The first week of the NFL preseason is in the books, bringing us a bevy of actionable info as fantasy draft season hits its peak. These are the notes you need to know from every team’s preseason opener. Special thanks to PFF’s Nathan Jahnke who publishes snaps with the starters for every NFL team, which I will refer to often in this article. Be sure to check his notes out as well.
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Arizona Cardinals
Jeremiyah Love looked the part of a No. 3 overall pick. He started over Tyler Allgeier and out-snapped him 8-3 on Jacoby Brissett’s only drive. Both backs played on the second drive. This is how things broke down.
Love was also on the field for the only goal-to-go snap during the first two drives. Love had a mid-third-round ADP before this game and that’s likely a thing of the past. Even at the 2/3 turn, Love looks like an easy click.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons’ three-receiver set became fairly clear in their bout with the Broncos. Drake London and Jahan Dotson started on the outside while Olamide Zaccheaus handled slot duties. Even when London was subbed off early, Day Two rookie Zachariah Branch did not take the field. He eventually got one snap with the starters. Branch went on to play the majority of his snaps from the slot in this game and all three of his targets came on the inside. Branch is multiple rounds more expensive than Ted Hurst, Caleb Douglas, and Germie Bernard, all of whom are in similar or better situations on their respective depth charts.
Baltimore Ravens
Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman did not play, allowing Ja’Kobi Lane to draw the start with the second-team offense. Naturally, the hype train rolled on with his first career touchdown.
Ja'Kobi Lane finds the end zone early in his first NFL game 🔥
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) August 16, 2026
(Via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/GtxsFJaiRk
Fellow rookie Elijah Sarratt didn’t see the field with the second-team unit and played from the fifth drive until the end of the game. Fumble aside, Sarratt looked good. He caught 6-of-7 targets for 66 yards. He could ascend the depth chart over time, but all eyes are on Lane right now.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills played their starters for two drives but didn’t give us much clarity. DJ Moore, Keon Coleman, and Khalil Shakir ran six of nine possible routes. Josh Palmer wasn’t far behind with five routes. Everyone but Moore ran multiple routes from the slot. All signs from camp have pointed to Moore and Shakir being locked in for starting roles with Coleman and Palmer fighting for the WR3 spot. By the snap counts, there’s no obvious winner. By the tape, this certainly can’t hurt Coleman’s case:
Josh Allen avoids the sack and finds Keon Coleman for the first TD at the new Highmark Stadium!
— NFL (@NFL) August 15, 2026
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/mNMo90BQze
Carolina Panthers
With Chuba Hubbard out, Jonathon Brooks played all but two snaps with the starters. Trevor Etienne logged two routes on a pair of third downs. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but it looks like Brooks would handle the bulk of the backfield reps if Hubbard were to miss any time. He is currently sidelined with a quad issue that has his availability for Week 1 in doubt.
Chicago Bears
The Bears didn’t use any fantasy players of note in their preseason opener.
Cincinnati Bengals
Chase Brown continued splitting reps with Samaje Perine, just like he did over the second half of the 2025 season. Brown saw nine snaps to Perine’s four. They both ran three routes but Perine was targeted twice while Brown did not see a look in the passing game, though he did log five carries to Perine’s one. This split wasn’t an issue for Brown last year. Perine was healthy from Week 13 onward. Brown averaged 22.3 points per game over that stretch. This is something to watch, but not a strong enough reason to fade Brown just yet.
Mike Gesicki ran three routes with the starters over two drives. All three came on third down, and this was with training camp standout Erick All sidelined. Even in the 20th round of DraftKings drafts, there are better picks than Gesicki.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns didn’t throw us any surprises in this game. Jerry Jeudy and Denzel Boston started on the outside while KC Concepcion manned the slot. He wasn’t on the field for two-receiver sets, which will hurt his fantasy outlook. On the other hand, he was a target magnet in college, meaning he should have a strong target rate on a per-route basis for a rookie. Quinshon Judkins handled work on early downs while Dylan Sampson subbed in for two third downs. Again, no surprises there.
