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Arizona Cardinals
Zay Jones suspension locks Michael Wilson in for WR2 duties
The Cardinals rested their starters so there isn’t much of note from their finale. More importantly, Zay Jones was suspended for five games. This makes Michael Wilson the clear WR2, though Greg Dortch could out-target him specifically in three-receiver sets. Wilson looks like more of a clear-out option than a fantasy asset after his rookie season. He ranked 87th in ESPN’s open score and 83rd in average yards of separation per Next Gen Stats. Still, he is young and should see plenty of routes.
Atlanta Falcons
Ray-Ray McCloud gets the night off
Not a ton to see here as the Falcons continued to rest their starters. Carlos Washington started over rookie Jase McClellan. The sixth-round rookie can be cut in most dynasty leagues.
Per usual, WR3 Ray-Ray McCloud got the night off and the Falcons played almost exclusively out of 11-personnel. McCloud could be a PPR Ponzi scheme this season.
Baltimore Ravens
Justice Hill is going to be a thing
Rasheen Ali and Owen Wright have been battling for the RB2 spot this offseason. Wright was carted from the field with a broken foot versus Green Bay while Ali hasn’t played since the first preseason game because of a stinger. Without another backup option in sight, Hill should see plenty of reps on passing downs until Keaton Mitchell returns.
Buffalo Bills
Not much to see
The Bills didn’t play anyone remotely close to relevant for fantasy players. For the dynasty sickos, Frank Gore Jr. capped off a strong preseason with this run.
Frank Gore Jr. with a well executed bounce read on Duo pic.twitter.com/mQmsP95HAe
— Shawn Syed (@SyedSchemes) August 25, 2024
He ran for 163 yards on 33 attempts during the preseason and has made a strong case to crack the Bills’ 53-man roster.
Carolina Panthers
J’Tavion Sanders revival
The Panthers platooned rookie tight end J’Tavion Sanders with Jordan Matthews—yes that Jordan Mathews—in their second preseason game. Sanders logged an 83 percent snap share with the starters and ran a route on 6-of-9 dropbacks for Bryce Young. Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas were both sidelined for this game. Sanders’ usage should give us some hope that Sanders could be a viable fantasy TE2 if Tremble misses time in the regular season.
Miles Sanders only played 2-of-12 snaps with the starters and doesn’t appear to be a factor in this backfield.
Chicago Bears
Bears starters get the night off
Not much to see here so I will simply reiterate the case to fade Cole Kmet. In two games where the starters saw action, Kmet ran a route of 50 percent of the Bears’ passing plays and fell short of playing on even half of the team’s total offensive snaps. Gerald Everett played ahead of him. Everett has five years of experience under Bears OC Shane Waldron and may just be the team’s starting tight end.
Cincinnati Bengals
Jermaine Burton opening the year as a reserve
Rookie receiver Jermaine Burton continued playing a rotational role with the reserves in the Bengals’ preseason finale. Trenton Irwin was rested and Charlie Jones took return duties away from Burton this week after the rookie got some reps on punt and kick returns last week. Don’t expect any fantasy production from Burton anytime soon.
Cleveland Browns
WR3 tryout continues
The Browns have Jerry Jeudy and Amari Cooper locked into starting roles. Cooper will play mostly on the outside while Jeudy will typically man the slot and kick out wide in 2TE sets. That leaves them in need of a receiver who primarily plays on the outside for their final starting job.
Elijah Moore has run just over half of his routes from out wide over the past two years. That number jumped to 71 percent this preseason. Cedric Tillman was a traditional outside receiver in college but has split his snaps more evenly in the NFL, including this preseason. Rookie Jamari Thrash is primarily a slot receiver. The Browns seemingly gave all three chances to work themselves into a starting role. No one ran away with the job but Moore was the least productive in the preseason. He caught one pass for seven yards and finished last among the team’s eight targeted receivers in PFF receiving grade and yards per route run. My money is on Cedric Tillman to open the year as the WR3.
