Preseason Week 3 Fantasy Football Takeaways: What's Real and What's Overhyped?

     

Preseason Matters.

Anyone who says otherwise simply isn’t trying hard enough to win at fantasy football.

Yes, the preseason will sometimes steer us in the wrong direction. But if you know what to look for -- namely, usage rather than production -- there’s a lot to gain.

That’s what we’re doing here. Digging into a lot of usage and a little tape to sharpen our fantasy football rankings heading into peak draft season.

Here are the most important takeaways from the third week of preseason action.

Note: All snap and route rates are from Pro Football Focus.

 

NFL Preseason Takeaways - Week 3

Will The Steelers Backfield Be A Three-Man Committee?

The Steelers rolled out three different RBs across QB Mason Rudolph’s three drives. Jaylen Warren got the start, handling early downs on the first two possessions, while Kenneth Gainwell mixed in for passing situations. Johnson worked into the rotation on the third drive.

We know Warren will be involved at least as a change-of-pace and pass-catching back. Johnson’s role figures to grow throughout the season as a third-round rookie. He looked good in this one, taking five carries for 24 yards. 

Those guys could co-exist in what figures to be a run-leaning offense.

But if Gainwell is going to steal work, this will turn into a nightmare for fantasy footballers. His involvement in passing situations would be especially damaging to Warren, who we’ve been projecting as the clear passing-down back for this team.

I’m still betting on talent winning out here, and Warren and Johnson eventually claiming the vast majority of Pittsburgh’s backfield work. But I’m also not putting it past OC Arthur Smith to torture us with a three-man committee all year.

 

D’Andre Swift Could Be In For A Big Role

Swift operated as a workhorse with the first-team offense in Chicago’s dress rehearsal for Week 1. He played 20 of 21 snaps over QB Caleb Williams’ first three drives before calling it a night.

Now, there’s a big caveat here: RBs Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai missed this game with injuries. So we don’t know exactly what this backfield will look like when healthy.

Then again ... Johnson and Monangai are both hurt. It’s unclear if either will be ready for the regular-season opener. Or if they'll be ready for significant roles.

And it was nice to see in this one that the Bears are willing to use Swift in an every-down role. He helped his case with his performance, carrying seven times for 28 yards and hurdling a defender on a six-yard reception.

D’ANDRE SWIFT USER HURDLE

pic.twitter.com/3QpGZuEYTK

— Barstool Chicago (@barstoolchicago) August 23, 2025

Swift still carries a wide range of outcomes this season. But the preseason finale has me feeling a little more excited about his ceiling case.

 

Isiah Pacheco Won’t Be A Workhorse

Pacheco got the start and operated as Kansas City’s clear lead back with QB Patrick Mahomes and the first-team offense. But he ceded some early-down work to Hunt and passing-down snaps to Smith.

That usage shouldn’t shock anyone. We’ve been projecting Pacheco for this type of role all offseason. He’s still a good bet to beat his RB24 ADP.

The concern: if Hunt and Smith stay this involved all year, Pacheco’s ceiling takes a hit. He ranked seventh among RBs in PPR points per game over his final 11 outings in 2023, but that came with a 63% carry share and 10% target share. It doesn't look like he'll hit those marks early on this year.

The good news? Pacheco looked explosive against the Bears, ripping off 21 yards and a TD on three carries. That score came right after Hunt got stuffed from the 3-yard line.

Pacheco has clearly looked like the better player this preseason. There’s a chance his role grows at Hunt’s expense as the year goes on. Pacheco remains a target for me at his Round 6 price tag.

As for the rest of the backfield, Hunt looks set to open the season as the No. 2 RB and Pacheco handcuff. But he’s not an exciting pick after a woefully inefficient 2024. 

Smith is a more exciting bench stash. It’s bullish that the rookie has already earned some first-team snaps. The former college WR could work his way into a valuable pass-catching role later this season.

 

Is Marvin Mims Actually A Full-Time Player?

Mims has been an efficient per-play receiver through two NFL seasons, averaging 10.4 yards per target and 2.0 yards per route.

The problem is that he’s never seen enough playing time or targets to be a real fantasy factor.