Deshaun Watson got the start this week. The lowlight was an ugly strip-stack and it wasn’t his only poor play, but he ultimately put together a vaguely competent showing by completing 11-of-15 passes for 126 yards. Shedeur Sanders took over in the second half and failed to score on any of his three drives, the third of which ended in a ghastly interception.
Sanders is expected to start next week, giving him one last shot at the Week 1 job. Watson is more than bad enough to lose the job, but I do see him as the favorite right now.
Dallas Cowboys
Jaydon Blue got the start with the backups and dominated snaps until leaving the game. He earned eight opportunities to Phil Mafah’s four. Malik Davis did not see a snap until the third string took over. I had been hesitant to raise Blue too high in my rankings because he doesn’t profile as the type of player who can take over a backfield if the starter goes down. I’m still skeptical of that, but my mind is being opened.
Denver Broncos
RJ Harvey drew the start with mostly the first-team offense in this game, though a handful of big names—Bo Nix, Jaylen Waddle, and JK Dobbins—did not suit up. Both Coleman and Harvey were done for the day after the third drive. Coleman turne dhis five carries into 33 yards while Harvey ran for 16 on the same number of totes. Coleman also got one more route plus four reps in pass pro compared to zero for Harvey. This isn’t to say Coleman has won the battle, but is officially a serious risk to Harvey’s fantasy outlook.
Detroit Lions
Isaac TeSlaa was one of the few presumed starters for Detroit who did not get the day off. Kalif Raymond sat while TeSlaa played with the B team. Then he did this.
How did Isaac TeSlaa not catch this? pic.twitter.com/TiB1fRGo0I
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) August 13, 2026
It’s only one play, but it’s not the type of play you want to see from a player who may have already been demoted during the summer. TeSlaa is not on the fantasy radar right now.
Green Bay Packers
MarShawn Lloyd saw all nine snaps with the starters. Josh Jacobs was out with a groin issue and fellow backup Chris Brooks remains on the NFI list. This simply confirms that Lloyd is the clear RB2 as things stand right now.
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but Jayden Reed ran five routes, all of which came from the slot. He was subbed off the field when the team didn’t have three receivers on the field. The good news is that the Packers did not pass out of 12-personnel once. If Matt LaFleur follows league-wide trends and leans into 12P more often this year, Reed is done for. If they simply stay in 11P to pass, Reed should be fine.
Houston Texans
Second-year wideout Jayden Higgins got the night off along with the rest of the starters. Xavier Hutchinson played with the second unit. Last year, Houston refused to pass the reins to Higgins, despite him looking more explosive than the veteran. DeMeco Ryans and the rest of the Houston staff have been gassing up Higgins all offseason, and the starter’s treatment in this game is another good sign. He appears to be locked in as Houston’s No. 2 receiver.
Indianapolis Colts
Seth McGowan drew the start with the second-string offense while the starters rested. Fellow backup DJ Giddens remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, but he might have missed his shot at the RB2 gig.
Anthony Richardson looked good to my eyes and the film nerds are backing me up.
Anthony Richardson footwork and motion looks more efficient. Was really accurate vs NE and made some good throws under pressure. Worst play of the day was the fumble on the scramble. INT was a well thrown ball that his WR dropped.
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) August 15, 2026
He should just stay with Colts. No system fits… pic.twitter.com/2s8bPCp0HN
I still think a team should trade for him as a developmental backup, though Nguyen makes a good point about staying in the system he knows and the one that suits him well.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars didn’t use any fantasy players of note in their preseason opener.
Kansas City Chiefs
Kenneth Walker played one snap with the B team before leaving the field. Second-year running back Brashard Smith was the only other back to see snaps with the starters. Rookie Emmett Johnson was next in line and free agent addition Emari Demercado played well into the fourth quarter. For now, Smith is on the menu in deep redraft formats, though this is a depth chart that could change quickly before and during the season.
Las Vegas Raiders
As expected, Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor were the Raiders’ starting outside receivers. Jack Bech got the nod as the team’s top slot option, but Klint Kubiak kept Bech on the field for multiple drives after the rest of the starters left the game. It seems like Bech has a very tentative grip on the WR3 role, but this isn’t something I’m acting on in drafts right now.
