Week 2 of the NFL preseason wrapped on Monday night, giving us more intel on how teams plan to deploy their players early in the season. PFF’s Nathan Jahnke has tracked every rep with the starters and has done some great analysis of his own. I’ll be referencing his snap counts frequently, so be sure to check out his article as well.
Arizona Cardinals
Trey Benson rested, Emari Demercado and Michael Carter split
Second-year back Trey Benson got the night off while his backups split the remaining work. Head coach Jonathan Gannon has made it stunningly clear that James Conner is the top dog in Arizona.
#Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon on whether the message from the coaching staff to James Conner and Trey Benson has been that Arizona has two RB1s:
“Not from me. It’s compete for your role… Probably what they’re alluding to — both of those guys — is they both want to play, and… https://t.co/wa4am0rlRU pic.twitter.com/t8p36SGrkd
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) August 6, 2025
Benson getting rested with the starters is likely an indicator that he would see the bulk of the work if Conner goes down, but fantasy managers shouldn’t plan on him having a standalone role.
Atlanta Falcons
Nothing of note
The Falcons didn’t give any of their starters or notable backups run in the first two preseason games. No fantasy takeaways here.
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Baltimore Ravens
Tylan Wallace remains the WR4
There wasn’t much to note for Baltimore with all of the fantasy names getting rested. Tylan Wallace played a few snaps before heading to the bench with the rest of the starters. Though that likely means he’s the next man up if anything happens to one of the Ravens’ top three wideouts. Wallace has been in the league for four years and has 260 career receiving yards. It’s not hard to imagine 2024 fourth-round pick Devontez Walker passing him on the depth chart.
Buffalo Bills
Elijah Moore slot specialist
Elijah Moore has run 92 percent of his preseason routes from the slot. His career slot rate is only 52 percent. While a more refined role might be good for him, it’s not going to earn him much playing time. Khalil Shakir is the team’s primary slot receiver and Curtis Samuel will also play the slot when healthy. Even Dalton Kincaid is confined to a slot role for a chunk of his snaps. Moore could see some snaps early in the season if Shakir misses Week 1 while nursing his ankle injury, but there isn’t any long-term value to be mined with the former second-rounder.
Carolina Panthers
Rico Dowdle matches Chuba Hubbard in routes
Carolina split its four running back routes evenly between the incumbent Chuba Hubbard and free agent addition Rico Dowdle. They used Dowdle as a passing-downs specialist last week as well. Hubbard caught 43 passes for 171 yards last year and averaged a dreadful .5 yards per route run. Even if he wasn’t good as a weapon out of the backfield, he earned plenty of PPR points through sheer volume. Dowdle’s emergence as the primary option on third downs will put an end to that.
Chicago Bears
Olamide Zaccheus starts in the slot
Veteran wideout Olamide Zaccheus started over rookie Luther Burden and ran a route on 70 percent of the dropbacks with the starters, operating as the team’s top option out of the slot. He might be a thorn in Burden’s side early in the season, but I struggle to believe that a player who averages 22 receiving yards per game and is signed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract will start over the No. 39 overall pick for long.
Cincinnati Bengals
Tahj Brooks looks good
Chase Brown drew the start on Monday night and Samaje Perine was technically the next man up. Both Perine and Tahj Brooks took the field for Cincinnati’s second drive. Perine didn’t play long before Brooks got an extended look with the backups. He showed well with 11 carries for 47 yards and three grabs for nine yards.
Brooks would still split work with Perine if Brown goes down, but he clearly has the juice to be an early-down option in the NFL.
Cleveland Browns
Joe Flacco will start Week 1
The Browns announced Joe Flacco as their Week 1 starter after seeing both Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel in the preseason. Flacco averaged 41 attempts for 323 yards and 2.6 touchdowns in his five regular season starts for the Browns in 2023. Putting Flacco into the lineup sent David Njoku’s stock to the moon.
Njoku will be a top-end TE1 for as long as Flacco remains the starter. Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman also get massive early-season boosts off the Flacco news.
