Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is already underway, the Eagles beating cowboys in the opener and loaders beating the chiefs in Brazil. We have been preparing for the regular season for weeks with glimpses and rankings, but just in case you still need a last minute intel for the 14 remaining games on Sunday and Monday, our NFL analysts covered at the eleventh hour.
First of all, the analysis writer Seth Walder breaks down three trends in statistics that could be essential this weekend. Then, the fantastic football writer Eric Moody, crosses five players who are registered in less than 50% of the fantastic ESPN football leagues on Saturday and could be launched in a jam. This is followed by the NFL analyst, Ben Solak, predicting three potentially large surprises and the NFL analyst Matt Bowen chose a key match to watch. Finally, the sports betting analyst, Pamela Maldonado, gives his favorite bet of week 1.
Could Jahmyr Gibbs have a huge reception game? Will Bengals finally win week 1? What two jaguars should you add to your fantastic leagues? Let’s dive.
Jump to:
Statistics trends | Fantastic crosspieces
Potential surprises | Key match
Best bet of the week
Walder: Three key trends in statistics that could determine the winners of the week 1
The lions run the Jahmyr Gibbs balloon online for a huge reception day against the coverage of the Packers area?
One of my favorite statistics divisions is the gap between the reception numbers of a ball carrier against humans and the coverage of the area. The backs were targeted on 10% of human coverage drops last season and caught passes on 8% of these drops. But against zone, these same figures increased to 18% and 15% respectively. This almost doubles the reception rate when faced with the appearance of the area!
Well, guess who ranked third in receiving the yards among the runners and what a team ranked second in the area’s coverage rate last season. It’s true, Gibbs and Packers. It should be set up for a huge day.
Do the Buccaneers become the Rusher Haason Reddick to make the most of the Falcons Backup Ot Elijah Wilkinson?
This is the first test to see what Reddick left in the tank after his lost year with the jets. It should be easy to erase.
Wilkinson will play the right tackle for Falcons with Kaleb McGary and Storm Norton injured. The last time Wilkinson played in the tackle was in 2021. And in more than 1,300 snaps in Tackle between 2019 and 2021, Wilkinson recorded a victory rate in 73%passes. This brand would have been classified the last among the qualification plated in 2024.
Reddick, who recorded two -digit bags at each season from 2020 to 2023, was held during the first six weeks of 2024 due to a contract dispute with the jets. After his return, he recorded a single bag and a rush victory rate of 12% in career on 10 games. If Reddick finds a way to return to his old form, he should have no problem beating Wilkinson and being a real threat to Michael Penix Jr., but if he cannot produce, this game could be an approximate sign for the rest of the Reddick season.
Have the Wr Wr Malik Washington dolphins have made a difference against the colts?
The key rate figures could be really interesting this weekend. After drastic changes in the kick -off rules in 2024, the owners of the NFL agreed to move the Touchback from the line of 30 yards to the 35. I wonder if the touchbacks will drop in the rate of 64.3% of last season, placing more importance on kicks and coverage. This could have an effect at all levels, but a match that seems particularly intriguing is Washington against the Indianapolis coverage unit.
Last season, Washington was a very turner -up with 121 yards back on expectations (fifth later in the league), according to NFL NFL statistics. Meanwhile, the colts granted 8.3 yards back on the wait by return (second plus), including a touchdown.
Indianapolis had only 13 kicks of their opponents last season (tied for the second), we will therefore see if Washington has the chance to remove one with the new rules.
Moody: Five fantastic crosspieces you have to pick up – and can start this week
Ollie Gordon II, RB, Miami Dolphins (40.1% reduced)
The recruit of sixth round is the backup of De’von Achane while Jaylen Wright recovers from a low injury to the lower leg which could keep it out of the first month of the season. Achane should play as he recovers his own injury (calf), but do not be surprised if Gordon has nearly 10 keys in short-yard and goal line situations. The colts granted 18 touchdown to the ground last season, tied to the seventh row of the League. Gordon rushed to 34 affected in his last two seasons at Oklahoma State, winning the DOAK Walker 2023 prize as the best university football bearer.
