Fantasy Takeaways from Every Preseason Game – Week 3

Exhibition football is done, and the regular season is just around the corner.  Before we turn the page completely from this chapter, we have one final round of takeaways to learn from the latest slate of practice football. Some teams gave their starters a few reps, others opted for the “better safe than sorry” route. Regardless, there’s always some nuggets of prognosticative knowledge to glean. Here are the final week’s preseason takeaways of 2023:

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Atlanta Falcons

• The Steelers dominated this game. Kenny Pickett dropped a couple dimes to Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. Pickett finishes the 2023 preseason with a perfect passer rating, throwing 13/15 for 199 yards, and 2 TDs, ending all five of his drives in paydirt. If this momentum is carried into the regular season, he could start becoming a viable fantasy option in redraft; he’s there already in Superflex.
• Johnson and Pickens will be the primary beneficiaries of Pickett’s ascension. I’d bet all the money in the world that Johnson surpasses his touchdown total from last year (0). Pickens is a highlight reel machine. Both are WR2s: Johnson is a more steady PPR WR2 and Pickens is more of a volatile, boom-bust WR2.
• Pittsburgh’s running game was strong with every back carrying the ball. It looks like their line is starting to gel. Najee Harris should at least match his third-round draft cost, and Jaylen Warren is a steal in the double-digit rounds.
• Atlanta didn’t play any noteworthy players.

Indianapolis Colts vs Philadelphia Eagles

• Philadelphia didn’t play their starters.
• As mentioned in past weeks, the read-option is going to be a huge part of the Colts offense moving forward. Anthony Richardson is still developing, evidenced by his clearly errant throws and his 50.6 passer rating, but his legs will provide tremendous fantasy value. He’s a great, late target who should have a safe floor.
• Deon Jackson and Evan Hull rotated drives, but Jackson got the start and was in on the first team’s two-minute drive in the first half. Jonathan Taylor is not long for this team so that leaves Jackson as the back-to-own; he should get the first crack at the starting role. Hull will factor in, but he’ll be the RB2 in this committee.
• Michael Pittman Jr. only caught two of his five targets from Richardson. He is the Colts’ WR1, but he will ebb and flow as Richardson does in his development. Pittman Jr. is a back-end WR2 for a rookie QB.
•  Trey Sermon got the rock a ton but was highly ineffective on the ground (1.9 YPC). This is why I said last week he was irrelevant for fantasy.

Detroit Lions vs Carolina Panthers

• Bryce Young showed his pocket elusiveness right out of the gate. He has legs, but it doesn’t look to be a focal point for this offense the same way Richardson’s are in Indianapolis. If he will have any fantasy relevance, it’ll be because of his scrambling/rushing ability. Young dynasty managers hope this becomes the case.
• In Carolina, Adam Thielen is doing his best Diontae Johnson impression while rookie Jonathan Mingo is trying to be George Pickens. That’s how I view Carolina’s passing game: the 2022 Steelers under rookie-year Kenny Pickett. It wasn’t great for either receiver last year in Pittsburgh, and it won’t be great this year for Panthers receivers.
• The Lions didn’t play anyone of fantasy substance.

New England Patriots vs Tennessee Titans

• Neither team played their offensive playmakers.
• Both teams showed their identities: they are defensive, grind-it-out type teams where offensively, they’ll play ball control more than airing it out. This plays more into the hands of Derrick Henry, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Ezekiel Elliott than anyone else.
• Tyjae Spears did the best he could with what little blocking he got. He had a couple of nice plays, but they were buried among the numerous runs for losses. He’s still firmly entrenched as Henry’s understudy.
• Another similarity between the Patriots and Titans is that they both have uninspiring, wide-receiving options. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Devante Parker are the names to know for New England, but I’d rather pass on both.
• DeAndre Hopkins is elite enough to make the most of his opportunities, but when the quarterback doesn’t throw a lot, it certainly limits his upside. Hopkins should be a consistent enough WR2. Treylon Burks will have his games too, but he has to get healthy first. He’s off my draft board and team until he can come back and show he’s in pro-football shape.

