Chargers stun the league by beating Kansas City 27-21 in Brazil, signaling a sizzle-filled start to 2025. Week 2 sends them to Las Vegas for a division showdown with the Raiders, who opened with a win over New England. Public picks lean heavily toward LAC, foreseeing another big Herbert-led showing as the offense looks to ride its momentum while the defense flexes in a tough AFC West stretch.

Fantasy-angle notes: watch for Chargers injury bulletins—Rashawn Slater sidelined and Denzel Perryman dealing with an ankle issue—while Herbert, Ekeler, and the receiving corps remain core plays if protection holds. The Chargers’ blueprint could influence Week 2 stacks and divisional race dynamics as they chase a top seed and LV seeks a bounce-back effort at home.

In this Week 2 thriller, fantasy managers should weigh Herbert's ceiling against LV’s defensive adjustments, target share shifts among the Chargers receivers, and the Raiders’ willingness to pressure the pocket in a Monday-night tilt.

Lamar Jackson sparked Baltimore with a blend of air and elite improvisation, including a 70+ yard scramble that kept the offense dynamic. DeAndre Hopkins popped immediately on the opening target, finishing with a 29-yard one-handed TD that signaled instant chemistry. Rookie Zay Flowers piled up 143 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Tyler Loop answered the road environment with a pair of long makes (52 and 49 yards) before a missed PAT and kickoff miscue kept the Ravens in a tougher spot. Buffalo escaped late on a game-winning Matt Prater field goal, exposing Ravens’ late-game softness and turnover risk. Fantasy take: ride Jackson, Hopkins, and Flowers while Loop adds upside but comes with risk; Linderbaum anchors the line and Madubuike rushes when Baltimore plays with urgency, even as the defense and special teams stumble late.

Las Vegas opens 2025 on the road at New England, a Week 1 litmus test for Pete Carroll’s Raiders. Five Raiders have the most to prove: Jordan Meredith at center, Geno Smith at quarterback, Kyu Blu Kelly at cornerback, Malcolm Koonce at defensive end, and Ashton Jeanty at running back. Meredith won the pivot job and will face a stout Patriots front, while Smith aims to spark a new Raiders era in Chip Kelly’s system.

Kelly must lock the outside, Koonce must rebound from ACL, and Jeanty must translate college production to the NFL. Their early impact will set the tone for Vegas’s season and test the Carroll-era blueprint in a hostile opener.

San Francisco’s 2025 cap pivot centers on Deebo Samuel’s trade to Washington for Brian Robinson and a later pick, a move that trims roughly $20 million in cap space by shedding Deebo and Jordan Mason’s salaries. Washington will retain about $1.25 million of Robinson’s $3.406 million 2025 salary, while San Francisco pays $2.156 million this season. TheNiners sit with strong cap space now (about $46.8M) but face a sharp drop next year and a potential cliff by 2027, thanks to heavy guarantees for Williams, Bosa, Kittle, Purdy, and McCaffrey.

San Francisco’s plan hinges on contract maneuvering, extensions, and continued drafting talent on rookie deals to stay competitive as the core ages. Releasing players like Bryce Huff could save $17.1M in 2026 and $11.7M in 2027, while the 2027 savings otherwise rely on Deommodore Lenoir’s feasible deal. The article also notes Hargrave’s $16.1M dead-money hit next year, complicating the short-term balance sheet.

From a fantasy and betting lens, Samuel’s shift to Washington alters target shares and risk in SF’s offense, elevating Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and McCaffrey as the likely primary producers, while Robinson’s role in Washington repositions the backfield dynamic. Marques Sigle’s emergence as a potential starter adds intrigue to SF’s depth chart, while SF’s cap strategy underscores the importance of rookie-scale talent and lightening big-money commitments to stay viable beyond 2025.