It’s hard to get too excited about preseason games in football, especially when they’re held on weekends in the final days of summer. Week 1 usually offers a run of first-team players, maybe two if we’re lucky. But fantasy players need some clarity before the bulk of the selection begins, and that’s where I come in. Here’s a position-by-position rundown of how Week 1 went so managers can plan accordingly and prepare for the flood of selections to come.
Master your designs: Rankings | Hot Spot Tool | ADP Deals | Player Profiles | Draft Day Strategy |
*Note: All ADPs mentioned are provided courtesy of 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP Tool.
Quarterbacks
Maybe the Falcons weren’t completely crazy with their choice of Michael Penix Jr.: We all laughed a lot, or probably more, about the rookie’s selection in April, and it’s still a baffling choice, but he had some great plays (and some not-so-great) in his first NFL game. The rookie was in on the first five drives of the game against Miami, completing 9 of 16 passes for 106 yards – the highlight being a 41-yard floater down the sideline to Chris Blair.
Jayden Daniels is a corporate and maybe franchise guy: The rookie showed up to his first NFL game in a throwback Doug Williams jersey and then played like the former star in just one series. Daniels completed 2 of 3 passes for 45 yards and ran unchallenged for a 3-yard touchdown. This dual-threat QB leaves the draft boards as QB12 in the early ninth round.
Caleb Williams is still good at football: The No. 1 pick staged two drives in his NFL debut, completing 4 of 7 passes for 95 yards and a 13-yard run. Both drives ended in field goals and there were some drops, but Williams showed poise, especially on his first pass, which came on third-and-long after he worked through his progressions and found DJ Moore for a 12-yard gain. His longest pass was a 42-yard pass that played out as a no-look pass over the middle to running back D’Andre Swift. This offense should be fun to watch in 2024.
Sam Darnold was the starter, but JJ McCarthy was impressive: McCarthy came in for Darnold on the second possession, completing 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards and throwing two long touchdown passes. He also ran twice on third down for 18 yards. It’s still up in the air if that performance prompted the rookie to start earlier, but he showed NFL prowess. Both Darnold and McCarthy currently have Fantasy QB3 ADPs.
The Raiders quarterback situation is what it is: Aidan O’Connell started the game and played one series, completing 7 of 9 passes for 76 yards, while Gardner Minshew completed 6 of 12 passes for 117 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown pass to DJ Turner. Mishew will likely start the next preseason game.
Bo Nix could be the frontrunner for the quarterback job in Denver: He didn’t start the contest, but managed a 15-125-1 line and three runs of 17 yards. Nix was the most efficient of himself, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, orchestrating four scoring drives in his five possessions.
Running backs
Don’t write off Eric Gray as RB2 for the Giants: Saquon Barkley is out and Devin Singletary is in as New York’s starter. All the backup hype has been centered around freshman Tyrone Tracy, but Gray has shown he’s not going away that easily. The sophomore carried the ball four times for 52 yards and caught an additional four times for 46 yards, with two end zone trips Thursday night. Tracy has posted a 5-26-0 line and is currently RB56, while Gray’s ADP is N/A.
It was a fast and solid NFL start for Jaylen Wright: The fourth-round pick was patient behind the line and it paid off as he managed 55 total yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. The Dolphins’ RB room is full and crowded, but Wright should be on your radar as a late-rounder with a current overall ADP of RB51 at 13.11.
Rookie Braelon Allen wants the RB2 job in New York: With Breece Hall not playing with most of the starters, the fourth-round pick showed power and vision on his way to 54 yards on six carries. Allen is an exciting handcuff player with potential to start the season and is being offered for the nice bargain price of RB69.
Wide receivers
The Packers’ WR room is large, but Dontayvion Wicks picked up right where he left off: QB Jordan Love wasn’t around for long, but he threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Wicks on his third play. Wicks finished his rookie season on a high note, scoring four touchdowns in three games, including the NFC Wild Card game against Dallas. Green Bay has a plethora of WRs to choose from, and Wicks is currently the fourth overall pick on the draft list, in the 13th round.
Tennessee’s revamped offense appears to be Calvin Ridley-friendly: The Titans threw the ball 29 times, including a Will Levis pass that was too short of the sticks on third-and-10, but Ridley left the defender running into space for a 22-yard gain and a first down. The two worked well together in the offseason and it appears to be paying off. Ridley is being drafted late in the sixth round as a fantasy WR3.
After a quiet camp, Brian Thomas Jr. said: The freshman caught a short-thrown 41-yard ball from CJ Beathard by fighting through contact with CB Joshua Williams. It was his only catch of the night, but it was a good one. Thomas’ overall ADP is 10.06 as WR49.
Tight ends
Not surprisingly, Brock Bowers was involved, in more than one way.: The first-round pick for Las Vegas had two catches for 25 yards in his first game. In addition to the tight end role, the Raiders also lined him up as a fullback in some experimental formations with fellow tight end Michael Mayer, and he also spent time on the outside positions and in the slot.
Kicker, yes, kicker
For newcomer Jake Bates, things continue to be mixed: After a few rough days of training camp where there was a chance the team would bring in some competition, HC Dan Campbell assured Bates that they would give him a chance to develop and respond. The former USFL player made a 53-yard field goal in the rain for Detroit’s only points of the night, but also missed the landing zone on the ensuing kickoff, leaving New York to start from the 40-yard line.
Jake Elliott should be glad it’s only the preseason: After a K4 performance in fantasy points last season, Elliott stumbled on Friday night. He kicked the game-winning field goal but missed one earlier in the game, along with an extra point.
The kicker spot for Green Bay is still hotly contested: Anders Carlson made two field goals (46 and 33 yards) and converted his only extra point attempt. Greg Joseph caught a 35-yard pass and also made his extra point.
