Fri Sep 5 3:58pm ET
Field Level Media
Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have been to the playoffs six times in the past seven seasons and have won the AFC North the last two seasons.
To change that, the rest of the division must do more than slow down Jackson.
Baltimore had the No. 1 offense in the NFL last season and no defense was better than the Ravens stopping the run, a combination John Harbaugh is counting on to extend the franchise's run of success.
Harbaugh, in his 18th season, and the Ravens share the division with All-Pro-caliber quarterback Joe Burrow and two 40-something starters: Aaron Rodgers with the Steelers and Joe Flacco, a first-rounder coached by Harbaugh in Baltimore, who is now starting for the Browns.
Here are our predictions for the AFC North this season:
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-4)
Schedule
W1 Sun Sep 7 at Buffalo Bills
W2 Sun Sep 14 vs Cleveland Browns
W3 Mon Sep 22 vs Detroit Lions
W4 Sun Sep 28 at Kansas City Chiefs
W5 Sun Oct 5 vs Houston Texans
W6 Sun Oct 12 vs Los Angeles Rams
W7 Bye
W8 Sun Oct 26 vs Chicago Bears
W9 Mon Nov 3 at Miami Dolphins
W10 Sun Nov 9 at Minnesota Vikings
W11 Sun Nov 16 at Cleveland Browns
W12 Sun Nov 23 vs New York Jets
W13 Thu Nov 27 vs Cincinnati Bengals
W14 Sun Dec 7 vs Pittsburgh Steelers
W15 Sun Dec 14 at Cincinnati Bengals
W16 Sun Dec 21 vs New England Patriots
W17 Sun Dec 28 at Green Bay Packers
W18 Sun Jan 4 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Starks contrast: Kyle Hamilton is one of the best safeties in the business but he's brimming about a new teammate after spending more time alongside first-round pick Malaki Starks. Hamilton said Starks has "star potential" and ability that can't be taught. Defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike agreed. "He's a beast, man. That rookie, man, he's really going to know where the ball's at at all times. He's a ballhawk."
2. Cincinnati Bengals (10-7)
W1 Sun Sep 7 at Cleveland Browns
W2 Sun Sep 14 vs Jacksonville Jaguars
W3 Sun Sep 21 at Minnesota Vikings
W4 Mon Sep 29 at Denver Broncos
W5 Sun Oct 5 vs Detroit Lions
W6 Sun Oct 12 at Green Bay Packers
W7 Thu Oct 16 vs Pittsburgh Steelers
W8 Sun Oct 26 vs New York Jets
W9 Sun Nov 2 vs Chicago Bears
W10 Bye
W11 Sun Nov 16 at Pittsburgh Steelers
W12 Sun Nov 23 vs New England Patriots
W13 Thu Nov 27 at Baltimore Ravens
W14 Sun Dec 7 at Buffalo Bills
W15 Sun Dec 14 vs Baltimore Ravens
W16 Sun Dec 21 at Miami Dolphins
W17 Sun Dec 28 vs Arizona Cardinals
W18 Sun Jan 4 vs Cleveland Browns
Golden rule: Al Golden takes over the Bengals' defense and wants a fast and physical brand of ball. Health in the front seven multiplied problems in recent seasons. The Golden Rule for defensive players begins with the acronym BEST, which stands for Ball disruption Energy Situational. Golden said tacklers who get to the ball and finish the job will be on the field. Neither characteristic was common in 2024, when the Bengals allowed 25.5 points per game.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
Schedule
W1 Sun Sep 7 at New York Jets
W2 Sun Sep 14 vs Seattle Seahawks
W3 Sun Sep 21 at New England Patriots
W4 Sun Sep 28 vs Minnesota Vikings (Dublin)
W5 Bye
W6 Sun Oct 12 vs Cleveland Browns
W7 Thu Oct 16 at Cincinnati Bengals
W8 Sun Oct 26 vs Green Bay Packers
W9 Sun Nov 2 vs Indianapolis Colts
W10 Sun Nov 9 at Los Angeles Chargers
W11 Sun Nov 16 vs Cincinnati Bengals
W12 Sun Nov 23 at Chicago Bears
W13 Sun Nov 30 vs Buffalo Bills
W14 Sun Dec 7 at Baltimore Ravens
W15 TBD vs Miami Dolphins
W16 Sun Dec 21 at Detroit Lions
W17 Sun Dec 28 at Cleveland Browns
W18 Sun Jan 4 vs Baltimore Ravens
Second chance: Roman Wilson got off on the wrong foot as a rookie and never made an impact. The Michigan product is in the mix this season and has the speed and hands to become a reliable read for Aaron Rodgers when DK Metcalf draws a crowd. Wilson has 4.3 speed and was praised by Rodgers in camp for being where he's supposed to be consistently.
