• Several rookie running backs have work to do: Players such as De’Von Achane played later into their preseason games than some fantasy managers would have hoped.
• Some second-round wide receivers have already earned starting jobs: Carolina Panthers‘ Jonathan Mingo and Green Bay Packers‘ Jayden Reed were both playing in three-receiver sets with their first-team offenses.
• Multiple tight ends see extensive work with starters: Dalton Kincaid, Sam LaPorta and Luke Musgrave all played extensively with their respective first-team offenses, making all three sleeper tight ends.
Fantasy football depth charts are a snapshot of where teams currently stand, as they are heavily based on how teams used their players in the preseason and are not a projection of where things are most likely to end up. Several rookies should work their way up the depth charts between now and Week 1.
The Patriots and Jets haven’t officially signed Ezekiel Elliott or Dalvin Cook yet, but they are included here with the assumption they will sign.
Check out PFF's 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit for even more content to help you dominate your league.
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Preseason Recaps: Week 1 | Hall of Fame Game
Last updated: 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, August 16
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Arizona Cardinals
Rondale Moore played only in the slot: The Cardinals used Moore in two-receiver sets at times, but he appears set to primarily be a three-receiver set player in 2023.
• The Cardinals typically used Zach Pascal and Michael Wilson in two-receiver sets instead of Moore.
• He consistently lined up in the slot when he was on the field.
• The fact that he was playing while several other starters had the night off is another sign the Cardinals might not view him as highly as we once thought.
• The one piece of good news is Greg Dortch didn’t play until the third drive when several Cardinals starters were done, so Moore appears to be ahead of Dortch at this point.
• Pascal and Wilson are likely fighting for the other outside receiving spot across from Marquise Brown. There was no difference between them in playing time. Wilson caught two passes for eight yards.
• There is at least a chance Brown sometimes plays in the slot with Pascal and Wilson out wide.
• Moore can still be considered a late-round sleeper if he consistently lines up in the slot in 11 personnel, but it’s a little less likely to work out based on Friday night.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons rested almost everyone: Atlanta didn’t use its top two quarterbacks, top three running backs, top three wide receivers and top two tight ends.
• Interestingly, KhaDarel Hodge didn’t play. He was the Falcons’ fourth wide receiver last season.
• Olamide Zaccheaus, Damiere Byrd and Bryan Edwards were all among the Falcons’ top five wide receivers last season and are no longer on the roster.
• This implies Hodge is third on the depth chart, behind Drake London and free-agent addition Mack Hollins.
• It was also noteworthy that Parker Hesse played significantly in the first half after leading the Atlanta tight end room in offensive snaps last season with 619.
• This means he is third on the depth chart, behind Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith.
• His playing time could have just been due to a lack of healthy tight ends. The Falcons have six on the roster, and MyCole Pruitt was just added two weeks ago.
Baltimore Ravens
Zay Flowers makes his Ravens debut: The Ravens rested several key players, but we got a taste of how the Ravens might use Zay Flowers.
• Flowers didn’t see an official target, but he was the recipient of one backward pass that counted as a one-yard run and two targets that led to defensive penalties.
• The Ravens didn’t use Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman or Nelson Agholor. The fact that Flowers played doesn’t give us much indication of where he is on the depth chart.
• It was interesting to see Baltimore use Flowers both out wide as well as in the slot.
• Devin Duvernay was the primary slot receiver last season. He started this game but consistently lined up on the outside. This could be just to give him more experience outside, or it could mean he’s no longer a slot player for them.
• This probably hurts Duvernay’s chances of seeing significant playing time this season and helps the Ravens' young receivers and Beckham.
• Tylan Wallace was the primary slot receiver to begin the evening, but he probably won’t be the primary slot receiver while everyone is playing.
• While plenty of teams have restricted their rookie wide receivers to a specific role, seeing Flowers play multiple receiver spots and move around is probably a positive sign for what the team will ask him to do in the regular season.
Buffalo Bills
James Cook is unsurprisingly the early favorite for Buffalo: Cook played every snap on the Bills’ first two drives.
• He ran the ball on four of those six plays, gaining 20 yards and a touchdown.
• This isn’t all that surprising, considering the Bills typically rotated their running backs by drive rather than situation. Cook is at the top of the depth chart.
• Damien Harris missed this game with a knee injury.
• Latavius Murray entered the game once Cook exited.
• If anything, it’s surprising that a 33-year-old Murray is playing in the preseason.
• Cook is a potential breakout running back, but this game shouldn’t move the needle on his fantasy value.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers' complicated wide receiver room: The Panthers used six different wide receivers during Bryce Young’s three drives.
