• The Atlanta Falcons rest Michael Penix Jr.: While most teams choose to get their rookies a lot of opportunities in the preseason, the Falcons opted to rest those likely to make the roster.
• The Chicago Bears continue to rotate at tight end: Both Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett continued a two-man rotation at tight end making it hard to trust either in fantasy football.
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Estimated reading time: 30 minutes
PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2024.
Atlanta Falcons @ Baltimore Ravens
Devontez Walker falls further down the Ravens' depth chart: Baltimore rested its starters and some key backups, which wasn’t enough for Walker to start.
The Ravens used the same starting skill players as the first week of the preseason, which included Tylan Wallace, Malik Cunningham and Keith Kirkwood at wide receiver. Walker didn’t play his first snap until the last six minutes of the second quarter a week ago, leaving him seventh on the depth chart. He didn’t play his first offensive snap until the second half of this game.
Unlike last week, the Ravens started rotating in and out wide receivers during the first quarter, including Deonte Harty and Anthony Miller, who didn’t play the week before playing ahead of Walker.
Walker was a fourth-round pick, making it very likely he will make the 53-man roster over roster over multiple wide receivers playing ahead of him Saturday, but it’s not a good sign for his playing time at least early in the season.
Falcons continue the Sean McVay preseason philosophy: Atlanta rested even more players this week than the previous one.
Season after season, McVay rested not just the starting Los Angeles Rams but also the key backups who had a roster spot secure. This meant the players who played in the game were fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster. Last season, Kyren Williams and Cam Akers didn’t play in the preseason. Puka Nacua, as a fifth-round rookie, only played in the first half of the first preseason game and looked good enough not to play in the second or third preseason game. Not playing a non-first-round rookie in the preseason is unheard of for almost every other team.
Head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson last worked for the Rams, and they’ve taken the same philosophy to the preseason. Michael Penix Jr. isn’t going anywhere, so he’s not playing anymore in the preseason. Similar to Penix, wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge and tight end Ross Dwelley played in the first 20 minutes of last week's game and were among the players not playing in this game. Hodge seems to have secured the fourth wide receiver spot while Dwelley is the third tight end. Hodge would see significant playing time if one of the wide receivers were to suffer an injury, but would probably only be a waiver target if two receivers got hurt.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Ravens rested starters Lamar Jackson, halfbacks Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, fullback Patrick Ricard, wide receiver Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor, and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.
- Wide receiver Russell Gage signed with the Ravens 11 days ago, but he didn’t play because he’s “banged up”.
- Backup rookie running back Rasheen Ali similarly didn’t play after an injury in last week’s preseason game. The fifth-round rookie is competing with Owen Wright for the third running back spot while Keaton Mitchell misses the start of the season.
- The Falcons rested quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr., running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, wide receivers Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud III and KhaDarel Hodge, and tight ends Kyle Pitts, Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Chicago Bears
The Bears' tight ends remain undraftable: Both Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett remained in a heavy rotation at tight end, reminiscent of Shane Waldron’s time with the Seattle Seahawks.
Everett played ahead of Kmet last week. Everett Played a few one tight end sets before Kmet, and then they rotated back and forth. This week, Kmet played most of the first drive while Everett played the second and most of the third. Both tight ends played in clear passing and running situations. The Bears took out some starters during their fourth drive, but both tight ends continued playing.
Typically, a tight end needs to be the clear primary player in most situations, outside of 21 personnel, to be a fantasy starter. That was not the case with Waldron’s tight ends in Seattle and doesn’t look like it will be the case here.
The Bears also have Marcedes Lewis, who hasn’t been playing in the preseason and will likely be the No. 3 tight end. He will mostly play in rushing situations, but that will include stealing some pass routes.
Jermaine Burton starts for the Bengals: The third-round rookie wide receiver started but could still be low on the depth chart.
Last week, Burton didn’t play his first offensive snap until late in the second quarter, behind Tee Higgins, Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas, Shedrick Jackson, Kwamie Lassiter II and Kendric Pryor. Ja’Marr Chase didn’t play while Charlie Jones was out due to injury but listed ahead of Burton on unofficial depth charts.
Burton started Saturday with Jackson and Lassiter, but the Bengals rested their top four wide receivers while Jones missed another game. Pryor also didn’t play, although it’s unclear if this was due to some unannounced injury, or if he quickly worked his way up the depth chart. Burton has made some plays in both preseason games, but it’s unclear if he’s any higher on the depth chart than he was a week ago.
It’s still unlikely Burton is much of a factor on offense early in the season, but there is still a chance he earns more playing time throughout the season.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Cincinnati Bengals rested quarterback Joe Burrow, running backs Zack Moss and Chase Brown, wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trenton Irwin and Andrei Iosivas, and tight ends Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample.
