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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Cleveland Browns kicker Andre Szmyt will open the 2025 season with a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. In a bit of a surprise, Szmyt won the starting kicker job over Dustin Hopkins, who had been Cleveland's kicker the past two seasons and had signed a three-year, $15.9 million extension ahead of the 2024 season. Szmyt will now go up against a Cincinnati defense that allowed just the 26th-most fantasy points per game to opposing kickers last season. The 26-year-old sets up as a low-end fantasy option heading into Week 1.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman finally flashed a bit of the talent last season that the team has been patiently awaiting. Entering his fifth year, Bateman more than doubled his career touchdown total last season as he hauled in nine touchdown passes. He also registered career highs in targets (72), yards (756), and yards per target (10.5). With that being said, Bateman is often third in the receiving pecking order, behind Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews. Isaiah Likely (foot) has already been ruled out, but the Ravens picked up DeAndre Hopkins in the offseason. That leaves Bateman as a touchdown-or-bust type of option against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. RotoBaller's projections currently have him down for around eight fantasy points in PPR formats, which would only make him relevant in deeper leagues.

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Houston Texans running back Woody Marks will make his NFL debut on Sunday afternoon when the Texans head to SoFi Stadium to take on the Rams. Marks is expected to be the team's top receiving-down back and could play his way into a larger role with Nick Chubb and Dameon Pierce also expected to be involved while Joe Mixon (ankle) is on the reserve/non-football injury list. Marks was a fourth-round pick for the Texans out of USC, and he racked up 63 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, along with four catches for 20 yards this preseason. He worked mostly behind Pierce and Chubb, but depending on the game script, he could be a sneaky FLEX play down the road. In Week 1, he's the RB60 in RotoBaller's rankings, so he isn't a good start just yet, although he's a strong stash based on his long-term outlook and potential upside.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is coming off a stellar 2024 campaign. The signal-caller finished the year by throwing for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns, both the highest marks in the National Football League. Without question, he had an MVP-caliber season. Unfortunately, the Bengals defense struggled, resulting in Cincinnati finishing with a 9-8 record and missing the playoffs. With a meeting with the Cleveland Browns on the horizon, Burrow and company will look to begin the year with a win. Last season, the 28-year-old played well enough against the Browns, combining for 433 yards and five touchdowns (no interceptions) off 38-for-55 passing. With that said, Burrow should remain productive in Week 1, considering he'll have Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown at his disposal. It's also realistic to assume he could finish as the week's top producer at the position, so he must be starting in any fantasy format imaginable.

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Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. will make his NFL debut at home against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Fannin drew rave reviews for his pass-catching skills throughout training camp and hopes to carry that over to the field once the regular season starts. The rookie tight end was insanely productive in 2024, setting an FBS record for tight ends with 117 receptions and 1,555 yards. Fannin draws a nice matchup for his debut game as the Bengals allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends in 2024. That being said, Fannin's role on offense could be limited with David Njoku ahead of him on the depth chart. For now, Fannin is a player worth keeping tabs on in case he gets a larger-than-expected role on the team's offense.

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Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb will begin the season as the primary early-down option for the Texans since Joe Mixon (ankle/foot) is on the reserve/non-football injury list. Chubb was brought in as a free agent this past offseason after he spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Browns. He has been limited to a total of 10 games by multiple injuries during the last two seasons and had just 332 yards on his 102 carries last year, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and scoring just three touchdowns. He will need to be more effective and efficient to keep his spot atop the depth chart with Dameon Pierce and rookie Woody Marks also expected to mix in the rotation. Chubb does have upside since he should have a good-sized workload against a beatable Rams run defense, but he's a touchdown-dependent FLEX play as the RB38 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings.

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Isaiah Bond will make his NFL debut against the Cincinnati Bengals at home in Week 1. Bond, whom the Browns signed as an undrafted free agent in mid-August, will begin the year on the second team as he is still getting up to speed. The rookie out of Texas was a top prospect at this time a year ago, with some expecting him to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Off-field issues caused him to go undrafted, but he has a chance to overtake Jamari Thrash as Cleveland's No. 3 receiver this season. Bond doesn't need to be rostered in redraft leagues at the moment, but he is a must-stash in dynasty and is worth keeping tabs on throughout the year as he hopes to make a positive first impression against Cincy this weekend.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers was one of the most popular names among the potential breakout candidates last season. In the end, he averaged almost the exact same amount of fantasy points per game in PPR leagues (12.1 vs 12.3). The speedy wideout finished as WR1 and a WR2 in three games each last season, which left him as a WR3 or worse in the 12 remaining weeks. The good news is that he's seen at least 100 targets in each of the last two seasons, which is why he continues to have WR2 upside, especially in PPR formats. Against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, RotoBaller's projections have Flowers registering 11.2 fantasy points and finishing as the WR32.

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Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku will make his 2025 debut against the Cincinnati Bengals at home in Week 1. With Joe Flacco back under center after a stint with the team in 2023, Njoku is primed to get off to a hot start this season. Flacco and Njoku showed excellent chemistry together two years ago, combining for 30 receptions, 390 yards, and four touchdowns in five games together. The Bengals were the worst team in the league against tight ends last season as they allowed the most fantasy points per game to the position. Njoku is a top-six fantasy tight end heading into Week 1.