• D.J. Chark Jr., Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo started the game for Carolina.
• Chark played only the first drive before his day was done. That is a good indication that his starting job is secure.
• Thielen played the first two drives and consistently played in the slot in three-receiver sets. He played only 28.6% of his snaps in the slot last season with the Minnesota Vikings.
• He graded better out wide than in the slot in addition to generating a better target share and more yards per route run, so this move to the slot is a little surprising.
• Mingo starting in his first preseason game as a rookie is a pretty strong sign he will be among the receivers in 11 personnel in Week 1.
• The Panthers stuck with three-receiver sets on their first drive, so we couldn’t confirm he would be the odd man out in 12 personnel.
• Mingo left for the second drive and returned for the third drive, so his job isn’t necessarily secure.
• Terrace Marshall Jr. was expected to start over Mingo early in the season, given his experience, but this was a decent sign Marshall is fourth on the depth chart.
• Laviska Shenault Jr. also received snaps on the second drive while Shi Smith played on the third drive.
• Marshall, Shenault and Smith all continued to play once Matt Corral replaced Bryce on the fourth drive.
• Chark, Thielen and Mingo are all worth late-round fliers in case they work out, but Marshall no longer seems worth the late-round pick.
Chicago Bears
Khalil Herbert is the clear early favorite for the Bears’ RB job: Herbert played 100% of snaps while Justin Fields was also playing.
• Free agent addition D’Onta Foreman only began playing on the third drive with the backups.
• When a team in the preseason doesn’t have any kind of rotation, it typically means one player is ahead of the other on the depth chart.
• Chicago consistently used David Montgomery on the first two drives and Khalil Herbert on the third drive last season, so in this particular case, it could mean Herbert will be the one playing on the first two drives this season.
• Herbert graded very well as a runner but not as well as a receiver last season.
• His 56-yard touchdown catch could lead the Bears to trust him more as a receiver.
• Herbert’s ADP might be one of the biggest risers over the next week, given his playing time and highlight play, and it deserves to rise.
• Trestan Ebner was the third halfback to see playing time late in the second quarter.
• Roschon Johnson also played late into the second quarter, but only after Ebner was helped off the field. This suggests he’s currently fourth on the depth chart.
• There is plenty of time for Johnson to work his way up the depth chart, but he might not factor in much in September.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals’ open running back competition: The Bengals rotated Chris Evans and Chase Brown by drive.
• Joe Mixon was among the Bengals’ starters who rested.
• Trayveon Williams seemed to be the favorite for the backup job, but he sprained his ankle and is week to week.
• This gives veteran Chris Evans or fifth-round rookie Chase Brown a chance to win the job.
• Evans started the game and broke a 33-yard run in the second quarter, so he is likely ahead of Brown.
• The Bengals could very well add a veteran if Mixon ever suffers an injury, but there is at least a chance one of these players could be a fantasy starter this season if Mixon is hurt and the Bengals don’t look elsewhere.
Cleveland Browns
Monitor the Elijah Moore injury: Moore suffered a ribs injury on the Browns' first drive, but X-rays have already come back negative.
• He played every snap on the Browns' first drive in three- or four-receiver sets but not in any of their one or two-receiver sets.
• This suggests he will remain third on the depth chart behind Donovan Peoples-Jones and Amari Cooper, at least in terms of playing time.
• He took two snaps out of the backfield and is the only wide receiver to take snaps at running back in the first quarter of a preseason game this year.
• He took a carry out of this set for 18 yards.
• Seeing some rushing production is a big bonus to his fantasy upside, making him an interesting late-round sleeper.
Dallas Cowboys
Jake Ferguson leads the Cowboys’ tight ends: Ferguson was Dallas' starting tight end and played the majority of snaps.
• He received most early down snaps last season when Dalton Schultz wasn’t playing, so that part wasn’t surprising.
• Peyton Hendershot was typically the tight end on third downs when Schultz wasn’t on the field, but Saturday, Ferguson saw the first third-and-long snap and took more of the third-down snaps.
• This makes him a sleeper tight end considering how good Cowboys tight ends have done in the past in fantasy football.
• It was a little concerning that the four plays Dallas took him off the field were all pass plays. This is worth monitoring and could limit his upside.
• Dallas spent a second-round pick on Luke Schoonmaker, who had a foot injury coming into the league. He’s been limited throughout training camp which should keep him lower on the depth chart for now, but he could mix in more as the season progresses.
Denver Broncos
Greg Dulcich’s playing time is in trouble: Adam Trautman was not just the Broncos starting tight end, but he played on all first and second downs.