- Wide receiver Charlie Jones missed last week and warmed up with the team but ended up not playing.
- The Chicago Bears didn’t play running backs D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. The backfield was similar to last week with Khalil Herbert playing early downs and Travis Homer playing third.
- The Bears mostly stayed in 11 personnel, but in two-receiver sets, Rome Odunze took a snap away from Keenan Allen. It was in 21 personnel, which is more likely to be a run play, but it is still noteworthy if Odunze can keep taking some snaps from Allen in two-receiver sets.
- After three drives, the Bears continued playing Caleb Williams, but D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen both stopped playing at that point in time.
New York Giants @ Houston Texans
A better look at the Texans wide receiver rotation: Houston only played its starters six snaps a week ago, so this game gave us a better indication of the wide receiver rotation.
In last week’s preseason game, the Texans played four snaps in 11 personnel with Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell, while Collins and Diggs played two snaps in two-receiver sets. This told us Dell is third but didn’t give any clear indication of how much he might rotate in during two-receiver sets.
The Texans played their starters for the entire first half in this game. They played nine snaps in 11 personnel. On the last play of the quarter, Robert Woods, John Metchie III and Xavier Hutchinson all played while Woods took a snap from Diggs earlier in the quarter. Dell and Collins played four snaps each from the slot while Diggs played one.
In 12 personnel, Collins and Diggs played four-of-five snaps. Woods and Metchie II played the other two. In 21 personnel, Collins played all three snaps while Dell played two and Diggs played one. It’s worth noting the Texans' potential top backup, Noah Brown, wasn’t playing in this game.
Collins playing 15-of-17 snaps with the starters is excellent news for his fantasy value. That was 88% of Houston's offensive snaps, where he was typically closer to 75% last season with only one game at 88% or more. If the Diggs addition has no impact on his snap rate, that’s great for him.
Dell is the concern here, as he only ran a route on eight of 13 pass plays when including plays taken back by penalty. Not playing a single snap in 12 personnel while both Woods and Metchie II did isn’t ideal, although it’s still a relatively small sample at this point. It’s pretty rare for a wide receiver running a route on 60-65% of pass plays to be a fantasy starter. Dell could be the exception to that rule, but the Texans will need to run a lot of pass plays to make that happen. He should still be drafted as a fantasy starting wide receiver because his best games should still be excellent, but there will likely also be weeks where he barely scores any fantasy points.
Devin Singletary dominates offensive snaps: Singletary played in all but four snaps in the first half.
The Giants played their starters for the entire first half, giving us a great view of how players might rotate this season. Singletary was the Giants' clear feature running back. There was no clear pattern when they were taking him off the field, so he was the clear primary back in every situation except when they wanted to give him a break.
Singletary has reached those heights a few times throughout his career. He reached over 80% of his team's offensive snaps four times with the Houston Texans last year but never quite as high of a rate as this game. With Houston, he often wasn’t playing on third downs as much.
It’s worth noting Tyrone Tracy Jr. missed this game after a scare in practice a few weeks ago that initially looked season-ending now leaves him out three-to-six weeks. Singletary may play less once Tracy is back to 100%. Until then, Singletary is a likely low-end fantasy starter due to his volume that can be drafted as RB34.
Giants wide receiver rotation takes shape: The Giants used all of their top wide receivers throughout the first half of this game.
Malik Nabers, unsurprisingly, led the Giants wide receivers, playing in all but three snaps. His rate of New York's offensive snaps was fairly typical for a fantasy starting wide receiver, and anyone who has drafted him should be relatively happy. While preseason targets typically don’t mean a lot due to small sample sizes, it was good to see him targeted on one-third of Daniel Jones’ passes, bringing in four for 54 yards.
Wan’Dale Robinson is expected to be the second-best fantasy option in the receiving room. He played 100% of New York's offensive snaps in 11 personnel and 0% in other personnel groupings. This is pretty similar to last season where he played in 591 snaps in three- or four-receiver sets and just 49 in two or fewer. Unfortunately, it is very hard for someone in this kind of role to be a consistent fantasy starter.
Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton rotated for the other wide receiver spot. Hyatt started the game, and there was a general tendency for Hyatt to play in more passing situations and Slayton in more rushing. It will be hard for either to be fantasy-relevant if they are playing close to 50% of New York's offensive snaps, but it was pretty clear if you had to draft one, that Hyatt should be the guy.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Texans didn’t have starting running back Joe Mixon, wide receiver Noah Brown and tight end Teagan Quitoriano. Mixon returned to practice from injury a week ago and should be fine for the regular season. Brown hasn’t been practicing while Quitoriano, who was hurt in the first preseason game, is week to week.
