Key takeaways, fantasy football thoughts, and everything else you need to know from the NFL preseason games.
Saturday games
Rough day for Shedeur
Shedeur Sanders' second preseason appearance didn't go quite as well as his first. In fact, Saturday's performance makes it pretty clear why he hasn't been in the mix to compete for the starting job coming out of camp. That's not to say there isn't potential here. There absolutely is. And the Browns should be happy to have him as a developmental player for the future. Personally, I like his long-term upside quite a bit more than third-round pick Dillon Gabriel. But plays like we saw early in the fourth quarter, where Sanders bailed out the back door of the pocket and continued to draft backward before taking a 24-yard sack, are not going to fly at this level. He's got a long way to go.
Gordon earning a role
Miami's issues in the physicality department start up front. That problem isn't truly going away until the offensive line can figure things out. It can't hurt to finally have a power back in the rotation, though. Ollie Gordon fits that description better than any other Dolphins runner to this point in the Mike McDaniel era, and he's well on his way to earning a role in this backfield. The sixth-round rookie has completely outperformed fellow backup Jaylen Wright throughout the preseason. Another efficient outing this week sees him finish the preseason with 26 carries for 126 yards (4.8 ypc). Wright, a fourth-round pick in last year's draft, managed just 19 yards on 13 carries.
De'Von Achane is the clear feature back when he returns from his calf injury, but the Dolphins could use a spark in short yardage. That role has Gordon's name written all over it. And in the event Achane is ever forced to miss time in the regular season, everything we've seen this summer suggests he should be the first man up to take on more volume. Currently being drafted as the RB60 and 218th player overall, Gordon could easily end up as one of the best values in fantasy this year.
No answers for Broncos RBs
Anyone hoping for the preseason to provide some clarity on the Broncos' backfield rotation is probably a little disappointed. R.J. Harvey has been the lead back throughout, but is that because J.K. Dobbins was held out for each of the last two games? Harvey will have a significant role either way, and it might grow as the season persists. But the Broncos didn't sign Dobbins for nothing. His pass protection skills, in particular, could limit Harvey's opportunities on third down. And Sean Payton isn't one to hesitate to lean on a veteran while making a younger player earn his role. With all of that in mind, I think I'd rather pass on drafting Harvey as the RB22 this year. The upside is undeniable in this offense, but there might be safer ways to use an early fifth-round pick. Dobbins could prove to be a great value in the 10th.
Fannin worth watching
The 2025 outlook for the Browns' offense is pretty bleak. There are at least a few young players worth keeping an eye on, though, and Harold Fannin Jr. is at the top of my list. The former Bowling Green star, who I had ranked as the No. 3 tight end in this class, was a fascinating draft prospect. While the presence of David Njoku had seemingly made Cleveland a less-than-ideal landing spot, it seems like the Browns could end up playing a lot of two tight-end sets. We saw a taste of that in a brief appearance from the starting offense Saturday. Fannin caught a 15-yard touchdown from Joe Flacco on a post route split out wide to the right, and he was also on the receiving end of a tight end screen designed to leverage his unique run-after-catch skills. Making things even more interesting for his standing in the offense, Fannin was done for the day when the starters were pulled after three drives. The Browns could have big plans for their talented tight end in Year 1.
Make it 3 for TeSlaa
Isaac TeSlaa might be the story of the entire preseason. The Lions' rookie receiver was at it again this week, capping off the exhibition slate with a touchdown catch for the third straight game. This time, he beat his man off the line and hauled in a deep ball for a 33-yard score. TeSlaa will have an uphill climb to any sort of consistent Year 1 production, but that's more about the amount of playmakers in Detroit than it is his ability. The third-round pick has a unique combination of athleticism and contested-catch skills. He should be pushing for the WR3 job alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams at some point this season.
Flip a coin
Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough both got plenty of work in the Saints' preseason finale, and my takeaway is the exact same as it was last week: take your pick. Rattler starting the first and third game would appear to suggest he's considered the favorite. And with Shough having done nothing to separate himself, Rattler may keep the job to start the season. It won't be permanent, though. This seems like a situation where we could see multiple QB changes throughout the year. Not ideal for a team's chances of competing, but that was never a realistic expectation here anyway. It probably can't hurt to get an extended look at each of these young quarterbacks.
Pierce > Marks?
I've been keeping tabs on Dameon Pierce as a potential fantasy sleeper in Houston. Nick Chubb is the clear starter with Joe Mixon out indefinitely, but it remains to be seen whether the 29-year-old can return to form after a gruesome 2023 knee injury. And while rookie Woody Marks probably has the most upside of the group, there are no guarantees he'll get the opportunity. Pierce was the lead back with Chubb and other starters held out of Saturday's preseason contest. Marks mixed in for early passing situations before getting his chance to operate in an every-down capacity later on.