• Trautman caught two passes in the first half for 18 yards while Dulcich wasn’t targeted.
• Dulcich only joined the field for third downs and two-tight end sets. Last season, he would play significantly on early downs and third downs.
• Trautman has a history in Sean Payton’s offense, and he was consistently playing in over 80% of his team's offensive snaps the last time he was healthy with Payton as his coach.
• Trautman was listed as the starter on the unofficial depth chart, so it wasn’t surprising to see him in 21 personnel, but the fact that he played in 11 personnel on early downs is a problem for Dulcich’s fantasy value.
• If this carries on into the regular season, then Dulcich likely won’t be able to be a fantasy starter.
• Chris Manhertz was a Broncos free agent signing who could also play in run-blocking situations. He was not in uniform Friday night, but he could take some of the snaps in 12 personnel away from Dulcich.
• Payton did refer to Dulcich as a “Joker” in the offense, similar to Taysom Hill or Darren Sproles. The Broncos didn’t use Dulcich in these kinds of creative ways Friday night, but this could help his fantasy value even if Trautman is seeing significant playing time.
Detroit Lions
Sam LaPorta is already the Lions’ starting tight end: LaPorta played the clear majority of snaps with the starters over the team’s other top players.
• While starters at several positions got the night off, there were no notable tight ends who didn’t play.
• LaPorta played during the first three drives, taking 100% of snaps in 11 personnel and 100% of snaps in 12 personnel with Brock Wright.
• Wright took 100% of snaps in 21 personnel.
• Both tight ends were replaced after the third drive by James Mitchell and Daniel Helm.
• This is the best-case scenario for LaPorta. He’s already ahead of everyone else, and the time the Lions plan to take him off the field is during likely run situations.
• Typically, we shouldn’t read too much into rookies playing further down the depth chart, but when a rookie is starting in the first week of the preseason ahead of all veterans, they are very likely to have that role during the regular season.
Green Bay Packers
Jayden Reed is the established WR3 for Green Bay: The second-round rookie played 100% of snaps in 11 personnel with the starters.
• Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs remain the clear top two on the depth chart, both in terms of playing time and targets.
• Reed’s main competition for the third spot was Samori Toure, who played only one snap with the starters while Christian Watson took a play off.
• It was expected that Reed would eventually secure the third spot, especially after positive training camp reports, but it was good to see his stranglehold on the job this early.
• Reed continued playing with the second-string offense after Watson’s and Doubs' nights were done. He continued to stick with 11 personnel sets with the backups.
• All but one of his snaps with the starters came from the slot, with his only out-wide snap coming in a bunched formation.
• He can be worth a late-round flier in case he becomes one of Jordan Love’s favorite targets.
Houston Texans
Buyer beware on Devin Singletary: He seemed destined for the third down and primary backup role to Dameon Pierce, but he might only be a handcuff.
• Pierce was among the few veteran players who were given the night off.
• Singletary was the starting running back in this game and played the majority of the snaps with the first team, but he was consistently leaving the field on third downs.
• This was typically in favor of Dare Ogunbowale, but for one play it was Mike Boone.
• If the third down role was Singletary’s, he would be the one playing the third down snaps.
• This suggests Ogunbowale might still have the third down job instead of Singletary.
• On the Texans' third drive, they took out some of the players who started the game but not Singletary. He played a few plays with Davis Mills before leaving the game for Boone.
• When the backups played, Boone primarily played out of 21 personnel while Ogunbowale primarily played in 11, making it more clear Ogunbowale is currently the receiving back.
• This game made it clear Singletary is Pierce's handcuff, but his playing time might be pretty limited as long as Pierce is healthy.
Indianapolis Colts
Evan Hull starts over Deon Jackson: Hull received the snaps on the first drive, with Jackson taking the second drive.
• The two continued to rotate throughout the first four drives.
• They played in place of Jonathan Taylor, who is holding out, and Zack Moss, who is dealing with a broken arm.
• When two players are rotating like this in the preseason, it’s typically the veteran who gets the start. The fact that Hull started is a good sign he can remain ahead of Jackson on the depth chart.
• Jackson put up better numbers rushing with the ball, but Hull caught two passes for 18 yards, compared to no targets for Jackson.
• The Colts signed Kenyan Drake, who didn’t receive his first carry until late in the third quarter, but it wouldn’t be surprising for Drake to move up the depth chart, considering he’s been on the team for only a week.
• Indianapolis also pursued Kareem Hunt a few days ago.