4. Cleveland Browns (5-12)
Schedule
W1 Sun Sep 7 vs Cincinnati Bengals
W2 Sun Sep 14 at Baltimore Ravens
W3 Sun Sep 21 vs Green Bay Packers
W4 Sun Sep 28 at Detroit Lions
W5 Sun Oct 5 vs Minnesota Vikings (London)
W6 Sun Oct 12 at Pittsburgh Steelers
W7 Sun Oct 19 vs Miami Dolphins
W8 Sun Oct 26 at New England Patriots
W9 Bye
W10 Sun Nov 9 at New York Jets
W11 Sun Nov 16 vs Baltimore Ravens
W12 Sun Nov 23 at Las Vegas Raiders
W13 Sun Nov 30 vs San Francisco 49ers
W14 Sun Dec 7 vs Tennessee Titans
W15 Sun Dec 14 at Chicago Bears
W16 Sun Dec 21 vs Buffalo Bills
W17 Sun Dec 28 vs Pittsburgh Steelers
W18 Sun Jan 4 at Cincinnati Bengals
No Ordinary Joe: He's 40 and made his first NFL start in 2008, and Joe Flacco is the QB1 in Cleveland. On his second tour with the Browns and a household name around the AFC North, Flacco preceded Lamar Jackson as the Ravens' starting quarterback and won a Super Bowl in Baltimore in 2012. He went 2-4 as a starter in relief of Anthony Ricahrdson with the Colts last season and was more than willing when the Browns knocked offering another shot at the job this spring. Flacco will become the ninth quarterback over 40 to start a season opener.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said the team is working with quarterback Caleb Williams on being more consistent with his footwork to improve his accuracy as a thrower. Per ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Johnson said that there were "probably three or four" throws from Williams' Week 1 performance against the Minnesota Vikings that "we would want back." Williams completed 60% of his 35 pass attempts against Minnesota for 210 yards and a touchdown. He gets a decent matchup in Week 2 against a Detroit Lions defense that may be without All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph (knee). Still, Williams is tough for fantasy managers to trust until he proves he can be more consistent. Williams profiles as a fantasy QB2 in Week 2 who can be started in Superflex leagues but should be avoided in single-QB formats.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen praised running back Travis Etienne Jr. after Etienne Jr.'s big performance in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. Per ESPN's Michael DiRocco, Coen had this to say about Etienne Jr.: "It took some time early on in terms of understanding the demands and the standards. Once (Etienne Jr.) really got on the same page, it's been doing this (upward motion)." The Jaguars traded running back Tank Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles following Week 1, clearing the way for Etienne Jr. and rookie Bhayshul Tuten to dominate touches in Jacksonville. Etienne Jr. profiles as a fantasy RB2 in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson has been a favorite target of current Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler. Johnson was Rattler's most targeted receiver (33) in 2024, and he led New Orleans in targets (eight) in Week 1 of 2025. Per ESPN's Katherine Terrell, Rattler said that he and Johnson have a "great connection going back to last year." Johnson could be a sneaky low-end fantasy starter at tight end early in the season, particularly while Saints tight ends Taysom Hill (knee) and Foster Moreau (knee) remain sidelined.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson has been elevated to the active roster ahead of the Week 2 matchup against the New England Patriots. Patterson will once again serve as the kicker in Miami with Jason Sanders (hip) still sidelined. He didn't attempt any kicks during the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts. The Dolphins were blown out during that game, so Patterson wasn't needed. Hopefully, Patterson will actually get to attempt some kicks this week. The Dolphins offense looked awful in Week 1, so Patterson isn't someone who should be trusted as a viable source for fantasy points right now.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins running back Jeff Wilson Jr. was elevated to the active roster ahead of the Week 2 matchup against the New England Patriots. Wilson is back on the active roster for the second straight week. The Dolphins are likely without Jaylen Wright (knee), so Wilson will serve as depth once again. Wilson only took one snap last week and is unlikely to have a significant role on Sunday. The 29-year-old is being brought up as depth, so he'll probably stand on the sideline unless an injury happens. Wilson has put together a few solid seasons during his career. However, he's not someone that needs to be rostered in fantasy formats at the moment.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson doesn't appear to be on the hot seat at the moment. After a lackluster season opener, Wilson's starting job was being called into question by the media. Despite that, the Giants are going to stay committed to Wilson as their starting quarterback. According to Adam Schefter, there is no urgency for the Giants to make a change at quarterback. As expected, the Giants want Jaxson Dart to sit behind Wilson and develop. The Giants don't want to rush an inexperienced quarterback onto the field. It sounds like for the moment, Wilson will remain the starter, but he could also play himself out of the starting job.