Faraz's Preseason Week 1 Takeaways
- Faraz Siddiqi
- Aug 11
- 6 min read
Keep An Eye on Kyle Monangai
D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson didn’t suit up for the Bears' first preseason game, which left Monangai as the Bears' starting RB. He took full advantage of his opportunities and made a few plays. He’s building on top of a good camp, and it’s worth watching to see if he can be the early down complement that we’ve seen have fantasy success in former Ben Johnson offenses. It’s worth noting Roschon is nursing a foot injury, so more opportunity is expected Monangai’s way.
Kendre Miller: Clear RB2 Behind Kamara
Miller looked great in his opportunities with the starters this weekend and played a near-every-down role. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy early in his career, but the talent is clear, and he should be viewed as a three-down handcuff.
Jaxson Dart Seemingly Giants QB2
Dart looked great in his preseason debut, getting rid of the ball quickly, evading pass rushers, and getting the ball downfield. He also demonstrated his scrambling ability, which is obviously a huge plus for fantasy purposes. Russell Wilson is the clear starter for the Giants right now, but if things get bad early (rough schedule), we could see another fantasy-relevant QB emerge.
No Clear Handcuff for Kyren Williams
As of now, Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter are still competing to be the RB2 behind Kyren Williams. With Williams resting this weekend, Corum started the game while Hunter mixed in. There were no set roles as they rotated in all phases. Corum currently holds the edge, given he’s the veteran, but this is a situation worth monitoring. In case you care, I’m Team Hunter.
Kaleb Johnson Off to an Interesting Start
Of course, Arthur Smith decided to start Kenneth Gainwell with Jaylen Warren resting this past weekend. Once Gainwell was done, Johnson came on the field and had a less-than-stellar performance. It was his first preseason game, so I can’t take much out of that performance. However, we could easily see some shenanigans with unwanted Gainwell usage this season, given Arthur Smith’s history. I’ll be moving Warren up the rankings a bit.
Jaguars Hint at RB Pecking Order
Tank Bigsby has been the RB making the most plays in camp per beat reports, but it was Travis Etienne playing every snap with Trevor Lawrence on the first drive. Tank Bigsby came in and handled the next couple of drives, but that was once Lawrence and the starting offensive line came out of the game. Tuten was the third RB on the field, but looked great on the ground and as a receiver. This backfield seems far from settled right now.
Travis Hunter Entrenched with Starters
Hunter was on the field for 7 of 8 snaps with Trevor Lawrence. Both he and Brian Thomas Jr had 2 targets each, accounting for 57% of Trevor Lawrence’s attempts on the first drive. Hunter should not be going as late as he is in drafts.
Tyjae Spears Suffers High Ankle Sprain
Unfortunately, Spears’ injury woes continue. Fortunately for Pollard managers, we could see a repeat year in which Pollard was the workhorse back if Spears can’t stay healthy - but this time, in a likely improved offense. Spears is expected to miss a month+, so Pollard could see some big workloads early in the year.
Cam Ward-to-Calvin Ridley Connection is Real
Ridley caught 3 of 3 targets for 50 yards from Cam Ward on the first two drives (8 throws), which made up a 38% target share in that small sample. Continue to draft Ridley as one of the better values in drafts.
Rachaad White has a Groin Injury
White could be out for the next few weeks, which leaves Sean Tucker as the next man up. It’s possible Tucker takes advantage of the next few weeks and challenges White for the RB2 job, but it’s worth noting that White played every snap with the starters on the first drive before getting hurt. If White’s injury lingers into the season, expect a big workload for Bucky Irving with some Tucker upside sprinkled in.
Justin Fields Showing his Fantasy Upside
Despite camp reports around Fields struggling, he had a solid first drive, capping it off with a 13-yard rushing TD. It will likely be rough at times for Fields this year, but the rushing upside will keep him elevated as a Top-10 fantasy QB.
Jets 3-Man RB Rotation?
Uh oh. We saw all three RBs (Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis) see the field on the first drive. While Hall’s role was easily the best, coming off the field for some passing downs (Davis) isn’t what you want - especially for what will likely be a low-scoring offense. Hall can still return on his ADP given the role he had in this game, but I’d have to see some more encouraging signs for him to reach the upside he’s capable of. It also doesn’t seem like Allen is the clear 3-down handcuff for Hall.
Packers' Starting WRs Solidified
Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden are the Packers' starting WRs. Jayden Reed will play a lot, but will likely stick to 3 WR sets - he’s also in a walking boot right now, so keep that in mind. Golden might be the Packers' WR to draft at this point, given his draft capital.
Chiefs Hint at RB Pecking Order
Isiah Pacheco came out of the game with Patrick Mahomes - great sign for him. Kareem Hunt came in after that with Elijah Mitchell mixing in. Brashard Smith didn’t play until the second half; it would’ve been nice to see Smith playing some sort of role with the first team, so a bit of an indication on where he currently stands in the pecking order.
Chiefs Hint at Rashee Replacement
In a game without Hollywood Brown or Rashee Rice, the Chiefs played Xavier Worthy on the outside for all 4 of his routes, while rookie Jaylen Royals mixed it up, running a route from the slot on almost 50% of his 17 routes run, similar to the role Rashee had last year. Don’t be surprised to see Royals have some fantasy-relevant weeks during Rashee’s suspension.
RJ Harvey Starts for Broncos
JK Dobbins mixed in, but Harvey was the primary starting RB, and on the field for 12 of Bo Nix’s 18 snaps (67%) with the starters. Dobbins didn’t run the ball once - Harvey got all the carries with the first team. He also ran more routes than Dobbins and was targeted on 40% of those routes. If this usage carries over into the regular season, we’re talking serious fantasy upside.
Broncos Receivers to Target
Last year, we saw a rotation between Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin, and it’s possible we see more of each of them on the field. Mims was the primary perimeter WR opposite Courtland Sutton, while Franklin rotated into the slot as well. Increased playing time for both means a better chance for each to have standalone value.
Rico Dowdle Mixing in with Chuba
Chuba Hubbard was the clear workhorse for the Panthers last year after Miles Sanders got hurt, but it looks like the coaching staff wants to mix in a decent amount of Rico, who saw almost as many snaps as Chuba over the first couple of drives. We’d love a larger sample size, but it doesn’t look like Chuba has the backfield all to himself right now.
Drake Maye Shows off Rushing Upside
And of course, my guy Drake Maye shows what he’s capable of near the goal line, scoring via the ground from 5 yards out. This is going to be a lot more encouraged by OC Josh McDaniels, and he’ll have designed runs integrated into his game as well - something he didn’t have any of last year. Wheels up.
Pats Show Committee Backfield Approach
The backfield played out very similarly to how we thought it would to start - with Rhamondre Stevenson handling most of the rushing attempts and TreVeyon Henderson handling most of the receiving opportunities (75% route participation over two drives is A LOT). Henderson returned a kickoff for 100 yards on his first touch - you have to imagine his role only grows as the season progresses.
Keaton Mitchell has Serious Contingent Upside
Mitchell looks like he’s back to himself, a year removed from an extremely serious knee injury (ACL, LCL, PCL, hamstring), and has now been entered into contention to be one of fantasy football’s top handcuffs this year behind Derrick Henry. He looked great this past weekend, ripping off multiple chunk gains.
