Baltimore’s 2025 rookies logged extended action in Week 3’s MNF loss to Detroit. Malaki Starks posted a career-high 8 tackles but was exposed in coverage; Mike Green and Teddye Buchanan handled big defensive workloads and made several plays. Tyler Loop connected on all three extra points but kickoff returns continued to threaten field position. LaJohntay Wester and Reuben Lowery contributed mostly on special teams, with Aeneas Peebles flashing interior pressure. Carson Vinson was inactive.

Lions highlights included Jahmyr Gibbs’ 4-yard touchdown on fourth down and Sam LaPorta’s size‑and‑skill matchup. Goff steered the offense efficiently, while the Ravens’ rookies continued to show growth and learning curves as they push for more snaps next week.

Week 2 waiver pickups center on three rookie wideouts: Dont'e Thornton Jr., Elic Ayomanor, and Jayden Higgins. Thornton is a deep threat who flashed as a starter but > low target share, making him a stash in deeper leagues. Ayomanor played a large snap share and earned a solid target share, pushing him up waiver priority in thin rosters. Higgins led Texans receivers in Week 1 but his exact role remains unclear behind Collins and Hutchinson. In shallow leagues, rostering these rookies hinges on upside and matchup-driven weeks.

Thornton's upside is tied to a robust Raiders passing offense and his vertical speed. Ayomanor offers a higher floor given snap count and WR2 potential as experience grows. Higgins is speculative but could pay off if Texans lean into his growth and chip away at WR4 or WR5 duties. With a weak waiver market, these three standouts provide dart throw upside for Week 2 and beyond.

In all, rostering decisions should hinge on league size and bench depth. Thornton is the deepest stash, Ayomanor the priority add in mid to large leagues, and Higgins the long shot with late season breakout potential if roles shift.

Cobie Durant delivered a Week 1 standout, ripping a jump-ball interception away from a Houston rookie, stacking on to a career-long ball-hawking profile that already included 151 return yards as a rookie. This play underscored Durant’s ceilings as a playmaker for the Rams defense, suggesting a path to multiple interception opportunities this season. Fantasy managers should watch how his ball skills translate into points and defensive returns as the Rams push to pressure opposing passers.

Jayden Higgins, the Texans’ rookie WR, drew Durant’s attention with the close coverage that produced the INT, offering a reminder that Houston’s receiving corps will rely on rookies and depth pieces to spark the offense. For fantasy purposes, Durant’s hot start could buoy Rams D/ST expectations, while Higgins’ role will hinge on how Houston fortifies its target tree and offensive line. Week 2 could hinge on adjustments and opportunities for both sides.