Dallas Cowboys
Javonte Williams gets the starter’s treatment
The Cowboys rested their starters and that included Javonte Williams. Rookie Jaydon Blue has a foot injury and didn’t play while fellow veteran Miles Sanders took the field with the backups. He missed time recently with a knee issue, so it’s possible he can catch up to Williams in the race for the starting role for Week 1. However, sharp money is backing Williams to get the team’s first carry in Week 1.
Denver Broncos
Sean Payton clearly marks the starters
At least for now, Sean Payton has seemingly made things easy on us. The expected starters were rested along with two interesting names: J.K. Dobbins and Devaughn Vele. Dobbins didn’t get the first carry last week, but that appears to have been a fluke. He is penciled in as the Broncos’ early-down back for Week 1. Payton has talked about Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin all offseason, but when push comes to shove, he appears to be favoring Vele as his WR3. Vele is a strong dart throw in Best Ball formats.
Detroit Lions
TeSlaa SZN rolls on
Isaac TeSlaa played with the backups in Detroit’s third preseason game and will be at best his team’s WR4 to start the year. On the other hand, TeSlaa makes plays every time he gets on the field. He caught four balls for 41 yards and a touchdown in the Lions’ most recent preseason outing. That brings him over 100 yards with a pair of scores in three exhibition games. TeSlaa was a poor prospect, but the Lions spent big to move up and draft him. He’s now lighting up camp and the preseason.
Green Bay Packers
MarShawn Lloyd gets hurt again
Marshawn Lloyd’s injury woes continue, this time with a hamstring injury that may force him to miss Week 1. Packers writer Justin Mosqueda projects Lloyd to start the season on injured reserve, meaning he would miss at least four games. For a player with as unfortunate of an injury history as Lloyd, giving him more than enough time to recover makes sense.
Houston Texans
Nick Chubb in line for plenty of touches if Joe Mixon is out
Joe Mixon remains sidelined with a mysterious foot/ankle injury and looks likely to miss time to start the year. That puts Nick Chubb in line to see the bulk of the backfield touches out of the gates. Chubb saw all five of the running back carries with the starters on the field versus Carolina and ran a route on two-thirds of C.J. Stroud’s dropbacks. Fourth-round rookie Woody Marks was behind Dare Ogunbowale on the depth chart.
Indianapolis Colts
DJ Giddens solidifies RB2 status
DJ Giddens already passed Khalil Herbert on the depth chart last week. He was vying with Tyler Goodson for the RB2 role heading into the second week of preseason action. Goodson suffered an elbow injury versus the Packers and did not return, locking Giddens into the backup job behind Jonathan Taylor. Giddens caught 50 passes for 581 yards and four scores over his final two seasons at Kansas State. He could carve out a role on passing downs, potentially giving him some stand-alone value on top of his status as one of the league’s best handcuff bets.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tank Bigsby draws the start
The Jags gave Travis Etienne the start last week but changed things up this time around. Tank Bigsby was the first back on the field versus New Orleans. He outlasted Etienne by one snap with the starters, playing on 9-of-17 reps. As initial camp reports indicated, this looks like a backfield by committee with Bigsby as the primary option between the tackles and Etienne playing a complementary role.
The Jags gave their starters the night off after two drives. Both LeQuint Allen and Bhayshul Tuten played on the following drive. Tuten out-carried Allen 6-1 in the first half and 4-1 in the second half. Allen, however, ran nine routes to Tuten’s two, indicating a possible advantage for the former as a pass-catcher.
Kansas City Chiefs
Brashard Smith is buried on the depth chart
Seventh-round rookie Brashard Smith didn’t take the field until Isiah Pacheco, Carson Steele, and Elijah Mitchell had all gotten a turn with the starters. Kareem Hunt was out for this game, making Smith the only back fighting for a roster spot who didn’t get run with the starters. Smith is a fun dynasty stash, but isn’t on the radar in any redraft format.
Las Vegas Raiders
Raheem Mostert settles in as Ashton Jeanty’s backup
As expected, the Raiders gave nearly all of their backfield snaps with the starters to Ashton Jeanty. They did, however, tip their hand for the RB2 job by giving Raheem Mostert a rep with the first-team offense plus the first snaps with the backups. Mostert might be a gross click, but Best Ball drafters could do far worse in the 20th round.