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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. has one of the highest ceilings and lowest floors of any tight end in the league. The former first-round draft pick logged six games of four catches or more in 2024, but also had eight games wherehe caught just two passes or fewer. Despite that dynamic, the 24-year-old still managed to finish just outside the top 12 TEs in receiving yards and in fantasy points thanks to the third-highest average yards per reception (12.8) among TEs and four touchdown receptions. In two contests against the Buccaneers last year, Pitts Sr. hauled in 11 passes for 179 yards and two scores, and he could be in for another productive day on Sunday against a Tampa defense that struggled to cover the middle of the field in 2024. Also, with Darnell Mooney in jeopardy of missing or being limitedin this contest, the 6-foot-6 pass catcher could see a few extra targets. The fifth-year pro projects as a volatile high-end TE2 in Week 1.

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy will kick off the 2025 season with a home matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Jeudy opens the year as Cleveland's No. 1 receiver after posting career highs in targets, catches, and yards in 2024. The Bengals were tough on receivers last season, allowing just the 24th-most fantasy points per game to the position, but Jeudy should be heavily targeted in the season opener on Sunday. The veteran wideout sets up as a low-end WR2 heading into a game where the Browns should have to throw frequently to keep up with a high-powered Cincy offense.

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The Houston Texans held a work out with running back Deuce Vaughn, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The back was waived by the Dallas Cowboys earlier this offseason and is looking for a new team, while the Texans might need help in their backfield. Joe Mixon (ankle) is starting the season on IR, leaving Houston to rely upon free agent Nick Chubb, rookie Woody Marks, and Dameon Pierce. Even if Vaughn is signed, however, he's unlikely to have much fantasy appeal, even in the deepest of leagues.

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman will open up the 2025 season with a home matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Tillman had a very productive three-game stretch from Weeks 7 through 9 of the 2024 season before a concussion in Week 12 ended his year early. The third-year wide receiver is fully recovered and is ready to slot in as the team's No. 2 wideout opposite Jerry Jeudy this year. Tillman sets up as a solid flex option in fantasy as a dart throw in deeper leagues heading into the opening weekend of NFL action.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill is set to reprise his role as the pass-catching back this season after one of his best years in 2024. Throughout the 2024 season, Hill saw 42% of the offensive snaps, and he received 47 carries compared to 51 targets during those opportunities. His average depth of target was -0.5, so most of his work through the air came on dump-offs and screen plays. He's likely to see a lot more of the same as long as Derrick Henry is healthy. He's currently ranked around RB68 in the RotoBaller Week 1 rankings with a projected 3.7 fantasy points against the Buffalo Bills in PPR leagues. So, those in standard-sized leagues can look to better options in Week 1.

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Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud opens the season in Los Angeles against the Rams on Sunday afternoon, as he looks to start a bounce-back season. He took a step backwards last season after throwing for 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 games as a rookie. He finished with 3,727 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 17 games last year, while leading the Texans to a second straight AFC South title. He has a new Offensive Coordinator in Nick Caley, and the new system puts more responsibility on the quarterback at the line of scrimmage. Stroud is the QB16 this week against the Rams, who allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks last season. Stroud will be without Christian Kirk (hamstring), so he'll be working with an unproven group of receivers aside from his elite receiver option, Nico Collins. He's a strong QB2 with boom or bust upside in Week 1.

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The Kansas City Chiefs announced that wide receiver Xavier Worthy (shoulder) has been ruled out of returning to his team's season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. The second-year receiver concludes the game with one carry for no gain and one target without a catch. Frustratingly for K.C., the injury was the result of friendly fire. Worthy and tight end Travis Kelce collided with each other while running two short routes, with the much smaller Worthy coming up in obvious pain. Already without Rashee Rice (suspension), the Chiefs will be forced to lean on JuJu Smith Schuster and Marquise Brown at receiver.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is set to make his NFL debut against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Bucs selected Egbuka with their first-round pick during this year's draft. At first glance, Egbuka was brought in as depth, but has quickly moved up the depth chart due to injuries. Both Chris Godwin (ankle) and Jalen McMillan (neck) are sidelined to begin the season. That being said, Egbuka will line up as the No. 2 wideout alongside Mike Evans in Week 1. The expectation is that the rookie wideout is going to make an immediate impact in Tampa Bay. The Falcons struggled to contain the passing game last season. It's tough to know how a rookie will perform in his first game, but given the circumstances, Egbuka figures to be able to offer WR3 value.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans missed three games last season and still was able to keep his 1,000-yard streak alive. Evans is Mr. Reliable and he has earned that title after 11 straight seasons with 1,000 receiving yards or more. Fantasy managers should expect Evans to continue having success in 2025. The Bucs are shorthanded at wideout to begin the season with Chris Godwin (ankle) and Jalen McMillan (neck) both out. That being said, Evans is expected to be leaned on heavily in the passing game. The Atlanta Falcons aren't known for their elite defense, so fantasy managers should be able to count on Evans as a WR1 for Week 1. There should be plenty of opportunities for the 32-year-old as he looks to make it 12 straight seasons with 1,000 receiving yards.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry remained a first-round fantasy draft pick in terms of ADP this year despite turning 31 years old and entering his tenth season in the NFL. The former Titan has been a freak of nature throughout his career, so the fact that he took on a heavy workload last season shouldn't scare anyone away. The only back with more yards last season was none other than Saquon Barkley after Henry amassed 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns on 325 carries. While Justice Hill should continue to get more of the passing work, Henry is lined up to see the same role from last season. Against the Buffalo Bills last year, their Week 1 opponent, King Henry combined for 283 yards and two touchdowns on 40 carries, and even registered a receiving touchdown in their regular season matchup. RotoBaller currently has him projected to finish as the RB5 in Week 1.

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