Preseason Week 3 Fantasy Football Recap: Immediate takeaways from every game

• Adonai Mitchell has promising playing time: Mitchell played ahead of Alec Pierce on three-of-four snaps in 12 personnel for the Indianapolis Colts and scored the game’s first touchdown.

• Jalen McMillan shines with the starters: The rookie wide receiver played every snap on the first drive with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ starters and brought in a 28-yard reception.

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Estimated reading time: 5 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.

Indianapolis Colts @ Cincinnati Bengals

Promising Adonai Mitchell usage: Mitchell played multiple snaps in 12 personnel, suggesting he could be a full-time starter sooner rather than later.

Mitchell started training camp in a competition with Alec Pierce for the outside wide receiver spot opposite Michael Pittman Jr.. Josh Downs went down in training camp before the preseason game, which has moved Mitchell to the slot. This means we haven’t gotten a great indication of how snaps between Mitchell and Pierce might be distributed because, for the most part, they’ve both played at the same time.

In the first week of the preseason, the Colts played their starters for two drives, but they were in 11 personnel the entire time. Mitchell and Pierce played one more drive and shared both 12 personnel snaps, which suggests the Colts were willing to use Mitchell in that personnel grouping. The Colts rested their starters in the second game, which included Mitchell. That was another promising sign.

In Thursday night's game, the Colts used 12 personnel on four plays. Mitchell took three of them and Pierce took one. The one caveat is Pierce took the first one. This is a pretty small sample size and the fact that Pierce got the first shot needs to be factored in. It’s another promising sign that Mitchell can continue to play significant snaps even when Downs returns. He’s a rookie worth a late-round draft pick in deeper leagues. If he ends up as just an average rookie, he won’t be worth starting, but any rookie wide receiver has a chance to break out, and he will see the snaps to have an opportunity to break out.

Charlie Jones returns to the Bengals: The Bengals backup receiver and returner missed the last two games due to a knee injury.

Jones was a Bengals fourth-round pick a year ago and is expected to be the team’s primary punt returner at least. He was the Bengals' first punt returner for this game. He also made the case to be in on kick returns after taking the initial kickoff 48 yards. Trayveon Williams has also played on kick returns, and Chase Brown is expected to be the other player. Jones is listed fourth on the depth chart but will move up to third once the Bengals remove Chris Evans, who suffered a season-ending injury.

Jones also complicates Jermaine Burton’s path to playing time this season. The Bengals rested their top four wide receivers including Trenton Irwin and Andrei Iosivas. This means anyone who played in this game is fifth on the depth chart at best to start the season.

Burton has largely played in just 11 personnel in the preseason but not in 12 personnel, despite not playing in the slot. Jones was the primary slot receiver to start this game and should be the backup slot receiver in the regular season. Even 2023 undrafted receiver Shedrick Jackson has played more snaps than Burton in the first few drives each of the last two weeks. Burton remains seventh on the depth chart and will move to sixth if the Bengals keep six wide receivers and cut Jackson, but it doesn’t seem like Burton will see play much early in the season, and he could be in danger of being one of the Bengals' inactive players early in the season. He is not someone I would target in the vast majority of redraft leagues.

Miscellaneous Notes

Colts backup running back Trey Sermon and tight end Jelani Woods did not play in this game due to injury.
Colts starting slot receiver Josh Downs is no longer scooter-bound, which is at least a step in the right direction.
Colts starting running back Jonathan Taylor played every snap on the first drive and then his day was done. There was nothing concerning about his usage.
Backup wide receiver Ashton Dulin returned from injury and took one snap on the first drive. He was the only backup wide receiver to play a snap with the starters, and he was on the field once the backups entered the game. He is likely fifth on the depth chart, and fourth for as long as Downs is out.
The Bengals rested quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Jake Browning, 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.

Chicago Bears @ Kansas City Chiefs

Deneric Prince seems likely to make the roster: The former undrafted running back should make the 53-man roster despite losing a yard over his three carries.

The Chiefs opted not to re-sign Jerick McKinnon, opening up a spot on the roster for a younger running back. Kansas City didn’t add anyone new in the draft, allowing for a wide-open competition. Prince took the third, fourth, and part of the fifth drive in the Chiefs' first preseason game, appearing as the clear favorite to be the third back.

In the second game, Edwards-Helaire sat, and fullback Carson Steele played all of the snaps on the Chiefs' second and third drives. Prince did not come in until the fourth drive and played until the end of the third quarter.

Thursday night, Prince started over Steele, took all of the snaps on the first drive, and then didn’t return to the game. Steele took over after the first drive. Steele put up much better numbers, including a 31-yard run and scoring a one-yard touchdown.

Prince might end up as the fourth option of the four running backs, but if his roster spot was in danger, he probably wouldn’t have started. He also would have gotten more opportunities later in the game. The Chiefs used to consistently keep four running backs on the roster when they had Anthony Sherman, so it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if that happens again.

Nsimba Webster makes a case to be the WR4: Webster caught three passes for 68 yards as a starter in the game Thursday night.

The Bears top three wide receiver spots are locked in, but everything after that is up for debate. In the Hall of Fame game, Tyler Scott, Collin Johnson and DeAndre Carter were the wide receivers on the first drive. In the following game, Dante Pettis was in Johnson's place, but Webster didn’t play in either of those games.

Last week, Webster was one of the first wide receivers to play instead of Carter, who wasn’t playing, and Webster ended up with the most snaps. In this game, Scott and Webster started and played significantly more in the first half than Johnson or Carter, while Pettis didn’t play. While Scott was the favorite to be the fourth wide receiver, both Pettis and Webster have put up better numbers on fewer routes.

