Fantasy: Biggest takeaways from Week 2 of NFL preseason

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Wilson, Davis taking flight

We focused last week on rookies like Trey Lance, Justin Fields, and Trevor Lawrence. But respect must be paid to Zach Wilson, who made a significant mark on the stat sheet in his second preseason outing with the Jets.

Wilson completed nine of his 11 attempts for 128 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers. Both scores went to veteran tight end Tyler Kroft - pour one out for Chris Herndon's fantasy relevance - but wideout Corey Davis has become the clear favorite in New York's passing attack.

Davis has secured six catches for 88 yards through two exhibition outings while being targeted 10 times on just 24 snaps.

That's great news for those drafting based on my rankings since Davis has been inside my top 100 for a while now. His value might take a slight hit when rookie Elijah Moore is in the lineup, but the Jets' big-ticket free-agent addition is on track to lead New York in receiving in 2021.

Wilson, meanwhile, is getting a trial by fire to start his career, and the early returns seem positive. Despite missing a couple of practices at the beginning of camp, he's responded well to everything the coaching staff has put on his plate.

It's important to remember Gang Green has an entirely new group on the sideline; with the investments the Jets made in the offseason - especially on offense - there's plenty of reason for hope.

While there's still a long way to go before managers can feel confident in Wilson as a fantasy asset, this is a solid start for the baby-faced 22-year-old many pegged as the bust of this year's crop of first-round quarterbacks.

Lance is inevitable

We covered Trey Lance's preseason debut in last week's recap - a performance that featured a handful of rookie mistakes and a couple of awe-inspiring plays.

The 2021 third overall pick hit an early speed bump this time out, throwing for multiple incompletions and a deflating interception against the Chargers. But the night wasn't over.

Lance rebounded with an impressive two-minute drill capped by a touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu. He led another scoring drive in the third quarter, eventually threading the needle to find Travis Benjamin for a 16-yard score.

Jimmy Garoppolo, meanwhile, had a short and uninspiring night, going 3-of-6 for 15 yards and an interception of his own.

It's still possible that Lance forces 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to start him in Week 1 by showing out in practice and San Francisco's final preseason game. But the most likely outcome remains a few early starts for Garoppolo before the 49ers move to Lance - similar to what the Dolphins did last year when Ryan Fitzpatrick passed the baton to Tua Tagovailoa after Miami's bye week.

San Francisco's bye comes in Week 6.

Steelers rookies making their mark

The Steelers' offense fizzled out down the stretch last season. Whether the blame belonged to Ben Roethlisberger's declining arm, subpar blocking, or the lack of a steady run game, Pittsburgh clearly needed to do something.

Enter rookies Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth.

Having a first-round running back in the fold is a game-changer. Though Harris has lacked efficiency on the ground through Pittsburgh's three exhibition contests - 13 carries for 42 yards - he flashed his skills as a pass-catcher against the Lions with 53 yards through the air, highlighted by a 46-yard catch-and-run up the sideline.

Even if run blocking remains an issue - the Steelers ranked 31st among 32 teams in our recent offensive line rankings - Harris will get by on volume and pass-down work. He's in the fantasy conversation as a fringe RB1.

Fellow Pittsburgh rookie Freiermuth didn't come with the same kind of expectations; tight ends normally take a couple of years to acclimate to the pros. But after he caught two touchdowns from Roethlisberger, we might have to adjust the second-rounder's timeline.

Eric Ebron remains the starter, for now. But it seems like Freirmuth could be carving out a Year 1 role. One also can't help but wonder if Freiermuth was undervalued simply because he shared a draft class with arguably the greatest tight end prospect of all time in Kyle Pitts.

Either way, an infusion of rookie playmakers is exactly what Roethlisberger and the Steelers needed as they gear up for another run in 2021.

Winston-Callaway connection

While Taysom Hill got the start over Jameis Winston in the Saints' first preseason game, both quarterbacks had their struggles against the Ravens' stout defense.

The Jaguars didn't put up nearly as much resistance against New Orleans this week, and the two Saints signal-callers took advantage - especially Winston, who completed all but one of his 10 pass attempts for 123 yards and two scores.

Both touchdowns were beautiful downfield throws to emerging star Marquez Callaway, who caught a 43-yard bomb on the opening drive while being interfered with in the end zone and later came down with a 29-yarder over the pylon.

Hill, to his credit, led a scoring drive of his own. But it's hard not to be impressed by some of the throws Winston made.

Winston and Hill will likely both get starts this year. But one has to think this performance has given Winston the edge to be the Week 1 starter.

He'll be moving up my rankings in the next update.

Instant Impressions

Teddy takes the lead? - Coming off a 105-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Seahawks, Teddy Bridgewater appears to be passing teammate Drew Lock in the race to be the Broncos' Week 1 starter. But Lock hasn't been bad, and head coach Vic Fangio refuses to tip his hand, so it's still possible Denver opens the year with the incumbent in hopes he answers the call. The Broncos can always turn to the more reliable Bridgewater if Lock struggles.