Marks was the more productive of the two, but I'm less concerned with these small-sample results than I am with the way the staff envisions this group taking shape. At this point, I think that Pierce is seen as the clear No. 2 behind Chubb. And considering the success he enjoyed before Houston transitioned to a zone-heavy run game, it's possible that a return to gap concepts could help him recapture the form we saw back in 2022.
JCM sits, C-Rod plays
Jacory Croskey-Merritt joined the Commanders' starters in sitting out the preseason finale Saturday. That may seem like a positive sign for his standing in the competition for early-down work, along with Chris Rodriguez suiting up to play with backups. But it's important to note that Croskey-Merritt has been dealing with a shoulder injury. He was in a non-contact jersey at practice late this week.
Rodriguez got the start when both were healthy for last week's preseason game. A 40-yard run was the highlight of his six-carry, 62-yard effort, and he added another 34 yards on five attempts this week. I still like Croskey-Merritt to step into the high-volume role that became available after the Brian Robinson trade, and I think his combination of explosiveness and lateral agility can be a big addition to this offense. But with Rodriguez lingering and Austin Ekeler leading the way in the pass game, there's a chance that this becomes the kind of committee that caps the fantasy upside for all. And considering Croskey-Merritt's price has been rising faster than any player league wide, the opportunity to get him at a decent value might be long gone.
Friday games
Chiefs getting vertical again?
The Chiefs' offense has been a frustrating watch for two years running. That feels pretty weird to say considering each of those seasons ended with a Super Bowl appearance - one being a win - but it's true. The passing game has progressively trended further and further away from the high-powered attack we saw in the early stages of the Patrick Mahomes era. Consistent issues at receiver were the main issue on this front. While Mahomes evolving into a masterful quick-game facilitator helped compensate for those limitations, he wasn't totally blameless, either. The Chiefs are prioritizing improvements in that area in 2025, and they may well be on their way.
Mahomes connecting with speedy free-agent addition Tyquan Thornton for a 58-yard play was the highlight of Friday's preseason finale against the Bears. We know Marquise Brown can provide a similar element when he's healthy, and Xavier Worthy is the fastest player in combine history. The second-year wideout should get more opportunities to stretch the field this year. If Mahomes can do his part and recapture that downfield magic to complement the rest of his Hall of Fame skill set, he's probably being undervalued as this year's QB6 in fantasy. You can say the same about any MVP odds that don't have him as the front-runner.
Brashard Smith = Jerick McKinnon
Brashard Smith seeing work with the first-team offense on Kansas City's opening drive should have your attention. Not only was the seventh-round rookie out there in passing situations, but K.C. made a clear effort to get him involved. Mahomes just missed hitting Smith up the seam on second-and-10 from the Bears' 34-yard line. He came right back to him on a Texas route out of the backfield three plays later, connecting for a 12-yard gain that put the Chiefs on the 3-yard line.
Smith, who was a receiver at Miami before transitioning to running back at SMU, was the best pass-catching back in this year's draft. In making the case for him as a fantasy football sleeper this year, I've compared his potential role to that of former Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon. While McKinnon was never a featured back, he saw enough volume in the passing game to put up RB2 production in 2022. Smith has that kind of upside even with Isiah Pacheco locked into his role as the lead ball-carrier.
Odunze primed for big year
The Bears' offense wasn't quite as sharp Friday night as it was in last week's showing against the Bills' backups. That may have something to do with going up against the Chiefs' first-team defense this time around, but let's not spend too much time jumping on and off the optimism bandwagon. The arrow is firmly pointed up in Chicago. My big takeaway from the preseason finale is that Rome Odunze could be in for a monster season.
The second-year wideout played the entire first half along with the rest of the offensive starters and turned a team-high five targets into three catches for 45 yards and one touchdown. The stat line could have been even more impressive if he'd been able to haul in his contested deep ball down the sideline. I'm expecting Odunze to take a big leap in Year 2, surpassing D.J. Moore to emerge as Caleb Williams' No. 1 target. Considering he's currently being drafted 32 spots behind Moore, last year's No. 9 overall pick could be quite the steal in your fantasy leagues.