Marvin Mims Jr., Wr, Denver Broncos (39.9% reheated)
Although Denver signed the tight end Evan Engram, Mims obtained a larger target part after showing a major increase in the second half of 2024. In the last eight games, Mims caught 32 of the 37 BO Nix targets for 447 yards and six affected. His ability to threaten the defenses in the vertical passes play makes him an excellent sleeper, even against the difficult secondary of titans.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (37.5% reheated)
Lawrence is in an excellent place against a defense of the panthers that allowed the most fantastic points per game to the quarter last season. Carolina’s defense also did not do much to improve this offseason, and Lawrence has now Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter as its main targets. It is also useful that the coach of the Jaguars Liam Coen is the architect behind Baker Mayfield in 2024, where he has an average of 21.5 fantasy points per match and finished as QB4.
RASHOD BATEMAN, WR, BALTIMORE RAVENS (32.5%))
Bateman played a career summit of 17 games in 2024, fixing new grades in the reception yards (765) and the affected (nine). While QB Lamar Jackson will continue to perform the passage game through Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews, Bateman is planned for the third most important targets. (Deandre Hopkins, who showed signs of decline with the chiefs last season, is his biggest competition as a tertiary option.) In a match against the Bills with one of the highest points of points, Bateman has a strong chance of shining.
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Foxworth: the opening of crucial ravens for the advantage of the domestic field in AFC
Domonique Foxworth explains why the opening of the ravens season against the Bills is crucial to obtain an advantage on the field in the AFC.
Brenton Strange, Te, Jacksonville Jaguars (20.2% heated)
Strange is the tight start of the Jaguars after the departure of Engram. Lawrence has historically targeted its tight ends, and in the eight games, Engram was injured last season, Strange recorded 29 catches for 275 yards and two affected. The defense of the Panthers granted 11 affected at the top of the league for the purpose tight in 2024.
Solak: Don’t be surprised if …
The most marked game is Raiders-Patriots. Week 1 is always good for one or two surprising barn burners, and I will be glued to this match on Sunday. The Raiders offensive is a special fascination. Chip Kelly will he hurry? How much will Geno Smith aggressiveness at the bottom of the field? Can Ashton Jeanty be immediately among the first 10?
And on the other side of the field, Drake Maye has a new attacking coordinator, two new plated and a new WR1 in Stefon Diggs. The star corner of the Patriots Christian Gonzalez (hamstrings) is probably also released for it. I’m looking for fireworks.
Bengals finally look good. The opening week has not been kind to Cincinnati in recent seasons. Last year, they lost against the Patriots in a Snoozefest 16-10. In 2023, they suffered an embarrassment of 24-3 against the Browns.
But this season, Bengals have completely revised their training camp process. The quarter-Arrière Joe Burrow has played five pre-season journeys, and neither Ja’mar chase nor tee Higgins kept this offseason. The Bengals offensive is ready to get out of the door quickly, and it is an old friend – who bruises defense – waiting on the other side.
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RC’s hot socket: if the Bengals lose their first 2 games, “the season is over”
Ryan Clark says that the success of the Bengals of Cincinnati this season will be determined by their first two games.
Literally, everything else happens. Week 1 is a wild moment, and we are ready to react excessively because we have not watched the live football from the NFL of the regular season in 207 days (but who counts?). Some reminders from last week of last year: the saints scored 47 points. JK Dobbins rushed to 135 yards, while Derrick Henry rushed to 46. The future of the game of passes was declared dead in the water. Of course, some things are real – remember how rough Kirk Cousins looked like moving in the pocket against the Steelers? Just get ready for chaos.
Bowen: key match to watch
Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams against Minnesota Vikings DC Brian Flores
The defensive system of Flores creates confusion for opposing quarters due to the pressure and rotation of the late coverage. Last season, the Vikings led the NFL with a blitz rate of 38.4%, and we should expect Flores to heave the pocket in Chicago on Monday evening. Yes, the coach of the new Bears Ben Johnson has experience against Flores and will take responses to pressure. But it is still on Williams, who had a QBR of only 56.4 against the Blitz as a recruit, to identify the post-SNAP image and launch with Timing when Flores accelerates his internal clock.
Maldonado: my favorite bet for week 1
Detroit Lions +1.5 at Green Bay Packers
Detroit is built to travel with an experienced quarter-back, one of the most effective ground offenses and coaches who remain aggressive in key places. The addition of Rusher Edge Micah Parsons to Green Bay really makes a favorite of 1.5 points on Detroit? It certainly stimulates the rush of the passes of the packers, but the offensive line of the Lions is still elite.
The quarter-Arrière Jordan Love does not obtain the large receiver Christian Watson still of his ACL injury, and the vertical game of the packers could be limited outside of Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed. The reworked secondary of Detroit corresponds well. The upcoming of the season is there with the pack – but not against this Lions team off the door. Take the points with the best list.