Tua silencing the critics - Not only is Tua Tagovailoa putting together a nice preseason, but he's also doing so with most of his top pass-catchers sidelined. The Dolphins' sophomore passer completed 16 of his 23 attempts for 183 yards and a score against the Falcons while looking poised in the pocket. Big things are coming if Miami can get all its weapons on the field at the same time.

Chase dealing with drops - First-round wideout Ja'Marr Chase has had trouble bringing in the ball during his first couple of preseason outings for the Bengals. The 21-year-old had three drops during Friday's game against Washington, and beat writers report those issues continued in practice over the weekend. The reports out of Monday's practice were more positive, serving as a reminder not to overreact to some early rookie hiccups. Even if Tee Higgins leads Cincinnati's receiving corps in 2021, Chase has a long and promising career ahead of him.

Meyers locked in as Patriots' No. 1 wideout - Jakobi Meyers is picking up where he left off after quietly leading the Patriots in receptions (59) and receiving yards (729) last year. His 3-56-1 stat line against the Eagles is also noteworthy since he's never scored a regular-season touchdown in the NFL. His ADP is climbing, but Meyers is definitely a player to target in drafts.

Singletary continues to shine - Zack Moss was back and ran well against the Bears - 21 yards on four carries - but Devin Singletary found the end zone again while gaining 21 yards on two rushes and another 5 yards on a reception. It seems like Singletary could enter the year as the Bills' starter, with Moss splitting carries. Josh Allen will likely limit both backs' fantasy projections, but their low ADPS should give managers a chance to take late swings at each.

Carter's ADP should be dropping - It's rare for a Day 3 or undrafted rookie running back to make a splash. Managers should keep that in mind with Michael Carter, who's clearly in a committee backfield. The Jets featured Ty Johnson and Tevin Coleman with the first-team offense against the Packers, while Carter didn't see snaps with starting quarterback Zach Wilson. Keep your expectations in check; it could be a frustrating RBBC all season.

Edwards a problem for Dobbins - There are two reasons J.K. Dobbins has been trailing other sophomore running backs in my rankings. The first is that he's unlikely to see a significant receiving role in a Ravens offense that doesn’t often throw to its backs. The second is Gus Edwards. Baltimore likes splitting the work between multiple backs, and Edwards has produced in the past. Even if Edwards suffers an injury, Justice Hill will likely step up and get involved. That makes Dobbins a mid-to-low-end RB2 for fantasy.

Penny fails to impress in return - After turning heads at the start of training camp, Rashaad Penny missed a stretch of practices with a quad injury. He returned for the Seahawks' second preseason contest but failed to generate much, notching just 8 rushing yards on five carries and one catch for 6 yards against the Broncos. Teammate Alex Collins delivered 37 yards on nine touches and looks just as capable of serving as Chris Carson's backup - and he may have to if Penny continues to face durability issues.

Wentz trending in right direction - The battle between Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger might become a pointless one after Carson Wentz returned to practice Monday with three weeks to prepare for the Colts' opener. That's good news for Indianapolis' entire passing attack after both backup quarterbacks disappointed in relief.

Indy playing Pascal over Campbell - The Colts have surprisingly deployed Zach Pascal over Parris Campbell during the preseason. Pascal also caught all four of his targets against the Vikings for 31 yards. It's not clear if this is a sign of things to come, but for now, it looks like Pascal will be starting in three-receiver sets over the former second-round pick.

Palmer pushing for Chargers' No. 3 WR spot - Chargers rookie Josh Palmer added a touchdown to his preseason resume against the 49ers and is quickly establishing himself as L.A.'s third-best wideout. Jalen Guyton is still in the running for the role, but recent usage suggests Tyron Johnson has fallen a step behind. Palmer is worth a late-round flier, especially with Mike Williams still nursing a hip flexor.

Booker holding tight to Giants' No. 2 job - Reports that Corey Clement was outdueling Devontae Booker in Giants practice may have been overblown. Booker looked like the more effective of the two against the Browns, both as a runner (six carries, 27 yards, one touchdown) and receiver (two catches, 13 yards). If Saquon Barkley is out or limited for Week 1, Booker is the better bet to return fantasy value.

Is Raymond a starter for Lions? - The Lions rested Kalif Raymond and presumptive No. 1 wideout Tyrell Williams against the Steelers, as well as starting quarterback Jared Goff. Breshad Perriman had been dealing with an injury, so perhaps Detroit wanted to get him and others more reps. It's the latest confusing development for a receiving corps that's probably best avoided outside of leagues with deep rosters. T.J. Hockenson and the Lions' running backs will soak up as many targets as they can handle.

Other preseason standouts who caught my eye - Washington RB Jaret Patterson, Bengals RB Chris Evans, Rams RB Jake Funk, 49ers RB JaMycal Hasty, Falcons RB Caleb Huntley, Titans RB Mekhi Sargent, Bills WR Isaiah Mckenzie, Ravens TE Josh Oliver

New injuries to monitor

• Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle)
• Travis Etienne (foot)
• Trey Sermon (ankle)
• Alexander Mattison (unknown)
• Darrel Williams (evaluated for concussion)
• Adam Thielen (thigh bruise)
• Marvin Jones (shoulder)
• Adam Trautman (foot/ankle)

Previous takeaways

• Biggest takeaways from Week 1 of NFL preseason