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All preseason snap counts are provided by Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus.
If the early returns are any indication, we have a very strong rookie quarterback class entering the league this season. A couple of them are capable of pushing for QB1 fantasy numbers immediately.
Caleb Williams, perhaps unsurprisingly, put on a strong performance this weekend. The Bears’ new starter completed 4-of-7 passes for 95 yards while rushing for another 13 yards during his 20 snaps. The former first overall pick looked poised and ready for the moment leading a pair of field-goal drives and displayed his playmaking ability when he escaped the pocket and made a nice throw on the run to Cole Kmet.
The Bears have surrounded Williams with incredible skill position talent so, if he’s as good as advertised, nothing will stop him from landing among the top-12 fantasy passers as a rookie.
The other first-year QB with a good chance to deliver a big debut campaign is Jayden Daniels, who wasn’t asked to do as much this weekend but still delivered. The 23-year-old completed 2-of-3 attempts for 45 yards and ran for a three-yard touchdown.
Though he’s not as polished as Williams, Daniels might be more exciting from a fantasy perspective thanks to his massive rushing potential – which likely won’t be fully unleashed in the preseason.
We witnessed the good and the bad of Williams’ underrated arm talent in this contest. After missing Austin Ekeler on a short screen, Daniels found Dyami Brown downfield with a perfectly placed ball that resulted in a 42-yard catch.
It may not always be pretty, but Daniels is going to light up the box score as a runner and a passer this year.
Even in a campaign with a lot of strong fantasy quarterback options, Williams and Daniels are high-upside picks often available outside the top 100.
There were also positives to take away from other rookie passers like J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix, but they don’t offer the same fantasy ceiling in Year 1. Drake Maye was extremely limited by the Patriots’ coaching staff. Michael Penix Jr., meanwhile, is locked in as Kirk Cousins’ backup and, though he performed well, he’s on a long-term development plan.
Chasing a starting job – Chase Brown is aiming for a bigger role in the Bengals’ backfield this season. While his stats in the first preseason game weren’t overly impressive, he was playing with the starters and getting work in obvious passing situations. While a split backfield with Zack Moss (who was sick and inactive this weekend) is likely, I recently moved Brown over Moss in my rankings based on reports out of training camp.
Choose your Titan – The Titans stayed true to their word and rotated Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, treating them as interchangeable. Pollard played eight snaps to Spears’ six and had six opportunities (four carries, two targets) to Spears’ four (three carries, one target). The former racked up 46 yards in the process, mostly thanks to a 24-yard run, but it was Spears who found the end zone. If they stay healthy, this will be a hot-hand situation, making both backs worth drafting at their current – and very affordable – ADPs.
Guess who’s back – Javonte Williams’ resurgence continues: He played nine of 12 snaps with the starters and racked up six opportunities (four carries, two targets). Unfortunately, the rest of the depth chart has yet to be sorted out. Veteran Samaje Perine got time with the first team on Sunday, but Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, and perhaps even Blake Watson are fighting for offensive roles. Sean Payton will probably deploy a committee with two or three backs getting regular work, but Williams is worth targeting at his very affordable ADP.
Rookie RBs on the rise – Several rookies are establishing themselves as the main backup in their offense. We spoke about Tyrone Tracy Jr. on theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, and the case for him is only getting stronger. The receiver-turned-running back got most of the snaps with the Giants’ first-team offense with Devin Singletary sitting out, totaling 26 yards on five carries. Another rookie back in New York has been impressing in Jets’ practices and carried that into the preseason, too: Braelon Allen amassed 54 yards on six carries versus the Commanders and is the clear No. 2 option behind Breece Hall. Other rookie backs like the Buccaneers’ Bucky Irving and Cardinals’ Trey Benson also appeared to have a hold on the RB2 jobs in their backfields this week.
Wright on track – As expected, Jaylen Wright looked good in the Dolphins’ rushing attack, racking up 55 yards and a score on 10 carries. He still has some work to do, but Wright is destined to be the No. 3 RB in Miami this season. That’ll give him multiple paths to production if either Raheem Mostert or De’Von Achane get injured this year. At worst, Wright profiles as the long-term Mostert replacement.