Note: Brock Bowers split snaps with Michael Mayer. I don’t care, just like I wouldn’t care if Ja’Marr Chase only ran half of the routes when Joe Burrow is on the field. Fading the greatest rookie tight end ever because of preseason usage is between you and God.
Los Angeles Chargers
KeAndre Lambert-Smith plays ahead of Tre Harris
Quentin Johnston suffered a concussion before the Chargers’ starters left the field. He was replaced by a rookie, but not LA’s second-round pick. Fifth-rounder KeAndre Lambert-Smith took the field in his place. KLS won’t play much as long as Johnston’s concussion doesn’t linger, but he at least has a shot to mix into the lineup early in the year.
Los Angeles Chargers preseason snap rate with Justin Herbert on the field:
100% – Ladd McConkey
100% – Omarion Hampton
63% – Keenan Allen
63% – KeAndre Lambert-Smith
63% – Tyler Conklin
50% – Will Dissly
38% – Quentin Johnston
0% – Oronde Gadsden II
0% – Tre Harris— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) August 17, 2025
Tre Harris is almost undraftable right now.
Los Angeles Rams
Blake Corum starts with the 2s
The Rams rested four receivers, three tight ends, and two quarterbacks (Matthew Stafford’s absence is because of his lingering back injury), but only gave one running back the night off: Kyren Williams. Blake Corum started with the backups and gave way to rookie Jarquez Hunter early in the game. Corum stands to be the primary beneficiary if anything were to happen to Williams.
Miami Dolphins
Jaylen Wright starts, Ollie Gordon shines
Jaylen Wright was the first running back to touch the ball aside from De’Von Achane for the second week in a row. Achane is dealing with a calf issue and is expected to miss at least a week of practice. That could put Wright in position to see the bulk of the carries if Achane misses time during the season. On the other hand, rookie Ollie Gordon has thoroughly outplayed him in the preseason. Wright has 13 carries for 19 yards in two preseason outings. He has created 20 yards after contact and forced one missed tackle. Gordon has 83 yards on 18 attempts with a 4.1 YAC per carry average and four missed tackles forced. Wright is the leader in the clubhouse for the RB2 job, though I’m not sure how long he will be able to hold off Gordon.
Minnesota Vikings
WR4 competition remains muddled
The Vikings didn’t play their starters, so there wasn’t much to take away from their date with the Patriots. Third-round rookie Tai Felton was behind Jalen Nailor last week. Nailor is dealing with a hand injury and is considered week-to-week. The Vikings didn’t give another wideout the day off, indicating they are still searching for their WR4. There’s still time for Felton to take that job, but there’s been no indication that he is ahead of veteran Lucky Jackson.
New Orleans Saints
Kendre Miller steps up as the RB2
The Saints played most of their starters in this game, giving us notable insight into some of the depth chart battles. Alvin Kamara did not play and Kendre Miller saw 14 of 18 snaps with the starters. Rookie Devin Neal is currently banged up and could return to contest the RB2 battle at some point, but missing multiple weeks of camp as a rookie isn’t going to do him any favors. Miller looks like a strong backup bet to place in the last rounds of Best Ball drafts.
New England Patriots
Pump the brakes on TreVeyon Henderson?
The Patriots are doing everything they can to slow the hype on second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson. Rhamondre Stevenson started over him last week and Antonio Gibson went first this time around. Henderson ran more routes with the starters both times. He appears to be stuck in a niche role right now, though it’s going to be hard for Mike Vrabel to keep him off the field if he continues to look like a superstar in the making.
New York Giants
Russell Wilson named the Week 1 starter
Giants head coach Brian Daboll never left the door open for rookie Jaxson Dart to overtake Russell Wilson as the team’s starter. He officially named Russ the Week 1 starter after Wilson went 3-of-5 for 107 yards, a touchdown, and a pick versus the Jets. Both Wilson and Dart rank inside the top 10 in yards per attempt through two preseason games. Our expectations for the Giants’ offense should be low, but it’s beginning to look like they have two viable starters for 2025 a year after having zero such players on the roster.