It’s also entirely possible the Bears don’t have a clear fourth wide receiver, but just backups for each of the starters. Pettis could be the backup slot, Webster the backup X receiver for D.J. Moore, and Scott the backup Z receiver for Rome Odunze. So far in the preseason, the Bears have had pretty strong tendencies for using their wide receivers in this manner. Therefore, if a Bears wide receiver were to get hurt this season, it might depend on which receiver gets hurt that will determine which backup plays more snaps.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Bears rested quarterback Caleb Williams, running backs D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert, wide receivers D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, and tight ends Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett and Marcedes Lewis.
Velus Jones Jr. is very unlikely to make the roster. He changed from wide receiver to running back in this training camp. The Bears started their fourth running back Travis Homer, who took the first two drives. Undrafted rookie Ian Wheeler took the third drive before Jones took the fourth. This puts him sixth on the depth chart. Wide receiver DeAndre Carter was the primary returner Thursday night, so they don’t need him in the return game. Jones will be a candidate for the practice squad.
The Chiefs rested quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz, running backs Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, wide receivers Rashee Rice, Justin Watson and Xavier Worthy, and tight ends Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.
Wide receiver Hollywood Brown remains out due to injury, and his status for Week 1 remains in question.
Skyy Moore was dealing with an injury earlier in the week, which explains his low snap count, although it’s a little surprising he played at all. Moore is expected to make the roster. Likely, one or two of the Chiefs wide receivers who started Thursday will be released. Kadarius Toney is the favorite.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Atlanta Falcons

Evan Engram’s interesting utilization: The Jaguars tight end scored twice against the Falcons backups but also exited the field a little more than usual.

In the Jaguars’ first preseason game, Engram played in six of a possible nine snaps with the starters. His median snap share last season was 79%, playing at least 70% in 15-of-17 games. It was a small sample size so just one more snap would have made his usage that week perfectly normal. Engram and the rest of the Jaguars starters rested last week.

In this game, he played 15 of a possible 23 snaps (65%). He mostly leaves the field in run situations, but if this usage keeps up throughout the regular season, it will force him to run fewer routes each week, leading to fewer opportunities to accumulate receiving stats. Engram turns 30 years old before the season and just spent a second-round pick on a tight end last season in Brenton Strange, so it’s understandable why they might restrict his playing time a little more this season.

He shined, but the offense didn’t have Christian Kirk. It’s worth noting Engram’s fantasy value exploded last season without Kirk in the lineup. It’s also worth noting he lined up in the backfield on four plays, which wasn’t usual for him last season. The Jaguars may be trying new ways to get him involved.

While this is all a slight negative toward Engram, if he can remain the clear red zone target for Jacksonville despite Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr.’s track record of scoring touchdowns, then this won’t matter and Engram fantasy managers will be just fine.

Chris Blair fights for a roster spot: Blair caught two passes for 18 yards in the first half with the Falcons offense.

Over the last two games, the Falcons have rested all of the players who are assured a roster spot. This has left Casey Washington, Blair and Dylan Drummond as the primary wide receivers in the first half. Washington is likely to make the roster given what the Falcons invested in him, which means Blair is only going to make the roster if they keep six receivers.

He made the Falcons’ most recent 53-man roster projection on their own website, noting his previous preseason performances. He’s been the Falcons’ highest-graded wide receiver over the first two games with a 74.9 grade, catching six passes for 136 yards and 3.40 yards per route run. The Falcons spent most of the first half facing the Jaguars' starting defense, leading to the entire offense struggling, but he was the most impactful skill player outside of Washington.

There is a change the Falcons only keep five wide receivers, or they might end up bringing in someone from a different team, but right now, Blair seems to have a roster spot. If one of the outside wide receivers suffers an injury, Blair could start having a role in the offense.

Miscellaneous Notes

It was reported before the game that backup running back Keilan Robinson and slot wide receiver Christian Kirk wouldn’t be playing due to injury.
Brian Thomas Jr. took a few snaps off with the starters in this game, which also happened last week when Thomas was playing with the backups. This means Christian Kirk should at least play some snaps in 12 personnel over Thomas, and Parker Washington should play even when everyone is healthy.
When the Jaguars took the starters off the field, Thomas was also taken out, which is a generally good sign for him.
Travis Etienne Jr. played 74% of Jacksonville's offensive snaps with the starters, which is notably less than the first half of the season when he averaged 20.5 fantasy points per game, but notably more than the second half of the season when he averaged 13.2 fantasy points per game.
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, KhaDarel Hodge, and tight ends Kyle Pitts, Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley. These are the same starters and top backups who sat last week.

Miami Dolphins @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jalen McMillan makes a big play: McMillian played all seven snaps with the starters, but it’s too early for McMillian fantasy managers to celebrate.

McMillan and Trey Palmer have been competing for the Buccaneers' third wide receiver spot. The Buccaneers rested their starters in the first two preseason games while McMillan and Palmer started both games as outside receivers. This did not indicate who would be the starter.

The Buccaneers played their starters in this game, except Mike Evans sat out. Trey Palmer also didn’t play, presumably due to a minor unreported injury. McMillan and Ryan Miller were the top outside wide receivers, so this also didn’t give any indication of how snaps would be distributed between McMillan and Palmer.

This was an opportunity for him to pull ahead with a nice 28-yard catch. He should be the favorite to start, but it won’t be surprising if Palmer mixes in at times.

Jaylen Wright remains fourth on the depth chart: Wright didn’t play his first offensive snaps until the second quarter.

