Week 1 fantasy football kicker rankings have a clear tier of steady, high-floor options and a handful of swing-potential plays. Injuries and domed venues shape Week 1 values, with Tyler Bass on IR and several veterans entering the slate in favorable spots. Jake Bates, Ka'imi Fairbairn, Cam Little, Tyler Loop, Graham Gano, and Jake Elliott anchor the top risk-adjusted starts, while streaming candidates such as McLaughlin and McManus enter play as upside adds.

Ka'imi Fairbairn opens the season as a strong kicking option for Houston, Bates faces a tough Lambeau test but has proven late-season carryover, and Loop gets guaranteed opportunities under Harbaugh as Baltimore moves the ball. Gano and Elliott project in higher-scoring setups, but weather and early drives still matter. Moody sits firmly on the waiver radar after Week 1 concerns.

Jauan Jennings secured a $3 million boost in play-time incentives for 2025, lifting his potential to $10.5 million as he nears a 2025 season with San Francisco. Returning from a calf issue, he’s expected to be ready for the opener vs. Seattle and remains a key blocker and target in a crowded WR corps.

The 49ers added depth by signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling and re-signing Russell Gage Jr., while Jennings’ trade-request history and the team’s willingness to modify deals highlight the business side of keeping talent. Nick Bosa’s praise of Jennings underscores how pivotal he is to the frontline. Seattle looms as Week 1’s test, with Pearsall and Skyy Moore also in the mix at receiver.

San Francisco’s 2025 practice squad spotlights camp standouts and a pair of likely signings who could swing fantasy odds this year. Adrian Martinez, Sincere McCormick, Robbie Chosen, Drake Nugent and Eli Apple anchor a depth chart built to contribute behind the active roster, with Nugent and Nick Zakelj adding interior line flexibility and Chosen offering veteran pass-catching upside. This mix signals SF’s plan to weather injuries and suspensions, a smart angle for fantasy managers tracking late-season surges.

For fantasy and bets, Martinez and McCormick stand out as potential late-season inputs, while Nugent and Apple provide stabilizing floor for SF’s rotation. Bergen’s presence adds a special-teams lift, and Nugent’s preseason showing hints at a longer arc for interior depth. Watch how SF leverages this group when Week 1 rolls around and injuries test the depth chart.

The Texans used their 20-10 preseason setback to spotlight youth and depth rather than showcase seasoned starters. E.J. Speed surged all over the field, delivering a big hit and two coverage plays, signaling he’ll be on the field this season even if he doesn’t start. Aireontae Ersery and Jake Andrews opened massive running lanes on the first Texans drive, with Davis Mills efficient (4-of-5, 50 yards, TD) behind a coherent push from the first-team line. Dare Ogunbowale averaged close to six yards per carry, Braxton Berrios looked healthy in his return and accounted for a TD and return work, and Braxton Berrios showed versatility as a weapon after ACL rehab. Braxton’s early impact could help him push for a spot. Blake Fisher, by contrast, struggled mightily—false starts, six pressures, a half-sack—cementing his precarious status as trade-season looms. The safety corps is also thinning with C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s knee issue, forcing Russ Yeast to play essentially the entire game and M.J. Stewart to log significant snaps. The Texans face roster decisions on several bubble players as Saturday underscored who’s rising and who’s falling while plans for the offensive line, pass protection, and safety depth tighten ahead of Cut Day.

Preseason Week 1 left the 49ers with more questions than certainties as a 30-9 loss to Denver exposed offensive inconsistencies and roster battles. Mac Jones settled into the pocket, carving out a rhythm early, including a sequence that flashed a potential chemistry with Demarcus Robinson on SF’s first snap and a deep drop-in-stride connection to Jordan Watkins on a 50-yard gain that jump-started field-position talk. Patrick Taylor’s early touchdown showed vision and patience, while the defense, led by Chase Lucas and a swarm of reserves, forced key moments like a safety and multiple breakups that raised hopes for depth.

In the second half, the 49ers’ depth chart battles heated up. Dallis Flowers and Darrell Luter Jr. peppered Broncos drives with stops and a pass breakup, and Jake Tonges continued to push Brayden Willis in a tight roster race at receiver/TE. Undrafted Corey Kiner flashed in limited work, while Jake Tonges and Junior Bergen offered field-position and special-teams intrigue. The offense stalled, Ty Mordecai’s bootleg miscues and interceptions lingered, but the overall tone was clear: depth will shape the final cuts, and Jones’ stride toward a Week 1 role remains a storyline to watch as SF tidies up the sloppy moments.

The notes suggest the 49ers must clean up protection, quarterback decision-making, and edge-pressure adaptability, yet there are bright spots in Watkins’ burst, Robinson’s early continuity, and Lucas’s versatility. With underclassmen stepping up, SF hopes the preseason ailerons align with regular-season needs, balancing veteran glue with young playmakers as the roster tightens toward September. Denver’s own drive-ability showed some spark, but miscues and coverage lapses gave SF chances that slipped away in the box score. The next tune-up should sharpen the timing, and the depth chart battles will define who fills critical roles when the games count.