If preseason usage is any indication, the playing time part of that equation is about to change. Mims played all 21 snaps and ran a route on all 15 of QB Bo Nix’s dropbacks in the preseason finale. He registered a 92% route rate with Nix this preseason.

For comparison, Mims posted 41% and 30% route rates over his first two NFL seasons. His role grew over Denver’s final six games last year. But even then, he ran a route on just 46% of pass plays.

Mims looks like a lock to play more this year -- and probably a lot more.

Skeptics will point out that he totaled just one catch on one target on his 24 preseason routes. But the playing time is much more important than the production, especially on this small a sample size.

Plus, Mims was a legitimately good prospect. He led Oklahoma in receiving in all three years on campus, blazed a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, and got Round 2 draft capital. There’s breakout potential here if Mims is in a full-time role this season.

  

Harold Fannin Set For Significant Role

Fannin was held out of Cleveland’s second preseason game, along with the team’s other key contributors. That was a clue that he’s in line for a significant role right out of the gate.

We seemingly got confirmation in the Browns’ preseason finale. Fannin was a staple in the Joe Flacco-led offense, playing 11 of 17 snaps and running a route on seven of 11 dropbacks. He was targeted on two of Flacco’s 10 passes, catching both for 16 yards. That included this 15-yard TD.

The Browns rolled out ‘12’ personnel with Fannin and TE David Njoku on 42% of their snaps with Flacco, according to Pro Football Focus. We could see that rate hold in the regular season considering Cleveland’s dearth of talent at WR.

Fannin lined up all over the formation vs. the Rams:

• Inline - 7 snaps
• Backfield - 2 snaps
• Slot - 1 snap
• Wide - 1 snap

Fannin is still more likely an Njoku handcuff than standalone fantasy option. But the rookie will be an intriguing player to monitor early this season.

 

Preseason Takeaways Matter: Updated Rankings

If you're not altering your rankings based on preseason action, you're doing it wrong.

Our fantasy football rankings are updated every single day from now until the start of the regular season.

Those always-fresh rankings fuel the customized cheat sheet on your Draft War Room.

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NFL Preseason Takeaways - Week 2

The Seahawks Running Game Is Rolling

Seattle is breaking in a new OC with a re-tooled offensive line. But the running game is already clicking.

After tallying for 170 rushing yards in the opener against Las Vegas, the Seahawks ripped the Chiefs for 268 yards in Week 2. They’re averaging 5.5 yards per carry as a team through two exhibitions.

We’ve seen a lot of ‘12’ (2-TE) and ‘21’ personnel (1-RB, 1-FB) from OC Klint Kubiak. And the running lanes have been big.

Perhaps most impressive is that Seattle has done it without top RB Ken Walker, who’s been nursing a sore foot. While durability remains a concern there, Walker’s upside is tantalizing in this Kubiak scheme.

And RB Zach Charbonnet continues to look like one of the best handcuffs in fantasy football.

 

Breece Hall Loses Third-Down Snaps To … Braelon Allen?!

RB Isaiah Davis handled third-down work in the Jets’ preseason opener. He missed Saturday’s game against the Giants, which should have left third-down duties to Hall … right?

Nope. Allen played all five third downs with the starters, while also mixing in on a few early downs. It’s a real head scratcher considering Hall’s track record in the passing game. 

Perhaps the Jets don’t trust him in pass protection. But Hall ranked 15th out of 35 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus’ 2024 pass-blocking grades, beating both Allen and Davis.

It wasn’t all bad news for Hall, though. His 61% snap rate and 50% route rate in this one would have both been top-20 marks among RBs last year. And he handled seven carries and one target across QB Justin Fields' 18 snaps. That's a full-game pace of well over 20 opportunities.

It’s clear at this point that Hall will not be a three-down workhorse for these Jets. But he still looks like the lead back for an offense that will rely heavily on its backfield. That keeps Hall safely inside RB2 territory in our rankings.

Allen looked good again in this one, ripping off 34 yards on seven carries. He’s up to 4.5 yards per carry this preseason.

Then there was this from insider Albert Breer:

Tough to imagine a “monster year” from Allen without a Hall trade. But it continues to look like he’ll have a significant role -- potentially big enough to make him a RB3 or Flex option in half- and non-PPR leagues.