• It’s fine to be cautiously optimistic about Hull because he received the start, but the biggest takeaway is that Jackson doesn’t seem to be a significant part of the team’s running back plans despite his big games last season.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Christian Kirk restricted to the slot: Kirk was an every-down receiver last season, but the Calvin Ridley addition has reduced his role.
• Kirk had played 89% of snaps in 12 personnel last season, with Zay Jones playing 65%.
• Most expected Kirk to remain in 12 personnel with Ridley, but it was Jones playing in 12 personnel Saturday.
• Both Ridley and Jones took snaps in 13 personnel, which was typically either Tim Jones or Zay Jones last season.
• The Jaguars were around league average in how often they used 11 personnel last season, so this could result in a substantial decrease in snaps for Kirk.
• Luckily, that decrease will mostly be on run plays, but it will also lead to fewer pass routes similar to this game.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City wide receiver room becomes a little more clear: The Chiefs have seven wide receivers who could realistically see significant playing time this season, but only four played with the starters Sunday.
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and Justin Watson started the game, and second-round rookie Rashee Rice also saw time with the starters.
• Kadarius Toney has been dealing with an injury, so he didn’t play.
• Valdes-Scantling, Moore and Watson played only the first two drives. Rice continued to see snaps with the backups, with free agent addition Richie James and Justyn Ross also starting to see playing time.
• Valdes-Scantling and Watson are both low-target-share players with high average target depths, making them unlikely options to be great fantasy players.
• The wide receiver rotation was good news for Moore and Rice, as neither was losing playing time to James or Ross.
• None of the three starting wide receivers recorded a target. James made a 43-yard catch and scored a touchdown on the same drive with the second team, so it’s at least possible he mixes in more going forward.
• This situation could evolve throughout the preseason and regular season, but at the moment, Moore and Rice are both worth late-round gambles in case they can become a favorite target of Patrick Mahomes.
Las Vegas Raiders
Zamir White is the clear favorite for the backup job: White was a major part of the Raiders offense in the first quarter.
• He ran the ball nine times for 35 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter. His carries were half of the Raiders’ offensive plays in the quarter.
• The Raiders were replacing White with Ameer Abdullah in passing situations on third down, which is the role Abdullah handled last season.
• The longer Josh Jacobs stays away from the team, the more likely it is White will see significant playing time in Week 1.
Los Angeles Chargers
Joshua Kelley is currently ahead of Isaiah Spiller: Kelley started the game before the two rotated in and out.
• Most backup running back battles are between an incumbent and a new player or two, but this is a battle between two returning players.
• Kelley was the primary backup last season with 271 offensive snaps.
• Spiller only played 53 snaps as a rookie, mostly in the middle of the season when Kelley was injured.
• Both running backs looked good, but they were playing against a lot of the Rams' second- and third-string defenders.
• The competition seems like one that Kelley will win, but it’s not entirely out of the question the Chargers look to add a running back to take the backup job.
Los Angeles Rams
Tutu Atwell is the favorite for the Rams WR3 job: Atwell was among the three Rams wide receivers who had the night off.
• Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson seem to have a strong hold on the top two starting jobs. Both players also received the night off.
• Atwell was listed among the starters on the unofficial depth chart earlier in the week.
• His top competition comes from Ben Skowronek, free agent addition Demarcus Robinson and fifth-round rookie Puka Nacua.
• Those were the three receivers that started the game for the Rams tonight.
• This is somewhat surprising considering Skowronek led the Rams wide receivers in offensive snaps last season with 698 while Atwell only played 308 snaps.
• Atwell was the second-highest-graded wide receiver last season, so it’s good to see he will be seeing more opportunities.
Miami Dolphins
De’Von Achane has work to do: Achane currently sits at fifth on the Dolphins’ running back depth chart.
• Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. were both given the night off with the rest of the starters.
• Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed were the only running backs to play for Miami in the first quarter.
• The Dolphins started transitioning to more backups throughout the second quarter, particularly on the offensive line. This was when Achane started mixing in.
• Gaskin put up a great performance, recording seven carries for 57 yards.
• Achane continued playing into the third quarter but gained only 25 yards over his first 10 carries.
• On the bright side, Achane did make a few nice catches. But he caught only one pass in the first three quarters.
• Plenty of rookie running backs were far down the depth chart in the first week of the preseason last year, including Tyler Allgeier with the Atlanta Falcons and Rachaad White with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both worked their way up the depth chart quickly.
• It’s far too early to give up on Achane for 2023, but this game hurt him more than it helped.
Minnesota Vikings
Jordan Addison makes his debut with the Vikings: Addison started the game and played the vast majority of snaps with the “starters.”