- Brevin Jordan made his preseason debut and is clearly ahead of Cade Stover. Jordan rotated in enough to remind us that Dalton Schultz isn’t the best fantasy option due to fewer routes than other starting tight ends and a likely lower target share thanks to the talent at wide receiver.
- Cam Akers was fifth on the depth chart during the Hall of Fame game and last week’s preseason game, but this week, he played ahead of J.J. Taylor, so he is now fourth.
- Similar to last week, it was clear no tight end should be drafted from the group. Chris Manhertz was always playing in two tight end sets. He also took a lot of 11 personnel snaps as a blocker while Theo Johnson was ahead of Daniel Bellinger for the receiving role. It’s possible Johnson can emerge at some point this season, but even then, he would need to play very well to be a fantasy starter in this offense.
Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs
Carson Steele jumps up Chiefs depth chart: Steele played throughout the Chiefs' second drive while starters were still on the field.
The Chiefs consistently play their starters throughout the preseason. There have been plenty of times when the lead running back exits the game before Patrick Mahomes, which happened in this game. Isiah Pacheco played the first drive. Typically, Clyde Edwards-Helaire would replace him, but he missed practice early in the week due to an illness.
Surprisingly, undrafted rookie Steele entered the game. Deneric Prince was ahead of him on the depth chart last week, so now it appears Steele is at least third on the depth chart. There is also a chance he could surpass Edwards-Helaire at some point.
Prince joined in the second quarter. Steele is listed on the official team roster as a fullback and has played at least one snap there in both preseason games. That position versatility could also help him at least win a roster spot.
The situation is worth monitoring, as the Chiefs running back position is a valuable asset in fantasy. If Pacheco got injured, we can also expect him to snipe a touchdown away from Pacheco at least at some point during the season.
Xavier Worthy remains a mainstay in the Chiefs starting offense: Worthy played in 15-of-18 snaps while Patrick Mahomes was in the game.
The Chiefs have used a ridiculous rotation of wide receivers each of the last two seasons, but that doesn’t look like it will be the case this season. Worthy, Rice and Watson all played the vast majority of snaps with Mahomes on the field. The Chiefs' wide receiver rotations in past preseasons have nicely mirrored the wide receiver rotation early in recent seasons, so we can expect Worthy to be a full-time starter in this offense.
It’s at least possible he starts rotating out a little bit more once Hollywood Brown is fully healthy. Worthy made both a 39-yard catch and a 22-yard touchdown with Carson Wentz in this game. If he continues to make multiple big plays a game, he might never leave the field.
Lions wide receiver competition heats up: Five different wide receivers played in the first quarter for the Lions.
Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are locked into the first two wide receiver spots on the depth chart while Kalif Raymond looks pretty secure for the third spot considering he’s sitting out of his second-straight preseason game.
Last week, Daurice Fountain, Tom Kennedy and Kaden Davis were the primary wide receivers throughout the first half while Donovan Peoples-Jones did not play his first snap until the last minute of the first half. In this game, Davis and Peoples-Jones started the game and saw the clear majority of work in the first quarter. Kennedy, Fountain and Isaiah Williams all mixed in during the first quarter, giving five wide receivers a chance for the last two or three roster spots.
It’s worth noting Williams has gotten work both as a kick and punt returner over the last two weeks with a successful return in each. That could help him secure one of the spots, making it harder for everyone else. These spots will only matter for fantasy football if St. Brown suffers an injury at some point this season.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Detroit Lions rested quarterback Jared Goff, running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond, and tight ends Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright.
- Craig Reynolds only played on the Lions’ first drive, and then he left before the rest of the Lions’ starters, so his spot as RB3 remains secure. Jermar Jefferson didn’t play in this game for unknown reasons, so Sione Vaki still might only be fifth on the depth chart.
- Last week when Hollywood Brown left the game due to an injury, Skyy Moore replaced him, but Justin Watson didn’t play in that game. Watson was the clear starter ahead of Moore in this game, but Moore was the primary backup.
- Kadarius Toney missed last week’s preseason game due to injury. He didn’t play his first offensive snap until 10 minutes left in the second quarter, playing behind Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Watson, Moore, Justyn Ross and Mecole Hardman Jr., placing Toney seventh on the depth chart among the healthy wide receivers.
Minnesota Vikings @ Cleveland Browns
Pierre Strong Jr. is currently ahead of D’Onta Foreman: Both running backs should play early in the season.
Last season, the Browns primary running backs after Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending injury were Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt. Strong was the third back, often playing more than most No. 3 backs.
