Kansas City’s Week 1 matchup against Los Angeles poses a high-stakes start/sit test with Rashee Rice sidelined for six weeks. Xavier Worthy should absorb the Kansas City wideout load, while Travis Kelce remains a steady TE1. Patrick Mahomes projects as a solid mid-range option in a game that could turn into a two-quarterback shootout, depending on the Chargers’ pressure. Najee Harris is a fade in Week 1 given KC’s stout run defense and Harris’s uncertain role, while Isiah Pacheco carries RB2 risk despite the preceding optimism.

On the Chargers side, Justin Herbert’s ceiling is tempered by a tough KC secondary, making him a fringe QB1 play in best formats. Omarion Hampton is a plug-in play with Najee Harris likely limited, and Keenan Allen alongside Ladd McConkey should pepper targets with Johnston out for the first six weeks. Keenan Allen functions as a low-end flex play, and Johnston’s concussion keeps Quentin Johnston on the bench in deeper formats for Week 1. Overall, expect a week of calculated starts and cautious sits as fantasy managers navigate opening-week volatility.

Overall, Worthy’s prominence in KC’s aerial attack, Kelce’s established target floor, and Allen/McConkey’s upside for LA anchor the Week 1 landscape. Monitor injuries and playing time shifts as Rashee Rice’s absence reshapes the Chiefs’ WR hierarchy and gives Worthy a meaningful early-season window to prove value in fantasy lineups.

Sam LaPorta flashed top-3 upside late in 2024 with Lions, averaging around 50 receiving yards and 0.64 TD per game across 11 games, while ranking high in air yards share and yards after catch. He does carry game-script risk early in the season when Detroit leaned on the run and defense dominated. In 2025 the setup may repeat, with Williams commanding more targets and a strong defense; LaPorta’s ceiling remains elite but volatile if shootouts don’t materialize. Travis Kelce, though still a target magnet, enters the season older and in a Chiefs offense that could spread carries to Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and others, denting weekly upside. Kelce’s floor remains solid, but the days of unmissable safety nets could be fading. The choice centers on LaPorta’s ceiling vs Kelce’s volume floor; if price drops, TJ Hockenson stands out as a balanced upside pick.

RotoWire frames this as an ADP TE battle driven by your build: LaPorta for elite upside with script risk, Kelce for continued volume with potential decline, and Hockenson as a value pivot if cost dips. Stay sharp on training camp depth charts and keep testing draft-day scenarios with their kit to optimize rosters in standard and PPR formats.

Bijan Robinson leads the charge as Texas opens at No. 1, heading into Ohio State for a defining Week 1 test. The piece highlights Texas alums Xavier Worthy and Charles Omenihu, plus the Chiefs’ latest college connection with Josh Simmons heading to the NFL. Expect a weathered frontline on OSU’s end and a juice-up from Robinson as fantasy managers eye early-season workload signals.

Texas vs. Ohio State frames more than one matchup: Simmons’ NFL arc with Kansas City, Worthy and Omenihu orbiting KC, and Bijan’s goal to set the tone for a high-variance, high-upside season. Readers should watch how KC leverages college ties in Week 1 and how Texas’ star backcarves out early touches against a national-champion defense.

Chiefs enter 2025 with Patrick Mahomes at the center of a high-octane offense, but Rashee Rice’s six‑game ban tests early depth. Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Xavier Worthy and a rising Xavier Worthy form a dangerous core, while a rebuilt O-line could unlock more explosive plays. Fantasy managers should watch Mahomes closely as he aims to reclaim elite passer status.

Analysts expect KC to rebound if the line syncs with the pass-catching corps and if Mahomes’ TD rate climbs toward historic levels. The AFC remains competitive with Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson looming, but KC’s ceiling stays sky-high when their quarterback thrives.

Six must-draft players for 2025 fantasy leagues: De’Von Achane, A.J. Brown, Drake London, Jordan Love, Xavier Worthy and Tucker Kraft. Achane’s calf chatter has cooled some drafts, but his history as a dual threat and top receiving back keeps him in the RB2 mix with league-winning upside if he stays healthy. Brown remains an elite target monster, with a upside-filled Eagles attack. London sits as a high-floor Round 2 value, while Love carries MVP-level upside if Green Bay opens the offense. Worthy steps in as KC’s WR2 with Rice suspended, and Kraft profiles as a breakout TE given Green Bay’s offensive tweaks.