Wright started the season fifth on the depth chart behind Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Salvon Ahmed. Ahmed was released four days ago, which moved Wright up to fourth.

The Dolphins rested Mostert and Achane in this game while Wilson played the entire first quarter. This is a good sign that Wilson will make the roster in addition to the Dolphins keeping at least four running backs. This also makes it unlikely Wright gets too involved in the offense early in the season. That’s good news for both Mostert and Achane's fantasy managers.

It’s worth noting that Achane was in this exact position a year ago in a crowded Dolphins’ backfield. It took a few injuries for him to start playing. While Wright might not be very involved in September, he could be very involved by December.

Miscellaneous Notes

There were reports this offseason that Chris Godwin would return to the slot after playing mostly out wide last season. In his first preseason action, those reports were true. He played in the slot for six-of-seven snaps.
Rachaad White played all seven snaps with the starters and was immediately followed by Bucky Irving, who played the next few drives. This didn’t give much of an indication of how playing time might be split between the two. White remains at the top of the depth chart.
The Dolphins rested quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, running backs Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and tight ends Jonnu Smith, Durham Smythe and Julian Hill.
Dolphins wide receiver Erik Ezukanma was spotted with a boot on his foot during warmups. Odell Beckham Jr. also remains out due to injury on the physically unable to perform list. River Cracraft was also out due to injury.

San Francisco 49ers @ Las Vegas Raiders

Jordan Mason shines for the 49ers: Mason ran eight times for 42 yards and a touchdown while dominating first-team snaps for San Francisco.

The 49ers didn’t have Christian McCaffrey or Elijah Mitchell in this game, but Mason showed he is clearly ahead of rookie Isaac Guerendo on the depth chart. Mason played 20-of-23 snaps with the starters, only taking a three-play stretch off on a long drive. Guerendo at least made his mark with the biggest kick return of the preseason, gaining 93 yards. He isn’t listed on the depth chart as a kick returner, but after this week, he might have the job.

There has been speculation that Mason will be the 49ers' primary backup this season. Ideally, Mitchell was healthy and also would have played, which would have enabled us to confirm this, but Mason remains a solid handcuff option. It was similarly difficult to come to any conclusions around the 49ers' wide receiver and tight end depth chart with so many players not playing.

Dylan Laube starts for the Raiders: He was the Raiders' primary offensive weapon early on, but he also lost a fumble.

The Raiders rested all skill players guaranteed to make the roster, but Laube had to play. On one hand, it would have been nice for Laube to get grouped with the other players, but on the other, it’s understandable to give a sixth-round rookie running back more playing time in the preseason.

He worked his way up the depth chart last week with some second-quarter playing time, rotating with Zamir White, but a lot of his work last week was specifically in passing situations. In this game, he was an every-down back.

Laube touched the ball on four-of-seven plays on the first two drives but didn’t have a lot of success against a mix of 49ers starters and backups. He lost a fumble, which wasn’t great, but he also exited the game after those two drives, which is a relatively positive sign. This game shouldn’t change anyone’s opinion on the rookie running back.

Miscellaneous Notes

The 49ers rested running back Christian McCaffrey along with a few top defenders.
Halfback Elijah Mitchell, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall didn’t play, presumably due to injury. Mitchell had recently returned to practice. Logan Thomas also didn’t play after recently re-signing with the team.
Jauan Jennings was among the players noted before the game, but he didn’t play.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is continuing his hold-in with the team, although he did travel to this game.
The Raiders rested quarterbacks Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O’Connell, running backs Zamir White, Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah, wide receivers Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker and D.J. Turner, and tight ends Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and Harrison Bryant.
Most notable was Turner, who was the favorite for the fourth receiving spot after starting last week, but this adds more evidence that he is fourth on the depth chart.

Carolina Panthers @ Buffalo Bills

Chuba Hubbard leads running back rotation: Hubbard played in 10 snaps in all situations with the starters.

Jonathon Brooks remains out due to injury, allowing Hubbard to remain the Panthers' starter. The Panthers have a new coaching staff, so we weren’t sure if Hubbard would continue having the feature role he saw at the end of the season.

Hubbard played the first eight snaps on the first drive. He took two plays off for Miles Sanders and then returned for two plays to close out the drive. This included Hubbard playing in third-and-long situations. It’s possible that if the drive was shorter, Hubbard would have just played 100% of the team's snaps on the first drive before exiting the game. Sanders continued to play into the second and third drives while Mike Boone mixed in.

It’s certainly possible the Panthers will use more of a rotation once the regular season hits, but we at least have confirmation the coaching staff views Hubbard as the starter over Sanders. Until Brooks is healthy again, Hubbard is a borderline fantasy starter who can be drafted much later in drafts than most fantasy starters.

First look at the Panthers' wide receiver rotation: The Panthers followed a predictable rotation for their wide receivers.

Carolina traded for Diontae Johnson, who played all 12 snaps on the first drive. Adam Thielen played 11-of-12 snaps, including all nine snaps in 11 personnel and two-of-three snaps in 12 personnel. This included being the team's primary slot receiver.

Jonathan Mingo was the primary wide receiver in three-receiver sets. He took one snap from Thielen in 12 personnel but lost two to rookie Xavier Legette in 11 personnel. The two continued playing beyond the first drive, sharing the field in both 11 and 12 personnel groupings.

This is pretty much exactly how most people expected the wide receiver rotation to shape out at this point of the season, but it’s reassuring to know we shouldn’t expect many surprises in the rotation during Week 1 of the season.