Ashton Jeanty got a handful of snaps with the starters before giving way to rookie Mike Washington Jr. Dylan Laube saw a few snaps alongside Washington Jr., but it was largely the rookie’s job over the remainder of the first half. MWJ out-carried Laube 6-1 over the first two quarters and looked like a stud while doing so.
The rookie Mike Washington Jr. TAKES OFF for 53 yards 😤
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/dIDqYckE2T
Los Angeles Chargers
Almost no one of note played for the Chargers, which makes it awfully concerning that Oronde Gadsden was on the field with Trey Lance. David Njoku and Charlie Kolar got the day off with the rest of the starters. Keaton Mitchell also rested while Kimani Vidal played. All of the talk out of training camp has been that Charlie Kolar will have a starting role as a blocker, while Njoku and Gadsden are fighting for No. 2 reps. Gadsden currently goes as the TE20, which still strikes me as high given that locked-in starters like Dalton Schultz and TJ Hockenson go behind him.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams didn’t use any fantasy players of note in their preseason opener. We were already expecting a fantasy-relevant role for tight end Terrance Ferguson, but it’s good to see Sean McVay agree.
Miami Dolphins
De’Von Achane and rookie Caleb Douglas were the only players to take every snap with Malik Willis on the field. Malik Washington and rookie blocking tight end Will Kacmarek saw 12-of-14 snaps with the 1s. Greg Dulcich was down at eight snaps. Miami used three different tight ends plus a fullback over those 14 snaps. Douglas is a massive riser as the clear WR1 on this team heading into Week 1. He still plays for a run-first team with a huge question mark at quarterback, but Douglas should be flying up boards as we enter the peak of fantasy drafting season.
Minnesota Vikings
Tai Felton out-snapped free agent addition Jauan Jennings while the starters were on the field. Felton might have worked his way into a starting role this offseason, but that hasn’t been something the beat reporters have been seeing in camp. Justin Jefferson did not play in this contest, which may explain the snap discrepancy between Felton and Jennings. I’m not moving anything in my rankings based on this yet, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
Aaron Jones out-snapped Jordan Mason 5-4, drew him to a carries standstill at three all, and saw one target compared to zero for Mason. There has been plenty of talk about Mason being this team’s clear lead back during camp. All signs point to a committee.
New England Patriots
The Patriots surprisingly rested Demario Douglas with the starting offense. Kayshon Boutte has been showing out during camp, but it seems like the team and Boutte want a trade partner to materialize, which would help explain why he saw 16 snaps with the second-team offense. There’s no guarantee a trade materializes, but my guess is a team in need of a field-stretcher comes knocking before Week 1. Douglas, in turn, is on the menu in the 18th round of Best Ball drafts.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints didn’t use any fantasy players of note in their preseason opener.
New York Giants
The Giants deployed a tight end by committee, rotating Isaiah Likely and Theo Johnson regularly. Likely’s 44 percent snap rate with the starters looks disastrous, but he ran 6-of-7 possible routes. Likely won’t be on the field to run-block, meaning he will also miss out on some play-action reps. That’s a ding to his fantasy value, but the snap share makes things look worse than they are.
Cam Skattebo split reps with Tyrone Tracy, a trend also observed by beat reporters in practice. This has been a bit concerning for Skattebo drafters like myself. Skattebo’s case in fantasy has always been built on him dominating the backfield. In his four healthy starts last year. Skattebo averaged 22.1 touches per game. The good news for me is that Tracy was put on skates in pass protection, resulting in a bone-crushing hit on Jaxson Dart.
BIG FOOTBALL HITS ARE SO BACK.
— NFL (@NFL) August 15, 2026
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/11JOVdunxm
Dart was evaluated for a concussion after the hit. Skattebo is coming off a catastrophic ankle injury, which John Harbaugh said he isn’t 100% back from yet. I wouldn’t expect him to get all of the snaps with the starters in a preseason game. I still think he’s a betting favorite to consolidate the backfield opportunities early in the regular season.