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Adrian Martinez has been elevated from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of the Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Martinez was signed to the 49ers practice squad after failing to make the New York Jets initial 53-man roster. He wasn't expected to be anything more than a third or fourth string depth option. However, the 49ers are going to be without Brock Purdy (shoulder) and Kurtis Rourke (knee) for Sunday's game. That being said, Martinez will head to the active roster and be the backup to Mac Jones. There isn't fantasy value here with Martinez right now, but he's a name to watch if something happens to Jones.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) is officially listed as questionable for the Monday night meeting with the Chargers. The 22-year-old had five grabs for a team-high 103 yards in the Week 1 win over the New England Patriots before being ruled out because of a knee injury. He didn't practice on Thursday or Friday. However, Bowers was on the field on Saturday for a limited session. Head coach Pete Carroll expects him to be out there for the pivotal AFC West showdown. Still, fantasy managers may want to consider taking a cautious approach in case Bowers suffers an unexpected setback before then. This won't apply to those who have Michael Mayer stashed for insurance purposes, who can serve as a fantasy replacement if Bowers doesn't suit up. Mayer had 38 yards off four receptions against the Pats.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk (hamstring) will not play on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a hamstring injury, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Kirk has yet to suit up for the Texans as a result of the injury. Without Kirk, rookie wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel could be in line for more snaps in Week 2. Texans tight end Dalton Schultz could also see an uptick in targets, as he's typically effective in the same areas of the field as Kirk. Still, outside of star wideout Nico Collins, none of Houston's skill position players profiles as a must-start fantasy option for Week 2.
From RotoBaller
The Atlanta Falcons are elevating kicker Parker Romo from their practice squad, and Romo will serve as the team's kicker in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. Atlanta signed Romo to a practice squad deal after veteran kicker Younghoe Koo missed a potential game-tying field goal attempt in the team's Week 1 loss. Romo kicked in four games for the Vikings last season, making 11 of 12 field goal attempts and seven of eight extra-point tries. He profiles outside of the top-12 fantasy kickers for Week 2.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll says that he expects tight end Brock Bowers (knee) to play in the team's Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, per Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee. Bowers suffered a knee injury in Week 1 that forced him to miss practice on both Thursday and Friday of this week, but he was reportedly back at practice on Saturday. Even while leaving the game early, Bowers logged five catches for 103 yards in Week 1. As long as he's active, Bowers is a must-start tight end in Week 2.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo (undisclosed) will not be active for his team's Week 2 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Falcons are elevating kicker Parker Romo from the practice squad to take Koo's place. The 31-year-old Koo missed a crucial field goal attempt in the closing seconds of Atlanta's Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, prompting the team to sign Romo. The Falcons have not parted ways with Koo yet, but the writing could be on the wall for the veteran kicker.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks didn't log an offensive snap in the Week 1 win over the Browns. Most assumed the rookie would have at least a small role in the offense. However, that didn't happen in the AFC North clash with Cleveland, with Samaje Perine getting 13 snaps and Chase Brown leading the way with 39. Without question, Brown was expected to get most of the work out of the backfield for the Bengals this season. That likely won't change unless he goes down with an injury. Brooks should get some snaps moving forward, but he has a long way to go before earning a spot in redraft lineups, including for the Week 2 meeting with the Jacksonville Jaguars. On the other hand, he's at least worth stashing on dynasty rosters.