Tyrell Shavers is the favorite to be the Bills' WR6: Shavers could play significantly early in the Bills' season.

Shavers was an undrafted rookie out of San Diego State who spent last season on the practice squad before signing a futures contract. The Bills' top five wide receivers seem locked in. In the first game, he was the only wide receiver outside of those five to get taken out before the fourth quarter. In the second game, he was the only wide receiver outside of the top five to play in the first half.

This week, the top five didn’t play, so Shavers started with Justin Shorter, while K.J. Hamler played in three-receiver sets. Hamler put up the best numbers of the three in the first half with two receptions for 15 yards. Considering Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are both dealing with injuries, it’s possible Shavers could be the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart in Week 1, rotating in when someone needs to take a play off.

Miscellaneous Notes

It was reported before the game that running backs Jonathon Brooks and Raheem Blackshear in addition to tight ends Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble wouldn’t be playing, all presumably due to injury. Brooks remains on the non-football injury list.
Fourth-round rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders played in 10-of-12 snaps with the starters, which is great. It’s also good to see him get taken out of the game after that first drive. It’s still too early to say he’s the every-down starter until Thomas and Tremble are back, but it’s at least good to see he’s ahead of Jordan Matthews and the others on the depth chart.
The Bills held out quarterbacks Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky, running backs James Cook, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson, wide receivers Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins, Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and tight ends Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox and Quintin Morris.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions

Pat Freiermuth continues in a rotation: Freiermuth only played in six of a possible 12 snaps over the first two drives.

Arthur Smith is the Steelers' new offensive coordinator, and throughout the preseason, we’ve seen a heavy rotation of tight ends. In this game, Freiermuth continued to rotate in on the second drive at a time when Najee Harris and George Pickens were both done playing for the day.

Over the entire preseason, Freiermuth played three drives in the first game, six drives in the second and two drives in the third. During that time, he played in 31-of-53 offensive snaps, or 58% of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps. That included running a route on 61% of Pittsburgh's passing plays. He’s been on the field for 63% of Pittsburgh's snaps in 11 personnel, 27% in 12 personnel, 100% in 13 personnel, and 50% in 21 personnel.

None of that is close to ideal for a fantasy starting tight end. Kyle Pitts was in a similar situation last season, and Pitts couldn’t finish among the top-12 fantasy tight ends. Freiermuth still probably ranks in the top-20 fantasy tight ends due to his talent alone, but he’s going to consistently see some of the worst utilization for a lead-receiving tight end. His ADP is TE14, at 11.01, but it should be a bit lower than that.

Kaden Davis and Donovan Peoples-Jones remain favorites for the backup spots: For the second straight week, Davis and Peoples-Jones were the two starters on the Lions.

The Lions rested their starters throughout the preseason, which included Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond. They are likely locked into the top three receiving spots. In the first preseason game, Daurice Fountain and Tom Kennedy were the first two receivers in the game, followed by David and Poeples-Jones. Davis and Peoples-Jones were the initial starters in the second game, followed by Kennedy and Fountain.

In this game, Davis and Peoples-Jones started while Kennedy came in for three-receiver sets. None of the wide receivers did enough in the first half to separate themselves from the group, and none of them made a single catch until their fifth drive. It wouldn’t be surprising if Davis and Peoples-Jones remain the primary backups once the season starts.

Miscellaneous Notes

Steelers running back Jaylen Warren didn’t play in this game due to a hamstring injury, although he did say he would have played if needed.
Najee Harris played the first three offensive plays and then his day was done, so we can’t read too much into how much Cordarrelle Patterson played with the starters. Patterson only played four snaps total, so it’s clear he is the third running back, and will see at least some playing time for as long as Warren is out.
The Steelers wide receiver rotation has been consistent throughout the preseason. George Pickens and Van Jefferson have been the starters while Calvin Austin III mans the slot and Scotty Miller is the primary backup.
Rookie Roman Wilson missed the entire preseason due to injury. He saw some first-team work early in training camp, so he may disrupt that rotation at some point.
The Lions rested quarterback Jared Goff, running backs David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond, and tight ends Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright.
Vaki only played in the first half with the Lions last week. It’s a promising sign they decided to keep him out of this game unless he is dealing with some unannounced injury.

Baltimore Ravens @ Green Bay Packers

The Ravens’ backup wide receiver spots are wide open: The fourth, fifth and, potentially, sixth spots on the Ravens’ depth chart are up for grabs.

Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor have sat out the entire preseason and are the top three wide receivers on the depth chart.

Tylan Wallace, Malik Cunningham and Keith Kirkwood all started the first preseason game and played the majority of the first half of those games. In the second game, those three started, but Anthony Miller and Deonte Harty also mixed in during the first quarter. Fourth-round rookie Devontez Walker didn’t play until the second half.

In this game, Wallace, Cunningham and Kirkwood again started, but Walker took over for Wallace on the second play. This was a big step up for Walker compared to his playing time in the first two preseason games. Walker, Cunningham and Kirkwood played the rest of the first and second drive. On the third drive, Wallace was back in but with Miller and Dayton Wade. The rest of the first half was various combinations of these six wide receivers.

In general, Cunningham and Wade have competed for the backup slot role. Walker and Wallace are fighting for the backup X-receiver job while Kirkwood and Miller battle for the Z-receiver spot. The Walker and Wallace battle is most interesting because Walker will make the roster as the fourth-round rookie, but Wallace is the incumbent and caught a 48-yard touchdown pass as the only notable play by a Baltimore wide receiver in this game. Rashod Bateman is the X receiver and is most likely to lose snaps. Both players may end up making the roster.