 

Tyler Warren Is Going To Play A LOT

Warren played 14 of starting QB Daniel Jones’ 15 snaps vs. the Packers, running a route on 10 of 11 dropbacks. He was targeted three times and made this impressive 25-yard grab through contact: 

Warren has now run a route on 20 of 25 pass plays with the first-team offense through two preseason games. That 80% route rate would put him in elite territory. Only six TEs topped that mark last year. All six of them finished top-15 in PPR points per game.

QB play remains a concern for Warren. But with his talent and this type of role, he has a good chance to produce as a fantasy TE1 as a rookie.

  

Tank Bigsby & Travis Etienne Split First-Team Work

Etienne played all 12 snaps with QB Trevor Lawrence and the first-team offense in the preseason opener. Then Bigsby took over as an every-down back for the next two drives.

Jacksonville’s backfield looked a lot different in preseason Week 2 -- and probably a lot closer to what we’ll see in the regular-season opener.

Bigsby drew the start and worked in a timeshare with Etienne. Etienne played more third-down snaps, but both the total snaps and pass routes were nearly dead even.

We’re projecting the backfield to look similar early this season, with Bigsby holding a slight lead over Etienne in carries, and Etienne handling most of the passing-down work.

RB Bhayshul Tuten went snap-less with the first-team offense for the second straight exhibition. The rookie won’t be an early-season fantasy factor. 

But this backfield figures to remain fluid. Tuten has looked good this preseason and is a threat to take on a bigger role -- maybe even the lead role -- over the second half of the year.

Ultimately, I’m still willing to invest in all three of these guys at their current prices.

  

Nick Chubb Looks Better Than Expected

The reports on Chubb have not been good this summer. So I was pleasantly surprised by what he put on tape running with the first-team offense on Saturday. It wasn’t vintage Chubb, but he flashed some burst and leg drive on his way to 25 yards on five carries.

Chubb played 11 of QB C.J. Stroud’s 14 snaps, ceding passing-down work to RB Dare Ogunbowale. 

RB Dameon Pierce, who has reportedly been splitting first-team work with Chubb in camp, didn’t play in this game as he works back from a quad injury. So it’s still unclear exactly how this backfield would operate if RB Joe Mixon isn’t ready for Week 1.

It doesn’t look like rookie Woody Marks is ticketed for an early-season role, though. And Chubb’s showing in this one makes him a more palatable late-round target. We nudged him a few spots up the RB rankings.

  

Colston Loveland Shares Work With Cole Kmet

This was our first look at Ben Johnson’s starting offense. QB Caleb Williams looked excellent. But we got an ugly timeshare at TE between Loveland and Kmet.

The pair was on the field together for five of QB Caleb Williams’ 14 snaps. Kmet out-snapped Loveland five to four otherwise, with both guys finishing with uninspiring route rates.

It’d be easy to say that Loveland’s role will quickly grow as we get into the regular season -- and it certainly might.

But Kmet won’t go away easily. He’s a quality player who has 258 NFL receptions, including 230 over his last four seasons.

Loveland remains an exciting redraft target: A high-level prospect in an ascending offense who’s reportedly had an awesome training camp. 

But he’ll need a much bigger role than he had in preseason Week 2 if he’s going to be a reliable fantasy play. He remains more of a bench stash than viable Week 1 starter.

  

Kaleb Johnson Is Steelers' No. 3 RB (For Now)

For the second straight preseason game, Jaylen Warren was held out and RB Kenneth Gainwell started ahead of Johnson.

Johnson mixed in with the starting offense in both games. And he ran well in Week 2, taking 11 carries for 50 yards (4.5 YPC). 

“I thought Kaleb Johnson really took a step forward off of his first performance,” HC Mike Tomlin said afterward. “It felt like we saw more of his talent tonight.”

I’d be surprised if Johnson is out-touched by Gainwell come Week 1. But the rookie is shaping up as a risky early-season fantasy starter.

The biggest fantasy takeaway here is that Warren is locked into a significant role and will be the best fantasy bet in Pittsburgh’s backfield early on this year.

  

Jaxson Dart Impresses Again

Dart has had an uneven training camp by most accounts. But he’s been awesome in two preseason appearances.