Ward highlights on the way
Cam Ward got plenty of run in his first preseason. The statistical output wasn't spectacular by any stretch, but that's not the important part. It was incredibly easy to see why the former Miami star became a lock for the Titans at the top of the draft. There will likely be plenty of ups and downs throughout his rookie campaign, but I have a feeling this season is going to inspire a lot of hope in Tennessee no matter the final record. Ward's unique combination of arm talent, creativity, and aggressiveness should produce plenty of highlight-reel throws right out of the gate. With some patience, he may well emerge as the franchise-caliber quarterback this team desperately needs.
McCarthy gets limited preseason reps
Every team has a different philosophy when it comes to preseason. Some, like the Chiefs, see these reps as a crucial part of the preparation process. That's why Mahomes was on the field for three possessions Friday night. Others lean toward keeping their starters out of harm's way above all else, no matter the experience level. The Vikings evidently fall into the latter category. J.J. McCarthy was held out of this week's game, meaning he finishes the preseason having thrown just seven passes. All of which came in his lone drive at the start of Minnesota's opener against Houston. The Vikings are probably content with what they've seen in training camp and joint practices, but a slow start would certainly raise some questions as to whether the young quarterback could have used more reps coming off a lost rookie season.
Javonte's job in Dallas
It's been trending in this direction for a while now, but this week appears to have provided the confirmation that Javonte Williams is the lead back in Dallas. The former second-round pick, who signed a one-year $3-million deal with the Cowboys this offseason, joined the rest of the starters in sitting out Friday's preseason finale against the Falcons. Rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah have been generating buzz of late, but it seems possible that neither is within striking distance on the depth chart.
Blue, who made a tackle as part of the opening kickoff team, was working behind Deuce Vaughn at running back before eventually exiting with an ankle injury. Mafah got his chance later and was still in the game on the Cowboys' final drive. The uninspiring backfield should probably have Dallas in the market for a trade. We know better than to expect any sort of aggressive move from this team, though. But hey, maybe Williams surprises us with a bounce-back season another year removed from a tough knee injury. He's the Cowboys running back to target in fantasy until one of the young guys can work their way up.
Thursday games
Dart does it again
The Jaxson Dart hype train continues to pick up steam. Another impressive showing in the Giants' final game of the preseason suddenly has the football world wondering just how much runway Russell Wilson will have as the starter. But I'm less convinced that Dart is actually a threat to the veteran's job at any point early this season. For starters, the transition to the NFL could prove challenging against first-team defenses that are gearing up to stop him. It's also easy to believe that the Giants simply like the idea of Wilson at quarterback for a year. One-dimensional as he may be, his ability to push the ball downfield unlocks plenty of possibilities for a coaching staff that has long suffered through some horrific quarterback play.
That said, even the biggest Dart doubters would have a hard time downplaying the flashes he's shown throughout August. He looks far more comfortable than I would've expected this early in his development process. Even if there's still a long way to go, the playmaking traits showing up so consistently right out of the gate can only be taken as a promising sign for the future. And for those hoping to see him on the field as a rookie, his encouraging preseason could alter any plans this staff may have had for a redshirt year. Putting Dart on the field probably becomes a real possibility if and when the Giants are effectively out of the race. And considering their brutal schedule this year, Dart could get plenty of in-game learning opportunities down the stretch.
Kaleb overvalued?
I've always loved Kaleb Johnson's fit in this Steelers offense. The Iowa product was only my seventh-ranked running back in the 2025 class, but landing in a run-heavy, outside-zone scheme was enough for me to make him my post-draft Offensive Rookie of the Year pick. Now, I'm not so sure he'll come close to that ceiling in Year 1.
Johnson did just fine in Thursday's preseason finale, taking his five carries for 24 yards (4.8 yards per carry). It was easy to see how he might put up big numbers with enough volume, but his opportunities came after both Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell finished up their brief appearances with other active starters. Considering Mike Tomlin's affinity for veteran players and his resistance to forcing rookies into the lineup too early, Johnson may have to sit back and wait. He'll probably work his way up the depth chart at some point, but will that be soon enough to justify his early seventh-round ADP, which currently puts him eight spots ahead of Warren? Maybe not. This might be the latest rookie getting overvalued in fantasy drafts.
Harmon avoids major injury
Pittsburgh's defense got a scare Thursday night when Derrick Harmon was carted off the field. Head coach Mike Tomlin revealed after halftime that the first-round rookie defensive tackle is dealing with a knee sprain. Harmon's injury isn't season-ending, but he's expected to miss at least a few weeks, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Oregon product is a powerful interior lineman who, along with his potential impact as a pass-rusher, figures to be the X-factor in Pittsburgh's quest to improve a leaky run defense. Any sort of lengthy absence would leave the front seven relying on the same group that struggled at times last year.