Packers' fifth receiver spot seems wide open: Four Packers wide receivers have played significantly with the primary backups throughout the preseason.

Heading into training camp, Bo Melton seemed like the clear favorite for the fifth receiving spot after catching 15 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown in the last three weeks of the regular season and earning the best receiving grade among the Packer wide receivers. However, he consistently played the same time as Malik Heath and Grant DuBose, while Samori Toure was the fourth receiver.

In the first half of games, Malik Heath has posted the best numbers with seven receptions for 68 yards. A lot of that came in this game, including a touchdown. Melton also brought in a touchdown on an 18-yard reception. The Packers will likely keep two of these four players on the roster. On the bright side, this also means we’re unlikely to see a fifth wide receiver play too many snaps for Green Bay this season unless there is an injury.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Packers rested quarterback Jordan Love, running backs Josh Jacobs, A.J. Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd, wide receivers Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and tight ends Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft and Tyler Davis.
Backup quarterbacks Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt rotated every two drives, showing this is still a competition.
The Ravens rested quarterback Lamar Jackson, running backs Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, fullback Patrick Ricard, wide receivers Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor, and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.
Running back Keaton Mitchell remains on the physically unable to perform list.

Los Angeles Rams @ Houston Texans

Cam Akers makes a case to be the primary backup: Akers started this game and could be working his way further up the Texans depth chart.

Akers signed with the Texans shortly before the Hall of Fame game and began the preseason fifth on the depth chart behind Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and J.J. Taylor. Last week, he only played in the second quarter, while Taylor played in the third, showing that Akers had moved up to fourth.

Ogunbowale is a third-down back and Akers is an early-down back, so the next player Akers could surpass is Pierce. It’s hard to make statistical comparisons in the preseason with the level of competition, but Akers ran 24 times for 112 yards while Pierce ran eight times for nine yards during the preseason. Some blamed Pierce’s lack of production last season on the new scheme but in both 2022 and 2023, the Texans were close to the league average in how often they use each run concept.

The problem is Pierce needs a strong offensive line. Pierce averaged 7.5 yards per carry in his career on perfectly blocked plays, which is better than 75% of running backs do on perfectly blocked plays. When it’s not perfectly blocked, he averages 2.4 yards per carry, which is among the worst in the league. Akers is worse on perfectly blocked plays than Pierce and better on non-perfectly blocked plays.

There has been speculation the Texans could be open to trading Pierce. If that happens, Akers would be the primary backup and the handcuff to Mixon if he were to get hurt.

Jordan Whittington sits for the Rams: The Rams rookie sensation was among the several players to have this game off.

Whittington shined over the first two preseason games, while his 12 receptions and 144 yards were the most among all wide receivers during that time. There has been plenty of buzz around him, and he was among the various players not playing Saturday.

While this should seem like a good sign, several players who played the last two weeks didn’t play this week for the Rams, including his primary competition for the sixth receiver spot, Tyler Johnson. He will make the roster, and there is a chance he could mix in, but getting to sit out this game shouldn’t get anyone too excited for him.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Rams rested quarterbacks Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett, running backs Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers, wide receivers Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington and Tyler Johnson, and tight ends Colby Parkinson, Hunter Long and Davis Allen.
The Texans rested quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills, running backs Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale, wide receivers Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, Noah Brown and Robert Woods, and tight ends Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan and Teagan Quitoriano.
While it would have been nice if fourth-round rookie Cade Stover didn't play, he only played on the first drive, taking all five snaps before his day was done.
The battle for the Texans' sixth and potentially seventh wide receiver spots is still wide open between John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, Ben Skowronek and Steven Sims.

Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles

Trent Sherfield Sr. fights for his roster spot: The veteran might not be a lock to make the Vikings roster in favor of younger backups.

Minnesota has had a clear top four wide receivers all training camp and none of those four played. Sherfield is on his fifth team in the last five seasons but has always started at least one game each season. He seemed like a safe bet for the fifth wide receiver spot, or potentially higher.

In the first preseason game, Trishton Jackson played in the first quarter while Sherfield didn’t start playing until the second. In the second, Jackson started while Sherfield didn’t start rotating in until the end of the first quarter. For the third game, both players played all 22 snaps on the first two drives. Sherfield caught one more pass than Jackson, but Jackson caught the game's first touchdown.

Lucky Jackson has consistently been one spot below Sherfield on the depth chart, but he’s also been playing punt returner the last two games, and he caught four passes for 53 yards in this game. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if Sherfield doesn’t make the initial 53-man roster.

Eagles wide receiver depth chart after the Jahan Dotson trade: Parris Campbell has gone from a penciled-in starter to being on the roster bubble.

The Eagles traded for Dotson earlier in the week to be their third wide receiver. Campbell had been a starter on their unofficial depth chart and sat out the first two preseason games.

Campbell started this week while Joseph Ngata and Ainias Smith came in for two-receiver sets. The Eagles were missing several wide receivers in the middle of their depth chart. Sixth-round rookie Johnny Wilson is out while in concussion protocol. Both he and Smith are likely to take a fourth and fifth spot on the rosters as rookies. Jacob Harris was also out with a concussion. John Ross and Britain Covey also didn’t play, presumably due to injury.