The Browns replaced Hunt on the roster with D’Onta Foreman. Chubb is still on the physically unable to perform list and is likely to miss the start of the season while Ford was among the key players sitting. Strong started the game and played most of the first quarte while Foreman played the second quarter. Foreman missed last week’s game due to injury, and Strong may be only ahead because of seniority while Foreman hasn’t practiced much in the offense.
It was noteworthy that Foreman’s only two snaps in the first quarter happened at the one-yard line. Foreman is listed at 235 pounds, making him one of the bigger running backs in the league. Last season, Hunt was the primary goal-line back, and this year, it could very well be Foreman, even if he remains lower on the depth chart. This is a big reason why Ford wasn’t always a fantasy starter last year despite being the lead running back on the team, and why that will probably remain true this season while Chubb is out. It’s also not out of the question that Foreman takes goal-line carries over Chubb once he’s playing again.
Jalen Nailor remains the favorite for the WR3 job: Nailor was an every-down player for the second straight preseason game with the starters.
The Vikings rested not only their starters but also their primary backup running back and tight ends. More players rested than last week, but Nailor started again, playing the first three drives. Brandon Powell is his primary competition for the third receiver spot, and he played in 11 personnel with the starters. This is exactly how they were used last week, except last week, it was Jordan Addison across from Nailor, and in this game, it was Trishton Jackson.
As mentioned last week, Justin Jefferson, Addison and Nailor are primarily outside receivers while Powell plays primarily from the slot, which could impact decision-making, but based on play from the first two preseason games and general buzz from training camps, Nailor should be the third receiver.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Browns rested quarterback Deshaun Watson, running backs Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, Nyheim Hines, wide receivers Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Elijah Moore and David Bell, and tight end David Njoku.
- The Vikings rested quarterback Sam Darnold, running backs Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler, wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jalen Nailor, and tight ends Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt.
- Nick Chubb and T.J. Hockenson remain on the physically unable to perform list. It wouldn’t be surprising if they missed the start of the regular season.
New York Jets @ Carolina Panthers
Braelon Allen’s RB2 spot is less secure: Isaiah Davis mixed in more frequently than last week.
Allen was drafted in the fourth round this year, and last week, he played the entire first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter. This made it appear his spot as Breece Hall’s primary backup was secure. Davis took over and played the rest of the second quarter while other backups played in the second half.
Davis started this game, with Allen also taking a snap on the first drive. Davis took all of the second drive, Allen took the third, and then Allen played most of the fourth drive with Davis mixing in. They, again, used other backups in the second half. Notably, 2023 fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda looks like he won’t make the roster unless they keep four running backs. This makes it look like Davis is the favorite to be the backup even though Allen played more, but Allen’s time was primarily in the second quarter. Neither put up major stats in this game. Davis had the best run but Allen had two receptions.
Neither player will play much when Hall is healthy. This makes it less clear how snaps will be distributed if Hall suffers an injury. The possibility of a pretty even two-man backfield looks like the most probable outcome.
Somewhat concerning usage for Ja’Tavion Sanders: The Panthers' fourth-round rookie will likely be part of a rotation.
The Panthers are missing Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas due to injury, which should give Sanders a chance to become an every-down tight end and the first fantasy-relevant tight end in Carolina since Greg Olsen.
Last week, Sanders played the entire first half, playing 24-of-30 snaps, but the six snaps he missed were all pass plays. He only played half of the third-down snaps. This week, he was taken out in the middle of the second quarter, which was a step in the right direction. He played in 17-of-22 snaps on those drives, played all seven snaps in two tight end sets and 10 of the 14 snaps in 11 personnel. The main concern is he only played in half of the third down passes for a second straight week.
A great receiver could be a borderline fantasy starter with this kind of playing time, but it would need to be in a good offense. There is a chance Sanders will play fewer snaps once one or both of the other tight ends are healthy. It’s perfectly fine to take a shot on Sanders in dynasty, but he does not look like a fantasy starter this year.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Panthers rested quarterback Bryce Young and Andy Dalton, running back Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear, and wide receivers Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen.
- Running back Jonathon Brooks, wide receiver Xavier Legette, and tight ends Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas all missed this game due to injury.
- Jonathan Mingo is likely to be among the top three wide receivers to start the season given how much time Legette has missed. He left the game at the end of the first quarter while everyone else who played in the first quarter continued to play in the second. The snap count graph was cut off at the end of the first quarter for Mingo.
- The Jets rested quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor, running back Breece Hall, wide receivers Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, Xavier Gipson, Allen Lazard and Malik Taylor, and tight ends Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert.
