankings. He has touchdown-dependent upside, but he doesn't have as much dynamic play-making upside as other fringe starters.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell is set to make his regular-season debut for the team in a Week 1 contest against the New York Jets. Gainwell, who spent the first four years of his career in Philadelphia, is listed as Pittsburgh's RB2 to open the campaign and should mix in behind Jaylen Warren. While rookie RB Kaleb Johnson is expected to eventually carve out a significant role, it may take some time before he earns snaps over the proven veterans. Still, it's unlikely that Gainwell offers much fantasy value, especially in this matchup. The Jets were solid against opposing backs last season, and Sunday's contest isn't projected to be high-scoring. Fantasy managers can keep an eye on his usage, but Gainwell can be left on waiver wires for the time being.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel will make his NFL debut on Sunday against the Rams, and there could be work available since Christian Kirk (hamstring) is out, moving him up the depth chart. While Jayden Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson will likely rotate across from Nico Collins, Noel is a more natural fit in the slot, where Kirk is expected to spend most of his time when healthy. If the Texans choose to keep Collins out wide, Noel could slide into Kirk's spot in the slot. The third-round pick is coming off a 1,000-yard season for the Iowa State Cyclones and will be a very important sleeper to watch in Week 1 to see how ready he is to contribute to Houston's offense if Kirk misses more time. Noel is ranked as just the WR91 in RotoBaller's rankings in Week 1, so he is still a long-shot starter, but definitely a sleeper to monitor.

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Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop has big shoes to fill in his first season after being drafted with the 186th overall pick this year. Despite the shaky last season and shady off-field allegations, the Ravens were used to one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history with Justin Tucker. Loop showed some impressive leg strength throughout training camp and the preseason, and he should get plenty of opportunities with the way this offense can move the ball. Another aspect in his favor is that head coach John Harbaugh is a former special teams coach who knows when to put trust in his guys. Loop's ADP was in the middle of the pack for his position, but he has the highest Week 1 projection in RotoBaller's rankings with 8.9 fantasy points against the Buffalo Bills.

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will make just the fourth start of his professional career on Sunday, coming into the Week 1 contest with a 58.1 percent completion percentage and a 3:3 TD:INT. While that may not inspire confidence, the former eighth-overall draft pick has had plenty of time to prepare for the home matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that ranked third-worst in terms of passing yards per game (245.3) and allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing signal callers in 2024. However, the Bucs' pass defense will be healthier than they were last season, will have added veteran linebacker Haason Reddick, and the Falcons will be without starting right tackle Kaleb McGary and backup Storm Norton, leaving the 25-year-old's blind side to third-stringer Elijah Wilkinson. Mix in a banged-up Darnell Mooney (shoulder), and the University of Washington product should be considered a low-end QB2 in Week 1.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins looks to be stepping into the role that Nelson Agholor played over the last couple of seasons. That isn't saying too much, as Agholor only amassed 231 yards and two touchdowns on 14 receptions last year. Hopkins is obviously the better talent of the two, but the 33-year-old finished as the WR48 last season and totaled 56 receptions for 610 yards and five touchdowns. He'll likely flash in a few games this season, but will ultimately be hard to trust week-to-week. He's not recommended in 12-team leagues for Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, especially with the six-point projection on RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson earned more playing time with a big training camp, and he could have a chance to secure a bigger role moving forward since the team will be without Christian Kirk (hamstring) for Week 1. Hutchinson finished last season with four catches for 52 yards in the playoff loss to the Chiefs, but the sixth-round pick from 2023 only has 20 catches for 207 receiving yards and no touchdowns in 32 games over his first two seasons. In camp, Hutchinson was operating as the team's third receiver behind only Kirk and Nico Collins, working ahead of rookies Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. Without Kirk, he could have a chance to step up in Week 1 if the rookies aren't ready, even though he's in a tough matchup on the road against the Rams. He's the WR86 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings, so he's still a deep sleeper but does bring upside worth watching.

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Houston Texans Wide Receiver Nico Collins is usually a target magnet, and he could be even busier than usual in Week 1 since the Texans won't have offseason additions Christian Kirk (hamstring) or Braxton Berrios (hamstring) in addition to Tank Dell (knee), who is expected to miss most or all of the season. The rest of the Texans' targets are inexperienced, with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel possibly getting a chance to step up, along with third-year receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who has just 20 regular-season catches. Collins is coming off his second straight 1,000-yard season despite being limited to only 12 games. He had seven regular-season touchdowns and was a top-10 receiver in fantasy points per game for the second straight year. Without many other proven options, C.J. Stroud could look his way early and often against the Rams. He'll be the focus of the passing game but will also get plenty of attention from the defense, leaving him as a strong starting option in all formats as the No. 9 WR in the RotoBaller rankings.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was the target of a lot of hatred and criticism the last time he took on the Buffalo Bills. His last-minute drop sealed their fate in the playoffs, then he had to hear his name in constant trade rumors. Despite the playoff miscue and a few goose eggs throughout the regular season, Andrews finished as the TE5 on the year with 55 receptions for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns on 69 targets. While the double-digit touchdown mark will be hard to hit again, Andrews has scored at least six times in five of his seven years. With Isaiah Likely (foot) ruled out for Week 1, Andrews' value gets a bit of a boost as well. He should be considered a mid-level TE1 for this matchup.

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Houston Texans Wide Receiver Jayden Higgins could be called upon as the team's second receiver in his NFL debut since Christian Kirk (hamstring) has been ruled out. Higgins was listed on the team's unofficial depth chart as starting next to Kirk and Nico Collins, but with Kirk out, he could draw even more targets against a tough Rams' defense. Higgins was impressive in training camp and finished with five catches on seven targets for 40 yards in the preseason. The No. 34 overall pick in last year's draft is viewed as a carbon copy of Collins' skill set, and he could be very involved right away. He's the WR58 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings, so he's still a long-shot starter, but he could be a FLEX flier worth considering in deep leagues. He's definitely an important rookie to watch in Week 1 to evaluate how ready he is to contribute moving forward.

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Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce should have an opportunity to contribute early in the season for his team, since Joe Mixon (ankle) is on the reserve/non-football injury list and will miss at least the first four weeks and possibly longer. Pierce is expected to share the workload in the backfield with veteran Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks. Chubb will likely take the lead on early-down work, with Marks playing on receiving downs and Pierce mixing in as well. Exactly how the timeshare is divided out will go a long way to determining the fantasy value of all three running backs at the start of the season. Chubb has been inefficient since returning from injury, but Pierce has also struggled since producing 939 rushing yards on 220 carries as a rookie back in 2022. He had just 40 carries last year but racked up 293 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. If Pierce stays healthy and Chubb struggles, the younger, more explosive back could play his way up the depth chart for new Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley if he comes out strong against the Rams in Week 1, so keep an eye on how the timeshare plays out. Pierce is extremely high-risk in the unclear situation, though, so he's only RB63 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings, and he shouldn't be started until his playing time is more certain.

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