Hollywood hurt – Hollywood Brown was injured early in the Chiefs’ game and taken to hospital with what was later diagnosed as a sternoclavicular shoulder joint dislocation. This puts his Week 1 availability in question and boosts the outlook for Kansas City’s other pass-catchers. First-round rookie Xavier Worthy gets the biggest bump since he already played with the starting offense in the first preseason game. If Brown misses significant time, Worthy could push for WR3 status in fantasy.
Sorting through the Pack – Dontayvion Wicks has a ton of potential – as proven by his 65-yard touchdown this week – but he’s trapped in a crowded Green Bay receiver room. Romeo Doubs has been highlighted as the top Packers’ WR in training camp. Christian Watson has high-end upside if he can stay healthy. Jayden Reed might be the most versatile option in the group. It’s a tough depth chart to sort through. While I’m willing to draft all four wideouts at their current ADPs, it might be tough for Wicks to earn enough snaps and targets to be a weekly fantasy starter – unless an injury opens the door.
Strange usage – The Broncos’ receiving corps seems far from settled, but Marvin Mims Jr. appears to be a rotational player and not a full-time starter. Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and Josh Reynolds played significantly more than he did this week. Though Mims has intriguing talent, Sean Payton has never been willing to give him starter’s snaps. Rookie Troy Franklin is also facing an uphill battle for playing time based on his preseason debut.
Earning his stripes – Jermaine Burton’s first preseason action was a mixed bag. He scored a beautiful long touchdown en route to finishing with a 3-82-1 stat line. But he also didn’t play with the starters, so it might take some time for him to rise in the depth chart. Andrei Iosivas appears to be the favorite to replace Tyler Boyd and take the field in three-receiver sets with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Both players are worth targeting late in drafts, though Burton has the higher ceiling.
Pick up the Bill – Dalton Kincaid played eight of nine snaps with Buffalo’s first-team offense and ran a route on four of the five pass attempts. Some have concerns about Dawson Knox limiting Kincaid but, as long as the sophomore maintains that kind of usage, he’ll be a fantasy stud in 2024.
Brock and roll – It would have been malpractice for the Raiders to use Brock Bowers like a traditional tight end, but it’s still nice to see him lining up all over the formation in the preseason. If you miss out on one of the top-seven tight ends in your draft, Bowers should be on the short list of players you consider at the position. If this continues, he’ll have a good chance of being a TE1 as a rookie.
Commanding rookie TE – Second-rounder Ben Sinnott led the Commanders in receiving this week, in large part thanks to a 44-yard catch where he dropped his shoulder and carried defenders for extra yards. He finished the game with three catches for 57 yards and looks like an impact player. The only question will be whether he can bypass Zach Ertz sooner rather than later, but this is a good start.
Tight end concerns – Pat Freiermuth, Cole Kmet, Chigoziem Okonkwo, Mike Gesicki, and Jelani Woods rotated more than we’d hoped in the first preseason game. I’m not panicking on Freiermuth yet – the Steelers lack a proven No. 2 receiver and Arthur Smith’s offenses normally have plenty of volume for tight ends. However, the other four TEs are almost undraftable at this point. Woods, in particular, appears to be third or fourth on the Colts’ depth chart.
Less is more – Colby Parkinson rested with Rams’ starters, which is an outstanding indication for his fantasy outlook. He’ll be replacing injured veteran Tyler Higbee, who suffered ACL and MCL tears in January. I highlighted Parkinson in my updated deep sleepers column.
New injuries to monitor – Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown (dislocated SC shoulder joint), Malik Nabers (sprained ankle in practice), Marshawn Lloyd (hamstring), Trey Sermon (hamstring), Drew Lock (hip pointer, strained oblique), Lucas Krull (toe), Rasheen Ali (stinger)
Deeper preseason standouts who caught my eye this week – Vikings WR Jalen Nailor, Rams WR Jordan Whittington, Saints WR A.T. Perry, Falcons WR Casey Washington, Giants RB Eric Gray, Giants RB Dante Miller, Lions RB Sione Vaki, Packers RB Emanuel Wilson, Eagles WR John Ross, Cowboys WR Jalen Brooks, Patriots QB Joe Milton III, Chiefs RB Carson Steele
