Hockenson saw little fantasy success on a night the Minnesota offense went three-and-out on six of their first nine possessions, failing to find the end zone until the fourth quarter. They would score on three fourth quarter possessions to snatch the win from the Bears, but Hockenson was relegated to blocking duties as the Vikings looked to establish their ground game to open up play action late. That venture would be fruitful on the scoreboard but left Hockenson’s fantasy managers yearning for more from the veteran tight end. His next opportunity to return usable counting stats comes in Week 2 when the Vikings host the Falcons.

The Vikings went three-and-out on six of their first nine possessions, with the other three resulting in two field goals and a pick-six thrown by J.J. McCarthy. Jefferson understandably had little production through the team’s early struggles but ignited a ferocious comeback with a fourth quarter touchdown in tight coverage to the middle of the end zone. Fantasy managers were surely wishing for more from their first-round pick but the touchdown eased the pain slightly. Jefferson will look to return to dominance when the Vikings host the Falcons in Week 2.

Jones managed just eight carries to the 15 of Jordan Mason but cashed in on a 27-yard receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter in the comeback victory. His 44 yards tied with Justin Jefferson for the team lead on a night the Vikings failed to get much going until the final frame. Jones is likely to cede more work on the ground than he has in the past after the team acquired Mason this offseason, but he remains an integral piece of the offense via his dynamism through the air. Jones’ next chance to return viable fantasy counting stats comes in week 2 when the Vikings host the Falcons.

Mason out-carried veteran Aaron Jones 15 to eight and averaged a solid 4.5 yards per carry in the win, making good on offseason promises that he would be heavily involved in the offense in 2025. The fact that he managed 15 carries in a game in which the Vikings trailed until the fourth quarter speaks volumes to his presence as the primary rusher after being acquired by the Vikings this offseason, and he is likely to remain heavily involved when the Vikings host the Falcons in Week 2.

McCarthy and the Minnesota offense went three-and-out on four of their first five possessions in the first half, and starting the third quarter with a pick-six to fall into a 17-6 deficit. They would then go three-and-out their next two possessions before finding the end zone on their first three possessions of the fourth quarter to steal victory from the clutches of defeat. McCarthy connected with Justin Jefferson for his first professional touchdown pass before hitting running back Aaron Jones down the sideline for his second score. He would take on a rushing score 14 yards out on the next possession after scoring just three times on the ground during his collegiate career. The Vikings would hold on to get to 1-0 ahead of their home opener against the Falcons in Week 2.

Preseason reports that Odunze would be featured in the offense in 2025 seemed to come to fruition in Week 1 as his nine targets handily led the team. He scored with just over two minutes remaining to bring the Bears within a field goal on a leak play from one yard out, saving his fantasy day in the process. Even so, the nine targets on 36 Caleb Williams pass attempts represent a solid 25 percent target market share and were four more than veteran DJ Moore saw. Odunze’s next opportunity to return a usable fantasy week comes in Week 2 on the road against the Lions.

Swift was the only Chicago back to register a carry in Week 1, adding five targets to his ledger to the one of rookie Kyle Monangai. Roschon Johnson was held out of this one with an injury, so it remains to be seen if Swift will continue forward with such a robust share of the opportunities out of the backfield once Johnson returns, but the Week 1 returns were promising for fantasy managers that invested a middle-round pick in the veteran back. Up next for Swift and the Bears are the Lions on the road in Week 2.

Williams marched the Bears down the field to find paint from nine yards out on the ground on their first possession, something they failed to do the entirety of the 2024 season. Things would not look good for the Chicago offense the rest of the way, adding only three points on offense until just before the two minute warning in the fourth quarter. Their defense kept them in control until the fourth quarter, adding a pick-six to start the third frame to extend their lead to 17-6 before surrendering 21 points in the fourth quarter to send the team to 0-1 to start the new campaign. Williams struggled with consistency throughout but made a few really nice throws and extended multiple plays with his legs in the face of mounting pressure from Brian Flores’ Vikings defense. Williams’ play will have to be better for the Bears to flip the script in a competitive NFC North.

Moore served as a featured player in the offensive game plan for the Bears in their first game of the season, routinely serving as their motion man in addition to snaps out of the backfield. The offense looked good in the first quarter but sputtered in the final three frames, and Moore’s counting stats suffered because of it. He exited the game with just over two minutes to play on a pancake hit over the middle of the field but would return later on the drive. Fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on his status in the lead up to Week 2 after the veteran receiver was in visible discomfort following the hit.

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen was quoted saying that it would be “difficult” to carry four running backs on the active game day roster on 21 August, prompting rumors of a trade at the position at some point in 2025. The team made good on those rumors by moving Bigsby to the Eagles, where he is likely to battle Will Shipley for the change of pace role behind Saquon Barkley. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman continues to leverage late picks to bolster his team as they look to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The move paves the way for Bhayshul Tuten to step into the primary change of pace role in Jacksonville, while Etienne has a clear runway for primary duties the remainder of the season.