Los Angeles Chargers vs San Francisco 49ers

• The Chargers didn’t field their ones.
•  Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price combined for 120 yards on 19 carries. They’re not relevant, but watching backups succeed gives you more confidence in the starters as if we needed more confidence in Christian McCaffrey. The only question to his upside is how involved will Elijah Mitchell be. My take? Not enough to sully McCaffrey’s RB1 status.
• Deebo Samuel looks like Brock Purdy’s first read. Samuel will be involved early and often, solidifying his WR2 status for fantasy.
• Brandon Aiyuk ran a great route on his only catch from Purdy. It’s hard to say Aiyuk is a WR2 when the offense would rather run the ball than throw, but many analysts are. It’s hard to trust receiving options on teams that live by the run, but you could certainly do worse than Aiyuk.
• Joshua Kelly broke a huge run for a 75-yard touchdown. This showing may have secured his position as the number two behind Austin Ekeler, but ultimately, it’s a moot point. With the way they’ve rotated Kelly and Isaiah Spiller throughout this preseason, this leads me to believe that if/when Ekeler is out, it’ll be a 1A/1B committee between Kelly and Spiller.

Seattle Seahawks vs Green Bay Packers

• Jordan Love played decently enough. His numbers don’t bear it, but he escaped pressure well and created plays when he had to. This offense looks competent so much so that Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson should be viable flex options.
• AJ Dillon got the start with Emanuel Wilson mixing in. Aaron Jones sat out of this one, essentially giving the reliable veteran rest so he could come into the season at full strength. Dillon will resume his backup role to Jones come Week 1. Wilson, despite looking good in exhibition play, will be the RB3 on the team, awaiting his chance to be impactful for the Packers. He is not currently relevant for fantasy.
• Seattle didn’t play their first-team offense.
• Zach Charbonnet was bottled up in this one, finding very little room to run on his four touches. As long as Kenneth Walker III has recovered and is going into the season healthy, he will be the starter for Seattle with Charbonnet spelling him as needed. Charbonnet did not do enough to win the starting job while Walker nursed a groin injury this preseason.

Arizona Cardinals vs Minnesota Vikings

• Neither team allowed their noteworthy players to suit up.
• There have been rumors that Kyler Murray won’t play in the 2023 regular season. But that’s all they are: rumors. Nothing official has come out of Arizona’s camp, so we should enter the season with a similar mindset as before: Murray will miss some time, but how much is unknown.
• What we do know is that the Cardinals are preparing to be without Murray. They traded for Joshua Dobbs from Cleveland, where he will come in and immediately compete with Colt McCoy and rookie Clayton Tune for the starting job. McCoy has not looked great this preseason, and Tune has been mediocre at best. This offense is a mess with the only relevant fantasy options being James Conner and Marquise Brown. 
• Rookie Jordan Addison returned to practice on Wednesday, 8/23, from his concussion. He hasn’t been fully cleared from the protocol, but he will be by the time Week 1 kicks off. It should be all systems go when Minnesota hosts Tampa Bay in Week 1.

Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs

• Deshaun Watson is looking more like his pre-suspension self. He’s moving around, creating yards, and giving his receivers time to get open. He may not rush for a lot of yards, but his mobility will help move the offense down the field. He’s a solid QB2 in Superflex and has late-round appeal in single-QB leagues.
• Amari Cooper got loose for a 53-yard reception. We haven’t seen Watson and Cooper hook up yet this preseason, so it’s good to know this connection does exist and has value. Cooper is a WR2 in all formats.
• Isiah Pacheco got his first carry of the 2023 preseason. He looked as spry as usual but didn’t gain any yards on his only touch. This is encouraging to see since he has been battling injuries this preseason. He should step right back into his starting, between-the-tackles role while Jerick McKinnon will come on for passing down situations. Keep Clyde Edwards-Helaire out of lineups.
• There has been nothing to suggest the Chiefs’ wide receiver pecking order has been sorted out. Ihmir Smith-Marsette balled out with 4-101-1 but is not a viable option for Patrick Mahomes. Justyn Ross only caught two of six passes, and Rashee Rice had an egregious drop that didn’t help his stock at all. It’s still just Travis Kelce and no one else.

