Rasheen Ali

"Chig Okonkwo earns a larger role: The Washington Commanders’ new tight end is expected to play a larger role in Washington than he ever did with the Tennessee Titans. Carnell Tate sees an increased snap share: Tate played 100% of the Tennessee Titans‘ offensive snaps while Cam Ward was on the field. Save on PFF+ for 5 Days Only: Get a full year of PFF+ for just $89.99 before the limited-time offer ends Aug. 25. PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2026. The PFF+ Early Bird Sale is back for five days only, giving you the chance to lock in a full season of PFF+ at a special limited-time price. Through Aug. 25, get a full year of PFF+ for just $89.99. One subscription gives you everything you need to draft smarter, build winning fantasy rosters, find betting edges and stay ahead all season long. From exclusive player grades and Premium Stats to fantasy tools, betting dashboards and expert analysis, PFF+ is built on the same data and insights trusted by NFL teams. Las Vegas Raiders @ Houston Texans Tre Tucker is the Raiders' top receiver: Tucker was among the Raiders' wide receivers who didn’t play in this game, suggesting he is the top wideout on the pecking order. Tucker was the Raiders' top wide receiver last season once the team traded Jakobi Meyers. He was their Z receiver, while Tyler Lockett played in the slot, and Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech both played X. The Raiders shook up the wide receiver room, adding free agent Jalen Nailor as their X receiver, not re-signing Lockett and moving Bech to the slot, where many anticipated he would play when coming out of college. That is how Las Vegas used its three receivers in the first preseason game. It was debatable which of the wide receivers was considered their top option, with Tucker having the earlier ADP on ESPN and Nailor having it on Yahoo!, and experts being divided on which wide receiver to rank higher. The fact that Tucker rested with the starters while Nailor played into the second quarter suggests that Tucker should be the top option, and the one ranked higher. It was also notable that sixth-round rookie wide receiver Malik Benson took Tucker’s spot at Z, rather than Bech. Nailor left the game before the rest of the players who started this game, and when that happened, Bech started seeing more playing time outside. This suggests that even if Tucker were to suffer an injury, Bech wouldn’t see an increase in playing time. That will make it very difficult for Bech to find fantasy value this season. Thornton missed multiple practices with an undisclosed injury. He missed the first preseason game and was able to do some agility work early in the week. However, Benson has played well enough in training camp to suggest he might be ahead of Thornton on the depth chart at this point. The Raiders signed veteran wide receiver Noah Brown this past week to add depth to the wide receiver room. He also primarily plays on the outside. Considering Tucker appears locked in as the Z receiver and Benson appears to be a player on the rise, Las Vegas made this move either because they it wasn't entirely happy with Nailor or with Bech. We could see Brown cutting into either player’s playing time at some point this season. If you wanted to spend a late-round pick on a Raiders wide receiver, Tucker appears to be the clear option at this point. The Texans adjust without Jayden Higgins: Their up-and-coming second-year wide receiver tore his ACL in practice and will miss the season. Last season, Houston had Nico Collins as its X receiver, Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson in a rotation as the Z receiver and Christian Kirk in a rotation with Jaylin Noel in the slot. Houston allowed Kirk to leave in free agency, while Tank Dell, who tore his ACL, MCL and LCL in 2024, is expected to be ready to play sooner rather than later. Dell also primarily played the Z receiver role in the past, so Hutchinson was seeing more time in the slot, as was Higgins. Houston was without most of its receivers for this game. Collins was among the starters who rested, while Dell is still being eased back into action. Noel returned to practice this week after missing nearly three weeks due to hamstring and finger injuries. Although he returned to practice, he was held out for this game. While Hutchinson was the only top-five wide receiver playing, it was worth noting he played on the outside for seven of his eight snaps, with his one snap out of the slot coming out of 12 personnel. Last week, there were four plays out of 11 personnel where Hutchinson was lined up in the slot. Justin Watson was the slot receiver with the starters in this game. C.J. Stroud was pulled after the first drive, as were Hutchinson and running back Woody Marks. Every other wide receiver outside of Hutchinson who played on the first drive carried on with the backups on the second drive. This suggests Hutchinson was going to play more in the slot, but the injury to Higgins will likely return Hutchinson to his Z position. He will likely start there in Week 1, and will rotate with Dell throughout the season. This is good news for Noel once he’s healthy, as he might have the slot role to himself and not need to rotate with Higgins or Hutchinson. If he rotates with anyone, it will likely be Watson. A wide open competition for the backup tight end spot: Houston heavily invested in the position this off-season. Dalton Schultz has been the clear-cut lead tight end for Houston since 2023, and he suddenly becomes a top sleeper option with Higgins' injury. He was among the veterans who sat out this game. Houston struggled at the backup tight end position last year, with Brevin Jordan missing the season and Cade Stover being sidelined for half of the year. Houston brought in reinforcements this offseason with second-round rookie Marlin Klein and Foster Moreau. Houston had a clear-cut rotation last week, with Klein as the lead tight end, with Moreau joining him in 12 personnel and taking three of the 11 snaps out of 11 personnel. Then Klein exited the game, and Stover took over on the third drive, leading to three possessions with Stover and Moreau splitting snaps. This suggested a clear hierarchy of Klein, Moreau and Stover. This week, that pecking order was out the window. All three tight ends played on the first drive, with each receiving at least one snap in 11, 12 and 13 personnel. The three carried on throughout the first half, with Moreau being the most common tight end out of 11 personnel, and Stover as the most common in 12 personnel. It’s unclear if Jordan will complicate this situation given his injury. The second tight end in Houston won’t have any fantasy value as long as Schultz is healthy. Unless one of these players emerges as the clear backup in passing situations, it’s unlikely one will carry fantasy value even if Schultz suffers an injury this season. Miscellaneous Notes The Raiders rested their key starters, including quarterback Kirk Cousins, running back Ashton Jeanty, wide receiver Tre Tucker and tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. The Texans rested their top few veterans, including running back David Montgomery, wide receiver Nico Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz. Backup running back Jawhar Jordan (strained hip flexor), fullback British Brooks (broken hand) and tight end Brevin Jordan (knee) are among those who also haven’t been practicing recently. San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Chargers Oronde Gadsden II becomes undraftable: Gadsden did not receive a snap on the Chargers‘ first two drives. Los Angeles added Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator and made significant changes to its tight end room. The Chargers added former Browns starting tight end David Njoku as well as Baltimore Ravens run-blocking tight end Charlie Kolar. They join Gadsden. McDaniel consistently had a three-man tight end rotation in Miami, with players like Julian Hill as a blocker, Durham Smythe as a well-rounded tight end and names like Jonnu Smith, Mike Gesicki, Tanner Conner, Greg Dulcich and Darren Waller taking a receiving role at various times. Gadsden appeared like the tight end most similar to his receiving tight ends, which made it seem like he had the most fantasy value. In the first preseason game, Kolar and Njoku rested with the starters, while Gadsden played with the rest of the backups. This week, the Chargers used Kolar and Njoku on two drives. They exited the game after those two series, with Gadsden starting to play on the third. On those two drives, Kolar took every snap in 11 personnel, the two shared the field on 12 personnel and Njoku played more than Kolar in 21 personnel. There is at least a small possibility that Gadsden is still the primary receiving tight end on third downs and two-minute drills. There were three third downs on the first two drives, and they were all for 3 yards or fewer. It’s common enough for a team to use its heavy personnel in those situations. However, looking at the past few years, McDaniel has often kept the receiving tight end on the field in these situations. This not only makes Gadsden not draftable, but it also makes it possible Kolar is a sleeper tight end. It could be hard to draft him without knowing how much Gadsden might play in obvious passing situations. However, this could be a two-man tight end room, with Njoku as the blocking tight end. In that case, Kolar could be in an excellent situation to have fantasy value. Keaton Mitchell remains the RB2: Mitchell took every snap on the second and third drive before Kimani Vidal played his first offensive snap. The Chargers had a strong one-two punch at running back last season in Omarion Hampton and Vidal when both running backs were healthy. Los Angeles added Mitchell in free agency on the suggestion of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Mitchell is the running back in the league most similar to De’Von Achane in terms of size and speed, and Achane was among the league’s top running backs in McDaniel’s offense. It’s unclear exactly how snaps will be distributed between the running backs, but it’s becoming more likely this is a two-man rotation instead of three. In the first week of the preseason, Mitchell and Hampton both rested with the starters, while Vidal played. This week, Hampton started and played each of the three snaps. Ideally, we would have seen a longer drive to see how early in the drive Mitchell may have rotated in. It also could have been nice to see a third-and-long situation to see who was on the field, but we didn’t get a glimpse of that either. Hampton was pulled after the first drive, along with Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey and various other starters. Mitchell joined the game at this point and played in all situations, suggesting the Chargers are comfortable with Hampton in receiving situations more than the Baltimore Ravens were. Vidal didn’t join until the fourth drive, and continued to be the main running back for the rest of the half. While it remains possible this is a three-man rotation, and Vidal is simply third in that order, we should expect Mitchell to see more snaps and touches than Vidal this season. De’Zhaun Stribling pushes for a starting job: Stribling was a frequent target in the first half and is making a push for a top-three spot on the depth chart. When San Francisco drafted Stribling, it was unclear where his easiest path to playing time was. San Francisco had Ricky Pearsall as its Z receiver, added Mike Evans in free agency to be the X and Christian Kirk in free agency to be the slot. Since then, Pearsall was placed on season-ending injured reserve, while Kirk hasn’t been able to play with a calf strain and seems unlikely to make the roster. In their place, Deebo Samuel was re-signed, and Demarcus Robinson has moved into the starting lineup. Evans missed this game while dealing with tightness, leading to Samuel and Robinson being the starting receivers, with Stribling joining them in 11 personnel. While all three receivers netted some playing time in the slot, Stribling was lined up there more often than not. Both starting wide receivers also took a play off on the first drive. The 49ers took out some starters after the first possession, including Samuel, with Robinson and Stribling playing an additional drive. Stribling caught four passes for 46 yards over his two drives, while Robinson was held without a target. Regardless of who the starters and who the backups are in 11 and 12 personnel, Stribling will see significant playing time in Week 1. Evans, Samuel and Robinson are all on the wrong side of 30 and will get rotated out at times. Given Evans' and Samuel’s injury history, they are likely to miss time this season. While Stribling might not make sense to have in Week 1 fantasy starting lineups, he should be drafted as he should be a significant contributor this season. Miscellaneous Notes The 49ers have several running backs dealing with injury. Christian McCaffrey has been held out of practice due to tightness, Jordan James has been doing some work on the side with fractured ribs, Isaac Guerendo remains on the PUP list and Patrick Taylor Jr. was placed on injured reserve today. Kaelon Black missed the first preseason game with an adductor injury, but was back for this game. He was the clear starter with the first team for this game, and given his health, is now the slight favorite for the backup job. George Kittle remains on the PUP list, but there is optimism he will be ready for the first week of the season. Jake Tonges was the lead receiving tight end for this game, and remains the tight end to add if Kittle misses any time due to injury. Chargers wide receivers Quentin Johnston and Tre Harris both missed practice this week and didn’t play in this game. Brenen Thompson was notably the starter in this game over KeAndre Lambert-Smith, making it clear the rookie is ahead on the depth chart. However, Thompson went to the blue medical tent and then the locker room with an undisclosed injury. PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2026. New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers Omar Cooper Jr. starts for the Jets: Cooper only played with the second team last week, suggesting he has moved up the depth chart. The Jets drafted Cooper in the first round, but it has taken him some time to move up the depth chart. Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell appear set as the top two wide receivers, with Wilson playing Z and Mitchell playing X. Wilson has played every snap with the starters, while Mitchell has only missed two snaps, and only after making two nice catches. Isaiah Williams has been ahead of Cooper in the slot. Last week, Williams played all of the 11 personnel snaps with the starters, and left the game at the same time as Wilson and Mitchell. Cooper entered after the starters left, and continued playing over the rest of the first half. This week, it was Cooper who played with the starters instead of Williams. Later in the drive, when Mitchell took two plays off, Cooper received one snap in 12 personnel, while Williams garnered one snap in 11 personnel. The Jets switched to backups on the second drive and Cooper wasn’t on the field, but Cooper returned for the third possession to play more on the outside. While it could have been nice to see him leave at the same time as the rest of the starters, it’s better to see him getting snaps on the outside, which he did on and off throughout the rest of the first half. If Cooper only plays in 11 personnel in the slot this season, it will be difficult for him to be fantasy-relevant, particularly when the Jets could use a lot of 12 personnel after drafting Kenyon Sadiq. His clearest path to being valuable in fantasy is also taking snaps on the outside in 12 personnel. While it doesn’t appear like Cooper is close to consistently taking snaps from Mitchell, this game was still a nice step in the right direction for the rookie. He is a fine late-round dart throw. A quieter day for Germie Bernard: While Bernard started, he was held without a catch and played more on the outside. Both starting wide receivers DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. missed last week’s preseason game, leading Bernard and Roman Wilson to be the Steelers' starting wide receivers. The two are competing to be the third wide receiver in three-receiver sets. Last week, Bernard was typically the wideout lined up in the slot, which was a big deal because Metcalf and Pittman traditionally play outside, so whoever wins the job will need to play significantly out of the slot. Bernard also caught four passes for 51 yards. This week, Wilson and Bernard started again, but Bernard was consistently lined up on the outside. Wilson was the primary slot receiver, with Ben Skowronek also seeing some work in the slot. The Steelers had three drives with the starters, and then turned to backups at running back and tight end. The two wide receivers kept playing further into the first half. This suggests there is no clear favorite for the third spot, and if anything, Wilson has a slight lead given his playing time in the slot this week. The fact that it’s so close could lead to both wide receivers splitting playing time. It’s unlikely one of these wide receivers will be fantasy-relevant only playing in 11 personnel, and it will be impossible if they are splitting work. Unless Metcalf's or Mitchell’s injuries linger on into the regular season, it’s unlikely Wilson or Bernard will see fantasy value anytime soon. Don’t read much into the Steelers' backfield rotation: Jaylen Warren started over Rico Dowdle, but the rotation in this game is unlikely to be the mix the Steelers use in the regular season. The Steelers moved on from Kenneth Gainwell and added Dowdle this off-season. Both Warren and Dowdle have experience being early-down backs as well as third-down backs, but neither has experience as an every-situation back, making it very difficult to project how snaps will be distributed between the two. In this game, Warren took the first drive, and Dowdle handled the second. Warren started the third drive and played five snaps, followed by six by Dowdle, and then Warren closed out the possession. It is common for teams to play a running back for several plays in the preseason with no regard to the situation, but it’s very rare for that kind of rotation to continue once the regular season starts. The fact that Warren got the start over Dowdle could be a good sign for his fantasy value, but it could also simply be giving preference to the returning player rather than the new player, which is also common in the preseason. This game should not change anyone’s opinion on how this backfield will look in the regular season. Miscellaneous Notes The Steelers decided to rest both Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph so they could evaluate their two younger quarterbacks. Pittsburgh continued to use a two-man rotation at tight end with the starters, with Darnell Washington playing more on early downs and Pat Freiermuth more in passing situations, but it wasn’t a strict rotation. This is how the tight ends were used last week. This suggests Washington will play more snaps this season, but Freiermuth will run more routes. This is probably a situation to avoid given the split. The Jets didn’t have running backs Breece Hall (groin), Isaiah Davis (knee) or rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq (hernia). There is optimism all three will be ready for Week 1. Mason Taylor unsurprisingly started with Sadiq’s absence. After the starters left the game on the first drive, including running back Braelon Allen and wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell, Taylor kept playing into the second possession. This suggests his role isn’t as secure as other starters. Jets undrafted rookie Malik McClain has played with the second team in each preseason game. If New York keeps six wide receivers, he appears to be the favorite for the sixth spot. Carolina Panthers @ Jacksonville Jaguars Jonathon Brooks continues in a featured role: Brooks played all but two snaps with the starters. Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard is dealing with a hamstring injury and isn’t expected to return until Week 1 at the earliest. This has opened the door for Brooks to be the Week 1 starter, and potentially keep the role for the season. His ADP has skyrocketed, but he still might be a value at his current ADP. In the first week of the preseason, Brooks was taken out for a third-and-4 for Trevor Etienne, suggesting Etienne would be the passing-down back if Hubbard misses time. This week, Brooks was taken out for one play when the team wanted to try a four-wide receiver, one-tight-end set. He and Etienne split the two third-and-medium plays this week, suggesting Carolina might even be comfortable with Brooks in passing situations. While it would be okay if Brooks doesn’t typically play on third-and-long from a fantasy perspective, it would be helpful if he plays during two-minute drills. The fact that Jacksonville trusted Brooks with that kind of situation, despite playing a lot of early snaps, suggests it could be comfortable with Brooks in other clear passing situations. For the second straight week, Etienne kept playing once the backups entered the game. Brooks is someone to continue targeting in drafts. CJ Williams gets a shot in the slot: The Jaguars' sixth-round rookie wide receiver has a chance to be the primary slot receiver. Jacksonville rested its starters for a second straight game, which included Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter. That has left Williams, fellow sixth-round rookie Josh Cameron and Austin Trammell as the primary backups. It’s unlikely any of these three wide receivers has a shot at fantasy value if there is an injury, and an injury to Parker Washington might be most significant. Liam Coen’s slot receivers have consistently found success from a fantasy perspective. The most likely scenario would be either Jakobi Meyers or Travis Hunter moving to the slot if Washington is sidelined, but there is always the possibility of multiple injuries. Trammell was the clear primary slot receiver in the first week of the preseason, with Williams only seeing four snaps out of the slot. The Jaguars used much more of a rotation this week, with Williams hitting four slot snaps in under 10 minutes. Williams has also seen the most targets out of the three receivers through two preseason games. Hopefully the Jaguars' wide receivers are able to stay healthy this season, but if injuries become a problem, Williams could be a name to remember. Miscellaneous Notes Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard is dealing with a hamstring injury and isn’t expected to return until Week 1 at the earliest. Wide receiver Xavier Legette got rolled up on during Wednesday’s practice, leading him to miss this game. There was some optimism he would be able to play, suggesting this is a short-term injury. Brycen Tremayne took his spot in three-receiver sets this week. The Panthers signed tight end Darren Waller earlier in the week. Since he just joined the team, he did not play in this game. The Jaguars didn’t have third-down back LeQuint Allen as well as wide receiver Parker Washington due to injuries. Washington is expected to return to practice next week, but Allen is out for the rest of camp. It’s unlikely either would have played if they were healthy. Jacksonville rested its starters and key backups, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running backs Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr., wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter and tight ends Brenton Strange and Nate Boerkircher. Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos Jaylen Waddle makes his Broncos debut: Denver’s new top wide receiver played on one drive, and then his day was done. The Broncos had a complicated wide receiver rotation last season, with Courtland Sutton as the lead wide receiver and Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr. and Lil’Jordan Humphrey all seeing significant playing time. Denver traded its first-round pick for Waddle this offseason while retaining all five other wide receivers. Mims has been dealing with an undisclosed injury and was dressed in uniform for this game, but didn’t play. Otherwise, we received a first look at the Broncos' pecking order. Waddle and Sutton played an every-down role on the first drive, with Bryant joining them in three-wide receiver sets. Waddle and Sutton were taken out after one drive, with Franklin, Bryant and Humphrey rotating throughout the second series. Franklin and Humphrey continued to play over the rest of the half with backups. This reinforced the idea that Waddle and Sutton are the top wide receivers on the depth chart, followed by Bryant, but didn’t give us a great indication of how they might rotate in the regular season. Sean Payton has a long history of rotating wide receivers more than most teams, and also has a pattern of not following that order in the preseason. In fact, the preseason sequence has also been misleading at times, with Mims serving as the clear second wide receiver in last year's preseason, followed by a part-time role, and Tim Patrick starting in the preseason before his release. In this case, it’s clear Waddle will be first given how much Denver has invested in him, and we can expect Sutton to be second given his long history with the team. But, we should still write the Broncos' depth chart in pencil, not pen. Evan Engram sees an increased role: Engram played a clear majority of snaps with the starters, unlike past games. Engram had a long history of being an every-down tight end over five years with the New York Giants and three with the Jacksonville Jaguars. For example, in 2023, he averaged 78.6% of offensive snaps. When he joined the Broncos, he became a part-time player. Sean Payton has a long history of utilizing a tight end rotation, with the only exception being Jimmy Graham during his elite seasons. Since Payton joined the Broncos, Adam Trautman has been his early-down tight end. Engram averaged 42.1% of snaps last season, peaking at 55.6% of snaps. This led to a disappointing fantasy season. Davis Webb is the new offensive coordinator for the Broncos. He was a third-round rookie by the New York Giants in 2017, the same year Engram was their first-round pick. Their friendship has led some to believe Engram could have a bigger season this year. Engram played 12 of 14 snaps with the starters this week after playing 15 of 25 last week. Last season, he played 33 of 54 snaps during the preseason, so this has been a step in the right direction. Engram played on the first drive with the backups, while Trautman played the rest of the half, further suggesting Engram might be pulling apart from Trautman. Engram is unlikely to move up the rankings enough to make him worth drafting in most drafts, but he is a name worth monitoring early in the season, as he could become a popular waiver wire target if all goes well. MarShawn Lloyd shares the backfield with Chris Brooks: Lloyd remains in the lead for the Packers backup job. Packers running back Josh Jacobs returned to practice on Tuesday with his groin injury but didn’t play in this game. Brooks and Emanuel Wilson were the Packers' backup options last season, but they opted not to retain Wilson and didn’t make any significant additions to the backfield. This left Lloyd, who has barely played in his two NFL seasons, and Brooks in contention for the backup job. Brooks was unable to participate last week, so Lloyd played every snap over the first two drives and then his day was done. Lloyd started this game and played each of the first four snaps. Green Bay had a 14-play drive to begin the game, with Lloyd playing nine snaps to five by Brooks. Green Bay pulled its starters after the first drive, which included taking out wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden and tight end Josh Whyle, but the running backs kept playing. After three drives, Lloyd had tallied 16 snaps to seven by Brooks, with a tendency of Brooks playing more on third downs. Brooks continued to play on the fourth drive and began rotating with Pierre Strong. This strongly suggests that Lloyd will be the primary backup on early downs, while Brooks may be the backup on third downs. There were reports earlier in the offseason that Brooks may see time at fullback, but that didn’t happen in this game. Lloyd remains a late-round dart throw, but the Packers could still add another running back after cut-down day, complicating the backup situation. Miscellaneous Notes The Packers mostly played their healthy starters, but Jayden Reed sat out for an undisclosed reason. Skyy Moore was the backup slot receiver for Green Bay in Reed’s place, while Bo Melton and Savion Williams were the secondary wide receivers. Williams stopped playing after his two snaps, so it’s possible he suffered an injury that has not been reported as of this article being published. Tight end Tucker Kraft is still being eased back into action. He’s returned to team drills, but not 11-on-11 practices, and he was held out of this game. Backup tight end Luke Musgrave remains on the PUP. Josh Whyle is the likely second tight end option this season, and would be someone worth considering if Kraft isn’t ready for Week 1. Similar to last week, J.K. Dobbins didn’t play, RJ Harvey started the game and Jonah Coleman entered not long after. This gives us no indication on how the Broncos‘ running backs might rotate once the season begins. Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions The Commanders' wide receiver depth chart takes shape: All of Washington’s top wide receivers were active for this game, providing the clearest look yet at how the depth chart is taking shape. Terry McLaurin leads a crowded receiver room. Washington has spent mid-round picks in each of the past three drafts on slot receivers Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane and Antonio Williams. The Commanders have also added several veterans over the past year, including Stefon Diggs, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson. On the first drive, McLaurin lined up at X, Burks at Z and Diggs in the slot in 11 personnel. Diggs had historically been an every-down receiver, but he played only 54.7% of the snaps last season with the New England Patriots. His usage in this game suggests he could again be limited primarily to 11 personnel, which would put a ceiling on his fantasy potential. Diggs’ slot role also increases the likelihood that Burks sees significant playing time rather than one of Washington’s younger slot receivers. On the second drive, Brown took over at X, Burks remained at Z and McCaffrey played in the slot in 11 personnel. Jefferson also took two snaps in place of Burks at Z. On the third drive, McCaffrey moved outside to X, Jefferson played Z and Williams and Lane rotated in the slot. That usage suggests Lane could be the odd man out if Washington keeps only seven wide receivers. It also indicates that Williams is unlikely to see much, if any, playing time early in the season. Chig Okonkwo plays 12 of 14 snaps in the first quarter: Washington’s new lead tight end appears poised for a larger role than he ever had with the Tennessee Titans. Washington used a three-man rotation at tight end last season with Zach Ertz, John Bates and Ben Sinnott. Ertz tore his ACL late in the season, and Washington opted not to re-sign him, instead bringing in Okonkwo. Okonkwo has posted impressive advanced metrics at times but never developed into a consistent fantasy starter in Tennessee, where he often worked in a rotation and played just 63% of the offensive snaps last season. Okonkwo and Bates were among the starters who rested in last week’s preseason game, and they were the only two tight ends to play on the first two drives this week. They shared four snaps in 12 personnel, while Okonkwo played eight of 10 snaps in 11 personnel. Both exited after the second drive, with Sinnott, Colson Yankoff and Lawrence Cager taking over on the third drive. That usage suggests Okonkwo and Bates are well ahead of Sinnott on the depth chart, while Okonkwo is positioned for a significant increase in playing time compared to his tenure in Tennessee. He should be one of the top sleeper tight ends this season and an excellent target for fantasy managers who wait at the position. Isaac TeSlaa plays with the backups: The Lions rested their starters for a second straight week, but TeSlaa remained in the game until midway through the second quarter. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams have been locked into Detroit’s top two wide receiver spots. Last season, TeSlaa competed with veteran Kalif Raymond for the third receiver role in 11 personnel. Raymond left for Chicago in free agency, seemingly opening the door for TeSlaa to take over those snaps. If the Lions fully trusted TeSlaa in that role, however, he likely would have rested with the starters in at least one of the first two preseason games. Detroit’s depth chart behind him remains unsettled, and ideally, those receivers would receive more playing time to help determine who makes the roster. Instead, TeSlaa played not only with the second-team offense that started the game but also alongside the third-team quarterback and offensive line. Greg Dortch and Cedrick Wilson Jr. appeared to be his closest competition last week, while Tay Martin was heavily involved this week. TeSlaa should still receive significant playing time this season, but he is unlikely to have much fantasy value unless St. Brown or Williams misses time. Even in that scenario, Detroit could look to add a wide receiver via trade rather than significantly expanding TeSlaa’s role. Miscellaneous Notes The Commanders announced before the game that quarterback Marcus Mariota (sprained MCL) and running backs Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White (hamstring) and Jeremy McNichols (quad) would not play. Croskey-Merritt’s absence was the biggest surprise, but ESPN’s John Keim reported that he may have suffered an injury during Thursday’s practice. Lions backup running back Isiah Pacheco (MCL sprain) and starting tight end Sam LaPorta (hip) did not play due to injury. The Lions also rested several starters, including quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Buffalo Bills @ Cleveland Browns Denzel Boston is the Browns’ only offensive starter to play: Cleveland’s second-round rookie played throughout the first quarter despite the Browns resting the rest of their offensive starters. Boston has secured Cleveland’s X receiver role after he, Jerry Jeudy and KC Concepcion started the first preseason game. Uncertainty remains about how snaps will be distributed in 12 personnel, as Cleveland has shown a willingness to use Concepcion in those formations despite his primary role in the slot. Boston surprisingly played despite Cleveland resting its starters. The Browns have a legitimate quarterback competition, and having Boston on the field gave Shedeur Sanders another weapon as he made his case for the job. That provides a reasonable explanation for Boston’s usage, although it was unusual that he played only the first and last snaps of the second drive and none in between. He finished with a 75% snap rate over the first two drives before exiting ahead of the other Browns who played. His usage isn’t a major red flag, but his playing time in Week 1 will be worth monitoring. Boston opened the game alongside Isaiah Bond, with Gage Larvadain joining them in three-receiver sets. Bond split his snaps between the slot and outside after playing almost exclusively in the slot last season. He appears to be the top backup at all three receiver spots and would be worth considering off the waiver wire if one of Cleveland’s starting receivers suffers an injury. Don’t read into which Bills played: Buffalo rested its starters and key backups, which made it somewhat surprising to see Ray Davis and Jackson Hawes on the field. Buffalo rested most of the players fantasy managers would recognize, with multiple undrafted rookies from the 2025 and 2026 classes playing on the opening drive. Davis and Hawes stood out among that group. Davis has been the primary early-down backup to James Cook III, while Hawes was part of a three-man rotation at tight end throughout last season. However, the Bills had limited options at both positions. Buffalo has only five halfbacks on its roster, with Cook resting and third-down back Ty Johnson injured. That left only three running backs available. Resting Davis would have left Buffalo with two for the entire game, an unrealistic option given their additional special teams responsibilities and the possibility of an injury. The situation was identical at tight end. Buffalo has five tight ends on the roster, with Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox sitting out. Hawes is clearly the third option, but resting him as well would have left the Bills with only two available tight ends. Veterans playing alongside backups in these situations can typically be a red flag, but the circumstances suggest that isn’t the case with Davis or Hawes. Miscellaneous Notes The Bills were without several wide receivers, including DJ Moore (lower body), Joshua Palmer (undisclosed), Khalil Shakir (undisclosed), Keon Coleman (foot), Skyler Bell (groin) and Dante Pettis (undisclosed). Tyrell Shavers remains on the PUP list. Third-down back Ty Johnson (undisclosed) also missed his second straight preseason game. Buffalo also rested healthy starters, including quarterback Josh Allen, running back James Cook III and tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. The Browns were without running back Quinshon Judkins, fullback Michael Burton, wide receiver Cedric Tillman and tight ends Joe Royer and Dea’Quan Wright. They were listed out for personal/health reasons, though the specific reasons for their absences have not been disclosed. Todd Monken said Judkins is dealing with “a little something nagging, nothing big.” Tillman’s continued absence will only fuel speculation that he could be released. Browns backup tight ends Jack Stoll and Brenden Bates landed on injured reserve over the past week. Cleveland also rested running back Dylan Sampson, wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KC Concepcion, and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. Atlanta Falcons @ Indianapolis Colts Zachariah Branch plays a limited role: The third-round rookie primarily played in 11 personnel in this game. The Falcons remade their wide receiver room this offseason, retaining Drake London, signing Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency and drafting Branch in the third round. At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Branch’s size could limit his fantasy upside. Atlanta rested its starters, so Branch opened the game with the second-team offense. He played alongside Dylan Drummond and Chris Blair, who were the primary receivers in 12 personnel. Branch mostly joined them in the slot when Atlanta moved to 11 personnel. He has played exactly one snap in 12 personnel in each of the Falcons’ first two preseason games. While it wasn’t surprising that Branch would primarily be limited to 11 personnel, more preseason work in two-receiver sets would have increased the possibility of an expanded role if injuries strike during the regular season. Branch played only the first two drives and exited before the other receivers, suggesting his spot in the rotation is secure. While several third-round wide receivers are worthy of late-round fantasy picks this year, Branch shouldn’t be one of them because his upside appears limited. His best-case scenario is overtaking Zaccheaus as Atlanta’s primary slot receiver, but that role is unlikely to provide enough volume for him to become a consistent fantasy starter. Laquon Treadwell locks into a roster spot: Treadwell played only one drive before exiting ahead of the rest of the Colts players who started the game. The Colts’ top four wide receivers appear set when healthy, with Alec Pierce at X, Keenan Allen at Z, Josh Downs in the slot and Ashton Dulin as the top backup. It remains unclear whether Pierce will be ready for Week 1, as he hasn’t practiced in months. If he is unavailable, Dulin is the most likely candidate to take over at X, though that is no guarantee. Treadwell has been the top X receiver among the backups throughout the preseason. He appeared to be competing with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for playing time and potentially a roster spot, but Treadwell appears to have pulled ahead. He exited after one drive, while Westbrook-Ikhine remained in the game. Treadwell could see significant playing time in Week 1, particularly if Pierce isn’t ready. The Colts have enough positional flexibility among their top three receivers that Treadwell could enter the game whenever one of them needs a break in 11 personnel. That would also leave him one injury away from a starting role. Miscellaneous Notes The Falcons rested quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, running backs Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson, tight ends Kyle Pitts Sr., Charlie Woerner and Austin Hooper, and wide receivers Drake London, Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. continues to be eased back into action and didn’t play in this game. The Colts rested quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receivers Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Ashton Dulin, and tight ends Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory. Backup running back DJ Giddens (hamstring) and backup slot receiver Anthony Gould (groin) did not play due to injury, while Alec Pierce remains on the PUP list. Rookie Seth McGowan may win the backup running back job by default with Giddens sidelined. McGowan was the focal point of the Colts’ offense early in the game. Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings More evidence that Ja’Kobi Lane is the Ravens’ WR3: Lane appears poised for a significant role in Baltimore’s offense this season. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman have been the Ravens’ top receivers in recent years. Baltimore didn’t re-sign DeAndre Hopkins, creating a wide-open competition for the third wide receiver spot between Lane, fellow rookie Elijah Sarratt and recent draft picks Devontez Walker and LaJohntay Wester. Last week, the Ravens rested their starters, and Lane, Walker and Wester started while Sarratt worked with the backups. Sarratt did not enter the game until late in the third quarter, after Xavier Guillory and Chris Moore. That usage suggests he is well down the Ravens’ wide receiver depth chart. The Ravens rested their starters again this week, with Lane and Walker serving as the primary wide receivers for the first four drives and Wester joining them in three-receiver sets. Lane’s day ended after the fourth drive along with quarterback Tyler Huntley, while Walker and Wester continued playing with Joe Fagnano. That usage suggests Lane is ahead of both on the depth chart. That was already the expectation based on Lane’s draft capital and reports from beat writers, but his preseason usage provides further confirmation. Lane could even be elevated to the No. 2 receiver role after Bateman was arrested Friday on charges of family violence. It remains unclear how Bateman’s legal situation will affect his availability this season, but the possibility of him missing time only increases Lane’s chances of playing a notable role. Lane is a worthwhile late-round dart throw, and his ADP is likely to rise. Demond Claiborne locks into the RB3 spot: Claiborne is no longer rotating with Zavier Scott, suggesting he has secured the Vikings’ No. 3 running back job. Claiborne was a sixth-round pick by Minnesota in this year’s draft. While Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason were locked into the top two spots, Claiborne was still competing with Scott last week. Scott appeared in 16 games for the Vikings last season, recording 32 carries and 14 receptions. Last week, Jones and Mason played early in the first quarter before Claiborne replaced them late in the period. Scott began rotating with Claiborne in the second quarter, and both continued to play throughout the second and third quarters, with Scott remaining in the game briefly into the fourth. This week, Minnesota rested its starters, allowing Claiborne to start. He played every snap in the first quarter before Scott took over in the second. It remains unclear how much Claiborne will play on offense during the regular season, but his spot as one of Minnesota’s top three running backs appears secure. Miscellaneous Notes The Vikings rested quarterback Kyler Murray, running backs Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason, wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings, and tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver. While Tai Felton played more snaps than Jennings last week, that was because the Vikings view Felton as their backup X receiver and Jefferson did not play. It did not necessarily indicate that Felton is ahead of Jennings on the depth chart. The Ravens rested quarterback Lamar Jackson, running backs Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali and Adam Randall, wide receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, and tight ends Mark Andrews and Durham Smythe. Most of those absences were expected, as they are veterans near the top of the depth chart. Ali has not been practicing for an undisclosed reason, explaining his absence. It is unclear why Randall is not playing. Considering he is a mid-round rookie and Baltimore played its other rookies who are expected to have larger roles, it is more likely that Randall is dealing with an undisclosed injury than receiving veteran-style rest. New Orleans Saints @ Los Angeles Rams The Saints’ backup running back situation heats up: Kendre Miller and Devin Neal were both available after missing last week. New Orleans has six notable running backs on the depth chart: Travis Etienne Jr., Alvin Kamara, Miller, Neal, Audric Estime and Ty Chandler. At least one, if not two, will likely be left off the roster when cuts arrive. Kamara has a sprained MCL and could miss Week 1, so the Saints will likely keep four running backs on their initial roster. Kamara missed this week, as did Estime, who suffered an ankle injury last week. Etienne rested with the other starters. The Saints used a wide-open rotation throughout the first half. Miller started, with Neal rotating in on the first drive. Miller, Neal, Chandler and undrafted rookie CJ Donaldson each played two snaps on the second drive. Miller handled most of the third drive, with Chandler mixing in, before the two rotated on the fourth drive. Miller ultimately played the most snaps of the group and appears to be the favorite for the No. 3 running back job. However, there was enough rotation throughout the first half that plenty could change over the next week. Barion Brown sits for the Saints: The sixth-round rookie was among several Saints players who sat out this week. Brown has been one of the most talked-about rookies in Saints camp, making several big catches and earning work with both the first- and second-team offenses. He started last week, though five of the top six wide receivers on the depth chart were unavailable, and played on and off throughout the game. This week, the Saints were still without their top three wide receivers in Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson and Devaughn Vele. Their top veteran backup, Mason Tipton, remains on the PUP list. Fellow rookie Bryce Lance, who was unavailable last week, returned to action this week. It’s possible Brown is dealing with an undisclosed injury or that the Saints simply didn’t want to overwork him after he logged so many snaps last week. However, it’s also possible New Orleans views Brown as an important enough player to rest. With Tyson expected to miss roughly two months because of a hamstring injury, Brown could see significant playing time in 11 personnel early in the season. Brown is worth adding in dynasty leagues wherever he remains available. In redraft leagues, it’s probably best to leave him on the waiver wire until there is more clarity on where he sits on the depth chart. Xavier Smith sits for the Rams: Smith was the only Rams skill-position player who played last week but sat this week. Every team approaches the preseason differently, and the Rams take one of the league’s most conservative approaches with important players. Los Angeles typically rests all of its starters throughout the preseason, along with key backups, and tends to hold out even more players as the preseason progresses. It was noteworthy that Smith played last week because he was the only skill-position player with a significant role last season who saw action. His absence this week makes it clear that his roster spot is secure. Still, it’s unlikely that any Rams wide receiver outside of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams will have fantasy value unless injuries significantly alter the depth chart. Miscellaneous Notes The Rams rested their starters and key backups, as usual. That included quarterback Matthew Stafford, running backs Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers, wide receivers Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Konata Mumpfield, Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith, and tight ends Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson, Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen. The only Rams skill-position players who played today and are expected to make the roster were 2025 fourth-round running back Jarquez Hunter and rookies CJ Daniels and Max Klare. It’s possible none of the three will be active on game days. The Saints were without running back Alvin Kamara (sprained MCL) and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring), both of whom are expected to miss the start of the season. Mason Tipton remains on the PUP list. The Saints were without running back Alvin Kamara (sprained MCL) and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring), both of whom are expected to miss the start of the season. Mason Tipton remains on the PUP list. Saints rookie tight end Oscar Delp played 13 of the first 18 snaps before exiting ahead of the other Saints who played in the game. New York Giants @ Miami Dolphins The Giants’ running back battle heats up: Devin Singletary started ahead of Tyrone Tracy Jr. in what could ultimately become a four-man rotation. New York surprisingly rotated all three of its top running backs last week. Cam Skattebo started, but Tracy also played on the first drive before Skattebo reentered and shared time with Singletary. All three were finished by early in the second quarter, suggesting there wasn’t a significant gap between them on the depth chart. Head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy have generally favored two- or three-man backfield rotations. New York signed Najee Harris earlier in the week, but he didn’t play in this game. He will need time to ramp up and might not play next week, either, though he reportedly expects to have a significant role in the offense. Skattebo was among the starters who rested this week, leaving Singletary and Tracy to rotate throughout the first half. While New York could keep four running backs, Singletary and Tracy are likely competing for playing time, and Singletary appears to have the edge. Tracy notably struggled in pass protection last week, while Singletary has graded well in that area in recent seasons. That could leave the Giants with a three-man rotation of Skattebo, Harris and Singletary in Week 1. Malachi Fields may have won a starting job: The third-round rookie played only the first drive before exiting ahead of the rest of the wide receivers. New York made several changes to its wide receiver room this offseason, retaining Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton, signing Calvin Austin III, Darnell Mooney, Odell Beckham Jr., Braxton Berrios and JuJu Smith-Schuster, and drafting Fields. The Giants released Smith-Schuster this past week. Nabers is unlikely to play in the preseason, but there is optimism that he will be ready for Week 1. New York used Fields, Austin, Mooney and Slayton in a four-man rotation early last week, with players lining up at various positions. Beckham and Berrios eventually joined the rotation. This week, the plan was much more straightforward. On the first drive, Fields lined up at X, Slayton at Z and Austin in the slot in 11 personnel. Slayton has typically played X for the Giants, so lining up at Z represented a change for him. On the second drive, Beckham replaced Fields at X, and the trio of Beckham, Slayton and Austin played the rest of the first half. Beckham remained in the game with the backups to begin the second half. That usage suggests Fields has won the starting X job, with Beckham as his backup. Nabers should start at Z when healthy, with Slayton backing him up and likely starting if Nabers isn’t ready for Week 1. Austin appears to be the primary slot receiver. Fields is now a viable late-round fantasy target, while Slayton should only be considered if Nabers is expected to miss Week 1. Head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after the game that Mooney missed this game because he was the best man at his brother’s wedding. Mooney mostly played X and in the slot in the first preseason game. Given how little Fields played relative to Austin, it seems more likely Mooney takes time from Austin in the slot than he takes snaps from Fields at X. Harbaugh also said Berrios missed the game due to a soft tissue injury. Jaylen Wright remains the RB2 for Miami: Wright has played ahead of Ollie Gordon II for the second straight week. The Dolphins retained their top three running backs from last season in De’Von Achane, Wright and Gordon. Gordon was the primary backup early last season, but Wright moved ahead of him as the year progressed. In the first week of the preseason, Wright was the first running back to enter after Achane exited. While there was some rotation, Wright’s day ended at halftime, while Gordon played into the fourth quarter. Achane rested this week, leaving Wright to start. He played 12 of the first 16 snaps over Miami’s first four drives. Wright lost a fumble during that stretch, but the Dolphins continued to use him. When he briefly left the game, he appeared to be dealing with an injury before returning rather than simply rotating out for Gordon. Gordon began seeing more significant playing time early in the second quarter. Gordon remained in the game until late in the quarter, when he appeared to injure his shoulder while being tackled. Miami hasn’t invested much in a fourth running back, so the team could look to add one if Gordon’s injury is serious. Wright briefly returned to the game after Gordon exited. Wright is unlikely to have much standalone fantasy value despite being the clear backup. However, if Achane misses time this season, Wright would become a priority waiver-wire addition and is worth considering as a late-round target in deeper leagues where most handcuffs are rostered. Dolphins’ wide receiver room takes shape: The first preseason game provided clarity on Miami’s top two wide receivers. This game offered a better indication of who will fill the No. 3 role. Miami made several changes to its wide receiver room this offseason, retaining Malik Washington, signing Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell and Jalen Reagor, and drafting Caleb Douglas, Kevin Coleman Jr. and Chris Bell. Last week, Washington and Douglas dominated snaps with the starters, with Reagor joining them in three-receiver sets. Tolbert and Atwell were the primary backups, while Coleman was sidelined by an injury. Bell was activated from the NFI list earlier this week after tearing his ACL in December. This week, Washington was one of the few starters who didn’t play, providing further evidence that his starting role is secure. Douglas played only the first drive before his day ended, similarly solidifying his place among the starters. Tolbert was the other starting receiver, suggesting he has moved ahead of Reagor on the depth chart. He played two drives before exiting ahead of the rest of the receivers and should be considered the favorite to play Z in 11 personnel in Week 1. Coleman made his preseason debut after missing last week and consistently lined up in the slot in 11 personnel. Atwell replaced Douglas on the second drive, while Reagor replaced Tolbert on the third. Tolbert returned later in the second quarter, however, suggesting his lead over the other receivers isn’t particularly secure. Washington and Douglas remain interesting late-round dart throws in fantasy drafts. Miscellaneous Notes The Giants rested several starters, including quarterback Jaxson Dart, running back Cam Skattebo and tight end Isaiah Likely. Tight ends Theo Johnson and Chris Manhertz played only the first drive before their days ended. Both are expected to see significant playing time this season. The Dolphins rested several starters, including quarterback Malik Willis, running back De’Von Achane and wide receiver Malik Washington. Miami tight end Greg Dulcich played two of the three snaps on the first drive before his day ended. He was off the field for the first snap out of 21 personnel, a grouping he isn’t expected to play in often this season. Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals Colston Loveland plays eight of nine snaps with the starters: Loveland continued to see a snap rate similar to what he had late last season. Loveland spent most of his rookie season in a part-time role alongside Cole Kmet, playing between 52% and 66% of the offensive snaps in most weeks. That changed over the final three weeks of the regular season and the first week of the playoffs, when he played more than 80% of the snaps. He scored more than 21 PPR points in three of those four games. There has been little doubt that Loveland would continue to have a significant role in the offense, as he is the consensus TE3 by ADP and rankings. Part of that confidence stems from the Bears trading DJ Moore and not making as significant an investment in their third wide receiver, suggesting they could use more two-tight-end sets. Loveland’s playing time matched expectations, although it was somewhat surprising that Chicago used 12 personnel on only four of its nine snaps with the starters. His only snap off the field came on second-and-4 on the second play of the game. That allowed Kaden Davis and JP Richardson to get some work with Caleb Williams, so this small sample might not be indicative of how often Chicago will use 12 personnel during the regular season. Fantasy managers can draft Loveland with slightly more confidence after this usage, but it shouldn’t meaningfully affect his ADP. Erick All Jr. returns to the Bengals: All tore his ACL midway through the 2024 season and missed all of 2025. The Bengals typically use two early-down tight ends and a receiving tight end, with the receiving option playing primarily in obvious passing situations. That leaves one of the early-down tight ends with a decent amount of receiving volume, but the rotation makes it nearly impossible for any Bengals tight end to sustain fantasy value. During All’s rookie season, he was the early-down tight end who contributed as a receiver, while Mike Gesicki filled the receiving role and Drew Sample served as the other early-down option. With All sidelined last season, Cincinnati added Noah Fant to fill his role. Gesicki and Sample both rested for this game, while Cincinnati used plenty of 11 personnel early to give its young wide receivers more playing time. All started and immediately returned to his usual early-down role. Unfortunately for his fantasy prospects, the Bengals maintained their typical rotation even in the preseason, so All never played on third-and-medium or third-and-long. That usage suggests All will step right back into his rookie-year role, but it is unlikely to be large enough to make him fantasy relevant. He would need opportunities in obvious passing situations, and Cincinnati showed no indication that it plans to use him that way. Tanner Hudson handled the most obvious passing situations in this game, while Cam Grandy played in other passing situations. If Gesicki misses time this season, Hudson would likely take over that role rather than All, consistent with how Cincinnati has rotated its tight ends in recent years. All played only one drive, which makes sense both because this was his first game back and because he has the largest expected regular-season role among the Bengals players who suited up. Fant finished as TE37 last season, while All was TE38 over the first nine weeks of 2024. A similar finish is a reasonable expectation for All this season. Unless you’re in a league where roughly 40 tight ends are rostered, he shouldn’t be drafted. Miscellaneous Notes The Bengals rested quarterback Joe Burrow, running backs Chase Brown and Samaje Perine, wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas and tight ends Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample. Chicago didn’t have Kyle Monangai (hyperextended knee) and Luther Burden III (groin), and it’s unlikely either plays in next week’s game. Zavion Thomas also wasn’t available. It’s unclear if it’s related to the knee injury he suffered two weeks ago, but he also didn’t play last week. Bears lead running back D’Andre Swift also didn’t play, which appears more precautionary. He’s only had one preseason where he’s played more than six snaps. Kalif Raymond is expected to be the Bears' third wide receiver. He played only the first three snaps, and his day ended before the rest of the starters. This is understandable considering he is 32. Philadelphia Eagles @ New England Patriots More concerns for Eli Stowers: Stowers played only a part-time role for the Eagles in this game. Philadelphia selected Stowers in the second round with the expectation that he could become the team’s lead tight end in 2027, with Dallas Goedert entering the final season of his contract. There was at least some hope that Stowers could contribute as a rookie. He is primarily a receiving tight end, and it has become clear that Johnny Mundt will likely serve as the second tight end in 12 personnel this season. Last week, Stowers was the second tight end in 12 personnel behind Grant Calcaterra, suggesting Stowers was fourth on the depth chart. This week, Philadelphia rested its top two tight ends, while Calcaterra was sidelined by an injury. Rather than giving Stowers an every-down role, the Eagles used him exclusively in 11 personnel during the first quarter. Philadelphia used 12 personnel on half of its plays during that stretch, with E.J. Jenkins and Cameron Latu handling the tight end snaps in those formations. Stowers should still make the roster given his draft capital, but his preseason usage has been discouraging, and his dynasty value should continue to fall. Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III remain at the bottom of the depth chart: The two young receivers started for New England while five other wide receivers were among the key players who sat out. The Patriots added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason while losing only Stefon Diggs, making it difficult for the other returning wide receivers to see as much playing time as last year, let alone expand their roles. DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins were key contributors last season who could all see a reduction in snaps this year. That has made it even harder for Williams and Chism to earn more playing time. It’s clear through the first two preseason games that Williams and Chism sit sixth and seventh on the depth chart. In practice, Chism is the backup slot receiver and could see a notable role if Douglas were to suffer an injury. It will be much harder for Williams to find a role this season. He projects as an X receiver, which is where Brown and Boutte both play. Doubs also has experience at X, and if injuries pile up, it’s possible that Doubs would simply move back to X rather than Williams becoming a starter. Ideally, both wide receivers would have also sat this week because their roster spots were secure. Instead, they started and continued playing deep into the second quarter. Most Patriots beat writers expect the team to keep seven wide receivers this season, so Williams and Chism appear likely to make the roster. However, it’s unlikely that either will become fantasy relevant this season. Miscellaneous Notes The Patriots rested quarterback Drake Maye, running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, fullback Reggie Gilliam, wide receivers A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins, as well as tight end Hunter Henry. Third-round rookie tight end Eli Raridon was not spotted during warmups with the other starters who weren’t playing, suggesting he could be dealing with an injury. He is expected to be the Patriots’ second tight end as long as they don’t add another from a different roster. The Eagles rested quarterback Jalen Hurts, running backs Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby, wide receivers DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown, and tight ends Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt. First-round rookie Makai Lemon returned to practice Thursday after missing most of camp with a hamstring issue. He didn’t play in this game. Wide receiver Elijah Moore (neck) and tight end Grant Calcaterra (back) were also among the Eagles who didn’t play because of injuries. Kansas City Chiefs @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chiefs’ confusing running back usage: Emari Demercado went from playing late in the fourth quarter of the first preseason game to seeing the field on the first drive of this game. Kansas City reworked its running back room this offseason and added Kenneth Walker to be its lead back. Brashard Smith was retained, and he is competing with free-agent addition Demercado and fifth-round rookie Emmett Johnson. All three could specialize as passing-down backs, but someone will also need to serve as Walker’s backup on early downs. On the first drive, Walker played the first two snaps before Demercado took over on third down. One reasonable explanation is that Walker might not always play on third downs. He has an injury history, and if there is any situation where it makes sense to take him off the field, it’s on third down. It’s also reasonable to think that Walker simply played his two snaps before his day ended early, meaning this usage doesn’t tell us anything about how he might be deployed on third downs. While most head coaches wait until the end of a drive to rotate players out of a preseason game, Andy Reid has a long history of taking players out mid-drive. He took Tyquan Thornton, Travis Kelce and Noah Gray out mid-drive at various points in this game, for example. Walker was also taken out after one play last week. Reid consistently avoids using running backs by situation in the preseason, instead giving one back a set of plays before moving on to another. Another unique practice by Reid is changing the order in which running backs play from one preseason game to the next. Isiah Pacheco was high on the depth chart for a preseason game during his rookie season, but that role didn’t materialize until the middle of the regular season. Last year, Elijah Mitchell was high on the depth chart in the first week of the preseason, while Carson Steele was the primary backup to Pacheco in the second game. Last week, Smith entered the game after Walker played one snap and remained on the field for the rest of the first quarter. Smith and Johnson rotated throughout the second and third quarters, with Demercado taking his first offensive snap in the fourth quarter. This week, Demercado was up first. After taking the final snap of the first drive, he played throughout the second and third drives. Johnson began seeing playing time on the fourth drive. Smith played on special teams early in the game but didn’t play on offense until the second half. We aren’t much closer to finding out who Walker’s handcuff will be or who, if anyone, will play in certain passing situations this season. It’s entirely possible those answers change over the course of the season. It’s best to leave all three on the waiver wire and simply draft Walker early. Tyquan Thornton remains the WR3: While Cyrus Allen has received plenty of praise during training camp, Thornton remains high on Kansas City’s depth chart. Chiefs wide receivers Rashee Rice (knee) and Xavier Worthy (shoulder) have been practicing but are being eased back into action and didn’t play in this game. Thornton, Allen and Jalen Royals are the expected top backups, and this game further confirmed their roles. They were the only three wide receivers to play on the first three drives, with Thornton at X, Royals at Z and Allen in the slot in 11 personnel. The Chiefs typically mix up their wide receiver usage more than most teams, but that wasn’t the case on these drives. Thornton played the first snap of the fourth drive before his day ended, with Andrew Armstrong taking his place. Royals and Allen continued playing throughout the rest of the first half, even after Garrett Nussmeier took over for Justin Fields at quarterback. The fact that Allen played so late in the first half suggests he won’t see an extensive role immediately, but he is clearly among the top five wide receivers on the depth chart. It’s also worth noting that Allen isn’t necessarily competing with Thornton, as the two play very different roles. Thornton was among the league leaders in average depth of target last season, while Allen projects to have a much lower average depth of target. Allen’s primary path to a fantasy-relevant role this season is taking playing time from Rice. Don’t read into the Buccaneers’ running back snap counts: While Kenneth Gainwell played more snaps with the starters than Bucky Irving, Irving received the start. The Buccaneers allowed Rachaad White to walk in free agency and spent more on Gainwell after his breakout season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gainwell received significant praise during OTAs while Irving was out with an injury, but everything since then has suggested that Irving is the starter. Irving started this game and ran the ball on each of the first three plays for 14 yards. After that, his day was done before the rest of the starters. Gainwell took over for the final two plays of the first drive, played all three snaps on the second drive and then exited along with the rest of the Buccaneers’ starters. All this game did was confirm that Irving is the lead back. It didn’t provide much insight into what the backfield’s snap split might look like or how interchangeable the two backs could be, as opposed to Irving playing more in rushing situations and Gainwell handling more passing-down work. Their ADPs and rankings should not change based on this game. Dallas Cowboys @ Arizona Cardinals The Cowboys’ backfield battle takes a turn: Malik Davis started this week after not playing until the third quarter last week. Javonte Williams was the Cowboys’ starter last season, with Davis ending the year as a backup. Fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue spent most of the season as a healthy inactive, while seventh-round rookie Phil Mafah missed most of last season due to injury. Cowboys coaches and beat writers have made it clear that they hoped Blue or Mafah would win the backup job. Last week, Blue started the game, with Mafah rotating in throughout the first half. Blue was done at halftime, Mafah started the third quarter and Davis took over later. This week, Davis started, with Blue rotating in later in the first drive. This suggests Davis is currently the favorite for the backup job, but the situation is likely unsettled and could be a top storyline in the third week of the preseason. It’s also possible the Cowboys add a running back after the third week of the preseason. Blue was worth drafting in the late rounds when it seemed clear he was on track to win the backup job, but this is now a situation to avoid. Bam Knight sits along with other key players: Corey Kiner and Evan Hull were Arizona’s primary running backs for this game. Knight was the Cardinals’ starting running back for half of last season, but it seemed like his job was in jeopardy a few months ago. James Conner and Trey Benson were expected to return, the team signed Tyler Allgeier in free agency and then drafted Jeremiyah Love. This presumably put Knight fifth on the depth chart. There were rumblings at the start of the preseason that Knight could make the roster ahead of Conner, Benson or both because of his ability on special teams. Knight’s chances of making the roster have continued to increase, as Love suffered a high ankle sprain that will keep him out until the start of the season, Conner is still dealing with a foot injury and Benson is dealing with a knee injury. Those chances appear even higher now, as Knight didn’t play in this game. While Knight could be injured, the more likely scenario is that Arizona wanted to keep its second-best healthy running back out of harm’s way. Benson is unlikely to make the roster at this point, and there is a good chance the Cardinals keep four running backs given Love’s injury. It will take an injury to Allgeier, along with the other running backs remaining sidelined, for Knight to have fantasy value this season, but stranger things have happened. Miscellaneous Notes The Cowboys rested starters and key backups, including quarterback Dak Prescott, halfback Javonte Williams, fullback Hunter Luepke, wide receivers CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin, and tight ends Jake Ferguson and Brevyn Spann-Ford. Jonathan Mingo appears to be the favorite for the fifth wide receiver spot after starting both preseason games and catching a long touchdown pass. Undrafted rookie Camden Brown played in the first quarter last week and appears to have overtaken veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the depth chart. Wide receiver Tyler Johnson and tight end Zack Kuntz played only in the fourth quarter last week but saw significant playing time with the starters in the first quarter this week, suggesting several bottom-of-the-roster spots remain unsettled. Cowboys third tight end Luke Schoonmaker played eight of the first nine snaps and left the game early, making it clear he is the third tight end. He similarly left early last week. The Cardinals rested quarterback Jacoby Brissett, running backs Tyler Allgeier and Bam Knight, wide receivers Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kendrick Bourne, and tight ends Trey McBride and Elijah Higgins. Fifth-round rookie wide receiver Reggie Virgil started the game. He drew an illegal contact penalty on the first play, hopped around shortly after the contact and then jogged off the field. He didn’t enter the game again until the second quarter. Jalen Brooks appears to be the favorite for Arizona’s fourth wide receiver spot. Devin Duvernay was expected to make the Cardinals’ 53-man roster because of his work as a returner. He is listed first on the unofficial depth chart at both kick and punt returner. Ihmir Smith-Marsette is listed second at both spots, and he received significant playing time with the starters in the first half. It’s possible Smith-Marsette makes the roster instead of Duvernay. Seattle Seahawks @ Tennessee Titans Tyjae Spears out-snaps Tony Pollard with the starters again: Pollard has started both games, but Spears has been on the field more frequently with Cam Ward this preseason. Pollard and Spears have shared the Titans’ backfield for each of the past two seasons. Pollard has played more in rushing situations, while Spears has played more on passing downs. Pollard led the team in snaps in most games, but Spears occasionally played more when the Titans fell behind early. Now, the Titans have a new coaching staff that could find a different way to rotate the two. Pollard played the first drive this week, while Spears played the second and third. Last week, Spears rotated in more on the first drive, while Pollard rotated back in on the third drive. This generally suggests that Pollard is ahead of Spears, but the gap between the two may be smaller than it has been in past years. If Pollard were clearly ahead, he likely wouldn’t have returned for the third drive last week and potentially would have been taken out earlier. The fact that he is playing at all is somewhat surprising, as he is one of only five lead running backs to play this week in the preseason and one of only two to play more than three snaps. Pollard appears to be a classic dead-zone running back who, on paper, looks capable of producing RB2 numbers but could easily finish outside the top 30 fantasy running backs. There is a decent chance that Spears ends up leading this backfield in fantasy points. Titans’ wide receiver depth chart appears set: Tennessee stuck with the same three receivers for each of the first three drives. Tennessee’s top receivers for most of last season were fourth-round rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. While both players remain on the roster, they have fallen behind Calvin Ridley, who spent most of last season injured, first-round rookie Carnell Tate and free-agent addition Wan’Dale Robinson. Ayomanor and Dike didn’t see significant playing time until the fourth quarter, when the rest of the backups entered the game. For the first three drives, Ridley played X, Tate played Z and Robinson lined up in the slot. Robinson left the field in 12 personnel, which wasn’t the case when he was the lead receiver for the New York Giants last year. This lowers his fantasy ceiling compared to his time in New York. Ridley took two plays off late in the Titans’ long opening drive, with Ayomanor taking over at X on those plays. It seems unlikely that Ayomanor will have fantasy value this season unless Ridley suffers another injury or is traded. Ridley is worth a late-round draft pick because he remains one of the top options on the team, but the Titans’ offense will need to improve for him to pay off at his ADP. Tate played the Z receiver role last week but was subbed out more often with Ward on the field. This week, Tate was consistently on the field, which is a good sign for the rookie. However, as with everyone else in the offense, the Titans will need to play better for Tate to be worth an early pick in fantasy drafts. Gunnar Helm leads a tight end rotation: While Helm is the lead tight end for the Titans, he is likely a player to avoid in fantasy drafts. Helm started his rookie season as the second option behind Chig Okonkwo, but his playing time slowly increased as the season progressed. The Titans decided not to re-sign Okonkwo and instead brought in free agent Daniel Bellinger. Bellinger spent the first four seasons of his career with the New York Giants, including time with new Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Helm played the first four snaps of the opening drive, but Bellinger replaced him on third down and played the rest of the drive. The Titans used some 12 personnel on the second drive with both players on the field, while Helm played more snaps in 11 personnel. On the third drive, both players again saw time in 11 personnel. While Helm is still expected to be the lead tight end, he will need more playing time to earn a higher target share than he has seen in the past. He will also need the Titans’ offense to improve for him to become a top-12 fantasy tight end. Most other starting receiving tight ends have an easier path to a top-12 finish. Elijah Arroyo plays into the second quarter: Arroyo caught a highlight-worthy touchdown, but the fact that he played into the second quarter isn’t a great sign for his fantasy value. Arroyo was a second-round pick by the Seahawks last season but ultimately lost the starting job to AJ Barner. Barner didn’t miss a game last season, and Arroyo averaged a 39.5% snap rate. There is a chance that rate will be even lower this season, as the Seahawks have more wide receivers they can trust. While there had been talk of Arroyo having a breakout season, this is the second straight game in which Arroyo played while the starters sat. Nearly half of the league’s backup tight ends didn’t play this week, although a few were sidelined by injuries rather than being rested. This indicates Seattle doesn’t plan to make Arroyo as big a part of the offense as the receivers who didn’t play in this game. Arroyo will be someone to pick up off the waiver wire if Barner suffers an injury, but it’s unlikely that Arroyo has another path to fantasy value this season. Miscellaneous Notes Seattle opted to sit Jadarian Price after he missed time with upper-leg soreness. While he ramped up to padded practices this week, Seattle opted to remain cautious. Emanuel Wilson missed his second straight preseason game with an undisclosed injury. Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet remains on the PUP list, so he was not eligible to play and is unlikely to be available for Week 1. Seahawks backup wide receiver Jake Bobo was placed on injured reserve yesterday with a knee injury, ending his season. Second-year receiver Tory Horton will be out for “some time” with an undisclosed injury. Seattle rested its starters and other key players, including quarterback Sam Darnold, running back George Holani, wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp, and tight end AJ Barner. Table Notes Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, such as offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats exclude these plays. 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."

