KEY Fantasy Football Preseason Week 1 Takeaways For All 32 Teams

Played all eight snaps alongside Tua in preseason week 1, showing similar usage to Tank Bigsby. Ian Hartitz notes this is good news for Robinson as a handcuff, though he acknowledges the preseason usage may not fully translate to regular season snap distribution. Robinson deserves to be going higher in drafts than his current ADP outside the top 50 running backs; Hartitz continues to view him as a very solid handcuff.

Cam Grandy was involved in the Bengals tight end rotation during preseason Week 1, though his exact role and snap count were not detailed.

Camden Brown impressed in preseason week 1 with two touchdown catches despite limited prior production (14 TDs at Georgia Southern in 2025 after three quiet years at Auburn). Ian Hartitz noted Brown came on field after Jonathan Mingo, Anthony Smith, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the depth chart, but his playmaking stood out as among the best performances of the week.

Chase Brown earned 69% of starter snaps in Bengals preseason week 1 with Zack Perine at 31%, including the lone third-and-long snap. Ian Hartitz notes that while third-down receiving snaps are important, only 23% of RB receiving fantasy points come on third down per Hayden Winkx, meaning 77% comes on first and second down. Hartitz ranks Chase Brown as RB4 and eighth overall, calling him an auto-click in round two, praising his 70-catch upside and fit in the Bengals offense despite not being a top-10 talent.

Sidelined with a hamstring injury during Green Bay's preseason week 1 game.

Dealing with a hamstring injury and is now considered week-to-week. Hartitz ranks him RB37 and estimates a 50/50 chance of being active for week 1; if he starts the year on IR, that changes everything. He's grouped with Commanders and Vikings RBs in tier, and the Panthers offense is not guaranteed to be a league-leading unit.

Courtland Sutton made a strong preseason impression with a contested 40-yard deep catch and a one-hand sideline snag, demonstrating he's "not washed up just yet." Ian Hartitz believes Sutton would outperform his current mid-tier wide receiver ranking, though he notes targets may be harder to come by with Jaylen Waddle as the featured receiver.

Suffered an ankle injury in preseason Week 1, appearing to get rolled up on. While Moore said he was fine post-game, Dr. Jeff Mueller suspects it could be a high ankle sprain. Ian Hartitz notes the historical pattern of players downplaying injuries in-game due to adrenaline, only to discover severity the following Monday. Additionally, Moore got 61 yards early in the game with a 32-yard gain on blown coverage, but Hartitz has not been drafting Moore much this year and is not letting one preseason play change his opinion, though he acknowledges Joe Brady's offense may unlock Moore in ways Ben Johnson's did not. Hartitz cautions against overreacting to one preseason highlight; Moore is Josh Allen's number one receiver and a round-five caliber pick, but his declining production over the past two years and age (29) warrant measured expectations.

Ian Hartitz ranks Waller as TE24 and places him in a tier with Kenyon Sadi and others where the upside is conditional—these tight ends won't reliably work out, but if they do, the ceiling is significant. Essentially a fade on the veteran tight end despite his name recognition.

Played 10 snaps with a 56% route rate in preseason week one, matching Dalton Concincaid's limited usage. This is a concerning early indicator for the Bills' tight end room, suggesting neither Concincaid nor Knox is securing a dominant role.

Denzel Boston ran a route on all six of Deshaun Watson's drop backs in preseason Week 1, indicating strong early involvement in the Browns receiving corps.

Sat out Ravens preseason Week 1 along with Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, and Justice Hill. Hartitz questions whether Baltimore has identified a true handcuff, noting Justice Hill may be more of a pass-game role player and the real answer might not even be on the current roster.

Ian Hartitz notes London is interesting because if Tua continues to struggle and Michael Pennix takes over, London could see massive target volume (potentially 50 targets per game). However, Hartitz hasn't been going out of his way to target London in drafts, preferring AJ Brown and Nico Collins ahead of him, and would take Brock Bowers over him more times than not in round two. Despite this, Hartitz acknowledges London could very well end up leading the NFL in targets, making him tough to rank with 12 guys in front of him.