- For the second straight week, third-round rookie Malachi Corley played 100% of snaps in 11 personnel in the first half and 0% in 12 personnel. He’s not going to have value in redraft leagues in that role even if that continues with the starters. Chances are, he will play less than 100% of 11 personnel snaps with the starters.
Arizona Cardinals @ Indianapolis Colts
Cardinals backup running back competition: Emari Demercado missed the Cardinals' first preseason game due to injury, but he was back for this game.
The Cardinals rested James Conner for this game, so we got to see how the running back rotation might look if Conner misses any time this season.
Trey Benson played in 16 of a possible 22 snaps on first and second down outside of two-minute drills, with Emari Demercado playing the other six. He didn’t play any snaps on third downs or the two-minute drill. The fact that Benson is unlikely to play in two-minute drills or third downs even with a Conner injury is why Benson only ranked in the middle of the pack of our running back handcuff rankings.
Demercado out-snapped Carter four to three on third downs, but Carter played four-of-five snaps in the two-minute drills. The two appear to be fighting for one roster spot to play in both situations this year unless the Cardinals choose to keep four running backs on the roster.
Jelani Woods seems unlikely to make the Colts’ roster: The Colts sat their top two tight ends and Woods still couldn’t find much time with the starters.
The 2022 third-round pick showed some promise as a rookie, but he suffered an injury in training camp and ended up missing the entire season.
In this game, Woods was third on the depth chart. In the drives with Sam Ehlinger, Woods played one-of-14 snaps in 11 personnel and three-of-four in 12 personnel. Being third on the depth chart in this game means he’s fifth on the depth chart overall, and it’s incredibly rare for a team to keep five tight ends on the active roster.
Woods may land with another team at some point. It seems very likely Woods or any other Colts tight end has any consistent fantasy value this season.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Colts rested quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco, running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr., Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce, and tight ends Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson.
- Trey Sermon and Josh Downs both missed this game due to injury.
- The Cardinals rested quarterback Kyler Murray, running back James Conner, wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Zay Jones, and tight ends Trey McBride and Elijah Higgins.
- The Cardinals' backup quarterback situation is unsettled. Desmond Ridder started last week and Clayton Tune started this week.
Washington Commanders @ Miami Dolphins
Jahan Dotson remains the slot receiver: Dotson was primarily an outside wide receiver his first two seasons in the NFL.
Dotson played both outside in two-receiver sets and in the slot with the Commanders in the first preseason game. He also played longer than most other starters. This was mostly optimistic news for Dotson because Kliff Kingsbury’s offenses have thrown significantly to the slot in the past, and players who play outside in two-receiver sets and inside in three-receiver sets generally score more fantasy points than those who stay outside.
Remarks by Dan Quinn said the Commanders were in the middle of the search for WR2, leaving some doubt as to where Dotson sits on the team. In this preseason game, we saw more of the same as the first game. The starting wide receivers, including Terry McLaurin, played one more drive than Jayden Daniels. On the first three drives, Dotson played all 17 snaps in 11 personnel, with Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus playing seven snaps each. If either receiver was close to surpassing Dotson, one would have likely taken some of those snaps. Kazmeir Allen was the only other player to play more than one snap in the slot on those first three drives. His spot in the slot seems relatively secure.
The question becomes how much does he play in two-receiver sets. In the first week, he played four of five snaps. In this game, it was three-of-five. There is a chance one of the other wide receivers can overtake Dotson on the outside in two-receiver sets, but Dotson remains the favorite. Now is a time to buy Dotson while others are concerned about the coach's comments.
Jonnu Smith is part of a rotation: Smith has experience in all personnel groupings throughout his career, but the Dolphins might not be using him in an every-down role.
The Dolphins used three tight ends throughout the first half — Smith, Durham Smythe and Julian Hill. Smith was consistently playing in 11 personnel, but it was typically Smythe and Hill in 12 personnel and Hill in 21 personnel. This left Smith playing just over 50% of Miami's offensive snaps in the first half.
Smith played some snaps in 12 personnel, but it wasn’t the typical role. This was reminiscent of his time with the Tennessee Titans. While Smith is the Dolphins' clear top receiving tight end, it is very rare for someone to be a consistent fantasy starter without playing in the majority of 12 personnel snaps. There are better options if you’re looking for a deep sleeper at the position.
Miscellaneous Notes
- While the Commander's running back snaps are similar to last week, their snaps came at different times. Last week, the two would rotate in and out every few snaps. In this game, Brian Robinson Jr. played 10 of the first 11 snaps while Austin Ekeler played each of the last seven.
- We can expect their snaps to be close this season with Robinson seeing more carries while Ekeler gets more targets, but this leads to some possibility of a running back getting the hot hand if they are willing to use both players in all situations.