The rookie smoked the Jets for 137 yards and a TD on 14-of-16 passing on Saturday. Through two preseason outings, Dart has posted:

• A 74.3% completion rate
• 8.3 yards per attempt
• 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs

Yes, it’s all come against backups. But all the tools that made Dart an intriguing NFL and fantasy prospect have been on display: A big arm with an aggressive mentality and plus mobility.

Dart’s 74.1 Pro Football Focus passing grade ranks eighth among 52 QBs with 20+ dropbacks this preseason.

Russell Wilson will open the season as New York’s starter. But the calls for Dart will be loud the moment Wilson falters.

Based on what we’ve seen this preseason, Dart looks capable of being a fantasy factor at least in 2-QB and superflex leagues if he gets a shot this year.

  

Rookie WRs Have Depth-Chart Climbing To Do

All five of these Day 2 rookie WRs have not yet captured starting jobs.

It’s not a surprise. We often see rookies slowly worked into their new offenses before breaking out over the second half of their debut campaigns. All five of these guys remain intriguing bench stashes at various levels but are not looking like early-season fantasy starters.

Let’s briefly examine each one:

Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans

He ran a route on just two of QB C.J. Stroud’s seven dropbacks against the Panthers. WRs Nico Collins and Christian Kirk are locked into starting jobs to open the season. Higgins is currently behind Xavier Hutchinson for the other outside spot opposite Collins. I would not expect that to remain the case for long. But we’ll need to see Higgins’ playing time grow before we can trust him in fantasy lineups.

Luther Burden, Chicago Bears

D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and Olamide Zaccheaus were the only WRs to play with QB Caleb Williams vs. the Bills. Moore and Odunze’s roles are solidified. Burden is currently behind Zaccheaus for primary slot duties, which isn’t a surprise after the rookie missed much of the spring and the start of training camp with a hamstring injury. Zaccheaus has reportedly had a strong camp, but he’s been a limited player through six NFL seasons. Expect Burden to pass him on the depth chart by October.

Tre Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

He didn’t get on the field for any of QB Justin Herbert’s eight snaps vs. the Rams, despite Quentin Johnston exiting on the third snap with a concussion. Johnston was replaced by rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith. That puts Harris fifth on the depth chart right now, although he likely helped his cause by finishing this game with six catches for 85 yards. Harris is still a fine late-round bench stash, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t emerge as a viable fantasy starter this season. His game needs refining.

Jack Bech, Las Vegas Raiders

As has been the case all offseason, Bech is running behind Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and fellow rookie D’Onte Thornton. Bech has played zero first-team snaps through two preseason games. But, he’s played 47 of his 48 preseason snaps on the outside, which is good news for his potential 2025 fantasy value. It means he’s competing for playing time with Tucker and Thornton, rather than Meyers. I’d expect Bech to take over an outside spot at some point this season, but he’s my least favorite stash among these five rookies.

Kyle Williams, New England Patriots

He ran a route on three of QB Drake Maye’s seven dropbacks vs. the Vikings. That was fewer than Mack Hollins (6), Kayshon Boutte (5), and Demario Douglas (4). Stefon Diggs didn’t play. Diggs and Douglas are locked into their roles, leaving Williams to battle Hollins and Boutte for the last top-three spot on the depth chart. I don’t expect Williams to open the season with a significant role, but I do expect him to earn one by the second half of the year. His route running has been impressive through two exhibitions.

  

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NFL Preseason Takeaways - Week 1

Is R.J. Harvey Already Denver’s Lead Back?

Harvey might be the biggest winner of preseason Week 1.

The rookie operated as the clear lead back with QB Bo Nix and the first-team offense in the opener, playing more snaps and running more routes than J.K. Dobbins. Per Pro Football Focus, Harvey played 12 of the 13 early-down snaps. Five of Dobbins' seven snaps came on third downs.

We can't say for sure that the backfield split will work this way when the games start to count. But it's especially notable when a rookie gets this type of usage in his first preseason game.

Plus, this deployment makes sense. The Broncos made a much bigger investment in Harvey than Dobbins. And the rookie's biggest weakness is pass protection.