New York Jets
More warning signs for Breece Hall
The Jets were once again very deliberate in their split of the backfield reps. Breece Hall played on 11-of-18 snaps, ran half of the routes, and saw seven carries. Braelon Allen only ran one route but earned five carries on eight snaps. He also appears to be the team’s short-yardage option.
snap order on the Jets opening drive:
Breece
Breece
Braelon Allen (3rd & short)
Braelon Allen (4th & short)
Breece
Breece
Braelon Allen (3rd & long)— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 16, 2025
The Jets’ backfield is shaping up to be a true committee this year and Allen could be a premier touchdown vulture.
Philadelphia Eagles
Will Shipley rests, AJ Dillon plays
The title says it all here. Will Shipley didn’t play while AJ Dillon did. Shipley won’t see all of Saquon Barkley’s touches if he gets hurt, but he would run circles around Dillon.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Roman Wilson builds momentum
Calvin Austin missed Pittsburgh’s matchup with the Bucs because of a lingering abdominal injury. Second-year wideout Roman Wilson made the most of his extra preseason reps by catching two passes for 72 yards in the first quarter.
The Steelers haven’t signed more veteran receivers up to this point in part because they are high on Roman Wilson, who impressed both in the joint practice with the #Bucs and the game. Last night was a good sign for Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/YwltIo40GH
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 17, 2025
He has played primarily on the outside in the preseason, giving him a shot at starting in two-receiver sets if Austin’s injury lingers or if he overtakes Austin at some point.
San Francisco 49ers
Ricky Pearsall looks the part
Ricky Pearsall was one of just a few San Francisco starters to suit up versus the Raiders. Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, and WR4 Jacob Cowing were all sidelined with injuries. Pearsall ran 7-of-8 routes and saw 4-of-7 Brock Purdy targets. He got reps from the slot and out wide. It’s unclear how much more time Jennings is expected to miss. Aiyuk is likely eying a mid-season return. Pearsall looks up to the task for a potential WR1 gig until his teammates get healthy.
Seattle Seahawks
Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp share the slot
Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba both saw three snaps from the slot. As PFF’s Nathan Jahnke points out, Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak tends to use multiple players out of the slot instead of having one dedicated slot receiver. This would be devastating for JSN. He caught 88 passes for 1,093 yards and five scores out of the slot last year. He posted a 15/133/1 line out wide. His yards per route fell from 1.95 to 1.28 when he moved outside. Smith-Njigba should still see the majority of the slot work this year, but he has been a slot-only player for most of his career dating back to his Ohio State days. Kubiak’s offense may force him to play out of position more than ever before.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bucky dominates sans Rachaad White
Rachaad White suffered a groin injury a week ago versus the Titans and didn’t play in Tampa Bay’s second preseason game versus the Steelers. The Bucs didn’t make any effort to use Sean Tucker in White’s role on passing downs. Instead, Bucky played on 18-of-19 snaps with the starters and saw all eight rush attempts. He left the field for a single route. It was only two drives, so I don’t want to get carried away, but this type of usage would have Irving contending for the RB1 crown.
Tennessee Titans
Elic Ayomanor is gaining ground
The Titans played their starters in the first week of the preseason and had a clear three-wide look of Calvin Ridley, Tyler Lockett, and Van Jefferson. They rested some starters this time around but left Jefferson in the lineup. He and Elic Ayomanor were both on the field for the majority of Cam Ward’s dropbacks. The rookie unsurprisingly outshone the veteran. Ayomanor caught 2-of-4 targets for 47 yards. Jefferson failed to bring in either of his two targets. Ayomanor is on the menu as a last-round Best Ball pick.
Washington Commanders
Commanders looking to trade Brian Robinson Jr.
Jacorey Croskey-Merritt has been the talk of the town during Commanders camp. His ascent has been so sudden and undeniable that Washington is now looking to trade Brian Robinson. The veteran was held out of Washington’s second preseason outing, giving “Bill” a showcase game. He didn’t disappoint with an 11/46/1 rushing line and two catches. JCM is the Commanders’ starting running back this year.