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Noah Fant had a team-high four catches in Sunday's win over the Browns. While he only accumulated 26 yards, he was the only Bengal besides Chase Brown to score a touchdown. Most assumed Mike Gesicki would see more work than Fant throughout the 2025 campaign. While that could still happen moving forward, that wasn't the case in Week 1, with Fant logging 26 snaps and Gesicki finishing with 16. The veteran still has a way to go before earning the trust of fantasy managers, especially since Gesicki likely isn't going away, considering his on-field relationship with quarterback Joe Burrow. Still, Fant can be utilized for streaming purposes in multi-tight end setups for the Week 2 meeting with the Jags. Fantasy managers should just be aware of the risk.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine had two catches for six yards in the Week 1 win over the Browns. The veteran re-signed with the Bengals during the offseason, marking his third stint with the team. Most assumed he'd be routinely involved. However, that wasn't the case versus Cleveland, with Perine logging only 13 offensive snaps compared to Chase Brown's 39. Tahj Brooks didn't do anything. While that suggests the 29-year-old has a firm grasp over the rookie for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, neither man isn't expected to have a consistent role in the offense moving ahead. That also applies to the Week 2 meeting with the Jags. As a result, fantasy managers should keep Perine on the bench. Better yet, he shouldn't even be on most fantasy rosters, although that could change if Brown gets hurt at some point throughout the 2025 campaign.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Browns running back Quinshon Judkins has been activated and will make his debut this week. Dynasty Analysis: Judkins is still in hot water with the league over domestic violence allegations but the Browns will take what they can get at the moment. He'll slot in as a change of pace back behind Jerome Ford but Dylan Sampson was impressive last week and this backfield has the looks of a three-headed monster moving forward. Judkins is far off the lineup consideration list at the moment but we'll finally see just how his talent translates to the NFL this Sunday.
Dynasty | The Patriots have traded wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk to the New Orleans Saints. Dynasty Analysis: The teams will swap sixth and seventh round picks as part of the trade. Polk is out for the year with a shoulder injury but was in danger of not making the roster this year, despite being a second round pick last year. He appeared in 15 games and made seven starts for the Patriots, but only caught 12 passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. Things clearly went south at some point and the Pats simply gave up on him. Polk could be a sneaky dynasty pickup towards the end of the year but the bloom is clearly off the rose here.
Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson made his only kick attempt, a 35-yarder, in the Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. He also made both extra-point attempts. The Bengals offense had issues getting anything going in the opener, with quarterback Joe Burrow tossing for 113 yards off a miserable 14-for-23 passing (60.9%). Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins also struggled, combining for five receptions. With that in mind, a poor offensive showing in divisional matchups hasn't been that uncommon for Cincy over the years, so there's reason to believe a turnaround for Burrow and company could be on the horizon. If the signal-caller can lead the offense into the Red Zone more often than he did against the Browns (there's a good chance he will), McPherson should be more productive in Week 2, making him a practical choice for any fantasy lineup.
From RotoBaller
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com speculates that Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins will "get about a dozen carries" in his NFL debut against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. 12 carries might be a bigger workload for Judkins than some were expecting, considering that the rookie missed all of training camp and has only had two practices with the team to this point. The Browns split carries in Week 1 between Dylan Sampson, Jerome Ford, and Raheim Sanders and were ineffective running the ball, averaging just two yards per rush attempt as a team. If Judkins logs double-digit touches on Sunday, he could become a viable fantasy starter sooner rather than later in 2025.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) is practicing on Saturday after being held out on both Thursday and Friday, per ESPN's Ryan McFadden. Bowers was forced to leave Las Vegas' Week 1 win over the New England Patriots due to a knee injury. His status for Week 2 remains up in the air, but it's a positive sign that he was able to take the field on Saturday. The Raiders play on Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, so fantasy managers may be faced with a difficult choice if Bowers' status for Monday is not confirmed before the majority of teams take the field on Sunday. If Bowers can play, he's a must-start fantasy tight end in all formats.
From RotoBaller