Campbell will only make it if they keep six wide receivers, and they want him over both Ross, Covey and Harris. He caught two passes for 34 yards in this game, but that is unlikely to change many opinions one way or another.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Vikings rested quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens, running backs Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler and Kene Nwangwu, wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell, and tight ends Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse and Robert Tonyan.
T.J. Hockenson remains on the physically unable to perform list with doubt on whether he will start Week 1.
The Eagles rested quarterback Jalen Hurts, running backs Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell, Will Shipley, wide receivers A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson, and tight ends Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra and Albert Okwuegbunam Jr..
The Eagles recently cut C.J. Uzomah, which leaves Okwuegbunam as the winner of the third tight end spot. He could end up with the second-most snaps at the position this year as the primary run blocker in two tight end sets.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Dallas Cowboys

Three Cowboys compete for the third running back spot: Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman are all fighting for one or potentially two roster spots.

Ezekiel Elliott hasn’t played at all in the preseason while Rico Dowdle only played six snaps in the first game. Davis was the only healthy one of the three in the Cowboys’ first preseason game, allowing him to play 31 snaps, but he failed to impress.

Davis started the second game. Freeman was the next one on the field, and he was followed by Vaughn. Freeman only played in the first half of that game, while the other two both played into the third quarter.

In this game, Davis started again while rotating with Vaughn throughout the first quarter. Once the second quarter began, Freeman was on the field. All three maintained high yards per carry against the Chargers' backup defenders. While Freeman and Vaughn are more well-known, Davis appears to be the favorite for the third spot. They may keep four running backs, but it’s also possible the Cowboys add a running back from a different team in the next few days.

Donald Parham Jr. fighting for a roster spot: The Chargers rested their starters and key backups, but Parham played in this game.

Parham has served as a rotational tight end for the Chargers during the last four seasons. His 73.5 receiving grade over the last four seasons is the 16th-best among tight ends with at least 1,000 offensive snaps in that time. The Chargers' projected starting receiving tight end, Hayden Hurst, has a 61.7 receiving grade in that time. That receiving hasn’t impressed the Chargers coaching staff much, as Stone Smartt has been the primary backup receiving tight end while Parham is being used more as a blocker.

Parham was the third tight end to enter the game in the first preseason game, but he played until the fourth quarter. In the second game, Parham didn’t play until after Smartt and Tucker Fisk. Parham again played late into the fourth, while in both games, Smartt was out by the end of the third quarter.

Parham was again used as a blocker in this game while Smartt was more of a receiver. Undrafted rookie Luke Benson also played as a hybrid fullback and tight end. If the Chargers only keep three tight ends, then Smartt may get the job over Parham, and if they keep four, it’s also possible they keep Benson over Parham for his blocking. That might end up being the best for Parham, as it would enable him to catch on as a backup receiving tight end for a different team.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Cowboys rested quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush, running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle, wide receivers CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks, and tight end Jake Ferguson.
The fact that the Cowboys rested backups at some positions but not at tight end suggests they may not be fully comfortable with Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot as the primary backup tight ends.
The Chargers rested quarterback Justin Herbert, running backs Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins and Kimani Vidal, wide receivers Joshua Palmer, Ladd McConkey, D.J. Chark Jr. and Quentin Johnston and tight ends Hayden Hurst and Will Dissly.
It’s a little odd that seventh-round rookie Brenden Rice started last week but also had to play in this game, while sixth-round rookie Vidal was in a four-man rotation for the third running back spot but was among the players not playing Saturday.
Both Derius Davis and Simi Fehoko made a case to be the Chargers' sixth wide receiver with 70-plus yard touchdowns. It’s possible but unlikely the Chargers keep seven receivers.

New York Giants @ New York Jets

Malachi Corley continues to only play in 11 personnel: Corley doesn’t seem likely to play significant snaps early for the Jets.

Corley played in the first half of the first two preseason games and played all 33 snaps the Jets ran out of 11 personnel, but none of the 21 snaps they played out of 12 personnel. The Jets rested even more players in their final preseason game compared to the first two, and they still only used Corley in 11 personnel.

It’s also worth noting that the Jets drafted four players on offense, and the other three were high enough on the depth chart to not play in this game. That included first-round tackle Olu Fashanu in addition to backup running backs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. This suggests the Jets aren’t currently as high on Corley as their other rookies. It’s certainly possible Corley can become the full-time third wide receiver at some point this season, but for now, it appears his playing time will be very limited.

His ADP is already very low at WR77, but if you’re in a league that deep, there are plenty of wide receivers who should be more involved this season, including guys like the Denver Broncos‘ Tim Patrick and the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Tre Tucker, who have much lower ADPs but assured spots in three-receiver sets.

Allen Robinson II and Isaiah Hodgins fight for a roster spot: The two veteran receivers currently sit at sixth and seventh on the depth chart.

Last week, the Giants played their starters for the entire first half. Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slay ton were the only wide receivers to play with the starters in that game. At least one of them will be off the field on any given play, so as long as everyone is healthy, no one else may see much of any playing time.

Isaiah McKenzie or Gunner Olszewski will likely be the fifth receiver to make the roster. McKenzie played with some starters in the first preseason game and only played in that quarter on offense. He also played in this game but rarely played on offense as the team largely stuck with two-receiver sets. Olszewski is further down on the wide receiver depth chart and is currently injured, but one of the two will likely be the kick and punt returner this season.

It’s possible the Giants only keep five wide receivers on the roster. If they keep a sixth, then Robinson or Hodgins will be that player. Their playing time has pretty well overlapped in the first two games, and both were every-down players to start this game. They both caught two passes in the preseason before this game, while the team focused almost entirely on the run game in this game. Neither has made a strong case to remain on the roster based on the preseason.

