Week One Fantasy Football Winners

The 2025 NFL Season finished its first week with a handful of exciting games, both in primetime and during the basic Sunday windows. The Eagles’ win over Dallas was a great way to kick off the season, with the Chiefs versus the Chargers in Brazil giving fans worldwide a classic divisional matchup down to the wire. Additionally, on the 20th anniversary of Sunday Night Football, the Ravens and the Bills delivered what many are already calling the game of the year, where Buffalo overcame a 15-point deficit with less than six minutes remaining in the entire game, winning 41-40. In terms of fantasy, those three games, along with every other one, provided fans with the production from stars needed to secure the first win for their fantasy football teams.

In this new series, I will highlight the top performers in relation to their average draft position in a standard full PPR league, while trying to spread the love across all offensive skill positions and considering the overall matchup context and predictions before the game. For example, Josh Allen scored the most fantasy points with over 400 total yards and four total touchdowns, and Bijan Robinson had 124 total yards, six receptions, and a touchdown. Both players were expected to be one of, if not the first, drafted from their position groups, so it is not surprising they had a great game. However, if any player has a generational game, then they will make an appearance on the list.

QB Justin Fields – 29.52 Fantasy Points

Justin Fields recently signed a deal to become the starter for the New York Jets after years of very inconsistent production in Chicago, and never having control of the reins while in Pittsburgh. In another thriller that ended in a 34-32 loss for the Jets, Justin Fields gave fans hope that a new era has started in New York. Playing efficient football, Fields completed 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown through the air. Fields also scored two touchdowns on the ground, adding 48 yards to his total. The biggest surprise was that he did all of this against not only his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, but against one of the best defenses in the league. Fields has earned the respect of ball knowers around the league, and numerous waiver claims for the former first-round pick are undoubtedly in his future, assuming he was not drafted in the initial fantasy draft.

QB Aaron Rodgers – 25.44 Fantasy Points

As a Ravens fan, I did not want to see this, but credit where credit is due. For the second time since leaving the Packers, Aaron Rodgers has thrown four touchdowns in a game. Granted, if sacks were counted against Rodgers, he may not have ended up on this list because he was brought down four times and hit countless more. However, the Rodgers era in Pittsburgh looks promising as he completed just over two-thirds of his passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-32 win over the Jets. This may have been a one-and-done situation, but knowing the Steelers, Rodgers will boost Pittsburgh to a record barely over .500. However, I still consider him a winner because everyone was counting him out due to his age and lack of success the last few seasons.

QB – Daniel Jones – 29.48 Fantasy Points

Daniel Jones plays for the Colts. Daniel Jones starts for the Colts. Anthony Richardson is healthy and not starting for the Colts. Daniel Jones almost scored 30 fantasy points against the Miami Dolphins. Those four statements seem blasphemous if you have been under a rock since 2023. Daniel Jones seemed like a player people could confidently leave on the waiver wire, that is, until he lit up the Dolphins to the tune of 30 unanswered points to start the game. Granted, the Dolphins' offense was either punting or turning the ball over on every single drive, giving the Colts extra drives and decent field position, but the Dolphins' offensive woes were not the cause for Jones to succeed with his new team. Completing 22 of his 29 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown, Jones also added 26 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, giving the Colts a decisive 33-8 win on the day the late Jim Irsay was inducted to the Colts Ring of Honor. Like Fields, Jones should be picked up on the waiver wire until he gives you a reason not to. A new nickname is brewing for Danny Dimes, and it is Indiana Jones.

RB Christian McCaffrey – 23.2 Fantasy Points

Christian McCaffrey was a coin flip. All offseason reports showed that he had fully recovered from the various lower-body injuries, including Achilles tendonitis, until he suffered a calf strain less than a week before opening day. His status was up in the air, and if he were to suit up, what would his usage look like? Former CMC owners remember the production when he was a consensus number one overall pick in fantasy, causing many to avoid him until late in the first or early second rounds. However, with the departure of Deebo Samuel to Washington, Brandon Aiyuk not being 100% healthy, and George Kittle leaving the game early due to a hamstring injury, it left CMC and Ricky Pearsall to lead the charge for the 49ers. However, if this were not a full PPR league, CMC would never have made this list. Barely breaking three yards per carry with no touchdowns in a 17-13 win over the new-look Seahawks, CMC had 69 yards on the ground along with 73 through the air on nine receptions. McCaffrey is a must-start every week due to his PPR upside, but fingers crossed that he can stay healthy for the entire season.

RB Javonte Williams – 20.4 Fantasy Points

I don’t believe many thought the Cowboys would hang in the game versus the Eagles for as long as they did. Script writers used every card imaginable when, on the opening kickoff of the 2025 NFL Season, an Eagle got hurt and could not walk off the field. While the Eagle was being tended to, Dak Prescott spat in the direction of Eagles DT Jalen Carter, resulting in Carter spitting back. Carter’s loogie landed on Prescott and subsequently forced officials to eject Carter in the fastest ejection in 20 years. Without Carter, the Cowboys' offense shined, allowing for easy runs up the gut. On Dallas’ first two drives, they found themselves on the one-yard line, and without having to worry about Jalen Carter, Javonte Williams punched in two scores while adding 54 yards on the ground on just 15 carries. It was not an explosive game for Williams, whose longest rush was 11 yards, but fantasy owners now know that when the Cowboys are inside the five-yard line, Williams can power through for six. Williams was probably on the bench in smaller leagues, but now there is serious consideration going into Week Two versus the Giants, who were embarrassed on both sides of the ball by the Commanders

WR Zay Flowers – 28.1 Fantasy Points

As a Ravens fan, I understand the concerns of drafting anyone from Baltimore that isn’t named Derrick Henry or Lamar Jackson. Zay Flowers is undoubtedly a playmaker in the NFL, but the target share between him, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and the newly acquired DeAndre Hopkins is enough reason for concern. However, Flowers still posted an outstanding seven receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown with eight yards on the ground. Now, that could have been the game script for a shootout, so I would not bank on Zay Flowers producing at this level in every matchup.

WR Emeka Egbuka – 23.6 Fantasy Points

In his first regular-season professional football game, Buccaneers’ rookie Emeka Egbuka scored two touchdowns, including the game-winner with a minute left, to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 23-20. The Bucs struggled for a large portion of the game on both offense and defense, allowing almost 300 air yards from Michael Penix Jr., while Baker Mayfield only put up 167 for the Bucs. At the end of the day, Tampa Bay is 1-0, and Egbuka scored two touchdowns on four receptions for 67 yards. Egbuka is a lock for WR2 in the Tampa offense while Chris Godwin recovers from his ankle injury. However, when Godwin returns, expect Egbuka to continue shining in an offense that has tremendous upside.    

WR Quentin Johnston – 24.9 Fantasy Points

Quentin Johnston was never on my draft board. After two years of mind-blowing drops in practice and in-game, it seemed like this receiver would never figure out how to catch a football. However, in the first game of the 2025 season for the Chargers, Johnston proved all the doubters wrong. Finishing as the WR3 on the week with 25 fantasy points, Johnston posted two touchdowns on five receptions for 79 yards. This marks Johnston's second time finishing the week as a top-five fantasy scoring receiver and the second time scoring two touchdowns in a game. On Sleeper, a fantasy app, over two million users have added Johnston to their lineup, and millions more across other fantasy football platforms. Just like Rodgers, this could have been a one-and-done situation, but time will tell if Johnston can prove why he was drafted in the first round of the 2023 draft.