Buffalo Bills vs Chicago Bears

• Josh Allen got the opening drive and took it down the field for a touchdown. Allen made signature Allen plays and showed why he’s a top fantasy option. He is poised to have another elite year.
• Allen hooked up with Stefon Diggs a few times, rekindling their connection and building momentum heading into the season. Despite rumors saying Diggs wants out of Buffalo, he does not look like he’s going anywhere this year and should return solid WR1 numbers.  Diggs was quick to dispel those rumors, and for good reason: the Bills have their eye on a Super Bowl title.
• Justin Fields didn’t exactly look good in this last preseason outing, but again he showed his elite mobility, scrambling and rushing for chunk yardage. Fields is considered Jalen Hurts-lite, but he has to improve his passing efficiency if he is going to reach Hurts’ level. DJ Moore will certainly help that bid with his explosiveness. Moore, again, made a big play with the ones.
• Khalil Herbert got the start and most of the meaningful backfield touches with the starters. He was stuffed on his few attempts which weren’t exactly his fault, but it still doesn’t look good to see it.
• D’Onta Foreman left Saturday’s game early but appeared to be okay. He stayed on the sidelines in pads for the remainder of the game. They both will form a committee with Herbert getting the first crack; Roschon Johnson will probably mix in as well but is not a standalone fantasy option.

New York Jets vs New York Giants

• Aaron Rodgers to Garrett Wilson is going to be a special connection this year. Wilson caught all three of his targets, one of which was a beautifully placed pass for a touchdown. Wilson also almost had a spectacular, one-handed diving catch, but barely missed it. Wilson is Rodgers’ new Davante Adams, and his production will reflect that by year’s end.
• Rodgers looked like himself. He missed high on a few throws, but otherwise was accurate, decisive, and avoided pressure seamlessly. He should return backend QB1 value and could be a late-round target at the position.
• The Giants played their backups. It showed when the Jets’ starters were on the field. They were dominated on the first few drives of the game.
• James Robinson would have been a name to highlight for the Giants, but news broke on the morning of this writing that Robinson had been released. So much for him being Saquon Barkley’s backup. He didn’t look terrible in this game.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Washington Commanders

• Both teams decided to preserve their key players. This is a good thing considering their star wide receiver Terry McLaurin got injured last week in the preseason, and now his Week 1 is highly questionable. They didn’t want any more starters going down.
• Washington’s running backs ran all over the Bengals to the tune of 150 yards at 6 YPC. Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson hope they can get that level of blocking and efficiency when the Cardinals come to FedEx field in Week 1. Both backs will be good plays against the league’s lowest projected win total Cardinals (4.5).
• Joe Mixon’s legal battles have been partially resolved. Mixon was found not guilty of aggravated menacing charges that arose from a road rage altercation this past offseason. He still has a civil suit pending against him for a shooting that happened on his property, so there’s still a chance he’ll be suspended if he’s found guilty. As of right now, he is slated to be Cincinnati’s bell cow on a prolific offense and will be a solid fantasy option as an RB1/RB2.

Baltimore Ravens vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Tampa Bay’s starters took the first two drives. Baker Mayfield targeted Chris Godwin on four of his six pass attempts. Godwin caught all four for 30 yards and a touchdown. Godwin was clearly Mayfield’s go-to guy and should be a high-end WR2 in PPR leagues.
• Mayfield looked competent enough in his limited action. He didn’t push the ball down the field very much, but he will have Mike Evans to stretch it out when he plays more than two drives. Mayfield is not a fantasy option in single-QB leagues and is a back-end QB2 at best in Superflex.
• Rachaad White got the rock early and often, even after most of the starters got pulled. He ran well, breaking tackles and fighting for yards. He looks like he’ll be a workhorse back for Tampa Bay.
• Baltimore didn’t play any fantasy-relevant players. If there were any questions about JK Dobbins, his injury, or his situation with the Ravens, Dobbins’ comments should ease some minds, “I feel amazing… I feel pretty dang good. If I get the volume of some of the other guys, it’ll be a real good year.”

