Emeka Egbuka Among Four Rookies Off To Fast Fantasy Football Starts
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Mike's Hard Lemonade:
We have so much to discuss that I’m not even sure where to start …
I could highlight the stellar debuts for the three QBs who all changed teams this offseason—Aaron Rodgers (25.7 fp), Justin Fields (29.5), and Daniel Jones (29.5).
I could hold an autopsy for the Miami Dolphins car wreck we witnessed yesterday (33-8? Against the Colts??).
I could talk about the roller coaster of emotions Chris Olave and Puka Nacua took us on during their games (snip snap snip snap snip snap) …
But for my money, the story of Week 1 was the rookies.
Emeka Egbuka took advantage of his opportunity without Chris Godwin by playing 93% of the snaps and hauling in two TD catches.
Everyone’s favorite “sleeper”—Bill Croskey-Merritt—rendered Chris Rodriguez Jr. a healthy scratch and then turned his 10 touches into 82 yards and a TD.
Both Colts TE Tyler Warren and Browns backup TE Harold Fannin Jr. led their teams in targets.
When we draft these rookies, it’s generally with the expectation that they’ll start slow but eventually turn into fantasy contributors as the season progresses. But there was no waiting around for these guys yesterday.
Let’s see if Colston Loveland and Luther Burden can keep it rolling tonight …
It’s kickoff time. Lineup’s set. Now GO HARD.
You’ve been grinding the waiver wire, dodging injury reports, and swapping flex plays until the last second. This isn’t casual—it’s commitment. And when the games start, you’re all in. That’s what it means to GO HARD. Whether you’re watching every snap or refreshing your app with unhealthy frequency, Mike’s Hard Lemonade is the perfect sidekick for your Sunday sweat. Bold flavor. Big energy. No chill. GO HARD. Then grab a Mike’s. Nobody Makes Lemonade Like Mike’s.
Are The Jets Officially Cleared For Takeoff?
Week 1 was full of surprises and disappointments, but arguably, nothing tops the list quite like how good the Jets offense looked.
Justin Fields had a difficult matchup against a tough Steelers’ defense and was often ranked outside the QB1 range, but showed why he’s tough to bench, rushing for 48 yards on 12 carries with two TDs on top of 218 passing yards and an additional score.
He vaulted Garrett Wilson right back into the fantasy WR1 conversation after peppering him to the tune of nine targets, resulting in seven catches for 95 yards and a score. Breece Hall rounded out the Jets star skill-position players, going three-for-three on Week 1 surprises, posting 109 yards on 19 carries.
Will these three Jets prove to be league winners in 2025? If Week 1 is any indication, that’s certainly a possibility.
That said, it’s important not to overreact to what we saw in Week 1, either … Adam Ronis screams at himself in the mirror, recapping Nico Collins logging three catches for 25 yards.
Ronis dives into more of the biggest surprises and disappointments from the opening week of the 2025 season below. ⬇️
Do You Need A Monday Night Miracle?
One more game stands between us and the end of Week 1. For many of you, your matchup is final. You’re either staring at a looming 1-0 or a 0-1 start. For others, you’ve got one final shot at a win if you can catch lightning in a bottle with a Monday Night Miracle.
With a robust group of fantasy-relevant players in Monday night’s NFC North clash, we’re likely to see more than a few matchups swing in the final 60 minutes of football this week.
Wondering how likely it is that you’ll get your sought-after miracle? Let’s preview some of tonight's Xfinity projections …
Make sure to consult our full projections for MNF—including each player’s Xfinity best projection—to calculate just how likely you think your Monday Night Miracle is …
Around the Watercooler
The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds.
✈️ Did this Jet officially take off? The breakout season may be here.
🤯 A wild Jahmyr Gibbs stat. PPR scam artist!
😆 Now that’s a new TD celebration. Can the kids tell me the reference?
🤕 Joe Burrow is fearless. Look at this hit.
😡 This is Arthur Smith’s happy place. He lives for it.
💪 Nobody pulls off a stiff arm quite like the king. The ageless wonder.
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