Dallas Cowboys
RB3 role remains ambiguous
As expected, Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott got the day off while the likes of Royce Freeman, Malik Davis, and Deuce Vaughn all saw reps in the final preseason game. The fact that no one has emerged as the clear favorite out of the group suggests whoever the RB3 is won’t see much work early in the year. The Cowboys also hosted Dalvin Cook for a visit, furthering the idea that the RB3 in this offense is an afterthought.
The Cowboys sat WR3 Jalen Tolbert but also gave KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks the day off. Turpin also got the second preseason game off while Tolbert played in that contest. Turpin is locked into a roster spot via his elite kick return skills, so it’s hard to know how much of his rest was related to that versus his role as an offensive player. Still, I wouldn’t write Tolbert’s name in stone as the every-down WR3.
Denver Broncos
Lots of news
The Broncos ran Tim Patrick out with the starters in their first two preseason games and sat him with them in the third. He is now expected to be traded or cut as Denver moves in a younger direction at receiver. This leaves the door open for Marvin Mims to start in Week 1. The second-year wideout barely played with the starters but did appear to be a distant WR4. That could now become a clear WR3 alongside an underwhelming No. 1 in Courtland Sutton and a lame duck No. 2 in Josh Reynolds. This also moves rookies Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin up the depth chart.
Samaje Perine is also expected to be cut or traded. In the second preseason game, Jaleel McLaughlin played the Perine role, running a route on 8-of-12 Bo Nix dropbacks. He and Javonte Williams will earn more targets with Perine out of the picture, but McLaughlin was a difference-making pass-catcher as a rookie, ranking top-five in yards per route run and PFF receiving grade. He could be Sean Payton’s next Pierre Thomas.
Detroit Lions
Sione Vaki locks up a roster spot?
Fourth-round rookie Sione Vaki got the final preseason game off, a practice typically reserved for players who have already made the roster. Vaki played both linebacker and running back in college but has only seen snaps at running back in the preseason. Vaki totaled 10 carries for 51 yards while adding 60 yards through the air on four grabs in his two preseason appearances.
Green Bay Packers
Josh Jacobs SZN
Neither AJ Dillon nor Marshawn Lloyd are currently healthy. Lloyd missed much of camp and the entire preseason while Dillon is still dealing with a stinger he suffered late in the 2023 season. Both are candidates to open the year on injured reserve. Needless to say, we’re getting 20 weekly touches for Josh Jacobs for a while.
Houston Texans
Cam Akers making a case
Dameon Pierce sat with the starters, but Cam Akers, who signed with the team early in training camp, isn’t making things easy for head coach DeMeco Ryans. Akers has rushed 24 times for 112 yards in three preseason appearances. People far smarter than myself have pointed out that Akers looks like a better fit for Bobby Slowik’s offense. Pierce’s numbers from last year make his schematic mismatch strikingly obvious.
Pierce has been treated like the clear RB2 in the preseason so I don’t want to write him off. But I’m now comfortable projecting Akers to make the roster and force a hypothetical committee should anything happen to Joe Mixon.
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Indianapolis Colts
Wheels up for Adonai Mitchell
With Josh Downs likely to miss time into the regular season because of an ankle injury, Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce have both seen plenty of reps with the starters in camp and the preseason. Mitchell ran a route on 15-of-16 dropbacks with the starters and was targeted four times. Mitchell is an explosive rookie who looks to be in line for a full-time role in Week 1.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Last call in Tank Bigsby
Tank Bigsby was the only player to get reps at running back with the starters after Travis Etienne. He has received positive reviews in camp and remains the handcuff to Etienne. It’s not a sexy pick, but Bigsby is a clear target in the final rounds of Best Ball drafts.
Kansas City Chiefs
Carson Steele is totally going to be a thing
Clyde Edwards-Helaire has missed weeks of practice with an illness and it’s unclear what his timetable to return looks like. Deneric Prince has been given a shot at the RB2 job and may win it by default, but Carson Steele’s emergence could make that meaningless. The former UCLA running back has spent time at fullback and running back in the preseason. Seemingly every time he touches the ball the big man makes a play.