Miami Dolphins vs Jacksonville Jaguars

• If Tyreek Hill gets into open space with the ball, he makes you pay.  He took a 5-yard reception and used his speed to get 32. He’s good. If he’s your WR1, you’re lucky.
• Raheem Mostert got all the play with Miami’s first-team offense. He wasn’t very effective, but he got the first run while Jeff Wilson Jr. and De’Von Achane both sat out nursing injuries. If neither of them plays in Week 1, Mostert will be the main guy left in what was considered a crowded backfield.
• Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby rotated throughout the starting offense’s drives. Both looked strong and fast, but it was Bigsby who lost a costly fumble at the goal line. This won’t help his stock, but he still figures to mix in with Etienne during regular-season play. He has standalone value as a desperation flex play, but he has the added caveat of being a potential bell cow if Etienne goes down.
• All the hype surrounding Calvin Ridley seems to be justified after watching the ones play. He was certainly a favorite of Trevor Lawrence in this game, and he should be a solid WR2 for fantasy. Ridley caught 3/3 for 50 yards, while Christian Kirk caught 1/1 for 8 yards.

Las Vegas Raiders vs Dallas Cowboys

• Neither the Raiders nor the Cowboys had their ones suit up.
• The big news out of Las Vegas this week was that Josh Jacobs signed a one-year deal with the Raiders worth up to $12 million. Now that his contract is settled for the time being, looking ahead, the Raiders have no reason not to run Jacobs into the ground. Jacobs will get the ball 350+ times like last year, and he’ll be a fantasy gold mine because of it.
• Jacobs’ contract renders Zamir White‘s productive preseason worthless outside of being Jacobs’ backup.
• Backup Will Grier doesn’t profile as a rushing quarterback, but he ran 10 times for 53 yards and 2 TDs in this contest. Starter Dak Prescott has been mobile in past seasons; if Brian Schottenheimer is injecting more QB scrambling and running into this offense, Prescott could have a higher fantasy floor than previously thought.
• If rookie RB Hunter Luepke‘s productive day is a sign of things to come for the Cowboys’ offense, Tony Pollard should eat. He had 20 total touches (15 rushes, 5 receptions) for 113 total yards and a touchdown. Pollard is fully capable of that type of production.

Los Angeles Rams vs Denver Broncos

• Both teams had their skill players warm the benches.
• Albert Okwuegbunam had a huge day, producing several yards after the catch. The word out of Broncos camp is that Greg Dulcich is still the starter, with newly acquired Adam Trautman serving as the TE2. Trautman has experience with Sean Payton from New Orleans, and Dulcich is the better pass-catching tight-end option. Okwuegbunam will be fortunate just to make the roster, and this week’s effort is pleading his case pretty well.
• Rookie Marvin Mims Jr. also made his case for making the 53-man roster. He flashed speed, vision, and agility both on special teams and as a receiver. With Tim Patrick out for the season with a torn Achilles, there’s an extra spot for a speedy playmaker. His value in fantasy is limited, only being viable as an option in deep leagues or dynasty formats.
• The Rams got manhandled all over the field in this one, getting shut out 41-0. Denver’s defense is that good, but the Rams’ offense outside of their key starters is that bad. If Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Cam Akers can’t keep this team in ballgames, then the Rams are in for a very disappointing season. For fantasy, it’s those three guys or bust.

Houston Texans vs New Orleans Saints

• The most notable takeaway from this game is that Dameon Pierce got the start with the Texans’ first-team offense, and he was in on every snap they played. On top of that, he ran hard and well, showing he has what it takes to be the main guy. Devin Singletary didn’t come in until the backups came in and got reps. From the looks of it, this is Pierce’s backfield with Singletary on hand to spell him.
• Rookie CJ Stroud may have only completed two of his four passes, but one of his incompletions was a perfectly-placed, back-shoulder throw that the defender made a great play on. Nine times out of ten that pass is completed. Stroud should be competent enough to sustain fantasy options and move his team down the field, but he is not fantasy-relevant himself, except for in deeper league formats and Superflex.
• The Saints didn’t risk their starters in this one.
• Rookie Kendre Miller got numerous opportunities (eight carries, five targets) but didn’t do much with them. Blocking was hard to come by (as can be the case when playing with your second-string line), but Miller also didn’t create any of his own yards either. Despite the excitement of the rookie’s playmaking ability, this is Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams‘ show.
• While Kamara serves his three-game suspension, Williams is the starter and will provide good enough fantasy value for the first few weeks. He’s a perfect target for a zero-RB strategist since he’ll provide an early-season return.

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