Miscellaneous Notes

The New York Jets rested quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor, running backs Breece Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, wide receivers Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, Allen Lazard and Xavier Gipson, and tight ends Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert.
Backup quarterback Drew Lock, wide receiver Gunner Olszewski and tight end Lawrence Cager missed this game due to injury.
The New York Giants rested quarterback Daniel Jones, running backs Devin Singletary, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Eric Gray, wide receivers Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton, and tight ends Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz, Daniel Bellinger.

Cleveland Browns @ Seattle Seahawks

Elijah Moore starts and plays mostly on the outside: Moore played 45% of his snaps from the slot last season.

Moore was the Browns' primary slot receiver last season, playing nearly double the number of snaps from the slot compared to Cedric Tillman, who played the second-most snaps there. The Browns traded for Jerry Jeudy in the offseason, and Jeudy primarily plays from the slot, which meant Moore had to make a change or get benched. Moore has 1.5 career yards per route run from out wide compared to 0.79 from the slot, so a move to the outside should help Moore.

There was speculation Cedric Tillman would be the third wide receiver this season. Moore and Tillman both played in this game. Both were primarily on the outside while rookie Jamari Thrash primarily played in the slot. All three played at least a few snaps all over the place. Moore only played on the first two drives, while Tillman continued playing in the third drive with the backups, suggesting Moore is currently ahead of Tillman on the depth chart.

Tillman had the better game, catching four passes for 52 yards in the first half while Moore had a seven-yard catch and a one-yard run. This may end up being a rotation in three-receiver sets. It’s probably best to avoid both players in fantasy considering they will be the fourth option on any given pass play, but it’s at least possible this move could help revitalize Moore’s career.

Jerome Ford starts for the Browns: Ford played the Browns' first 10 offensive snaps.

The Browns didn’t have Nick Chubb, Pierre Strong Jr. or Nyheim Hines, but they did have Ford who played every snap on the first drive as well as the first two snaps on the second drive. D’Onta Foreman took his place and continued playing for the rest of the first quarter. Foreman then went to the medical tent early in the second quarter with a rib injury before leaving for the locker room.

This didn’t tell us much about how the Browns might rotate running backs early in the season until Chubb is back, but it’s possible there might not be much of a rotation with all of the injuries the Browns have at running back. If the injuries to both Strong and Foreman are serious, it would not be surprising if Kareem Hunt made yet another comeback to the Browns. Regardless, Ford was ahead of Strong on the depth chart last season and ahead of Foreman Saturday night. He should be a borderline fantasy starter until Chubb returns.

Seahawks starters play for one drive: Jaxon Smith-Njigba and D.K. Metcalf led the Seahawks to a touchdown.

The Seahawks played their starters, although most of the skill players were held out. The two skill players who did play with the starters were Metcalf and Smith-Ngiba. Both made catches of over 20 yards, with Metcalf scoring a touchdown.

The Seahawks used 11 personnel for all three snaps with Smith-Ngiba in the slot. The big question this year is if Smith-Njigba will play over Tyler Lockett in two-receiver sets this season. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a two-receiver set to at least see if Smith-Njigba would play over Jake Bobo. Smith-Njigba remains a high-upside WR3, but there is still the risk Lockett plays in two wide receiver sets.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Browns rested quarterback Deshaun Watson, wide receivers Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy, and tight end David Njoku.
Running back Pierre Strong Jr. didn’t play after getting taken to the hospital in the middle of the week while backup wide receiver David Bell missed this game due to a quadriceps injury.
Browns running back Nick Chubb remains on the physically unable to perform list while Nyheim Hines is on the non-football injury list.
Giovanni Ricci was one of the two starting tight ends last week with Njoku out, but he was released.
The Seahawks didn’t have their top two tight ends, Noah Fant or Pharaoh Brown for this game. They are both dealing with foot injuries.
Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet and Tyler Lockett warmed up with the team, but the Seahawks opted not to play them.

Tennessee Titans @ New Orleans Saints

Tony Pollard starts for the Titans: Pollard played every snap on the Titans' first drive.

Tyjae Spears entered the game for the second drive. Pollard returned for a fourth-and-1 passing play out of an unbalanced formation. Spears also played the first three plays with the backups before exiting the game.

All this means is Pollard is the starter, but this could remain a 50/50 split, or something close to that. In the first preseason game, Pollard played eight snaps with the starters to Spears' six. In that game, the two rotated more often. It’s possible the Titans just wanted to give them a chance to play a longer stretch in this game. Most teams play one running back for one drive and then put in another running back for another drive, regardless of what the rotation will be like in the season.

Pollard should be ranked ahead of Spears in most fantasy rankings, but this game shouldn’t move either player up or down.

Juwan Johnson starts for the Saints: Johnson returned from injury and showed he’s ready to play in Week 1.

Johnson had foot surgery in June, which put his ability to play at the start of the season in doubt, but he recently returned to practice. The Saints generally rested their starters for this game, but Johnson was likely an exception to give him some playing time before the regular season began. This probably doesn’t mean Johnson is now a backup to Foster Moreau, but weirder things have happened.

Johnson played nine-of-11 snaps on the first two drives and then left before the rest of the offensive players in the game. It’s unclear how the new coaching staff will distribute snaps between him and Moreau, but in two of the last three seasons, Kubiak’s offense has featured a top-six fantasy tight end in fantasy points per game. If you’re looking for a backup fantasy tight end, Johnson is someone worth considering.