- Ben Sinnott started for Washington but remains clearly behind John Bates on the depth chart. Zach Ertz didn’t play in this game and presumably is still the top tight end.
- Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both sat out this game. Odell Beckham Jr. remains on the physically unable to perform list.
- The Dolphins running back split might be concerning for some fantasy managers, but the Dolphins are dealing with several injuries at this position. Both Jeff Wilson Jr. and Salvon Ahmed are dealing with injuries, and Jaylen Wright didn’t play for unclear reasons. This meant their only available running backs were Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Chris Brooks. After the first drive, it was all Achane and Brooks.
Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Khalil Shakir only played in three-receiver sets: Mack Hollins replaced Shakir in two-receiver sets with the starters.
In the first preseason game, Shakir played in seven of the first 11 snaps, including five-of-six in 11 personnel and two-of-five in 12 personnel. There was only one play where he and Curtis Samuel were on the field at the same time, so it seemed like the two were fighting for the same snaps.
Samuel didn’t play in this game, so Shakir should have played more. Mack Hollins didn’t play in the first game but did play tonight. Hollins took over for Marquez Valdes-Scantling in three-receiver sets but also prevented others from playing in 12 personnel, as it was consistently Hollins and Coleman.
Many consider Shakir a sleeper, but it will be hard for him to be a fantasy starter if he’s very rarely, if ever, playing in two-receiver sets. This will become more problematic if the Bills run a lot of two-tight-end sets.
This game was also good news for Coleman, who continues to play every snap even with Hollins is back. It’s looking more like Coleman could be the most reliable wide receiver in the offense.
Monitor the health of Jaylen Warren: The Steelers receiving back suffered a hamstring injury and was ruled doubtful.
Typically, when a player is ruled doubtful in the regular season, it’s not a good sign. In the preseason, we rarely get these injury updates, and when someone is injured in the preseason, they usually never return. Warren was able to get up after his injury but was clearly in some discomfort.
In the first week of the preseason, the Steelers rotated the running backs as we’ve become accustomed to. Harris would play more on early downs and Warren in passing downs. In this game, they each played a few snaps at a time regardless of the situation. Warren started to pull away in terms of snaps, but they could have been ready to call it a day for Harris before Warren suffered his injury. We also saw Cordarrelle Patterson play two snaps with the starters. Ultimately, there wasn’t anything to read into on their rotation.
If Warren were to miss regular season time, Harris would be a must-start feature running back. Harris played in passing situations in his rookie season and played in multiple third and long plays in this game.
Miscellaneous Notes
- James Cook played each of the first 15 snaps on the first three drives before Ray Davis. This doesn’t help us figure out how snaps will be distributed this season, but it continues to make it clear Cook is the starter.
- Curtis Samuel didn’t play for the Bills. Considering how few players were out for the team, Samuel is presumably dealing with some kind of injury.
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling suffered an injury late in the first half and took a long time to get up. He is currently the favorite to be the backup outside wide receiver. If he misses time, it should give Samuel and Khalil Shakir more opportunities on the outside.
- Dalton Kincaid played on the first two offensive snaps of the game and then his day was over. It appeared to be a coach's decision, as he started to go in for the third play before finding out he wasn’t in.
- Van Jefferson remains the Steeler's clear No. 2 wide receiver with Calvin Austin III in the slot. Scotty Miller and Quez Watkins remain the top backups, which hasn’t been great news for Roman Wilson.
- Pat Freiermuth barely played in over 50% of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps. The Steelers weren’t using nearly as many two- and three-tight-end sets as we would expect, but even a few more snaps wouldn’t be enough to make him a fantasy starter this season.
Seattle Seahawks @ Tennessee Titans
The Titans’ third running back job is wide open: Julius Chestnut is penciled in as the third back, but he’s facing competition.
Last week, Chestnut played in the second and third quarters while Hassan Haskins played his first snaps in the second quarter and undrafted rookie Jabari Small played his first snaps in the third quarter.
Chesnut started this game for the Titans while Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears sat out. Small appeared to have leapfrogged Haskins, as he was the running back on the Titans' second drive. Chestnut and Small both played significantly on every other drive in the first half. Chestnut did not see his first offensive action until the third quarter.
Chances are none of these players will be fantasy-relevant this season unless both Pollard and Spears suffer an injury, but if you’re looking for a new dynasty stash in a deeper league, Small is a name to consider.
A.J. Barner competes for playing time: The Seahawks' fourth-round rookie is competing for the Seahawks' third tight end spot.
Barner was buried on the depth chart in the Seahawks' first preseason game, where they rested Noah Fant and played three other tight ends in the first quarter, and Barner didn’t play his first snap until Pharaoh Brown was taken out of the game.