Carson Steele Chiefs RB2? pic.twitter.com/LwnTD1bc4e
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) August 26, 2024
Andy Reid phased the fullback position out of his offense last season but had someone in the role for years before the 2023 season. Steele could play multiple roles in the offense, pushing the traditional RB2 to the fantasy periphery.
Las Vegas Raiders
Dylan Laube deep on the depth chart
The Raiders rested Zamir White, Alexander Mattison, and Ameer Abdullah. Dylan Laube got the start with the rest of the reserves. Fantasy managers can write him off for now.
Los Angeles Chargers
Kimani Vidal RB3 after all?
Fifth-round rookie Kimani Vidal was penciled as the RB3 with the potential to be the RB2 once he landed in LA. A slow start to camp saw him tumble to the fourth spot on the depth chart with some speculating that he wouldn’t make the roster. He was rested in the final preseason game while Jarrett Patterson split reps with Isaiah Spiller. Those two appear to be battling it out for a potential fourth spot.
Brenden Rice ran with the starting offense last week but that unit got the day off in the preseason finale. Rice did not. Given the state of the Chargers’ receiver room, even a player buried on the depth chart could quickly climb the ranks over the likes of Quentin Johnston and D.J. Chark. Rice could be that guy. But he has to make the roster first and that doesn’t look like a foregone conclusion.
Los Angeles Rams
Jordan Whittington gets the starter’s treatment
Jordan Whittington got the night off after two strong preseason showings leading into the finale. Whittington’s quick ascent of the depth chart could point to him being the WR4 over Tutu Atwell. The Rams rarely sub out one of their three mainstay receivers, making Whittington irrelevant for Week 1. On the other hand, if he were to leap Demarcus Robinson on the depth chart or someone ahead of him gets injured, fantasy points would be sure to follow.
Miami Dolphins
Jaylen Wright stuck at RB4?
Rookie running back Jaylen Wright played behind Jeff Wilson once again. All signs point to him being the RB4 to open the year. I also don’t think we should care much about this. Wright turned 17 carries into 91 yards and a touchdown in the preseason. He looked like the explosive backup Mike McDaniel wants as a replacement for either of his explosive starters. Jeff Wilson, coming up on 29 years old, looked like a 29-year-old running back. He averaged .7 yards per attempt on nine carries.
Minnesota Vikings
Jalen Nailor has done enough
After appearing in both of the Vikings’ previous preseason games, Minnesota gave Nailor the starter’s treatment by resting him. Brandon Powell was also rested. Powell could siphon a few snaps from Nailor, but Nailor will still see enough snaps to warrant a flier in Best Ball drafts.
New England Patriots
Jacoby Brissett injures his shoulder
As expected, Jacoby Brissett played ahead of Drake Maye. The veteran has looked like a statue behind one of the worst lines in the league throughout the preseason and training camp. The combo has been nightmarish for onlookers and potentially makes Maye the better short-term choice at quarterback. Things only got worse for Brissett in his final preseason game when he injured his shoulder. It seems to be a minor issue, but the number of games I’m projecting Maye to start keeps going up.
Drake Maye’s 14% career designed rush rate and 11% scramble rate ranked second behind Jayden Daniels.
— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) August 16, 2024
He is going to run once he takes the starting job.
pic.twitter.com/rvadbii2rE
He’s going to be a problem for fantasy managers when that happens. Maye is a true dual-threat who will score fantasy points despite the shortcomings of his offensive line.
New Orleans Saints
Receiver room becomes clear
Cedrick Wilson was rested as the WR3 once again. He has that role secured. Rookie Bub Means played ahead of A.T. Perry as the WR4. Head coach Dennis Allen has been critical of Perry this offseason. Combined with the preseason usage, Allen’s comments indicate that Means has surpassed Perry on the depth chart.
