Patrick Mahomes ran the Chiefs offense with surgical efficiency in limited action, connecting with top targets and hitting a TD on eight completions for 143 yards. Travis Kelce flashed speed and chemistry while Isiah Pacheco underscored his reliable early-season role in the ground game. On defense, Chris Jones and Charles Omenihu supplied pressure with a half-sack combined effort, and Harrison Butker anchored a clean special-teams showing. Chicago Bears provided the environment for depth evaluation as KC’s roster shined in spots heading into the regular season.

Stock gains centered on Mahomes, Kelce, Fulton, and a few ancillary depth pieces; stock downs highlighted Ajani Carter’s rough finish after a solid camp run. The performance offers a blueprint for fantasy expectations: the core playmakers look dialed-in, the pass rush appears ready, and the special teams unit remains a dependable weekly edge. This week’s narrative reinforces KC’s upside with a clear path to high-scoring outputs once Week 1 arrives.

RotoBaller’s updated 2025 fantasy football kicker rankings spotlight a tight top tier led by Brandon Aubrey, Jake Bates and Cameron Dicker. The Kicker Tier table places these game-changing specialists at the front, followed by a solid second tier that includes Harrison Butker, Matt Gay, Ka'imi Fairbairn and Chris Boswell. The list also notes depth in later tiers with kickers like Jake Elliott and Will Reichard offering stable floor in varied scoring settings. This piece doubles as a practical map for early-round kicker targets and tier-based drafting for 14 formats, including PPR and standard.

Preseason headlines fuel the narrative: Tyler Loop seized the Ravens’ starting job after calibrating five preseason makes; Jake Moody delivered a strong SF showing, though fantasy managers remain cautious about pendulum-like consistency; Younghoe Koo’s Falcons job remains a talking point amid an unclear offensive outlook; Tyler Bass’s health updates shape Bills’ Week 1 planning; Panthers’ Ryan Fitzgerald is pushing for the job as undrafted rookie hype grows. The takeaway for fantasy players is to treat kickers as position-differentiators with explicit tier strategies, injury tracking and roster depth planning driving draft-day decisions.

Bottom line: lock in a top-tier option, monitor preseason turnover, and align your kicker picks with offense quality and red-zone efficiency to maximize weekly upside in 2025.

Chris Boswell’s 2024 season was historic, as he led the league in field goals made (41) with a 93.2% hit rate and drilled 13 of 15 from 50-plus yards, earning first-team All-Pro honors. He’s now publicly seeking a new Steelers deal after signing a four-year, $20 million extension in 2022, with the market for kickers having reset in the intervening years. Pittsburgh faces a delicate balance between paying top-tier reliability and managing the cap as they head toward 2025.

Preseason is already highlighting the business side of the position: Boswell won’t play Friday in Jacksonville, and reports suggest he’s spent more time on the golf course than the practice field this summer. Pittsburgh has time to strike, but any extension above roughly $6.4 million per year would place Boswell among the highest-paid kickers in the league. For fantasy managers, Boswell remains a high-floor option if he stays in Pittsburgh and the offense stays efficient enough to convert drives into points rather than punts.

Market context matters: Harrison Butker’s current cap hit sits near the top at around $6.4 million annually, and Justin Tucker’s contract history has shown how quickly the market can move for elite leg strength and accuracy. Boswell’s private contract request, reported by Schefter, underscores the growing value placed on consistent long-range kicking. If Pittsburgh commits, Boswell should remain a steady fantasy asset in 2025; if not, risk of a scenario shift increases for the Steelers’ kicking situation.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa expressed his gratitude for being appointed to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, calling it an "honor." The council aims to boost children's involvement in sports and promote the health benefits of regular exercise and nutrition. Tagovailoa, alongside NFL figures like Nick Bosa and Harrison Butker, is set to contribute insights on keeping Americans healthy. Despite some uncertainty about his role, he remains eager to make an impact.