Dylan Samson played both third-and-medium snaps in the first two drives with Quinnshaw Judkins and worked as the clear RB2 after Judkins was pulled in Browns preseason Week 1. He had an electric 40-yard screen that accounted for a significant portion of Deshaun Watson's passing yards. Ian Hartitz moved Samson up in his rankings, believing he could be a viable handcuff RB2 with pass-down role upside, projecting 12-15 carries and 6-7 targets if Judkins goes down.

Eric All did not play in Bengals preseason Week 1 but Ian Hartitz expects him to get at least a couple series of starter snaps upon his return next week. Hartitz believes All is the only Bengals tight end with real fantasy upside, noting that Mike Diki wasn't getting full-time role even with T.J. Higgins last season.

Evan Ingram played 13 snaps with a 58% route rate in Denver's preseason game, running a seam route and appearing healthy at age 31. He ran more snaps than rookie Justin Jolly (who didn't appear until the second half), establishing him as Denver's tight end one. However, Ian Hartitz questions whether this designation matters for fantasy purposes.

Harold Fannon ran routes on every one of Deshaun Watson's dropbacks and was a true inline tight end on seven of his nine snaps, getting the every-down role that Ian Hartitz expected based on Tom Monken's offseason praise. Unlike Isaiah Likely, Fannon was not pulled from the field, though he did drop a third-down pass.

Isaac Tesla did not get rest in preseason and was charged with a drop, failing to catch any of his targets. Ian Hartitz acknowledges Tesla makes nice contested catches in training camp but explicitly states he is not drafting him, ranking Keenan Allen, Omar Cooper, Dante Wix, Keon Coleman, and Rashad Baitman ahead of Tesla.

Jamar Chase benefited from improved offensive scheme in Bengals preseason week 1, including a 16-yard gain on an under-center play action dig. The Bengals increased under-center play action from 8% last season to 43% in the preseason game, suggesting the offense is being designed to make Chase's job easier rather than relying solely on his elite talent. Ian Hartitz ranks Chase as an eighth-ranked player overall and an auto-click in round two in most league formats.

Returning from his own injury and has not yet participated in 11-on-11 practice work. Hartitz notes that if Connor remains on the roster, he would expect him to be somewhat split in the backfield, and the Love injury may compel the Cardinals to keep Connor around despite the expectation among fantasy players that he would eventually leave the team.

Played 79% of snaps in preseason week 1, compared to Josh Allen's 66% drop-back rate last year (down from 44% previously). Ian Hartitz notes offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and the Bills offense want to get Cook more involved as a true receiver, which could push him toward 50+ catches and RB4 ranking alongside Christian McCaffrey. Caveat: Ty Johnson's knee injury may have inflated Cook's snap share.

Rested during preseason week 1 due to a minor soft tissue injury. Ian Hartitz describes the injury designation as an oxymoron (minor and soft tissue), but Williams is expected to return for upcoming games.

Jaden Reed ran on all five of Jordan Love's dropbacks in preseason week 1, though he was the odd man out on the two snaps when the Packers deployed multiple tight ends. Ian Hartitz notes Reed has more rush attempts than many tight ends at the position and is a really good player in a really good offense at a reasonable price tag. While three or four extra routes per game in multi-tight end sets would be ideal, Hartitz doesn't want to overthink the situation.

Jaylen Waddle is positioned as the featured receiver for Denver despite missing preseason week 1. Ian Hartitz maintains Waddle as the priority target in the offense ahead of other Broncos receivers like Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton.

Jaylen Noel is dealing with both a hamstring and finger injury heading into the regular season, removing him from the Texans receiving hierarchy and benefiting Tank Dell.

Suffered a high ankle sprain in preseason week one despite an impressive first-team performance (7 of 10 snaps with Cody Brassette). ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the team hopes he can return for week one. Hartitz recommends dropping him down overall ranks—potentially to round four range—and comparing him to tier-mates like Colston Loveland and other wide receivers in that range. Hartitz remains cautious about drafting injuries early and would not rank him outside the top 25 running backs at this point.

