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 final week of the preseason. Since the NFL splits the games up over several days, be sure to check back multiple times for updates.
Saturday, Aug. 26
QB Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets: Making his debut, Rodgers completed five of his eight attempts for 47 yards and a phenomenal touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson, his presumed favorite target for fantasy purposes. Wilson finished with three catches, 30 yards and that score. Rodgers has been on the rise of late in drafts and is in the conversation of low-end QB1 status.
WR Justyn Ross, Kansas City Chiefs: Anyone playing attention to KC’s offseason has heard glowing praise of this former Clemson standout. Ross is a large-framed receiver with a year of learning under his belt, and he has been turning heads this summer. The Chiefs smartly sat Patrick Mahomes for this contest, so it was backup Shane Buechele who tossed a high-point ball in the end zone for the 6-foot-4 Ross to haul. Although he may not be more than a role player in 2023, Ross is worthy of a late-round flier on the premise of “what if.”
QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers: While it wasn’t as clean as gamers may have hoped for, Love still managed to get the job done. He threw for 63 yards and a six-yard score to Christian Watson. Love added 21 rushing yards on three carries, and he didn’t turn over the ball. Now, it wasn’t all roses as the young pro averaged a ridiculously low 4.2 yards per attempt.
QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The former top pick of Cleveland is looking quite comfy in Tampa’s offense under Dave Canales. The weaponry is strong for Mayfield, who completed all of his six attempts for 43 yards and a strike to Chris Godwin in the back of the end zone. Mayfield is an intriguing gamble for leagues that allow two starting QBs and/or best-ball setups as a No. 3. If nothing else, Tampa’s aerial weapons shouldn’t totally stink up the joint in fantasy.
Jacksonville Jaguars backup running backs: D’Ernest Johnson is doing everything in his power to leapfrog JaMycal Hasty on the unofficial depth chart. Unfortunately for Johnson, who rushed for a line of 6-26-1 and caught two passes for eight yards, Hasty also found paydirt on one of his two carries (16 yards). Tank Bigsby entered the game as the No. 2 and ran well — 37 yards on only six attempts — but he lost a fumble, which could draw the ire of his coaches. While he shouldn’t lose the primary backup role, the lack of ball security is something to keep an eye on.
Cleveland Browns backup running backs: Jerome Ford has been on the shelf the last few weeks, though he is hopeful for a Week 1 return. In the meantime, Cleveland has auditioned John Kelly and Demetric Felton the last couple of preseason games to possibly unseat Ford. Two weeks ago, Felton looked like he had gained the edge, but a preseason Week 3 showing of only nine yards on six carries has dampened any enthusiasm surrounding his potential. Felton added a six-yard catch on his lone reception (two targets). Kelly, on the other hand, rushed for 20 yards on his six attempts and scored a touchdown. Additionally, he logged 33 yards on three catches from four targeted passes. Tuesday’s roster cuts will be interesting.
WR Kristian Wilkerson, Las Vegas Raiders: Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t play, and Wilkerson’s statistical outburst may catch an eye, but it doesn’t make him relevant in fantasy. Wilkerson knows Josh McDaniels’ system from their time together in New England, but he’ll be absolutely no better than the team’s fourth receiver, presuming he secured a roster spot with the 10-catch, 122-yard performance.
Friday, Aug. 25
QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers: The No. 1 overall pick looked considerably improved in Week 3 of the preseason, throwing for 73 yards on seven of 12 passing. He tossed a TD to Adam Thielen (4-48-1), and Young added 21 yards on three rushes. While encouraging, Detroit rested its starters for the most part, so don’t read too much into it.
Thursday, Aug. 24
Pittsburgh Steelers offense: Kenny Pickett has enjoyed a fantastic preseason and should be climbing up draft rankings into the upper quadrant of backups. He finished a cool 4-for-4 with completions of 33 and 35 yards to Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, respectively, leading to a field goal on the opening drive. Running back Najee Harris caught a 16-yarder from the second-year pro on the second drive, which led to a Jaylen Warren score two plays later. Harris added a touchdown of his own before the starters were pulled. The Steelers are clicking, and the final warmup for the regular season couldn’t have gone much smoother for the first-string offense.
QB Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts: As expected, Richardson had a few positive moments and plenty of rookie ones. He completed just six of his 17 throws for 78 yards — a lowly 4.6 average — and was charged with a fumble that was recovered by Indy. On the ground, the No. 4 overall selection racked up 38 yards on five attempts to pace the starting offense. Richardson’s profile suggests much of the same with the occasional statistical outburst during 2023.
Indianapolis Colts running backs: With Jonathan Taylor (ankle, trade request) and Zack Moss (arm) absent, the backfield opened with Deon Jackson as the starter. He accounted for eight yards and a score on four rushes. Rookie Evan Hull was the next man up, logging 25 yards and a score on his six carries. The next two series saw Jackson rotated back in, and then the Colts turned to Kenyan Drake and Jake Funk. Jackson and Moss should split reps once the latter is healthy, but this backfield screams headache for fantasy purposes.