Harvey's performance vs. the 49ers was a mixed bag. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, with four of his seven runs going for two or fewer yards. But he also flashed impressive change of direction and burst to get the edge on this 11-yard run.

HC Sean Payton said after this game that, "next week we'll flip it up ... relative to seeing some of the other backs earlier." We'll see exactly what that means, but this was undoubtedly a bullish start for Harvey's 2025 fantasy outlook.

We boosted him in the RB rankings and will likely push him up further if he gets similar usage in Week 2.

 

Chase Brown Still In A Feature Role

This wasn’t quite the same role Brown had over his final eight games of last season, when he led all RBs in expected PPR points per game and ranked fourth in actual points per game. But it was close.

For comparison, here was Brown's usage over his final eight last year:

• 85% snap rate
• 66% route rate
• 83% carry share
• 13% carry share

Brown ceded four passing-down snaps to RB Samaje Perine in this year’s preseason opener. But he was on the field for every other snap with Burrow, including a 3rd-and-1. That suggests Brown will get short-yardage and goal-line work.

His highlight was this nasty stiff arm on a nine-yard catch-and-run.

Set to play a super valuable role in a high-scoring offense, Brown looks like a locked-in RB1 with upside into the top five.

He sits ninth in our updated RB rankings.

 

The Jets Are Serious About Using Three Backs

We probably shouldn’t be surprised by this one. HC Aaron Glenn said way back in March that he wanted to use three RBs this season. That's exactly what he did in the preseason opener.

Hall got the start but rotated with Allen on early downs and gave way to Davis for both third downs on QB Justin Fields' lone 10-play drive.

It's worth noting that Hall was pulled along with Fields after that first dive, while Allen and Davis played for the rest of the first half. Hall is clearly atop this depth chart, but we now have even more evidence that he'll be in a three-man committee. That'll make it very tough for him to return more than RB2 value.

We clipped Hall's projections, knocking him down to 15th in the PPR RB rankings.

A three-RB rotation will also make it more difficult for Allen to be a standalone fantasy option -- although Davis taking passing-down work is much less of a concern for Allen than Hall.

   

Chuba Hubbard in Danger of Losing Work

Hubbard got the start vs. Cleveland but was pulled for Dowdle on both third-down snaps on the opening drive.

Dowdle then started Carolina’s second drive before giving way to Hubbard on a third-and-goal.

We’re certainly not ready to project this as a 50/50 split when the games start to count. But it seems safe to assume that Hubbard won’t have the workhorse role that made him a top-10 fantasy RB over his final 13 games last season.

It would especially make sense for the Panthers to look elsewhere on passing downs. Hubbard was horrible as a receiver last year, ranking 36th among 37 qualifying RBs in both yards per route and Pro Football Focus receiving grade.

Dowdle ranked 30th and 21st in those metrics. And he made a sweet diving grab for 20 yards against the Browns on Friday night.

We shaved a little more passing-game work from Hubbard’s projections after this game. (We already had him well below last year’s level.) He’s best viewed as a mid-range RB2.

I’m still not betting on Dowdle having standalone fantasy value, although it’s possible. He at least looks like the Hubbard handcuff. Rookie RB Trevor Etienne didn’t get any snaps with Young in this one.

       

Was TreVeyon Henderson’s Preseason Debut As Good As It Looked?

Henderson figures to be one of the biggest ADP risers from the first week of preseason action. He scored a 100-yard kick-return TD on his very first touch, took a pitch off left tackle for 18 yards, and was targeted three times, including on a screen.

Henderson looked explosive and ready to make an immediate impact for the Patriots and fantasy teams.

But it wasn’t all good news. Henderson played only seven of QB Drake Maye’s 14 snaps. And New England passed on six of those plays.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson was much busier as a ball carrier. And he looked good, ripping off 36 yards on seven carries (5.1 YPC).

Henderson is a virtual lock to pick up a bigger chunk of the rushing work during the regular season. But Stevenson may finish the year with more carries. As Pro Football Focus’ Nathan Jahnke points out, OC Josh McDaniels has had different RBs lead in carries and third-down snaps in 17 of his 18 seasons as a HC or OC.

Henderson got a bump up the RB rankings after Friday night’s game. But Stevenson’s presence has us shy of going all in on the rookie.