Jerry Jeudy ran a route on all six of Deshaun Watson's drop backs in preseason Week 1 but was pulled from the game early, suggesting limited preseason workload despite initial involvement.

Looked good in preseason action and was notably pulled for third-and-long situations, suggesting a role in pass blocking and short yardage. Ian Hartitz views Coleman as a limiting factor for both Dobbins and Harvey's production. He doesn't see Coleman as a sleeper and believes he's two injuries away from being trustworthy, suggesting limited standalone fantasy value.

Returned from injury and played 78% of snaps alongside Bryce Young, cementing him as the lead back without Chuba Hubbard on the field. Hartitz ranks him RB30 and notes he's going in round 5 of some high-stakes drafts; argues he could be ranked as high as RB26, just behind Bucky and Price and ahead of Steelers and Patriots RBs.

Was great in the first two drives of Bills preseason Week 1, finding Keon Coleman for a vintage off-script touchdown. Ian Hartitz questions whether Josh Allen even needs to play in the preseason given injury risk.

Sidelined with a groin injury during preseason week 1; Ian Hartitz does not expect the groin injury to cause him to miss time, but notes Jacobs is also dealing with legal issues. Two red flags against Jacobs create concern; Marwan Lloyd continues to be a priority handcuff due to Jacobs' injury status and off-field complications.

Sat out Ravens preseason Week 1. Hartitz suggests Hill is more of a pass-game role player and may not be the true handcuff to Derrick Henry, limiting his standalone fantasy value.

Was the next man up in the Cardinals' receiver rotation after Michael Wilson but came off the field in multi-tight end formations, suggesting a secondary role in certain personnel packages.

Found by Josh Allen for a vintage off-script touchdown in Bills preseason Week 1 and ran 67% of routes with Allen under center in the first-team offense, placing him in the Bills' primary receiving rotation alongside DJ Moore and Kier Shakur. Ian Hartitz notes it's good to see Coleman getting the ball early in the offense.

In preseason week 1, Pitts received a target on all four of Tua's pass attempts (though one was a throwaway or batted pass). Ian Hartitz notes Pitts is in the muddled mid-low end tight end one range, but expresses concern about the overall Falcons offense quality. He references similar situations with Tua and Johnny Smith in 2024 and Darren Waller in 2025, suggesting Pitts may be the answer but the offense is very bad; Hartitz would rather not get too much exposure to this offense if possible.

Had a good preseason performance and looked fine, but Hartitz expects only tight end three treatment given Mark Andrews and Durham Smythe were wrestling with the starters. Ravens fans called him out on social media for not including Hibner, but Hartitz maintains limited upside.

Backup quarterback on the Falcons roster; Ian Hartitz notes there's a scenario where if Tua continues to struggle, Pennix could get on the field sooner rather than later, which could dramatically increase Drake London's target volume.

Ran routes on all five of first-team QB Bret Hundley's dropbacks in the Cardinals' preseason week one game, indicating strong first-team offensive involvement and route participation.

Pat Bryant worked as the number three wide receiver for Denver in preseason week 1, making a nice comeback route on the first play of the game. However, Ian Hartitz expresses skepticism about his fantasy upside; even in a best-case scenario where he takes over for Courtland Sutton, Hartitz projects him as a wide receiver 41 at best. He prefers handcuff running backs over Bryant and doesn't see a compelling bull case for him this year.

Phil Mafah appeared in limited snaps (six) behind starter Jaden Blue in preseason week 1, recording four carries for nine yards. Malik Davis was the most successful of the Cowboys backup running back group.

Clear-cut handcuff to James Cook and represents strong late-round pick value given Cook's expanded role and potential for increased receiving usage in Pete Carmichael's offense.

RJ Harvey played 79% of snaps on Denver's first two drives before resting. Ian Hartitz expresses concern that Jonah Coleman's involvement in pass blocking and short yardage situations could limit Harvey's touches and targets. While Harvey's path to RB1 production requires 50+ catches (82% of such backs finish top 24 in PPR since 2020), Coleman's role could prevent him from reaching that threshold. Hartitz prefers Harvey over Coleman but doesn't see him as a featured back this year.