This week, the Seahawks also rested Brown, allowing Barner to play more with the other primary backups. Barner played 100% of the team's snaps in 12 and 21 personnel but only five of 21 snaps in 11 personnel. Barner was viewed as a blocker coming out of the draft, and it seems pretty clear based on this usage that the Seahawks view him the same way. He should be avoided even in deeper dynasty leagues.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Titans rested quarterback Will Levis, running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, wide receivers Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, Tyler Boyd and Treylon Burks, and tight ends Chigoziem Okonkwo, Josh Whyle and Nick Vannett.
- Kyle Philips is dealing with a hamstring injury and missed the game while Colton Dowell remains on the physically unable to perform list.
- The Seahawks rested quarterback Geno Smith, running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, wide receivers D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and tight ends Noah Fant and Pharaoh Brown.
Los Angeles Rams @ Los Angeles Chargers
Brenden Rice starts for the Charters: The Chargers had all of their top wide receivers available for this game, and Rice started.
On the Chargers' first drive, Joshua Palmer and Rice played on the outside with Ladd McConkey in the slot. Derius Davis oddly started the game in place of Palmer, with D.J. Chark Jr. also playing one snap from Palmer in 12 personnel.
On the second drive, Palmer stopped playing, making it clear he’s the top wide receiver on the depth chart. McConkey continued playing on the second drive. He played 100% of the Chargers' snaps in 11 personnel on those two drives, with no snaps in 12 personnel. He’s still someone to consider for fantasy purposes, but the fact that he didn’t play in any of the seven 12-personnel snaps is concerning. He will likely need those snaps to make him a fantasy starter this season.
Quentin Johnston, Chark and Rice began a rotation on the outside, a rotation that carried on into the third quarter. In the first half, Rice played 20 snaps, Chark 18 and Johnston 13 out of a possible 34 snaps. This should be some kind of three-man rotation to start the season, preventing any of them from being fantasy-relevant this season. It is impressive that Rice, a seventh-round rookie, appears to be potentially beating a former first-round pick and a veteran receiver this early into the preseason while so many third and fourth-round wide receivers are buried on their depth charts.
Don’t give up on Kimani Vidal: The sixth-round rookie running back still has a chance to be the third back on the team.
Vidal was several people’s favorite rookie to take a late-round shot on considering the age and injury history of the Chargers’ other running backs. His stock took a hit when respected Chargers writer Daniel Popper didn’t include Vidal on his 53-man roster prediction.
Jarett Patterson started this game, but Vidal was in by the third play. Vidal, Patterson, Elijah Dotson and Isaiah Spiller all received playing time in the first half with Easton Stick at quarterback, but Vidal played the most offensive snaps at 14-of-34, and he ran just as much as the other three running backs combined.
He put up the best numbers on a per-play basis of the four on the ground, so there is still a chance Vidal makes the roster as third on the depth chart. Popper did project four running backs on the roster, so it will be curious to see if the Chargers take that approach.
Jordan Whittington shines with the Rams backups: Whittington caught five passes for 52 yards on eight targets.
The Rams rested their starters and top backup like they have the last several years. The sixth-round rookie shined in the Rams last game and was a frequent target in this one. Everyone is looking for the next Puka Nacua after the former fifth-round pick became a fantasy football star. Some people think it will be Whittington, but so far, he hasn’t quite followed in Nacua’s footsteps. Nacua didn’t play in the second or third preseason game last season after playing well in their first preseason game. While it was great to see Whittington play well, it would be even better if we didn’t see him play next week.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Rams rested quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo, running backs Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers, wide receivers Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell, and tight end Colby Parkinson.
- The Chargers rested quarterback Justin Herbert, running backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, and tight end Hayden Hurst.
- Donald Parham Jr. has looked like a potential top receiving tight end at times in his career, but it’s clear he is fighting for a roster spot. Hurst and Will Dissly are the starters, and Stone Smartt has surpassed him as the primary backup receiving tight end. Parham only has a chance on the roster if they keep four tight ends.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Tank Bigsby is the clear RB2 for Jacksonville: Bigsby played 22 snaps to D’Ernest Johnson‘s seven on the Jaguars’ first two drives.
Bigsby played the Jaguars' first seven snaps on their first drive and the first six on the second drive. The only reason Johnson received any work on these two drives was due to how long the drives were going. Bigsby ran 10 times and caught three passes during that time.
Last season, Bigsby was used more on early downs and short-yardage situations while Johnson played more snaps in passing situations, but they had no problem giving Bigsby receiving work in this game.
