Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is in the books, and that means we are suddenly flooded with data points about teams’ offensive tendencies, their personnel groupings, and how they utilize their players. While many players made the most of their opportunities in Week 1, several others showed promising signs of their role in the offense that haven’t yet materialized into fantasy production. These are exactly the type of players we target in deeper formats and as early-morning flyers once waivers flip to First Come, First Serve (FCFS). These players will have much lower roster shares than your typical waiver adds — the entire goal is to find those diamonds in the rough that will help you conserve your FAAB in future weeks by grabbing these players a week or two early. Now, let’s dive into this week’s hidden gems!
NOTE: Roster% based on Yahoo! data at time of writing.
Harold Fannin Jr. (3% Rostered)
I’ll admit that the Cleveland Browns were pretty low on my list of landing spots for Harold Fannin Jr. in April’s draft. My concerns about Fannin being blocked by David Njoku apparently were misguided as the rookie led the team with 9 targets in his debut, hauling in 7 of them for 63 yards. There is no shortage of examples of a tight end emerging from out of nowhere to ping on the fantasy radar, but what we see in Cleveland is something different. Fannin was on the field for 51 of 72 snaps (70.8%), and the Browns are currently the league leaders in deploying 12 personnel, doing so on 50.7% of their plays. If the Browns commit to this approach, there will be no shortage of opportunity for Fannin Jr. to showcase his athleticism – making him a priority add in deeper formats.
Elic Ayomanor (5% Rostered)
The Tennessee Titans invested heavily on the offensive side of the ball in this year’s draft, including a 4th-round selection on Elic Ayomanor out of Stanford. Ayomanor profiles as one of the better separators in the 2025 class and projects to serve as a reliable downfield option who can win contested catches for Cam Ward. While the two rookies only connected on 2 passes for 13 yards, Ayomanor’s 7 targets in his debut were the 2nd-most among Titan,s and he led his team with a 20.6% first-read target share. The production leaves much to be desired, but Ayomanor’s downfield usage shows considerable upside. He currently sits 8th in the league with a 19.0-yard average depth of target (ADOT), and his 133 air yards are good for the 5th-most in the NFL. Once he and Ward get on the same page, Ayomanor has the skillset to bring week-winning upside to your fantasy lineup.
Kenneth Gainwell (1% Rostered)
The rumblings out of Steelers camp suggested some involvement for Kenneth Gainwell was a possibility, but I don’t think even the most optimistic among us saw this coming. In addition to drawing the “start” for the Steelers, Gainwell led his backfield with 27 snaps and was the preferred option in the passing game, where he outpaced Jaylen Warren 2:1 in targets. The productivity doesn’t jump off the page, finishing with 10 total touches for 23 yards from scrimmage, but a ball-carrier who is on the field this often for a run-heavy offense should draw some ownership. Gainwell is more of a FCFS target for those who have a roster spot available to them after waivers run.
Michael Penix Jr. (33% Rostered)
The relatively small sample of Michael Penix Jr. in his rookie campaign was cause for optimism heading into 2025, and he stoked those flames Week 1 against the Buccaneers. The Falcons turned over the keys to the former 8th-overall draft pick, seeing the southpaw attempt the 3rd-most passes (42) on the young season and rack up 298 passing yards on the day. More promising still was his ability as a runner, where his 21 yards surpassed his total from his rookie season, and he added a rushing score to boost his productivity. Much of Penix’s upside comes from his array of weapons on offense and his willingness to look to go to the air for scoring opportunities, already having 3 end zone throws on the year. Drake London’s late-game injury could be a limiting factor, but either way, Penix is worth a flyer for deeper-league managers searching for upside at the QB position.
Photo by Scott Galvin-Imagn | Adapted by Parker McDonald (@CarbonFoxGFX on Twitter/X)