While NFL preseason stats ultimately don’t matter in the quest for a fantasy football championship, that’s not to say it those numbers are entirely useless to track. Exhibition action gives us a glimpse into unearthed gems and allows gamers to recalibrate late-round flier rankings. After all, just getting an opportunity to showcase one’s talent can be the difference in making a roster or not, which sometimes is enough to create an inroad for a chance during the regular season.
With that established, here’s a spin around the noteworthy performances — good and otherwise — over the first week of the preseason. Since the NFL splits the games up over several days, be sure to check back multiple times for updates.
Sunday, Aug. 13 notables
RB Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders: In a Jimmy Garoppolo-less game, White filled in as the primary back as Josh Jacobs continues to hold out. The second-year back rushed 13 times for 43 yards and a touchdown against a formidable San Francisco run defense. While the 3.3 yards-per-carry average is less than ideal, he showed enough to keep White in the sleeper conversation not only due to Jacobs holding out but also the possibility of an injury after such a massive 2022 workload.
WR Justyn Ross, Kansas City Chiefs: The talk of Chiefs camp came through with a touchdown grab on a two-catch, 29-yard showing. Ross was targeted five times, which was one off of the team lead. In 2023 drafts, he’s a late-round flier whose needle is pointed north.
Saturday, Aug. 12 notables
Chicago Bears offense: Whether it be Justin Fields, DJ Moore, Khalil Herbert or Roschon Johnson, this offense was clicking nicely in its first preseason action of 2023. Fields set the tone with a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 on his 3-for-3 day that resulted in 129 passing yards and two scoring throws but no rushing attempts. Moore’s only touch went 62 yards for a touchdown — nice start to his tenure in Chicago! Herbert accounted for the other TD grab, racing 56 yards on his lone reception. The running back would add 15 yards on four carries. The coaching staff opted for a long look at Johnson, the talented rookie rusher who backed up Bijan Robinson at Texas, and he was decent enough by tallying 44 yards on 12 carries, including a long of 24. Johnson snared three of four targets but went for only two yards. It’s only one game, but this is an encouraging start for fantasy footballers.
Tennessee Titans offensive line: The worst element of this team across all three phases of the game is the front five, and that could prove disastrous for fantasy purposes. Ryan Tannehill didn’t play, leaving Malik Willis to start and rookie Will Levis to finish out the game. The two combined for 39 drop-backs that saw each of them go down an embarrassing four times. While mobile and rookie quarterbacks tend to get sacked a high rates, this isn’t what anyone drafting the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks and, especially, Derrick Henry wanted to see.
QBs Anthony Richardson and Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts: This one went about as expected with the rookie looking mostly the part of an inexperienced quarterback on the road and the veteran backup coming out on top. Minshew (6-for-6, 72 yards) didn’t throw a touchdown pass or turn over the ball, though he was sacked twice. Richardson had a slightly more adventurous afternoon, completing seven of 12 passes for 67 yards with an interception. He rushed twice for seven yards without taking a sack. No one should be surprised by these stat lines, nor should it dampen any enthusiasm around Richardson being a viable fantasy starter at some point in 2023.
RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills: The dangerous rusher managed 20 yards and a ground score on his four-carry showing. He was by far the most effective back on the roster in this contest, and we can expect his fantasy stock to slightly climb in the coming days.
RB Israel Abanikanda, New York Jets: Gang Green may be on to something with the fifth-round rookie as Breece Hall eases back into the mix. Abanikanda scored last week in the Hall of Fame Game and was granted 15 utilizations in this one. He generated 56 rushing yards (4.7 YPC) and 31 receiving yards on three grabs. Hall will return to the RB1 role at some point, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see more of Abanikanda sprinkled in than what was expected even a month ago. He’s racing closer to being the primary handcuff to Hall, provided the Jets don’t dip into the free-agent pool for one of the established veterans.
RB Deuce Vaughn, Dallas Cowboys: A short TD run in the red zone enhanced an already respectable line that ultimately saw the pint-sized rookie rush for 50 yards on eight handles. Vaughn also added three catches but for a mere six yards. Dallas may have found a dynamic spell for Tony Pollard, although just how much of Vaughn we see on a weekly basis is a major question mark. He remains little more than a late-round curiosity in most fantasy circles.
RB Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars: The aptly named rook rumbled for 52 yards on nine carries, including a long of 34, and Bigsby further helped himself in a bid to secure the RB2 job after a strong offseason. D’Ernest Johnson also ran well, averaging 6.2 yards per carry on his five attempts, so Bigsby isn’t quite cemented into the role just yet.
Friday, Aug. 11 notables
QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers‘ replacement is starting to gain steam in fantasy drafts, and his ascension should continue after a 7-for-10 performance that resulted in a 112.9 rating and a well-placed touchdown strike in tight coverage to Romeo Doubs. Love is a high-upside backup who could threaten QB1 territory if he adds bonus value with his legs.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions: The Lions invested a first-round selection on the dynamic back, and Gibbs was decent enough overall in his first showing as a pro. The Alabama standout rushed for a subpar 19 yards on six carries but showed his big-play potential with an 18-yard catch. Gibbs should be a highly efficient RB2 producer when it matters.