"The Titans recently explored potential additions to their defensive line, hosting workouts for Tanoh Kpassagnon and DaQuan Jones, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson and Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer. Kpassagnon, 32, appeared in four games for the Bears in 2025 and three for the Saints in 2024. In the two years prior, though, the veteran edge rusher made 32 appearances with five starts, 5.5 sacks, and seven tackles for loss. His experience as a 4-3 defensive end could allow him to slide into Robert Saleh‘s new defense quickly should Tennessee decide they need depth at the position. Currently, the Titans’ edge rusher room is led by veterans Jermaine Johnson and Jacob Martin with 2025 second-round pick Oluwafemi Oladejo hoping to carve out a role after missing most of his rookie year due to injury. The team is also expecting Keldric Faulk, the 31st overall selection in this year’s draft, to contribute immediately despite his underwhelming production at Auburn last year. The interior of the Titans’ defensive line is anchored by Jeffery Simmons, who is coming off his first career first-team All-Pro selection. Saleh filled the unit with familiar faces from his time in New York and San Francisco, including John Franklin-Myers, Solomon Thomas, Jordan Elliott, and Jalyn Holmes. Jones, 34, could offer some veteran run-stuffing depth to the group. While Jones has never played under Saleh, the 2014 fourth-round pick did spend the first seven year of his career in Tennessee with 99 appearances (93 starts). He then started every game for the Panthers in 2021 before signing in Buffalo, where he made 51 starts over the next four years. In the last two seasons, he recorded 5.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss in 28 games. Like Kpassagnon, Jones’ experience should have him ready to play right away if the Titans choose to sign him. Here are a few other recent workouts held around the league: The Texans hosted cornerback Ka’dar Hollman for a workout, per Balzer. The 31-year-old spent time in Houston during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, appearing in 24 games (two starts) with 217 snaps on defense and 349 on special teams. He would add veteran depth to a secondary with an unclear backup situation behind starters Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley. The Ravens signed running back Jonathan Ward on Sunday with Rasheen Ali sidelined due to an undisclosed injury. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Ward won the roster spot after an audition that also featured veteran D’Ernest Johnson, who spent time on Baltimore’s practice squad last year, and Jared Chisari, an undrafted rookie out of Queen’s University in Canada. The Dolphins looked into wide receiver depth on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, with Brenden Rice and A.T. Perry coming in for tryouts. Rice, the 24-year-old son of 49ers legend Jerry Rice, was a Chargers seventh-round pick in 2024 who played exclusively on special teams as a rookie. Perry, 26, flashed as a Saints sixth-round pick in 2023 with 20.5 yards per reception and 13.7 yards per target, but he did not play in the subsequent two seasons. Either would add to Miami’s young receiver room that lacks a clear pecking order after the Jaylen Waddle trade. View Comments (0)"

"Published August 16, 2026 05:42 PM The Ravens signed running back Jonathan Ward on Sunday, the team announced.The Ravens had an open roster spot after offensive tackle Kendall Lamm retired on Friday and needed depth at running back with Rasheen Ali out with an undisclosed injury. Adam Randall, Elijah Tau-Toliver and Dontae McMillan were the only running backs dressed for the first preseason game.Ward, 28, signed with the Ravens’ practice squad on Dec. 2 but did not appear in a game.He entered the NFL in 2020 as an undrafted free agent, signing with the Cardinals. He has also spent time with the Jets, Titans, Steelers, Giants, Patriots and Ravens. Ward has appeared in 46 regular-season games, totaling 91 rushing yards on 22 carries and six receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown.Ward recently tried out for the team, along with D’Ernest Johnson and Jared Chisari."

"Tyler Allgeier and Jeremiyah Love split first-quarter carries: The Arizona Cardinals were one of a few teams to play their starters on Thursday night. Love got the first nod, but Allgeier also saw three carries on their first drive. Injured running backs return to the lineup: Cam Skattebo and Quinshon Judkins were unable to finish their rookie seasons due to injury, but both have recovered enough that their teams were comfortable playing them in a preseason game. Last Chance! The PFF Early Bird Sale Ends Aug. 17: Save 33% and get PFF+ for just $79.99, our lowest price of the year. Detroit Lions @ Cincinnati Bengals Colbie Young plays with the starters: Young took two snaps on the first two drives in place of Tee Higgins while Joe Burrow was still playing. The Bengals spent the last two seasons with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as their top two receivers, with Andrei Iosivas joining them in three-receiver sets. The Bengals are one of the top teams in 11-personnel usage, leading to Iosivas playing over 75% of snaps each of the last two seasons. His snap rates have been helped by Higgins missing a few games each of the last two years. Young was drafted in the fourth round, and appears to have already passed players like Mitch Tinsley on the depth chart. One of Young’s snaps with the starters was in 11 personnel, but he also took a snap in place of Higgins in 12 personnel, rather than Iosivas taking the 12 personnel snap. Often, when starters leave the game, key backups are included. The Bengals' top two running backs and top two tight ends left the game, but Iosivas kept playing with the backups. This suggests Iosivas' job as the third wide receiver might not be secure. If Young plays well enough and Chase or Higgins suffers an injury, it’s possible that Young, instead of Iosivas, could be the player to pick up off the waiver wire. The Detroit Lions reworked their wide receiver room: The Lions' backup wide receiver room looks very different from last season. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are locked in as the top two wide receivers on the Lions' depth chart, and they were both among the starters who didn’t play in this game. Last season, Isaac TeSlaa, Kalif Raymond, Tom Kennedy, Dominic Lovett and Jackson Meeks were the top backups. Raymond is now with the Chicago Bears, while free agent addition Greg Dortch was expected to take his place. The Lions added to that depth by adding veteran Cedrick Wilson in May after not adding to the room in the draft. It was no surprise that TeSlaa was one of the primary receivers for this game, but Wilson appears to have overtaken all of the other backups, as he played all 15 snaps on the first three drives. Detroit used 11 personnel for all 15 snaps and deployed a rotation of Dortch and Meeks for the third spot. Both Wilson and Dortch stopped playing at the end of the first quarter, making it seem like their roster spots are secure. TeSlaa played on the first drive of the second quarter, which was odd considering he’s the favorite for the third spot, and two other receivers already stopped playing. Kennedy and Levett, who were two of the top backups last season, didn’t suit up until the middle of the second quarter, suggesting their roster spots are in jeopardy. While TeSlaa is still the clear favorite for the third receiving spot, the fact that he played so much in this game while other starters didn’t suggests his role isn’t as locked in as it could be. Miscellaneous Notes Detroit didn’t play most of its starters, including quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams and tight ends Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright. The Lions were without running back Isiah Pacheco with an MCL sprain, but he is expected to be ready for the start of the season. Projected third-string running back Sione Vaki suffered a broken nose and eye injury a week ago, which has held him out of practice. The Bengals used running backs Chase Brown and Samaje Perine over the first two drives. Their usage was extremely similar to last season, with Brown playing more on early downs and Perine more on third downs. Brown took a third-and-short snap, and Perine received some time on early downs during a long drive. Neither of those exceptions was abnormal. While Bengals tight end Erick All is expected to be ready for Week 1, he was held out for this game. All missed all of last season, but should see significant playing time, replacing Noah Fant as an early down tight end for Cincinnati. Cam Grandy took All’s place in this game, with Drew Sample playing his usual early-down blocking role, and Mike Gesicki continuing his third-down role. It is very unlikely that Gesicki will see enough playing time to be fantasy-relevant this season if he wasn’t playing in early downs even with All out. Green Bay Packers @ Pittsburgh Steelers Matthew Golden plays in 12 personnel: Golden took both snaps out of 12 personnel with the starters over Jayden Reed. Green Bay had a crowded receiver room when everyone was healthy last season, with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and Golden typically working outside. Reed has spent his entire career in the slot in 11 personnel, rarely taking snaps in other groupings. Doubs signed with the New England Patriots and Wicks was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Packers made no significant additions this offseason, instead letting Savion Williams and Bo Melton move up the depth chart. That led to speculation Reed could see more work in 12 personnel, or even start over Golden. The starters played one drive and largely stuck with 11 personnel, with Watson and Golden outside and Reed in the slot. The Packers ran only two snaps of 12 personnel, and Reed was off the field for both. Williams took one snap with the first unit, replacing Watson in 11 personnel rather than appearing in the heavier grouping. That makes Reed unlikely to be the primary receiver in 12, which caps his ceiling, though it doesn't rule out more of those snaps than usual. Watson and Golden should both play more than they have in the past, but neither is likely to hold above 90% of the offensive snaps, which leaves Reed in position to be the first man off the bench for either. Starting in 12 personnel helps Golden's fantasy ceiling. He is likely fourth in the target order behind Watson, Reed and tight end Tucker Kraft, but there is room to climb if he plays well. Pat Freiermuth remains in a tight end rotation: Freiermuth played less than half of the offensive snaps with the starters, primarily playing in passing situations. Freiermuth was a top-10 fantasy tight end as recently as 2024, but the emergence of Darnell Washington mixed with the addition of Jonnu Smith led Freiermuth to play 50.6% of snaps last season, culminating in a TE25 performance. Smith is no longer on the Steelers, and Pittsburgh didn’t make a significant addition to its tight end room. Reports suggested the Steelers wanted to make an effort to get Freiermuth more involved in the offense this season. He and Washington played two drives with the starters, with Washington playing more on early downs, and Freiermuth more on third downs. Unlike last season, Pittsburgh has a fullback in fifth-round rookie Riley Nowakowski, leading to a notable decrease in 12 personnel usage relative to last season. Washington was used in a mix of run and pass situations, while Freiermuth was only on the field in more obvious passing situations. While it’s possible for a tight end to become a fantasy starter in this kind of rotation, it typically needs to be in a better offense. While Freiermuth could be a bye-week replacement, it’s unlikely he has a significant bounce-back this season. Germie Bernard makes a case for the third wide receiver spot: Bernard was the Steelers' primary source of offense throughout the first half. D.K. Metcalf has been the top Steelers wide receiver since last season, while Pittsburgh traded for Michael Pittman Jr. to be the second option. When Bernard was drafted in the second round, it was generally expected he would win the third spot. Throughout training camp, third year receiver Roman Wilson has been playing ahead of Bernard. Metcalf and Pittman have been missing practices due to injuries and didn’t play in this game. This means we didn’t find out which of Wilson and Bernard are currently ahead, as they were the two primary receivers. One hint that Bernard might be further in the pecking order is that he played more than twice as many snaps as Wilson out of the slot. Both Metcalf and Pittman have spent their careers as outside receivers, so it’s likely that Bernard or Wilson will play primarily out of the slot this season. Bernard caught four passes for 51 yards, while Wilson only caught one pass for 7 yards, although they were catching passes from backup quarterbacks instead of Aaron Rodgers. The fact that both receivers played the entire first half after several starters exited the game suggests there is no clear winner at this point. It’s unlikely the winner of this battle will have much fantasy value this season, unless injuries continue to impact Metcalf or Pittman. In that case, one of these receivers could finish second on the team in targets. Miscellaneous Notes Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs is dealing with a groin injury, which will keep him out at least this week. Backup Chris Brooks recently returned from a hamstring injury, he was held out of this game. MarShawn Lloyd started for Green Bay, took every snap on the first drive and played every snap on the second drive with the backups. While this doesn't mean much in terms of where he sits relative to Brooks on the depth chart, it was good to see him used on all three downs. Packers backup tight end Luke Musgrave remains on the PUP list. While Tucker Kraft is no longer on the PUP list and he has been practicing, he was held out for this game. Josh Whyle was the Packers' primary tight end on the first drive, only sitting out the first play in a run situation. He didn’t play with the backups, suggesting Green Bay views him as a key member of the offense. Reports suggest Whyle could be the second tight end on the depth chart, ahead of Musgrave. Pittsburgh chose to sit quarterback Aaron Rodgers as well as running backs Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren, but most other healthy starters on offense and defense played. 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson didn’t receive his first offensive snap until the middle of the third quarter, playing well behind both Travis Homer and Lew Nichols, making it seem very unlikely Johnson makes the 53-man roster. Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots DeMario Douglas is locked into the third wide receiver spot: Douglas was among the starters who rested, while others ahead of him on the depth chart last season played. The Patriots had a crowded wide receiver room last season, with Kayshon Boutte as the X receiver, Mack Hollins as the Z and Stefon Diggs in the slot, while Kyle Williams and Douglas were the top backups. New England released Diggs, signed Romeo Doubs in free agency and traded for A.J. Brown. In practice, Brown has been the primary X receiver, Doubs the Z and Douglas the slot. There has still been some rotation, including Boutte coming in at X, allowing Brown to move around. While Boutte and Hollins were starters last season, they had to play with Williams and Efton Chism III among the backups in this game. This suggests that Douglas is the clear third wide receiver on the depth chart. Chism was consistently the slot receiver, while the other three rotated on the outside. Boutte remains the subject of trade rumors, and it’s likely that one of Boutte, Hollins or Williams won’t make the roster unless the Patriots keep seven wide receivers. It will be difficult for any wide receiver in New England to have fantasy value this season outside of Brown, considering the depth at receiver and the likelihood that there will still be more rotation than most such rooms. The Colts' wide receiver depth chart has a clear order: Ashton Dulin was among the Colts starters who didn’t play in this game. Indianapolis’ wide receiver room has been straightforward in recent seasons, with Alec Pierce at X, Michael Pittman Jr. at Z and Josh Downs in the slot. Pittman was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, opening the door for Downs to play more snaps, but also for a third receiver to emerge in 11 personnel. Indianapolis didn’t make any significant additions to its wide receiver room, adding Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in free agency and Deion Burks in the seventh round of the draft. The Colts rested their starters in this game, including both Downs and Dulin. This suggests Dulin might not be competing for playing time at this point. His primary competition was expected to be Laquon Treadwell and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Both Treadwell and Westbrook-Ikhine started this game, with Treadwell at X, Westbrook-Ikhine at Z and 2025 undrafted player Coleman Owen joining in the slot. Treadwell was taken out after one drive, while Westbrook-Ikhine kept playing for an additional two possessions, suggesting Treadwell is ahead of Westbrook-Ikhine. There has been rampant speculation the Colts will add a free-agent wide receiver, with Keenan Allen at the top of the wish list. This game doesn’t rule out the possibility Indianapolis adds someone, but it also suggests the team is reasonably happy with Dulin and Treadwell. Miscellaneous Notes New England rested its starters, including quarterback Drake Maye, running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, wide receivers A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs and DeMario Douglas and tight end Hunter Henry. Patriots backup running back Terrell Jennings landed on injured reserve on Thursday, ending his season. He was the favorite for the third running back spot. JaMycal Hasty was signed to take his place on the 90-man roster. Hasty played 15 games for the Patriots in 2024. Seventh-round rookie Jam Miller appears to be the favorite for the third receiver role. Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce remains on the active PUP list. Backup running back D.J. Giddens is dealing with a hamstring injury, which is likely why he didn’t play. He is competing with Seth McGowan for the backup running back spot, so this game gave no indication of where the two sit relative to each other on the depth chart. Indianapolis also rested most starters, including quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receivers Josh Downs and Ashton Dulin and tight ends Tyler Warren and Mo Alie-Cox. Drew Ogletree only played on the first drive with the starters for Indianapolis, suggesting he is locked in to the third tight end spot. Arizona Cardinals @ Las Vegas Raiders Jeremiyah Love makes his NFL debut: Love played 16 of 22 snaps over two drives. Arizona drafted Love third overall but also signed free agent Tyler Allgeier in free agency. Allgeier was listed first on the unofficial depth chart, and head coach Mike LaFleur has made it clear he doesn’t want to overwork one running back, preferring to keep his backs fresh. This has led to some concern about whether Love would see as much playing time as a typical early first-round running back. Love started this game, suggesting he is already ahead of Allgeier on the depth chart. He took each of the first six snaps before Allgeier replaced him and ran the ball on three straight plays. Love then returned to finish the first drive. Arizona took out most of its starters after the opening drive, but both running backs continued to play. Love dominated the snaps on the second drive, eight to three. Love continued playing for a third drive, while Allgeier’s day was done after two. Love played eight of 10 snaps on that drive, while Bam Knight played the other two. The fact that Love started despite the unofficial depth chart was encouraging. He played 75% of the offensive snaps over the first three drives, which is on the high end of the typical snap-rate range for a starting running back. However, it would have been nice to see Love pulled from the game at the same time as Allgeier — or, better yet, at the same time as the other starters. For a coach who doesn’t want to overwork his running backs, giving Love 14 touches in a preseason game was surprising. It’s possible Allgeier cuts into Love’s playing time a little more in the regular season and Arizona simply wanted to give its rookie an extended first look at the NFL. If anything, this game should help Love’s ADP rather than hurt it. Michael Wilson played only seven of 11 snaps with the starters: Wilson played fewer snaps than free-agent addition Kendrick Bourne. Wilson emerged as a breakout star last season, scoring six touchdowns over his final five games and recording two games with more than 140 receiving yards in the second half of the season. He has typically played the Z receiver role, but much of his breakout came at X receiver while Marvin Harrison Jr. was injured. Arizona strengthened its wide receiver room in the offseason by adding Bourne, who spent four seasons working with new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur with the San Francisco 49ers. Arizona played Harrison, Wilson and Bourne together for one drive before taking all three out of the game. Harrison lined up at X, Wilson at Z and Bourne in the slot. Surprisingly, Wilson played only seven snaps, with Jalen Brooks replacing him for four plays. However, it’s worth noting that Wilson caught a pass early, came out for one play shortly afterward and then made an 18-yard catch before taking a few running plays off. While Bourne played more snaps, all of his playing time came in 11 personnel. While it would have been encouraging to see Wilson play X more frequently, his snap count in this game shouldn’t concern fantasy managers. It would become more noteworthy if Wilson continues to come off the field more often than he did last season. The Raiders’ new wide receiver rotation: Las Vegas has a clear plan for its wide receiver rotation after making several changes at the position this offseason. Las Vegas’ only constant at wide receiver last season was Tre Tucker in the Z role. Rookie Dont’e Thornton and Jack Bech split time at X, with neither able to secure the job. Jakobi Meyers served as the primary slot receiver until he was traded, after which veteran Tyler Lockett took over the role. Lockett was not re-signed this offseason, while Las Vegas added Jalen Nailor from the Minnesota Vikings. Nailor took over as the X receiver for this game, while Bech moved into the slot. Thornton has been missing practice due to injury, but it appears unlikely that he will be among the starters. Bech was better suited to play at Z or in the slot coming out of college and was playing out of position at X last season, while Thornton’s natural fit was at X. Nailor and Tucker played in both two- and three-receiver sets and rotated in 13 personnel, while Bech was limited to 11 personnel. While Brock Bowers is expected to lead the team in targets, either Nailor or Tucker could emerge as a fantasy-relevant option if the Raiders’ offense exceeds expectations. Miscellaneous Notes Cardinals star tight end Trey McBride and Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers each played the first offensive snap for their respective teams before calling it a day. It’s not uncommon for star players to make a brief, one-snap appearance in a preseason game. Arizona backup running backs James Conner and Trey Benson missed the Hall of Fame game, and both are still out with injury. Rookie quarterback Carson Beck didn’t play in this game due to a rib injury. Cardinals backup tight end Tip Reiman remains on the PUP list. Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty played the first seven snaps of the game before his day ended, departing before the rest of the Raiders’ starters. The game didn’t reveal much about how frequently Mike Washington Jr. could rotate in during the regular season, but it did help confirm that Washington is the No. 2 running back on the depth chart. Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston Texans Good news and bad news for Oronde Gadsden: The Chargers tight end was active, while newcomers Charlie Kolar and David Njoku didn’t play. Gadsden served as Los Angeles’ primary receiving tight end for most of last season, while some combination of Tucker Fisk, Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly handled early-down snaps. None of those three tight ends were retained this offseason, while Kolar and Njoku were added. The Chargers also brought in new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who consistently utilized a three-man rotation as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. The general expectation is that Kolar and Njoku will play more on early downs, with Gadsden seeing more work in clear passing situations, but the rotation appears to remain fluid. Ideally, Gadsden wouldn’t have played in this game if the Chargers already viewed him as an established starter. However, it’s worth noting that Los Angeles has only five tight ends on the roster, including two undrafted free agents, so it’s understandable that the team wanted three tight ends active for this game. Gadsden is also the youngest of the group and is likely to benefit most from the additional experience. Notably, much of that needed experience comes as a run blocker. Gadsden was used primarily in passing situations, both during the regular season and in the preseason last year. He played on each of the Chargers’ first three drives in this game, marking the first time he has been used in all situations. Gadsden’s floor remains very low this season, as Los Angeles could settle on a two-man rotation featuring Kolar and Njoku. However, if Gadsden improves as a blocker, he could earn more playing time than he saw last season. Still, it will be difficult to draft Gadsden in most standard-sized leagues until there is some indication that he will play beyond clear passing situations during the regular season. Kimani Vidal plays while Keaton Mitchell rests: While Mitchell and Vidal appeared to be in a competition for the second running back spot, Mitchell appears to be in second. The Chargers leaned heavily on both Omarion Hampton and Vidal last season before adding Mitchell in free agency. Mitchell has been among my top sleepers because of his strong play with the Baltimore Ravens and his similarities to Mike McDaniel’s former running back, De’Von Achane. The fact that Mitchell didn’t play while Vidal did suggests Vidal is a clear third on the depth chart. Unlike at tight end, where Los Angeles had only three players active, the Chargers had four healthy running backs and could have gone into the game with only three if they wanted to. Vidal played every snap on the first two drives before his day ended, earlier than several other players who started the game. While Vidal could see some work in clear passing situations this season, it seems unlikely that he will be a significant part of the rotation. Overall, this game was slightly encouraging for fantasy managers drafting Hampton or Mitchell. Jaydin Higgins sits while Xavier Hutchinson plays: The two spent all of last season rotating as the Texans’ Z receiver. Houston had a crowded wide receiver room last season, with Nico Collins at X, Higgins and Hutchinson at Z, and Christian Kirk and Jaylin Noel rotating in the slot. Higgins has been viewed as a breakout candidate this season, but for him to reach his potential, he needs to consistently hold down the Z role. While it remains unclear how much Tank Dell could stand in the way of a Higgins breakout, Hutchinson may not pose as much of a threat. Hutchinson playing in this game suggests he is further down the depth chart than Higgins, and he also ran more routes from the slot than any other receiver on the first drive. There have been reports that Hutchinson could see more work in the slot, and his usage in this game lends some support to that possibility. The complication is that Houston used all three of its wide receivers in the slot on the opening drive, so Hutchinson doesn’t appear likely to play there exclusively. It will be difficult for fantasy managers to go all-in on Higgins until there is more clarity on Dell’s role this season, but this game was a slight positive for the former second-round pick. Miscellaneous Notes The Chargers rested quarterback Justin Herbert, running backs Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell, fullback Alec Ingold, wide receivers Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Tre Harris and tight ends David Njoku and Charlie Kolar. Los Angeles’ wide receiver depth chart appears to be set. Fourth-round rookie Brenen Thompson played the X role throughout the first half, KeAndre Lambert-Smith the Z, and Derius Davis the slot. All other wide receivers below them on the depth chart are recent undrafted players with minimal NFL experience. Houston didn’t play quarterback C.J. Stroud, running backs David Montgomery and Woody Marks, wide receivers Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins, and tight end Dalton Schultz. Wide receiver Tank Dell has recently returned to team drills, but he wasn’t ready to play in this game. Jaylin Noel was activated from the non-football injury list on August 7th. He potentially didn’t play because he hasn’t practiced enough, although it’s possible he didn’t play because he’s considered a starter. Backup running back Jawhar Jordan and tight end Brevin Jordan were out due to injuries. The Texans used Marlin Klein and Foster Moreau exclusively over the first two drives, with Klein playing more on both early and late downs. Moreau kept playing into the third quarter, while Cade Stover didn’t enter the game until the second quarter. It’s unclear where Jordan will fit into the backup rotation, but for now, it appears Klein could start the season as the second tight end. Tennessee Titans @ San Francisco 49ers Tyjae Spears out-snaps Tony Pollard: The running back rotation in this game suggests the Titans could be moving closer to a 50-50 split after two seasons of Pollard leading the backfield. Pollard and Spears have shared the Titans’ backfield for the past two seasons. Last season, when both were healthy, Pollard played roughly 70% of the early-down snaps, while Spears handled roughly 80% of the third-down and two-minute-drill snaps. The two split short-yardage and goal-line situations. They remain the top two running backs on the depth chart this season, but they are now playing under a new coaching staff. New offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has typically utilized a running back rotation outside of his time with a healthy Saquon Barkley. Pollard started this game and played six snaps on the first drive, while Spears played five. Spears then took all five snaps on the second drive before the two split the third drive with three snaps apiece. There was no clear early-down or third-down back like there has been in the past. Both running backs recorded four carries, with Spears breaking off a 25-yard run and Pollard scoring a touchdown. Teams don’t always rotate their running backs the same way in the preseason as they do in the regular season, so Pollard could still lean more toward early-down work and Spears toward third downs. Still, the frequency with which they rotated — combined with both leaving the game at the same time — suggests this backfield could be much closer to a 50-50 split than it has been in past seasons. Spears’ consensus ADP is 92 picks later than Pollard’s, but based on this game, the gap between the two should be considerably smaller. Carnell Tate takes the Z receiver role: Tate had been expected to serve as the Titans’ X receiver this season. The Titans revamped their wide receiver room this offseason, drafting Tate with the fourth overall pick and adding Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency. Calvin Ridley is also back healthy, pushing Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike from starting roles into backup spots. The general expectation was that Tate would play X, Ridley would line up at Z and Robinson would operate out of the slot. Robinson played in the slot as expected, but on the first drive, Ridley primarily lined up at X and Tate at Z. Ridley played only the first seven snaps before his day ended ahead of the other starters, with Ayomanor taking over at X for the remainder of the starters’ playing time. The starters played three drives in total, with Dike also mixing in exclusively in place of Tate at Z. The amount that Ayomanor and Dike mixed in with the starters is somewhat concerning for the fantasy value of the Titans’ receivers. It was particularly notable for Robinson, who played exclusively in 11 personnel. All four other receivers logged multiple snaps in two-receiver sets. Robinson played in 12 personnel for most of last season, so he is expected to see a decline in routes this year. While Tate lining up at Z was somewhat surprising, it’s notable that Malik Nabers played the same role in the Giants’ offense when Brian Daboll was head coach. If that usage carries over to Tate, it could be a positive sign for his fantasy value. Slow the hype on Gunnar Helm: The second-year tight end split playing time with Daniel Bellinger tonight. Helm spent last season as a backup for the Titans, but his playing time increased as the season progressed. Tennessee didn’t re-sign Chig Okonkwo, suggesting Helm could emerge as the clear starter this season. However, the team signed Bellinger, who has spent his entire career playing under Brian Daboll. The two shared the field in 12 personnel, but only for five plays. This appears to be an offense that will utilize 11 personnel more frequently than most teams. In 11 personnel, there was a general tendency for Helm to play in passing situations and Bellinger to handle more blocking work, but Helm was still on the field for only 64.3% of the Titans’ passing plays. It’s possible for a tight end to be fantasy-relevant with that level of playing time, but it generally requires a high target rate and a productive offense. Helm hasn’t shown that he can consistently command targets at a high rate, and there are still questions surrounding the Titans’ offense. For now, Helm should be left undrafted in most redraft leagues. De’Zhaun Stribling shines over three drives: Stribling caught seven passes for 63 yards on 15 routes. The 49ers drafted Stribling in the second round, and there has been significant speculation about how he could be used this season. His most natural position appears to be at X, where Mike Evans is expected to play. The 49ers’ biggest need may be in the slot, so Stribling has also seen some practice time there. With Ricky Pearsall out for the season, there has also been some speculation that Stribling could play at Z, even after the addition of Deebo Samuel. Most of San Francisco’s key players were out for this game, either due to injury or because the team elected to rest them. Even so, we received some indication of how Stribling could be used this season. He lined up in the slot on 14 plays compared to just eight out wide, suggesting his most direct path to playing time could be overtaking Demarcus Robinson and Christian Kirk for the slot role. When Stribling lined up out wide, he played more at Z than at X. However, he caught three passes for 47 yards on only five routes from an outside alignment, compared to four receptions for 14 yards on 10 routes from the slot. This game was encouraging for Stribling simply because of how heavily he was featured. His usage could also be good news for Evans, who may not have to worry as much about Stribling cutting into his playing time this season. Miscellaneous Notes 49ers tight end George Kittle and backup running back Isaac Guerendo remain on the PUP list. Running backs Christian McCaffrey (soreness), Jordan James (ribs), Kaelon Black (thigh), Kyle Juszczyk (finger) and wide receivers Mike Evans (quadriceps) and Christian Kirk (calf) are all dealing with various injuries. San Francisco also rested quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Mac Jones, wide receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. and Demarcus Robinson, and tight ends Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell. Denver Broncos @ Atlanta Falcons Jahan Dotson is the Falcons’ second wide receiver: The former Philadelphia Eagles receiver played 100% of the snaps with the starters. Eight different wide receivers drew a target for the Falcons last season, and only Drake London and backup Dylan Drummond remain on the roster. Atlanta replenished the position by signing Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency and drafting Zachariah Branch in the third round. Reports throughout OTAs and training camp indicated that Dotson was the favorite for the No. 2 wide receiver job, and this game provided further evidence. He played every snap with the starters over two drives, lining up primarily at X. Zaccheaus joined him for every snap in 11 personnel, typically operating out of the slot. London played the first two snaps before exiting ahead of the other starters. Chris Blair replaced London, suggesting he could be London’s primary backup and a potential waiver-wire option if London misses time this season. Blair also has the most similar measurables to London among Atlanta’s other wide receivers. Branch played one snap with the starters, joining Dotson in 12 personnel. He returned with the backups and primarily lined up in the slot. If Branch earns significant playing time during the regular season, it will most likely come at the expense of Zaccheaus. That leaves Dotson not only firmly in a starting role but also facing minimal competition for playing time. Dotson hasn’t produced much over his NFL career, but his opportunity in Atlanta gives him a chance to put together his best season yet. He is worth a late-round pick in deeper leagues. Jonah Coleman is already third on the depth chart: The fourth-round rookie was listed sixth on Denver’s unofficial depth chart. Denver utilized a three-man running back rotation last season, with J.K. Dobbins handling the early-down work, RJ Harvey serving as the primary backup and Tyler Badie operating as the third-down back. All three remain on the roster, but Denver added Coleman in the fourth round to shake up the rotation. Unofficial depth charts can often be misleading, and the Broncos’ was particularly deceptive, with all of their rookies listed at the bottom. The Broncos played three drives with their starting offensive line. Harvey handled all six snaps on the opening drive and the first five snaps of the second before his day ended. Coleman replaced him to finish the drive and then played all 11 snaps on the third. Jaleel McLaughlin became the primary running back from that point forward, with Badie mixing in. This game offered little indication of how Denver will divide its backfield work during the regular season, but it did provide evidence that Coleman is already ahead of both McLaughlin and Badie. That was expected to happen at some point before the season, but seeing Coleman already occupy that spot in the pecking order is an encouraging sign. Pat Bryant is ahead of Troy Franklin: The Broncos were without Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Mims Jr., but this game still provided some clarity on the wide receiver rotation. Waddle hasn’t been practicing due to muscle tightness and didn’t play, while Mims has also been dealing with an undisclosed injury. That left Denver with a clear top three for this game in Courtland Sutton, Bryant and Franklin. The trio played together for the first two drives, taking all five snaps in 11 personnel. In 12 personnel, Sutton and Bryant were always the two wide receivers on the field, while Bryant and Franklin split snaps opposite Sutton in 21 personnel. Bryant frequently lined up in the slot, with Franklin and Sutton primarily playing outside. While several starters remained in the game for Denver’s third drive, Sutton and Bryant were done for the night. Franklin continued playing alongside Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Cam Ross and Dane Key. That usage suggests Bryant is ahead of Franklin on the depth chart and should see significant playing time in three-receiver sets alongside Sutton and Waddle. Sean Payton has historically utilized a deep wide receiver rotation, however, so Franklin should still have a role. There is also a chance Bryant cuts into Sutton’s playing time, as both are natural X receivers. The fact that Sutton and Bryant exited the game at the same time is at least an encouraging sign for Bryant’s standing in the offense. Miscellaneous Notes Lead running back J.K. Dobbins left practice on Monday with a soft-tissue injury, but he was able to return on Tuesday. Denver’s tight end rotation looked similar to last season, with Evan Engram seeing more work in passing situations and Adam Trautman handling more snaps on rushing plays. However, Engram played more frequently in 12 personnel over the first three drives than he did last season, an encouraging sign that his overall playing time could increase this year. The Broncos’ preseason rotations under Sean Payton have often been poor indicators of how players will be used once the regular season begins. Last preseason, for example, J.K. Dobbins primarily handled third-down work before becoming an early-down back in the regular season. The same disconnect has shown up at wide receiver. Marvin Mims Jr. played 37 of 40 snaps with the starters last preseason, well ahead of Troy Franklin at 20 and Pat Bryant at two. Two years ago, Tim Patrick played 26 of 32 snaps with the starters, only to be released on cutdown day. Samaje Perine was used as the third-down and two-minute-drill back that preseason and was also released before the season. The Falcons rested star running back Bijan Robinson. Free-agent addition Brian Robinson is the unquestioned backup, and he took every snap with the starters. While it was a small sample size of eight plays, it was reassuring to see Kyle Pitts play 100% of snaps with the starters, with Charlier Woerner only playing in 12 personnel. Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New York Jets Breece Hall handles an impressive workload: The Jets’ lead running back played 10 of 11 snaps on New York’s opening drive. Head coach Aaron Glenn emphasized last offseason that the Jets wanted to utilize all three of their running backs. That approach was evident in the preseason, when Hall played only 16 of 28 snaps with the starters, as Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis rotated in. The committee carried over into the regular season, with Hall playing fewer than 60% of the offensive snaps in two of the first three games. However, a season-ending injury to Allen eventually opened the door for Hall to take on a larger role. This offseason, New York appears more focused on making Hall the focal point of the running game. That was apparent on the first drive of this game, as Hall carried the ball four times over 11 plays and came off the field just once, on a third-and-long. More importantly, he remained on the field for two other third downs after not playing a single third-down snap with the starters last preseason. Davis didn’t play because of a knee injury. He served as the Jets’ primary third-down back last season, but Hall’s usage in this game suggests he could handle more of that work this year. Hall enters the season as a high-end RB2 with a path to RB1 production if the Jets’ offense exceeds expectations. Omar Cooper Jr. doesn’t play with the starters: New York’s rookie wide receiver appears to be fourth on the depth chart. New York’s wide receiver room was in constant flux last season, particularly after Garrett Wilson suffered a season-ending injury. The Jets’ primary additions at the position this offseason were Cooper through the draft and veteran Tim Patrick in free agency. The Jets opened this game with Wilson and Adonai Mitchell as their top two wide receivers, which has been the expectation throughout OTAs and training camp. Mitchell was already worth a late-round pick before this game, and his usage on the opening drive further solidified his role. Isaiah Williams served as New York’s slot receiver in 11 personnel. Williams has been a standout during training camp and is expected to maintain a role in the offense during the regular season. Wilson, Mitchell and Williams all left the game after the first drive. Cooper took over in the slot on the second drive, with Patrick and undrafted rookie Malik McClain lining up outside. Notably, Cooper remained on the field in 12 personnel. Even if Cooper eventually overtakes Williams as the primary slot receiver, it will be difficult for him to earn enough playing time to become a reliable fantasy option. He remains a late-round possibility, but several wide receivers being drafted after him have clearer paths to significant playing time this season. Don’t read into Sean Tucker’s extensive playing time: The Buccaneers rested nearly all of their fantasy-relevant players, with Tucker being a notable exception. Tampa Bay rested its top two running backs, Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell. Tucker recorded 86 carries last season and saw significant work near the goal line, helping him score seven touchdowns. Given that role, his extensive playing time in this game might initially appear to be a negative sign for his involvement this season. However, the Buccaneers have only five running backs on their roster. Every other team outside of Tampa Bay and the Las Vegas Raiders has at least six. Teams typically use at least four running backs over the course of a preseason game, but with Irving and Gainwell resting, Tampa Bay had only three available. That context helps explain why Tucker, despite entering his fourth season, was still on the field alongside undrafted rookies. Miscellaneous Notes Jets starting quarterback Geno Smith did not play due to foot soreness, which was announced roughly an hour before the game. Smith had been expected to play before experiencing the soreness and would have suited up had it been a regular-season game, according to Mike Garafolo on NFL Network’s pregame show. Mason Taylor, a second-round pick of the 2025 draft, served as the Jets’ primary tight end with the starters, sitting out just three plays. Two of those came in 12 personnel, with Jeremy Ruckert and Jelani Woods taking the field instead. First-round rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq also didn’t play as he continues to recover from a hernia procedure in May. He took a step forward in his recovery this week, as he was spotted running on the side during practice. Tampa Bay rested quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Jake Browning, wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. and tight end Cade Otton. Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka missed this game due to a toe sprain. Tampa Bay is optimistic that he will be available for Week 1, and he likely would not have played in this game even if healthy. The Buccaneers were also without Jalen McMillan (knee), Tez Johnson (groin) and David Sills V (knee). Third-round rookie Ted Hurst III received significant playing time in the first half with five of the team’s other top six wide receivers sidelined. Hurst projects primarily as an X receiver and spent most of his snaps there, though he also saw considerable work in the slot. Miami Dolphins @ Washington Commanders The Dolphins have their wide receivers: Caleb Douglas and Malik Washington were the clear top two wide receivers with the starters. Miami moved on from longtime wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle this offseason. Washington was the primary holdover, while the Dolphins added free agents Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell and drafted Douglas, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman. Two months ago, the competition appeared wide open. Since then, Douglas and Washington have received the most praise throughout training camp. Miami’s starters played one long drive and utilized a variety of personnel groupings. Douglas and Washington played 100% of the snaps in 11, 12 and 21 personnel, while Douglas also played both snaps in 22 personnel. Washington’s usage was particularly noteworthy because he played 93.4% of Miami’s 11-personnel snaps last season but only 37.6% of the snaps in two-receiver sets, often competing with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Cedrick Wilson Jr. in those groupings. It was surprising to see Jalen Reagor serve as the third wide receiver in 11 personnel. The former first-round pick spent his first two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before bouncing between three teams over the next three seasons, recording single-digit receptions each year. He spent part of last season on the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad and didn’t sign with Miami until June 2. Tolbert and Atwell took over on the second drive, with Tahj Washington joining them in 11 personnel. Considering the opening drive lasted 16 plays, it would have been understandable for Miami to give Douglas or Washington a play or two off. Instead, both remained on the field throughout the drive, suggesting there is a sizable gap between them and the rest of the wide receiver room. Both Douglas and Washington are worth late-round picks, as one of the two will likely lead Miami in targets this season. Don’t give up hope on Greg Dulcich yet: Dulcich has been a popular late-round target, but his usage in this game initially appeared concerning. Miami re-signed Dulcich to a $3.25 million deal this offseason while moving on from Darren Waller, Julian Hill and Tanner Conner. The Dolphins replaced them with Ben Sims and rookies Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore. Dulcich played a part-time role last season, but his 2.31 yards per route run ranked third among tight ends. The turnover in the tight end room, combined with uncertainty at wide receiver entering the offseason, made Dulcich a prime sleeper candidate. Dulcich played only eight of a possible 14 snaps with the starters, fewer than Kacmarek, but the raw snap count is less concerning once you look at how Miami deployed them. Dulcich was also wearing a red non-contact jersey last week because of a hand injury before returning to full practice this week. More importantly, Dulcich played 100% of the snaps in 11 and 12 personnel, while Kacmarek played 100% of the snaps in 12, 21 and 22 personnel. Those roles continued after the starters left, with Cole Turner joining Kacmarek in 22 personnel. Because 21 and 22 personnel are typically more run-heavy groupings, Dulcich’s role should keep him on the field for a high percentage of Miami’s passing situations. The Dolphins experimented with a variety of personnel groupings and ran both pass and run plays from each with the starters, which likely made Dulcich’s overall snap rate look worse than it would under typical regular-season usage. There are still reasons for concern. Miami’s wide receiver hierarchy appears more settled than it did earlier in the offseason, and there are rumors that Jonnu Smith could return to the Dolphins. Still, Dulcich’s usage in passing-oriented personnel groupings leaves a path for him to emerge as one of this season’s top sleeper tight ends. Kaytron Allen plays ahead of Jerome Ford: Allen handled the early-down work, while the two split opportunities on third downs. The Commanders made several changes to their running back room this offseason. They retained Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols, added free agents Rachaad White and Ford, and drafted Allen in the fifth round. Of those five backs, only Allen and Ford played in this game. Allen played 100% of the first- and second-down snaps with the starters. Washington faced three third downs during that stretch, including one third-and-short when both running backs were on the field. Allen and Ford split the other two third-down snaps. This usage suggests Ford could be on the outside looking in for a roster spot. White is expected to handle third-down work, while McNichols filled that role last season. Washington has little need for three backs who specialize in passing situations, potentially leaving Ford and McNichols competing for the fourth running back spot. Even if Ford makes the roster, his path to fantasy relevance appears limited, even if injuries strike elsewhere in the backfield. Allen has a clearer path to playing time, although he will still need to compete with Croskey-Merritt and potentially White for early-down work. The buzz surrounding Allen has also quieted during training camp after he impressed during OTAs. Early leaders emerge in the Commanders’ wide receiver battle: At least six wide receivers are competing for playing time behind Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. Washington has used mid-round picks in each of the past three drafts on receivers who can play in the slot, selecting Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane and Antonio Williams. The Commanders have also taken chances on several veteran receivers, including Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson. For most of the offseason, it appeared those six were competing for two open roles at Z and in the slot. The recent addition of Diggs, who can play both positions, has effectively reduced that competition to one open spot. Washington opened the game with Brown at X, Burks at Z and McCaffrey in the slot in 11 personnel. None of the other three receivers played on the first two drives. That gives Burks and McCaffrey an early edge to join McLaurin and Diggs in three-receiver sets. Neither would carry much fantasy value while the starters are healthy, but either could emerge as a waiver-wire option if Diggs misses time. Brown appears to be the favorite to back up McLaurin, which makes sense given his experience at X. He would be the most logical pickup if McLaurin were to suffer an injury. McCaffrey moved outside to X for his third drive, with Jefferson at Z and Lane in the slot. Williams appeared to be a favorite for a prominent role early in OTAs, but the buzz surrounding him has faded. He didn’t enter the game until later in the second quarter. There is still plenty of time for Williams to move up the depth chart, and he appears likely to make the roster, but his early-season playing time could be limited. If Washington keeps six wide receivers, McLaurin, Diggs, McCaffrey, Burks, Williams and Brown currently appear to have the inside track. That could leave Jefferson and Lane on the outside looking in. Miscellaneous Notes The Commanders announced before the game that they would rest several starters, including quarterback Jayden Daniels, running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs, and tight ends Chig Okonkwo and John Bates. Running back Rachaad White also didn’t play despite not appearing on the team’s list of players being rested. Ben Sinnott served as Washington’s primary tight end throughout the first half. There had been some speculation that Sinnott could also see time at fullback this season, but Washington consistently used only one player in the backfield during the first half. Commanders backup running back Jeremy McNichols did not play due to a quad injury. He is competing for one of the backup running back spots on the roster. Miami’s third-round rookie wide receiver Chris Bell remains on the non-football injury list as he recovers from the torn ACL he suffered last December at Louisville. Bell isn’t expected back anytime soon, and while he is expected to return at some point this season, Miami will likely ease him into action once he is cleared. Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants Vikings have unexpected wide receiver usage: Tai Felton played ahead of Jauan Jennings, while Jordan Addison spent more time in the slot. Last season, Justin Jefferson served as the Vikings’ X receiver, with Addison at Z and Jalen Nailor joining them in the slot in three-receiver sets. Nailor left for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, leading Minnesota to eventually sign Jennings. While Jennings most recently played X for the San Francisco 49ers, he began his career in the slot, making him a logical candidate to replace Nailor there. Jefferson had the day off, and Felton replaced him at X in both two- and three-receiver sets. The 2025 third-round pick caught only three passes as a rookie, so seeing him play ahead of Jennings was somewhat surprising. That doesn’t necessarily mean Felton is ahead of Jennings on the depth chart, as Felton continued playing with the backups while Jennings’ day was done. It does, however, suggest Felton is Jefferson’s direct backup, meaning Jennings might not see a significant increase in playing time if Jefferson misses time. Minnesota spent most of its time in two-receiver sets, with Jennings joining Felton and Addison when the Vikings went to three receivers. Surprisingly, Addison moved into the slot more often than not, while Jennings lined up outside. Addison has averaged 1.19 yards per route run from the slot in his career compared to 1.66 out wide. Jennings has averaged 1.86 yards per route run from the slot over the past three seasons compared to 1.55 out wide. However, this came over a sample of only four plays, and the Vikings weren’t entirely consistent with their alignments during those snaps. This will be a situation worth monitoring throughout the preseason, as a shift into less familiar roles could impact the fantasy production of both Addison and Jennings. The Giants’ committee at running back: Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary all received work with the starters. New York retained the same top three running backs from last season despite bringing in a new coaching staff. While many expected Skattebo to emerge as the clear lead back, head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy have long histories of utilizing committees at the position. That uncertainty was reflected on the Giants’ first unofficial depth chart, where both Skattebo and Tracy were listed as starters. Skattebo started the game and played the first two snaps before Tracy took over on third down and remained on the field for the final four plays of the drive. Singletary opened the second drive with the starters, followed by Tracy and then Skattebo, with all three rotating heavily for the remainder of the drive. The one consistent trend was Skattebo coming off the field on third downs, but he still played only five of 12 early-down snaps. Skattebo is returning from a season-ending injury, and a new coaching staff has reason to give all three backs opportunities during the preseason. There is still plenty of time for him to establish himself as the clear lead option on early downs. However, there is also a chance Skattebo won’t be fully back to form this season, and this rotation raises the possibility that none of the three backs will consistently play more than 50% of the offensive snaps. That uncertainty makes Skattebo difficult to justify at his current ADP, particularly when other players in the same range have more secure roles in their offenses. The Giants’ wide receiver room is wide open: New York made several changes at wide receiver this offseason, but it remains unclear who will be in the starting lineup in Week 1. New York retained Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton from last season but added free agents Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III early in the offseason, followed by Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios later in the offseason. The Giants also drafted Malachi Fields in the third round. The Giants were without Nabers (knee), Smith-Schuster (knee) and Jalin Hyatt (leg) for this game. Of those three, Nabers is the only one assured of a starting role when healthy. New York used a consistent four-man rotation of Slayton, Fields, Mooney and Austin with the starters. Austin played exclusively in 11 personnel and typically lined up in the slot. The other three receivers all saw snaps at X, while Mooney also played five snaps from the slot. That leaves several possibilities once Nabers returns. Any of Slayton, Fields or Mooney could start at X, while Austin or Mooney could handle the slot role. If Nabers isn’t ready for Week 1, any of the four could also line up at Z. All four receivers remained in the game for the third drive, when Beckham and Berrios began to mix in. That suggests Beckham and Berrios are no higher than sixth on the depth chart at this point. Smith-Schuster and Hyatt appear to face an uphill battle to make the roster, as their injuries have prevented them from competing for spots during the preseason. Until the rotation becomes clearer, Nabers is the only Giants wide receiver worth drafting in most fantasy leagues. Isaiah Likely’s troubling playing time: Likely played only six snaps with the starters, all in 11 personnel. Likely spent the first four seasons of his career in a tight end rotation with the Baltimore Ravens — where Mark Andrews was typically the primary receiving tight end, and Charlie Kolar handled much of the blocking work. Likely followed John Harbaugh to the New York Giants, where he was expected to emerge as the primary tight end. However, New York retained Theo Johnson, its top receiving tight end from last season, as well as its top blocking tight end in Chris Manhertz. The Giants ran 10 plays out of 11 personnel, with Likely playing six and Johnson playing four. All six of Likely’s snaps were pass plays, while three of Johnson’s four were runs. Johnson and Manhertz handled both snaps with two tight ends on the field, while Manhertz was the primary tight end in 21 personnel. That usage suggests Likely could remain in a rotation similar to the one he experienced in Baltimore, except he would now occupy the Andrews role, with Johnson filling something closer to Likely’s old role. It’s worth noting that the Giants ran only one play out of 12 personnel, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about Likely’s role in that grouping. New York also rotated heavily at running back and wide receiver, so plenty could change between now and the start of the regular season. One encouraging sign was that Likely’s day ended after two drives alongside several other starters, while Johnson and Manhertz remained in for the third. Still, this is a situation worth monitoring, and it would have been more encouraging to see Likely on the field more frequently with the starters. Miscellaneous Notes The Giants were without wide receivers Malik Nabers (knee), JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) and Jalin Hyatt (leg). Jaxson Dart exited the game for two plays after taking a big hit, but he was able to return to the game and complete the Giants’ second drive. The Vikings rotated Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason every one or two plays, regardless of situation. We occasionally see this kind of rotation in the preseason, but rarely in regular-season practice. We can generally expect Jones to play more in passing situations and Mason more in rushing situations once the regular season starts, with this game giving us minimal indication how close to 50-50 that split will be. Minnesota’s tight end rotation largely resembled last season, with T.J. Hockenson playing in 11 personnel, Josh Oliver playing in 21 personnel, and the two sharing the field for 12 personnel. There was one exception with Oliver playing in 11 personnel on a run play. Los Angeles Rams @ Kansas City Chiefs Chiefs wide receiver depth chart takes shape: Kansas City appears to have a clear top five wide receivers, with players fighting for playing time. Kansas City had five different wide receivers play between 350-650 snaps last season in Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Hollywood Brown and Tyquan Thornton. Smith-Schuster and Brown left for the NFC East in free agency. Kansas City is replacing them by expecting 2025 fourth-round pick Jalen Royals to be a part of the rotation as well as fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen, who has received significant praise throughout training camp. Rice and Worthy sat out this game, leading Kansas City to use Thornton and Royals on the outside, and Allen in the slot on its first drive. After the first possession, Kansas City subbed out some key players, including Thornton and tight end Noah Gray. It appears Kansas City is already comfortable with Allen in the slot, because after the first drive, he started playing specifically in 12 personnel on the outside to give him more experience in those situations. Royals continued to play with the backups, but only in 11 personnel. 