Underdog Fantasy NFL Pick'Em Week 1

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hunter’s $46.65 million contract is fully guaranteed and his "$30.57 million signing bonus is paid entirely upfront. The latter aspect makes him “the first non-quarterback not drafted first overall to receive his entire signing bonus upfront.” Securing such a deal makes sense for a player who could lead his team in overall snaps this season. Hunter, 22, has practiced primarily with the Jacksonville offense this offseason, and Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said Hunter has the “capacity” to play an entire NFL game. “He does not tire,” Gladstone said. “He’s got a spark, he’s got the energy, the capacity from a physical standpoint to be able to be able to do it is certainly there.” Hunter will start the season as the team’s No. 2 wideout behind Brian Thomas, Jr.

Per the report, Shapiro hopes to bring more sports, including NASCAR, to Pennsylvania, but is “very worried about the overall budget.” The state refrained from financially supporting the Sixers, who “decided to partner with Comcast Spectacor, their current landlord, to build a new arena in South Philadelphia.” Both the Eagles and Steelers could someday be impacted by Shapiro’s decision but the Eagles’ Lincoln Field lease runs through 2032. Per the report, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is “‘torn’ over the idea of replacing the stadium or staying put in the home where they raised their only two Super Bowl championship banners.” It’s unclear whether renovations, strictly speaking, would fall under Shapiro’s “new” stadium policy, but there should be ample time to resolve the issue.

Richardson said he expects to be ready for training camp, which aligns with a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport from a few weeks ago that said Richardson is “expected to be fine” by the start of camp. Richardson downplayed his most recent injury, saying it was “not really even a bump in the road” and that he has “hit the ground running again.” The former No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft is expected to battle Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting job this summer, and is shaping up to be the underdog in the battle given last year’s performances and time lost due to injuries this offseason. He’ll get a fair shake at the job, but he’s far from a lock to be handed the keys in Week 1.

Edwards writes, Thornton is “using his speed to get vertical down the field,” towers “over smaller defenders in the middle of the field and [uses] his acceleration to create separation consistently.” Questioning Thornton’s 2025 fantasy impact is reasonable. In a best-case outcome, Thornton would likely be operating as the No. 4 receiving weapon behind Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers and Ashton Jeanty, leaving him with an unreliable target share. Still, this is the second positive report on Thornton in as many weeks. Perhaps, the Raiders found a starter in the fourth round. Stay tuned.

Raanan notes that Malik Nabers has been sidelined, but Slayton’s “really solid” spring showing, coupled with Jalin Hyatt’s minor leg injury, bodes positively for Slayton’s grip on the No. 2 perimeter role. If Hyatt can get healthy and improve his play, he could challenge Slayton in-season, but for now, it appears as though the Giants’ steady 28-year-old field-stretcher will continue doing his thing. He can be treated as a volatile, likely matchup-based flex option.

The Saints also waived S Tra Fluellen and correspondingly signed CB Jayden Price, TE Seth Green and OT Barry Wesley. Cam Akers’ recent signing made Valladay obsolete, while also putting Kendre Miller, Devin Neal and Clyde Edwards-Helaire on notice.