Who Should I Start? Brock Bowers or RJ Harvey

Friday, September 5, 8:02 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers enters his sophomore season as the unquestioned centerpiece of the offense after an electric rookie year in which he posted 112 receptions, 1,194 yards, and five touchdowns. With Geno Smith now under center and Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly looking to energize the passing game, Bowers projects as fantasy football's No. 1 tight end for 2025. His elite route-running and after-the-catch ability make him matchup-proof, and his Week 1 outlook is even stronger against a Patriots defense likely missing top cornerback Christian Gonzalez and lacking proven playmakers in the secondary. Among a receiving corps still finding its identity, Bowers is the safest bet and a locked-in every-week TE1.

Friday, September 5, 12:37 AM

Although Denver Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey was drafted in the second round in April and impressed during training camp, he was listed as the RB2 behind J.K. Dobbins on the team's initial 2025 depth chart. Dobbins is expected to "start" the Week 1 season opener on Sunday against the Titans, but fantasy managers shouldn't read too much into that and should still consider the 24-year-old Harvey worth starting as an RB3/flex in his first NFL regular-season game. Denver is currently eight-point favorites at home against Tenneessee, a team that allowed 133.9 rushing yards per game (seventh-most) and 22.1 half-PPR points to RBs (10th-most) in 2024. Dobbins' presence surely lowers Harvey's fantasy ceiling, but the Central Florida product is younger, healthier, and has more home run potential. By season's end, Harvey is expected to take over the "starting" role from Dobbins.