2025 undrafted wideout Andrew Armstrong joined them on the outside, while Nikko Remigio played in the slot. Allen started seeing more playing time again in 11 personnel in the slot closer to the two-minute drill. The Chiefs' wide receiver rotation was a little unique, as most teams will just play some players and then move on to players further down the depth chart. Of the three wide receivers who played in this game, Allen has the most upside. While it would have been nice to see him exit the game after one drive with the starters, it’s understandably rare for a fifth-round rookie to already be held in that high regard after one preseason game. It was good to see Kansas City use Allen in different roles on offense, suggesting the team could see him play multiple roles in the regular season. However, both Allen and Royals continued to play into the third quarter, which is longer than you would like to see for players who might have fantasy value this season. An initial pecking order for the Kansas City backup running backs: Brashard Smith played with the starters, while Emari Demercado didn’t play until the fourth quarter. Kansas City completely re-worked its running back room this offseason, adding Kenneth Walker and Demercado in free agency, drafting Emmett Johnson in the fifth round and retaining 2025 seventh-round pick Smith. Walker is undoubtedly the lead back who will see a high percentage of snaps. Chances are, there will be some plays, particularly in passing situations, where Walker will need a break. There is a question to who will be that receiving back, which all three other players could fill, as well as who would be the lead back if Walker suffers an injury. It’s unlikely we will have a great answer heading into the season. Under Andy Reid, Kansas City has consistently played its running backs in all situations in the preseason, playing one player for some snaps and then moving on to the next. Smith and Johnson spent the first three quarters taking a drive or two at a time. Demercado was playing on special teams throughout the game, and didn’t see his first offensive snaps until the fourth quarter. This would suggest that Demercado is a distant fourth on the depth chart. However, he was listed on second on the unofficial depth chart, putting some doubt in the order of the running backs. It’s worth noting we saw Isiah Pacheco high on the depth chart for a preseason game in his rookie season, and that didn’t play out until the middle of that year. Last year, Elijah Mitchell was high on the depth chart in the first week of the preseason, and Carson Steele was the primary backup to Pacheco in the second game. None of these backup running backs should be drafted in most redraft leagues. Whoever has the most early down snaps outside of Walker in Week 1 could be a sneaky waiver wire pickup. Xavier Smith could fall down the Rams depth chart: Smith was the one notable Rams skill player who played in this game. The Rams largely kept the same skill players from last season. The only players who played a snap who are no longer on the roster are sixth-string wide receiver Tutu Atwell and fifth-string tight end Nick Vannett. Every other player who took a snap was among the Rams players who were resting, except for Smith. Smith was rarely involved in the offense early in the season, or in their 13- or 12-personnel packages, but from Weeks 13-17, he played 63.1% of snaps in 11 personnel. Los Angeles drafted CJ Daniels in the sixth round, and Daniels joined Smith in the starting lineup for this game. This opens the door for Daniels to surpass Smith on the depth chart. Anyone who rests for Los Angeles in the first week of the preseason typically rests for the other two games, with a few names joining that list as the preseason goes on. It will be interesting to see if Smith or Daniels join that list at some point this preseason, which would likely secure their spots on the roster. Miscellaneous Notes The Rams announced before the game they wouldn’t play quarterback Matthew Stafford, running backs Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers, wide receivers Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Jordan Whittington and Konata Mumpfield and tight ends Terrance Ferguson, Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen. 2025 fourth-round running back Jarquez Hunter remains fourth on the depth chart, and he appears to be a distant fourth considering Rivers is among the players who didn’t need to play. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn’t play because the team is being cautious about his knee after tearing his ACL and LCL last season. Usually, Kansas City will play its starters. But with Mahomes out, the team opted not to play wide receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy and tight end Travis Kelce. Running back Kenneth Walker only played on the first play of the game, and then his day was done. The only skill player to not dress for this game due to injury was backup wide receiver Jimmy Holiday. Jacksonville Jaguars @ New Orleans Saints First look at the Jaguars' rookie tight ends: Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol have already worked their way to second and third on the depth chart. Brenton Strange was the Jaguars' starting tight end last season, but they had a few veteran backups in Johnny Mundt, Hunter Long and Quintin Morris, with none maintaining a consistent role. Jacksonville saw the success of the Los Angeles Rams using multiple tight end sets and wanted to replicate some of that, by adding Boerkircher and Koziol in the draft. Boerkircher and Koziol were the only skill players in this game who are likely to see significant playing time this regular season. This gave us a look at how the Jaguars might use their tight ends in the regular season, particularly if Strange were to miss time due to injury. The Jaguars ran seven plays out of 11 personnel, nine out of 12 personnel and one out of 13 personnel with the starters. The two rookies were joined by Hunter Long in 13 personnel. The two played most 12 personnel snaps together, with Long taking one snap from Koziol. In 11 personnel, Boerkircher played five snaps to two by Koziol. Koziol spent more time lining up in different positions, including one snap in the backfield, one out wide and three in the slot. Both tight ends continued to see playing time after Nick Mullens was done, with Koziol starting to see more opportunities. We should expect Boerkircher to join Strange in 12 personnel in the regular season, but it’s unlikely he will have much fantasy value. If Strange suffers an injury, it will be debatable which of the two rookies has more fantasy value with this usage. Boerkircher would likely run more routes, but Koziol would see more targets per route. Oscar Delp makes his Saints debut: New Orleans also added a rookie tight end, who could see value if there is an injury to Juwan Johnson. The Saints similarly have a lead tight end in Juwan Johnson, but opted to make several changes to their backups. They added veteran Noah Fant and drafted Delp in the third round. This led Delp and 2025 seventh-round pick Moliki Matavao to be the two tight ends for the Saints in this game. Over the first three drives, Delp played more in receiving situations and Matavao more in blocking scenarios, although this left a few passing plays where Delp was off the field. Delp spent a third of his snaps lined up in the slot, which is similar to the rate of Johnson last season. This suggests Delp will be a direct backup to Johnson, while Fant will likely join Johnson in 12 personnel. It’s also possible Matavao or a different blocking tight end could take Johnson’s place in 12 personnel. Johnson will be turning 30 before the start of the season, and Johnson’s PFF grade has been 67.0 or less in each season of his career. There is an opportunity for Delp to take over as the lead receiving tight end if he plays well enough, but that is unlikely to happen in 2026. Miscellaneous Notes Saints backup wide receiver Mason Tipton remains on the PUP list. Tipton is currently recovering from tibia surgery. The Saints didn’t play quarterback Tyler Shough, running backs Travis Etienne Jr., Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and Devin Neal, wide receivers Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson and Devaughn Vele and tight ends Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant. Fourth-round rookie wide receiver Bryce Lance was also among the players not playing. Typically, this would mean Lance is simply fourth on the depth chart and was among the key players not participating. However, healthy Day 3 rookies typically suit up in the first week of the preseason no matter how highly they are thought of. Jacksonville rested quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running backs Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and LeQuint Allen, wide receivers Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter and tight end Brenton Strange. Philadelphia Eagles @ Baltimore Ravens Eli Stowers starts fourth on the depth chart: Stowers appears unlikely to make a significant impact as a rookie. Philadelphia drafted Stowers in the second round with the expectation that he could become its tight end of the future. Dallas Goedert is 31 and restructured his contract this offseason, ensuring he will remain with the Eagles this year, but he is entering the final season of his deal. Ideally, Stowers would have positioned himself to contribute as a rookie before potentially taking on a larger role next season. The buzz surrounding Stowers has been relatively negative since the draft, as he hasn’t made much of an impact during OTAs or training camp. He is known primarily as a receiving tight end, which makes his path to the No. 2 job more difficult because backup tight ends often need to contribute as run blockers. There is still room for Stowers as a receiving-oriented third tight end who could serve as Goedert’s backup, but he doesn’t appear to have secured that role yet. Philadelphia rested Goedert for this game, along with Mundt, who has spent much of his career in a blocking role. Grant Calcaterra was also retained and played well ahead of Stowers. Calcaterra logged 12 of 13 snaps over the first four drives, compared to five for Stowers. Stowers replaced Calcaterra for one snap in 11 personnel, while Cameron Latu replaced Stowers for one snap in 12 personnel. Calcaterra’s day ended after that stretch, while Stowers continued playing into the second half. There is still plenty of time for Stowers to move ahead of Calcaterra on the depth chart, but his dynasty value will continue to trend downward until he starts making more of an impact in training camp or preseason games. Ravens wide receivers compete for playing time: Rookie Ja’Kobi Lane and Devontez Walker both received significant playing time in the first half. Baltimore retained its top two wide receivers from last season in Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. The Ravens opted not to re-sign veterans DeAndre Hopkins or Tylan Wallace, opening the door for a new No. 3 receiver to emerge. Walker, a fourth-round pick in 2024, 2025 sixth-round pick LaJohntay Wester, and 2026 mid-round picks Lane and Elijah Sarratt have all been in contention. Walker and Lane were listed with the second team on the unofficial depth chart, while reports from training camp have suggested Lane has begun to separate himself. With Flowers and Bateman out, Lane and Walker opened the game as Baltimore’s top two wide receivers, with Wester joining them in three-receiver sets. Lane primarily lined up at X, while Walker spent more time at Z. Although Tyler Huntley played only two drives, Baltimore kept the same three receivers on the field for each of its first four drives. Sarratt didn’t enter until the fifth drive, suggesting he is unlikely to have a significant role early in the season. This game didn’t provide a definitive answer on Baltimore’s No. 3 receiver, but it did make clear that Lane and Walker are the primary contenders. Both caught three passes, with Lane adding a touchdown, while Wester was held without a reception. Ideally, Baltimore will play more of its starters later in the preseason, giving us a clearer indication of whether Lane or Walker has the edge for the third receiver job. Miscellaneous Notes Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith has been dealing with a hamstring injury and didn’t play, although he went through warmups. First-round rookie Makai Lemon has also been sidelined with a hamstring injury. Backup wide receiver Johnny Wilson (knee) and running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring) also missed the game due to injury. Philadelphia rested several starters, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks and tight ends Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt. Second-string running back Tank Bigsby played three snaps on third-and-5 or longer with the starters, matching his total in those situations from the entire 2025 regular season. Free-agent addition Hollywood Brown played on the first two drives before leaving ahead of the rest of the Eagles’ starters, providing further evidence that he is fourth on the wide receiver depth chart. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (quadriceps) returned to team drills Thursday after missing a few days. He didn’t play in this game, although he likely would have been held out even if fully healthy. Backup running back Rasheen Ali and undrafted rookie wide receiver Octavian Smith were also sidelined by injuries. Baltimore also rested quarterback Lamar Jackson, running backs Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, wide receiver Rashod Bateman, and tight ends Mark Andrews and Durham Smythe. While it may have been surprising to see rookie Josh Cuevas and Matthew Hibner still playing in the fourth quarter, they were the only two tight ends active. Baltimore has only four tight ends on its roster, with Andrews and Smythe both resting. Dallas Cowboys @ Seattle Seahawks Jaydon Blue appears locked into the backup running back role: Blue dominated the first-half snaps, suggesting the No. 2 job is his to lose. When Blue was drafted in the fifth round last season, there was some thought that he could compete for the starting job with veteran free-agent additions Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. Instead, Blue began the season as a healthy inactive, with Williams and Sanders atop the depth chart and fullback Hunter Luepke capable of handling halfback duties in an emergency. Blue received opportunities after Sanders suffered a season-ending injury, but Malik Davis eventually emerged as the primary backup. Dallas didn’t re-sign Sanders and largely kept the same group of backups, including 2025 seventh-round pick Phil Mafah, who missed nearly all of last season due to injury. Although Davis finished last season as the primary backup, the Cowboys have made it clear they want Blue to win the job. Blue played 20 of 26 snaps in the first half of this game, coming off the field only for stretches of longer drives when Mafah rotated in. Davis didn’t enter until the second half. Williams remains the unquestioned starter, but Blue appears to have established himself as his primary handcuff. In deeper leagues where most backup running backs are rostered, Blue should be drafted. In typical redraft leagues, he is right on the fringe of being worth a pick in the final rounds. Elijah Arroyo is closer to a breakout: Arroyo saw time in both 12 and 22 personnel with the starters in this game. AJ Barner won the starting tight end job last season and remains firmly atop the depth chart, leaving Arroyo in a backup role. Seattle also retained its top three tight ends from last season, including blocking specialist Eric Saubert. Saubert’s presence has limited Arroyo’s opportunities, but Arroyo has consistently made plays throughout training camp. Barner was among the starters who rested in this game, giving Arroyo opportunities in situations he typically wouldn’t see during the regular season. Saubert remained the primary tight end in 21 personnel and handled a few early-down snaps in 11 personnel, but Arroyo played in passing situations while also seeing significant work on running plays. The less encouraging sign was that Saubert exited after the first quarter, while Arroyo remained in the game throughout the second quarter in an every-down role. It will be difficult for Arroyo to become fantasy-relevant as long as Barner is healthy, but this game provided a glimpse of the role Arroyo could inherit if Barner misses time. If that happens at any point this season, Arroyo would immediately become a priority waiver-wire target. Miscellaneous Notes The Cowboys rested their starters throughout last year’s preseason, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer has said he plans to do the same this year. That includes quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Javonte Williams, wide receivers CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin, and tight end Jake Ferguson. Backup tight end Luke Schoonmaker played each of Dallas’ first eight offensive snaps before exiting ahead of the rest of the Cowboys’ starters. Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet remains on the PUP list after tearing his ACL in the divisional round of the playoffs. He is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery but is still expected to miss the start of the season. First-round rookie running back Jadarian Price has been dealing with soreness. He recently returned to practice but sat out this game. Emanuel Wilson also missed the game due to injury. The Seahawks also rested several established starters, including quarterback Sam Darnold, wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp, and tight end AJ Barner. Wide receiver Tory Horton has returned to practice after ending last season on injured reserve, but he didn’t play in this game. Table Notes • Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, such as offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats exclude these plays. • Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy is 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."