Gardner-Johnson’s leadership fuels the Texans in Week 1 against the Rams, a hint Houston plans to lean on its secondary from the opener. Traded from Philadelphia in the offseason, he fired up the squad pre-snap and is a rallying point for a defense that fantasy managers will watch closely as a potential streamer in favorable matchups.

Brevin Jordan’s mention as a locker-room leader signals a potential red-zone connection to start the year, while Houston aims to snag back-to-back season-opening wins for the first time since 2018. The Rams trip to SoFi adds a testy Week 1 script, with division and conference implications lingering from Jaguars and Colts wins, and a Dolphins spark on the other side of the standings.