Showed similar usage to Brian Robinson in preseason week 1, playing alongside Tua. Ian Hartitz notes this is good news for Bigsby as it suggests he may be trusted on passing downs, though he acknowledges preseason usage may not fully translate to regular season snap distribution. Bigsby deserves to be going higher in drafts than his current ADP outside the top 50 running backs.

Tank Dell received a boost in rankings after Jaylen Noel was ruled out with hamstring and finger injuries. Ian Hartitz had been dubious that Dell would be able to return to his usual form and work ahead of Noel, but with Noel out of the picture, Dell deserves a nice boost. However, Hartitz questions whether anyone other than Nico Collins can be a big fantasy factor in what should be a ball control offense with an amazing defense.

Tanner Hudson was involved in the Bengals tight end rotation during preseason Week 1, though his exact role and snap count were not detailed.

Ian Hartitz describes Taylen Green as 'one of the most freakish dudes we've ever seen in the NFL' athletically, but expresses significant uncertainty about his NFL development, saying 'I don't know. Find out if he's anything. He's probably not.' Hartitz notes that if Green doesn't work out, the Browns could pursue Arch Manning or Dante Moore in the draft.

Tee Higgins was flanked by Andre Yoshivas and Kobe Young in the Bengals preseason Week 1 game. Kobe Young is now apparently the wide receiver for Andy at tight end, creating some uncertainty in the receiver depth chart.

Banged up with a knee injury in the preseason, which makes Hartitz more dubious of Benson making the Cardinals' roster, particularly while injured. This adds to the backfield uncertainty alongside Love's injury.

Played only the first snap of the Cardinals' preseason week one game before sitting out the rest of the way, mirroring the limited snap pattern seen with Brock Bowers in Vegas and suggesting a cautious approach to first-team tight end usage.

Had a poor preseason week 1 performance with the Falcons, leading only the first two drives where he threw none of his five passes more than five yards downfield and fumbled a snap. Ian Hartitz notes the first impression of the Tua-Stefansky-Tommy Reese partnership didn't go great, and he expects the Falcons offense to potentially finish ranked 30th in scoring, making the offense problematic overall.

Tucker Craft indicated he will have his rep range managed by the Packers probably until halfway through the season before full deployment. Ian Hartitz interprets this as potentially meaning Craft plays 80% of snaps instead of 100%, or possibly 50%, with various tight ends rotating in. The Packers have an organizational rule stemming from the Michael Parsons situation where players with a second torn ACL sit out at least the first four to six weeks; while not Craft's issue, it reflects the organization's cautious approach. Hartitz advises keeping a close eye on alternatives like Dallas Goedert or Jake Ferguson in the tight end two range in case Craft's snap count is limited early.

Tyson Bagent started for the Bears in preseason week 1 with Caleb Williams resting, but Ian Hartitz is skeptical of his NFL viability. Hartitz dismisses reports the Bears might shop Bagent as a starting QB option, stating he's confident there are more than 32 quarterbacks on the planet better than Bagent. While Bagent made the offense look more functional than Justin Fields for a couple weeks in 2023, Hartitz does not view him as a viable NFL starter.

Woody Marks was rested in preseason week 1 alongside Dave Montgomery, leaving the backfield split unclear—could be 80-20 in Montgomery's favor or 55-45. Ian Hartitz notes Marks is the type of player who got a full three-down workhorse role in the Texans offense last year, giving him a better chance of standalone value than handcuff options. Hartitz projects Marks should be going in the RB4 range alongside Taj Spears and Marawn Lloyd.

Ian Hartitz moved Zachariah Branch quite a bit down in his rankings after preseason week 1. Drake London played the first two snaps, then Jan Dawson Zakias was on the field with the first team offense, and even Chris Blair got some work ahead of Branch. Branch played with the backups lined up in the slot in 75% of his snaps, indicating he is behind Zakias for the time being. Hartitz notes Branch was not someone they were dying to get at the end of drafts anyway, so there are now better late-round options available.