QB Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos: Our first live-action glimpse into Russell Wilson‘s response to the hiring of Sean Payton was a mixed bag that skewed favorable for the former Seattle star. He could have been more efficient and was credited with a fumble, albeit one he recovered, but Wilson didn’t throw an interception. His performance ended with an inefficient seven completions on 13 attempts for respectable 92 yards and a TD toss to Jerry Jeudy. Wilson has sneaky QB2 value on this trajectory.
WR Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers: The second-year receiver managed to haul in a 12-yard touchdown with little wiggle room against blanketing coverage. Doubs landed both of his targets for 21 total yards. He is currently going after WR60, on average, which is criminally low. Expect his stock to rise in the coming week.
RB De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins: Another dynamic rookie, Achane also fared better through the sky than on the ground. He rushed a team-high 10 times for just 25 yards with a long of six. As a pass-catching outlet, however, Achane made a case for a part-time role with four grabs for 41 yards on a quartet of targets. Miami still may not be done adding to its backfield, but we’re likely looking at a change-of-pace role for the rook, barring an injury requiring more from him in Year 1.
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QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers: A 70-yard, one-TD showing on six of seven passing should have fantasy managers more encouraged about the overall profile of the Steelers’ aerial game. George Pickens hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass after Pittsburgh opened by throwing on four of the first five plays and seven times out of 10 snaps during its opening drive. Pickett remains a low-tier QB2 but has a hint more upside than most want to admit, though a deep position will hold down his ADP.
RBs Chris Evans and Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals: The numbers weren’t huge, but Evans efficiently rushed for 49 yards on seven totes and may have taken a step closer to securing the No. 2 role behind Joe Mixon. Brown, the rookie, struggled to gain traction on the ground, rushing eight times for a mere 12 yards, though he was effective as a receiving outlet by snagging all three targets for 33 yards. Consider that as a possible preview of what could be the backfield usage if Mixon were to miss time.
QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs’ ongoing quarterback battle appeared to be favoring Mayfield prior to this outing, and anyone now claiming otherwise is likely related to Kyle Trask. The veteran journeyman threw for 63 yards and a short touchdown without turning over the ball, completing all but one of his nine attempts. Conversely, Trask finished with a 60 percent completion rate on 10 throws, and one of them ended up in the hands of the Pittsburgh defense. To Trask’s credit, he pushed the ball down the field with 9.9 yards per attempt, which was nearly three full yards more than Mayfield. This competition will come down to which quarterback does a better job of protecting the rock. After one week, Mayfield remains in the lead.
QB Sam Howell, Washington Commanders: Head coach Ron Rivera said way back before OTAs that he would give Howell every chance to win the starting job, and a performance like Friday’s certainly helped the second-year quarterback. Howell finished the night with 77 yards on 9-for-12 passing and threw a 26-yard score to Jahan Dotson in what could be a preview of a quality connection this season. The young quarterback also ran for eight yards. Veteran backup Jacoby Brissett managed 75 yards on his 6-of-10 day, though he threw an interception. On the ground, however, the well-traveled pro rushed for a 12-yard score to save face. As long as Howell mitigates turnovers and moves the ball effectively, he’ll remain in the driver’s seat.
Thursday, Aug. 10 notables
WR Tank Dell, Houston Texans: The explosive rookie stole the show Thursday night, landing five of his eight targets for 65 yards and an acrobatic touchdown grab from Davis Mills. Three targets marked the next most by any Texan, and Dell accounted for more yards than the next trio of guys combined. The 5-foot-8, 165-pounder is lethal in open space and a nightmare for man coverage. Given how flimsy the rest of the receiving corps is on paper, Dell deserves some late-round attention in deeper fantasy leagues.
QBs Davis Mills and C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans: Stroud started the game but looked pretty much like what you’d expect from a rookie in his first NFL appearance. He mustered only 13 yards on two of four passing, and the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft threw an interception. He ran for six yards on two rushes and lost 15 yards on his lone sack taken. The Texans turned to Mills, who threw the aforementioned scoring strike to Dell. Mills, too, turned over the ball with a fumble. Overall, it was a stronger night for Mills than Stroud. He completed 75 percent of his dozen attempts for 99 yards (8.3-yard average) and didn’t take a sack. Even if this showing gains Mills a slight leg up for the Week 1 job “battle,” he holds no value in fantasy but could buoy the worth of some targets. Stroud will take his lumps but is the team’s future and, therefore, deserves closer scrutiny over the final two preseason contests.
QB Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots: Mac Jones didn’t play in this one, which tells us everything one needs to know about where he stands in the competition. Zappe looked fine but failed to impress thanks to an unwillingness to push the ball down the field. He completed 12 of his 14 attempts but averaged just 5.6 yards per throw and took two sacks. Jones will need to get injured or flop in a major way before we see the 2022 fourth-rounder in meaningful action.