New York Jets
Omar Cooper Jr. drafters, look away. Cooper did not see a snap with the first-team offense, which was led by Cade Klubnik in this contest. Isaiah Williams played over him. He came in with the reserves and played throughout the first half. The last time a first-round rookie of any non-QB skill position was on the field that late into a preseason game was Treylon Burks in 2022. This, however, isn’t a death sentence for Cooper. DJ Moore also played deep into multiple preseason games as a rookie and posted strong numbers in his debut campaign. For now, I’ll only say that Cooper Jr. is a late-season play.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles didn’t use any fantasy players of note in their preseason opener. This sadly includes Eli Stowers, who looked good as a pass-catcher but was immediately flagged for holding. He was a notably poor blocker coming out of college, and that will likely prevent him from playing much as a rookie.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Darnell Washington drew the start and played more snaps than Pat Freiermuth, but the routes were split evenly, with the former holding an 8-7 edge. The Steelers ran plenty of 12-personnel and even showed a 13-personnel look, but a true timeshare between Washington and Freiermuth would make both players irrelevant for fantasy purposes.
One other Steelers starter took the field, but we’re not sure who that was just yet. Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard are in a camp battle for the WR3 spot. All signs have pointed toward Wilson holding the job early in camp, but it’s hard to imagine the No. 47 overall pick sitting behind Wilson for long. The slot gig is what’s up for grabs, and Bernard ran nine routes out of the slot compared to four for Wilson. Bernard also looked electric out of the slot.
Idk if we’ll see a play this preseason that better encapsulates why the #Steelers traded up for Germie Bernard.
— Rob Gregson (@NFL_Rob) August 16, 2026
Simple dragon concept to the field (slant-flat) and Germ breaks two tackles on the boundary and gets vertical. pic.twitter.com/2iiAfVZiVH
This is Bernard’s job to lose. He remains a slam dunk pick at the end of Best Ball drafts.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers didn’t play any guaranteed starters, but De’Zhaun Stribling probably changed that during his 22 snaps with the backups. He was targeted on 8-of-13 Kurtis Rourke pass attempts. The rookie turned that workload into seven catches for 63 yards. It was the second-most receptions for a rookie in the first half of a preseason game over the past decade. Stribling was headed for a starting role before this breakout. The box score simply confirms that he isn’t going to play behind Christian Kirk or another veteran, even in Week 1.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks gave almost every play of note the week off. George Holani played, which could be concerning for his prospects as a 20th-round flyer, but the Seahawks were without several running backs in this contest. I wouldn’t read into Holani’s playing time too much.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There’s nothing to see here. The Bucs played training camp star Ted Hurst with the backups, but all three of their starting receivers plus two backups were out for this game. He had to play. Hurst drew six targets on 15 routes with the B Team. He was a man among boys in that group.
Tennessee Titans
Gunnar Helm and Daniel Bellinger split six routes apiece with the starters. Helm has been touted as a year-two breakout this offseason, but Bellinger followed new Titans OC Brian Daboll from New York on a three-year, $24 million contract. That’s starting tight end money. Helm might be a part-time tight end on the worst offense in football. He strikes me as an easy fade this year.
Tyjae Spears played more snaps than Tony Pollard (13- 9), and they each saw four carries. Spears ran more routes as well. I ultimately don’t think Spears out-snaps Pollard this year, but they did come awfully close in 2025 when Spears was healthy. Spears’ first game was in Week 5. From then onward, he logged a 46 percent snap rate compared to 54 percent for Pollard. The good news is that Spears largely ate up low-calorie snaps and Pollard wound up averaging more points per game with Spears active. I don’t think the preseason usage is much of an issue for Pollard.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders sat Stefon Diggs and Terry McLaurin. Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, and Dyami Brown started with the backups. Jaylin Lane and Van Jefferson then mixed in. Finally, after all of those players had their turns, rookie Antonio Williams took the field. He is not a redraft fantasy consideration at this time.
Fellow rookie Kaytron Allen also played deep into this game. Unlike Williams, Allen was a starter, playing ahead of Jerome Ford. Jeremy McNichols is expected to miss time with a quad injury, meaning Allen is currently the RB3 on this roster. He could make an impact for fantasy managers down the road, though Allen will likely be a roster-clogger early in the season.