 

An Unexpected Turn In Jacksonville's Backfield

This was the most surprising usage from the first week of preseason. After consistent reports out of Jaguars camp that Tank Bigsby was operating as the lead back, Etienne played all 12 of Trevor Lawrence's snaps vs. the Steelers.

Bigsby played the next two drives with second-string QB Nick Mullens.

Here's what Sports Illustrated's John Shipley, who had been driving the Bigsby bandwagon at training camp, wrote after the game:

"Perhaps this is reading too much into it, but considering how key the screen game is in Liam Coen's offense, it sure feels like Etienne might be the best fit for the unit today. That is not to say Bigsby will not get work and have a role in the offense, but Etienne's ability as a pass-catcher may give him the edge."

Etienne will not be a 100% snap-rate player this season. It's possible that HC Liam Coen wants to rotate these RBs by drive this season, and that Bigsby will get the first-team work in Week 2. It's also possible, although much less likely, that the Jaguars were showcasing Etienne for a trade.

But it's also possible that those camp reports were leading us astray. Etienne is certainly Jacksonville's most accomplished pass-catching back, which could give him the early-season nod for playing time.

One more note on this backfield: LeQuint Allen hit the field before fellow rookie Bhayshul Tuten. Both guys played into the fourth quarter.

We're still talking through what to do with these Jaguars RBs in the rankings. I'm still willing to take shots on Etienne, Bigsby, and Tuten in drafts because of how productive Coen's Buccaneers backfield was last year. But projecting what this backfield will look like hasn't gotten any easier.

  

Travis Hunter Plays Full-Time On Offense

Chalk one up for the offense!

Hunter was nearly a full-time player with QB Trevor Lawrence and the first-team offense in the preseason opener, running a route on seven of eight pass plays.

He didn't hit the field on defense until the Steelers' second possession. Hunter wound up playing 11 snaps on offense and eight on defense.

This doesn't guarantee anything when it comes to the regular season. But the tea leaves continue to suggest that Hunter will play a significant role on offense out of the gate.

It's also worth noting that he lined up in the slot for five of his 11 offensive snaps vs. the Steelers. That's been an important position in HC Liam Coen's offense.

If this usage sticks in the regular season, Hunter would have a good chance at WR2-level production.

  

Bryce Young Looks Ready To Take Another Leap

Young was much better after returning from his five-game benching last year. And if his 2025 preseason debut is any indication, he’s primed to take another leap this year.

Young was surgical in completing four of six passes for 58 yards and a score across two possessions vs. the Browns. His best throw was this dime to WR Tetairoa McMillan for 30 yards.

Later in that drive, he threw a perfect strike to McMillan in the end zone that was dropped. Young came back on the next play and connected with WR Jalen Coker for a five-yard TD on a scramble drill.

Young earned an 83.0 Pro Football Focus passing grade that ranked sixth among all QBs on the week.

QB is too deep this year to get Young anywhere near the top-12 in our rankings. But it wouldn't be a shock if he finished there by season's end.

He's a nice value in best ball and superflex drafts. And he could emerge as a streaming option in 1-QB leagues.

 

Chig Okonkwo: Confirmed Sleeper

I’ve been touting Okonkwo as a deep sleeper all offseason. So I’m not gonna miss this opportunity to highlight his strong usage in the preseason opener.

Chig played every snap with QB Cam Ward and, more importantly, ran a route on all eight of Ward's dropbacks.

Okonkwo ran a route on 65% of pass plays in his 16 healthy games last year, although that climbed to 72% over his final five. His per-game averages during that stretch:

• 7.6 targets
• 5.6 catches
• 43.4 yards

Okonkwo looks set to play a similar role -- maybe even better -- this season. He remains undervalued at his TE23 ADP.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions About NFL Preseason

When does NFL preseason start?

The 2025 NFL preseason started on July 31 with the Hall of Fame game between the Chargers and Lions. The first full week of preseason started on August 7.

How many preseason games are in the NFL in 2025?

The majority of teams will play three preseason games in 2025. The Chargers and Lions, who played in the Hall of Fame Game, will have four preseason games.

Are any NFL preseason games televised?

Many preseason games are televised on local channels. NFL Network also shows preseason games, both live and taped.