Welcome to Week 2 of the 2025 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Jacksonville Jaguars Backfield
- Undrafted and Late-Round Week 1 Performers
- Rookie RB ADP vs. Reality
- Thrilling and Horrifying Week 1 Performers
Let's roll.
Matt Waldman: Two tasks for the roundtable with this topic.
- Give me one player whose performance/situation has you thrilled and you're bordering on unreasonable optimism.
- Give me one player whose performance/situation has you horrified and you're bordering on unreasonable pessimism.
Let it rip. Let's begin with who thrills you.
Dave Kluge: Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a player I ranked aggressively in the preseason, and I couldn't have been happier with his Week 1 usage. A 59% target share is absolutely ludicrous, and that will regress. Still, the creative route tree and opportunities for after-the-catch abilities really pique my interest.
Klint Kubiak focuses on his primary receiver, moving them in pre-snap motion to create and exploit mismatches. He aided Justin Jefferson in his Year 2 breakout. Brandon Aiyuk had his career-best year under Kubiak. Last year, with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, or Marquez Valdes-Scantling active, Kubiak consistently found ways to break defenses.
Smith-Njigba was the best prospect from 2023's receiver class. A broken wrist in his rookie preseason delayed his impact. Last year, after DK Metcalf was injured, Smith-Njigba logged back-to-back breakout games with 280 total yards and two touchdowns.
Now, the path is cleared for him to be the clear top option in this offense. A top-five end-of-season finish feels well within his range of outcomes.
Jeff Bell: Keon Coleman is the easy one. I am still buzzing off Buffalo's comeback win. Coleman was excellent, displaying potential to develop into the best target Josh Allen has had in his career. There is an opportunity for a number one receiver volume role in Buffalo's offense, and Coleman becoming that player would fit all the supporting pieces in perfectly. Who would not want Josh Allen's number one target?
David Zacharias: I'm officially aboard the Harold Fannin Jr. hype train. Not only was Cleveland's third-round draft pick the TE6 in Week 1, Fannin immediately contributed to multiple aspects of the Browns' offense: 16 snaps in the slot, 6 out wide, and 3 snaps as a fullback lead blocker.
He even had one wildcat carry. The rookie is already an integral part of Cleveland's offense, and I see no reason to expect that train to slow down.
Mike Kashuba: I can't jump right into the Fannin Jr. train with David, as much fun as that train looks. But how about that ancient quarterback in Pittsburgh?
If Rodgers is 85 percent of his former self, we're looking at an offense where all of the receivers were undervalued. DK Metcalf is the clear alpha, Calvin Austin III looks to be the number two, and all of the tight ends and auxiliary receivers are worth a shot in DFS tournaments for cheap touchdown upside.
This was the first four-touchdown game by a Steelers quarterback since Big Ben retired, and he last did it in the regular season in 2020. Wheels up for the Steelers' pass catchers.
Will Grant: Zay Flowers was available in the third and fourth rounds in PPR leagues. Going into the draft, he was a mid-tier WR2 for most fantasy teams.
Watching him light up the Buffalo defense for 143 yards and a score was downright exciting. He finished with seven receptions on nine targets and even carried the ball twice.
The thing that slips through the cracks is that the Ravens only had 209 yards passing on the night. For Flowers to command that much of the offense is pretty impressive -- especially given how easily the Ravens were running on the Bills for most of the game.
DeAndre Hopkins had the highlight catch of the night, but it was Flowers who drove the Baltimore passing game. The Ravens are going to feature him a lot this season, and he's going to pay big dividends for any fantasy owner who drafted him in the third round.
Jeff Haseley: Emeka Egbuka thrilled me. Even with Chris Godwin returning soon enough, Egbuka has proven his worth.
He's not a temporary fix; he's a long-term solution. He makes plays on the field, and it's clear the team wants him out there.
He's more than just a fill-in for Godwin; he's a true weapon. Mike Evans is a future Hall of Fame receiver, but he's getting to the stage of his career where you can expect his production to dip.
The thought of Evans extending his 1,000-yard streak may not be realistic anymore. Egbuka's arrival signals a changing of the guard, and that time may be here already.
Egbuka is on his way to being a key target in this offense, and he is on track to be the future of the Buccaneers' receiving corps. I see Egbuka in the same light as Jaxon Smith-Njigba. His first year may have some bumps, but there will be many instances of success.
Joseph Haggan: Javonte Williams dominated touches in the Cowboys' backfield in Week 1. He was not all that efficient with just 3.6 yards per carry on his 15 attempts, but he scored twice and was involved in the passing game.
Miles Sanders showed that he is no threat to Williams, and Blue is better suited as a change-of-pace back. With Williams receiving the bulk of the carries, as well as goal-line carries in an offense that should move the ball this season, he could be one of the best draft steals.