It’s possible that once the regular season hits, Johnson could be more of a third-down back when Etienne needs a break, but it’s also possible Bigsby would be used in a feature role if Etienne misses any time.
Bucky Irving takes a step closer to being the RB2: Irving only played in the first quarter and was taken out of the game earlier this week than last week.
The Buccaneers haven’t played their starters in either preseason game. Kyle Trask played the first half of both games but some players got pulled before that point. Last week, Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer were pulled at the end of the first half while Irving played until the middle of the second quarter. He also had to share some time with Sean Tucker.
This week, Irving played the first 12 snaps and was taken out at the end of the first quarter at the same time as the other wide receivers. Tucker didn’t play his first offensive snap until the second quarter.
It’s also worth noting the longer Chase Edmonds misses practice, the more opportunities Irving has to take the backup job. Edmonds is still listed second on the unofficial depth chart, but most fantasy managers expect Irving to take over.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Buccaneers rested quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Rachaad White, wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and tight ends Cade Otton and Payne Durham.
- Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer were used in the same way as last week, playing as the outside wide receivers in the first quarter. They are fighting for the third wide receiver spot in 11 personnel, but this gives no indication who is winning the job, or how the snaps might be rotated.
- The Jaguars rested quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne Jr., wide receivers Gabe Davis and Christian Kirk, and tight ends Evan Engram and Luke Farrell.
- First-round rookie Brian Thomas Jr. played in this game, which shouldn’t give fantasy managers any concerns. Some teams rest rookies when they rest starters, but the Jaguars aren’t. Thomas Jr. played 10-of-11 snaps on the first drive and 12-of-17 on the second drive. While losing out on seven snaps when the Jaguars are playing with backups seems like a lot, there’s a chance he would have played 100% of Jacksonville's offensive snaps if the drives had been shorter.
Dallas Cowboys @ Las Vegas Raiders
Concern around Zamir White: For the second straight game, White played deeper into the preseason than most would expect.
In the first preseason game, White started and took all of the early-down work on the first drive. Alexander Mattison took the second drive, and White oddly played two snaps on the third drive. It was in the red zone, so it seemed plausible the goal was for him to play some snaps near the goal line. When he came back in the game, Aidan O’Connell, Alexander Mattison, Jakobi Meyers, Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and three offensive linemen had played their last snap.
The Raiders did a similar rotation in this game. White took the first two drives with Mattison as the passing-down back. Mattison played nine snaps on the third drive with Ameer Abdullah taking the other, making it seem like White’s game was over. Then, White came back for the fourth drive, again at a time when Mattison, Meyers and Mayer and three-fifths of the line were done playing.
Throughout the second quarter, White shared time while Dylan Laube played a few snaps, typically in passing situations. Laube also took the two-minute drill snaps. Laube only played in the second half a week ago, so this was a big step up for him. White remained in the game when the second half started, as did most of the players who ended the second half.
Considering how much White has played with backups, how much Mattison has played with starters, and Laube working his way up the depth chart, we might be in store for White being in more of a rotation than ideal. This could push him from a borderline fantasy starter to a backup in most fantasy leagues.
The Cowboys have no clear third running back: The Cowboys rotated three running backs by drive throughout the first half.
In the Cowboys' first preseason game, Rico Dowdle started, played a few minutes and then Malik Davis took over. Davis played most of the first half with Royce Freeman and Deuce Vaughn dealing with injuries.
In this game, Davis took the first and fourth drive, Freeman took the second and most of the fifth, and Vaughn took the third and the sixth. At halftime, quarterback Trey Lance led the team in rushing. Ezekiel Elliott and Dowdle are likely the top two backs. None of them may win the third job, as it may be someone who isn’t currently on the roster.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Raiders rested wide receiver Davante Adams and tight end Brock Bowers. Chances are he’s dealing with some kind of injury, considering other important veterans like Maxx Crosby were playing on defense.
- Last week, Kristian Wilkerson was the Raiders' third wide receiver to start the game behind Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker. Meyers was the primary slot receiver. In this game, Turner started over Wilkerson as the primary slot. Both Wilkerson and Turner should make the roster, and their playing time will likely be based on the situation rather than someone being a clear fourth option.
- The Cowboys rested quarterback Dak Prescott, running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle, wide receivers CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, KaVontae Turpin, and tight end Jake Ferguson.
- It is unclear if Turpin is dealing with an injury, or if he’s among the starters and key backups not playing. If it’s the latter, it’s noteworthy he’s sitting while Jalen Tolbert played in this game. The fact that Tolbert didn’t play last week but is playing this week is noteworthy.
- Backup tight end Peyton Hendershot missed this game due to injury.
Table Notes
- Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
- Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
- Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.
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