New York Giants
Giants using a fullback more
The Giants didn’t play anyone in the pool of fantasy players, but they did use fullback Jakob Johnson extensively. New York ranked fourth in 11-personnel usage and 19th in 21-personnel rate. They gave fullback Jakob Johnson 16-of-29 snaps with the starters in the preseason finale. New York didn’t even carry a fullback on the roster last year. Adding Johnson while also using Daniel Bellinger as a fullback on occasion could be a way to improve their blocking in the face of potentially ruinous offensive line play. It would also take Wan’Dale Robinson off the field more often.
New York Jets
Malachi Corley remains down on the depth chart
The Jets rested their starting receivers plus Allen Lazard and Xavier Gipson. Rookie Malachi Corley played with the reserves, indicating he is behind the two veterans on the depth chart. It’s not uncommon for rookies, especially one as raw as Corley, to get extended run throughout the preseason simply to get more reps under their belts. Corley should get on the field for designed touches like screens and carries early in the season, but it’s hard to see how he will truly breakout as a rookie.
Philadelphia Eagles
WR3 shakeup
Rookies Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson were in a competition with Parris Campbell for the WR3 role throughout camp and the preseason. Campbell opened camp as the favorite but was overtaken by Wilson, who is now sidelined with a concussion. With no one running away with the job, the Eagles traded for Jahan Dotson.
A rare in-division trade: Washington is sending former first-round pick Jahan Dotson and a fifth-round pick to the Eagles in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and two seventh-round picks, per sources. pic.twitter.com/ieDX8EvH0s
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 22, 2024
While this might seem like a good landing spot on the surface, it’s hard to see how Dotson will make an impact alongside two stud receivers in A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. Over the past two years, the Eagles’ third receiver has seen 51 and 21 targets. The 2023 number jumps to 41 if you combine the targets of Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus, both of whom played games as the WR3. That’s not nearly enough looks to be a viable fantasy option.
Pittsburgh Steelers
More Darnell Washington than anyone asked for
Second-year tight end Darnell Washington played four snaps with the starters. Pat Freiermuth was held to a snap-standstill by MyCole Pruitt. Freiermuth remains one of the easiest fades on the board.
San Francisco 49ers
Jordan Mason makes RB2 role unclear
Elijah Mitchell has been the 49ers’ RB2 since they acquired Christian McCaffrey, but that may have changed this offseason. All of the reports from camp indicated he was in a battle with Jordan Mason for that job. Mitchell then sat during the preseason while Mason earned PFF’s No. 2 rushing grade among running backs. I would project this backfield to be a committee if CMC goes down.
Seattle Seahawks
A new Seattle offense
A mix of starters and backups got on the field for the Seahawks’ first drive. We should not read into their play-calling much (at all) on this drive, but watching their offense felt like seeing the breadcrumb trail one final time before the start of the season. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb called five passes on five plays, all of which came with three receivers on the field. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf each registered an explosive play.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jalen McMillan calls game
Jalen McMillan has been battling Trey Palmer this summer for the WR3 role. Palmer didn’t suit up but it wasn’t reported as rest, so it may be a minor injury for the second-year wideout. Either way, it seems like rookie Jalen McMillan has surpassed him on the depth chart. Sports Illustrated’s JC Allen has reported that the WR3 job is now McMillan’s. The rookie also called game with this long grab.
Jalen McMillan going up and coming down with it!
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2024
📱: Stream #MIAvsTB on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/OJWxWH5t6n
Tennessee Titans
1A/1B situation in the backfield
Both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears got reps with the first-team offense in Tennessee’s preseason finale. Pollard saw five carries and five routes on 11 snaps while Spears was at three each on seven snaps. Pollard is the clear starter but Spears will be in the mix. Given Pollard’s flop in 2023, Spears still looks like the better value in fantasy drafts.
Washington Commanders
Luke McCaffrey rests
The Commanders moved on from Jahan Dotson, leaving everything but their WR1 role up for grabs. Rookie Luke McCaffrey was buried on the depth chart early in camp, but a receiver room now led by Olamide Zaccheaus and Dyami Brown at WR2 isn’t a hard one to climb. His role in Week 1 will be one of the most interesting to watch. McCaffrey should already be stashed in deeper leagues.