Miscellaneous Notes

Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins remains out with injury, but he is aiming to return for Week 1.
Backup wide receiver Colton Dowell remains on the physically unable to perform list.
Chigoziem Okonkwo played significantly with the starters, but Josh Whyle didn’t play in this game after suffering a concussion a week ago. Nick Vannett caught two passes with the starters, so this game wasn’t great news for Okonkwo.
The Saints rested quarterback Derek Carr, running backs Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller, wide receivers Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Cedrick Wilson Jr., and tight ends Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau.
A.T. Perry ended last season as a starter but has consistently been sixth on the depth chart throughout the preseason. He didn’t start Sunday but joined on three-receiver sets, further showing his spot on the depth chart.

Arizona Cardinals @ Denver Broncos

Audric Estime plays except for third downs: Estime led the Broncos down the field for a touchdown on the first drive but was taken off the field on third and fourth down.

The Broncos rested their starters and most of their top backups, but Estime played. He only played for one drive, running five times for 17 yards and a touchdown while catching a 14-yard pass. The fact that he left the game before some other players is generally a good thing.

The concern is that the fifth and sixth plays of the drive were only third and fourth downs during his time, and Estime was taken off the field for Tyler Badie. The Broncos reportedly see Estime as a three-down back and say his improvements need to be in pass protection and as a receiver. He only played in three of a possible 20 snaps on third-and-medium or long in the first two preseason games. Samaje Perine and Badie played most of those snaps. It would have been nice to see Estime play a three-down role in this game rather than an early-down role.

This likely means that if Perine is released, Jaleel McLaughlin will be the third-down back more often than not.

Cardinals competition for the backup receiver spots: The top backup job will be particularly important early in the season with Zay Jones’ suspension.

Jones was recently suspended for the first five games of the season. He was expected to be the top backup, even though he hasn’t played in the preseason yet. Veterans Zach Pascal and Chris Moore will both make the roster, but it’s unclear who will be higher on the depth chart. Both have started each preseason game, but neither has produced much — both averaged a catch per game over the preseason.

Despite the lack of production, no one below them has done enough to surpass them, and the only young investment the Cardinals have made is in sixth-round rookie Tejhaun Palmer. The Cardinals rested both Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch all preseason, so both players will play a lot early in the season. Both starters can be considered sleepers heading into fantasy drafts.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Cardinals rested quarterback Kyler Murray, running backs James Conner, Trey Benson, Emari Demercado, Michael Carter and DeeJay Dallas, wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and Zay Jones, and tight ends Trey McBride, Elijah Higgins and Tip Reiman.
The Broncos rested quarterback Bo Nix, running backs Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Samaje Perine, wide receivers Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Josh Reynolds, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Marvin Mims Jr., and tight ends Adam Trautman and Greg Dulcich.
Mims' playing time wasn't ideal in the first two preseason games, but the fact that he rested this game while David Sills played is generally a good sign he’s at least top-five on the receiver depth chart.

New England Patriots @ Washington Commanders

Patriots are unsettled at wide receiver: The Patriots sat some starters while others only played one drive. The wide receivers kept rotating throughout the first three drives.

The Patriots started Tyquan Thornton and K.J. Osborn as they’ve done in the first two preseason games. In the first two games, there was a clear switch between when the starting wide receivers were playing and when they switched to backups. That didn’t happen in this game.

Rookie Ja’Lynn Polk started rotating in for Osborn on the second drive, but later, Osborn returned to the game. The two continued to rotate through three drives. Polk kept the Z-receiver spot after that. Thornton kept playing in the second drive, but rookie Javon Baker played four snaps in his place and also started the two-minute drill. By the middle of the second quarter, Jalen Reagor started playing. DeMario Douglas was the slot receiver throughout the first three drives while Osborn played in the slot in the fourth and fifth and Polk took the slot to start the two-minute drill, with Osborn returning out wide.

We can be confident that Douglas won’t see much, or any, playing time in two-receiver sets. He’s constantly only played in 11 personnel throughout the preseason. That puts a ceiling on his fantasy upside.

Sunday night is also bad news for Reagor, as he was rotating with Thornton in the first two games, and now he’s fallen on the depth chart. Reagor has been the primary returner in the preseason, but Marcus Jones is listed as the starter on the depth chart. Jones was one of the best kick and punt returners in 2022, but he only played in this game and didn’t return kicks. Reagor’s chances of making the roster depend on when Kendrick Bourne is back and healthy.

Commanders slot receiver remains a mystery: The Commanders rested all three receivers who were most likely to take over in the slot.

In the first two preseason games, Jahan Dotson was their slot receiver. This past week, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Commanders had three in-house options to take over in the slot. Jamison Crowder has made a career out of playing in the slot while third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey has also been a slot receiver.

McCaffrey only played in the second half of the first preseason game, and he only played with backups in the second game. That made it a little surprising that he was among the players not playing in this game, and it was a generally positive sign for him.

Free agent addition Olamide Zaccheaus had been a primary slot receiver the last few seasons but has been playing outside for Washington this preseason. He wasn’t announced as one of the several players not playing, but he did not play an offensive snap. It would have been interesting to see if he was part of the competition.

2023 undrafted player Mitchell Tinsley consistently played in the slot, but he is unlikely to make the roster despite making multiple catches in this game. We might not know who the starting slot receiver is until the Commanders first play out of 11 personnel.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Commanders rested quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Sam Hartman, running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler, wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, Olamide Zaccheaus and Luke McCaffrey, and tight ends Zach Ertz, John Bates and Ben Sinnott.
The Patriots didn’t play tight ends Hunter Henry or Mitchell Wilcox due to injury. Henry has been dealing with a leg injury but is expected to be ready for the regular season.
Rhamondre Stevenson and Austin Hooper didn’t play and are presumably both OK.
Antonio Gibson played the first five plays in his revenge game and then his day was done.

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.