• Both Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn were among the veterans who had the night off while Jalen Nailor missed the game, as he’s been dealing with a leg injury.
• He’s among the top four on the depth chart, but this game gave no indication of where he is among those four.
• He made a highlight-worthy catch on the sideline, but it was ruled incomplete and the play wasn’t reviewed. He made his first official catch to start the second quarter, which went for 22 yards.
• His night was over after the Vikings’ first three drives, which was earlier than other players who started the game for Minnesota.
• He consistently lined up as an outside receiver with Brandon Powell taking the snaps in the slot.
• Addison is expected to essentially take Adam Thielen‘s role, and Thielen played 28.6% of his snaps in the slot.
• The Vikings likely want Addison to focus on the outside for now, so he will likely eventually see some time in the slot, but for now, this could mean more slot snaps for Jefferson and Osborn.
• Ultimately, the big catches were a good thing, but ideally, he gets some experience in the slot before the preseason is over.
New England Patriots
Tyquan Thornton is down the Patriots depth chart: New England rested several starters, with Thornton seeing significant playing time Thursday night.
• The Patriots had JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne all take the night off.
• Sixth-round rookies Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas started the game instead of Thornton.
• Thornton played significantly with the Patriots “starters” Thursday night but only in 11 personnel.
• Douglas only played in the first two snaps and his night was done. He’s received plenty of praise during training camp, so this suggests Douglas has a strong hold on the fourth receiving job.
• He led the Patriots in receiving yards in the first half with 31 off two catches, but the problem was that he was playing at all while several other players, including some new to the team, got the night off.
• He stopped playing in the middle of the second quarter, which was before any of the other skill players were done but after some offensive linemen took their last snaps.
• There have been reports throughout training camp that Thornton’s had a poor camp, and this further confirms that.
• Thornton probably shouldn’t be drafted at this point while he’s fourth at best on the depth chart.
New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara takes most of the first-team snaps: The suspended running back remains the starter despite the additions of Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller.
• Kamara took each of the first seven snaps for the Saints. Jamaal Williams then handled two plays before Kamara returned.
• The former All-Pro stayed on the field near the goal line despite how well Williams played in those situations last season.
• While this certainly isn’t bad news for Kamara, it also might not be as good as it seems.
• The Saints traditionally make several substitutions from one play to the next, using players based on the formation and personnel.
• New Orleans did this to an extent at tight end in this game, but they didn’t at wide receiver or running back. They similarly weren’t doing this in the first preseason game last season.
• Chris Olave played every snap of the first drive of the preseason last season but played more than 77% of snaps only once in the regular season. He was back to playing every snap on the first drive this preseason.
• This just means Kamara is ahead of Williams and Miller on the depth chart — not necessarily an indicator of what situations each player will play in.
• Miller played his first snap late in the first quarter, joining Tank Bigsby as the only rookie running backs to play in the first quarter in a game where the starting running back also played. Although, unlike Bigsby, none of Miller’s snaps were with the starters.
• We probably won’t know how the Saints will distribute their snaps among their three running backs until Kamara’s suspension is over.
New York Giants
The Giants’ seemingly crowded receiver room wasn’t crowded: The Giants had three clear wide receivers, but the room will be more complicated soon.
• Darius Slayton and Parris Campbell appeared to be among the starters who were given the night off, which should be good news for their fantasy value.
• It was at least somewhat surprising that Isaiah Hodgins also didn’t receive the night off based on how well he played last season. It could have potentially been because of how few healthy receivers New York had.
• Wan’Dale Robinson is still on the PUP list after tearing his ACL last season. Sterling Shepard returned from the PUP list two weeks ago, but given his injury history, it isn’t surprising he also had the night off.
• This meant Hodgins and third-round rookie Jalin Hyatt were the starters, while Cole Beasley was in the slot.
• Beasley stood out the most with four catches for 33 yards. Hyatt caught only one pass for -4 yards by halftime.
• Former NFL starter Jamison Crowder played with the second-team offense and appears to be among the odd men out once everyone is healthy.
• Collin Johnson also played with the second-team offense but suffered a knee injury and was quickly ruled out.
New York Jets
A glimpse into the Jets wide receiver rotation: New York only used some of their receivers Saturday, but it was enough to gain some information about what to expect in September.
• The Jets rested a number of starters, including Garrett Wilson, while Randall Cobb has been out with an injury.
• This left Allen Lazard, Corey Davis and Mecole Hardman Jr. on top of the depth chart.
• Lazard and Davis generally played every snap, outside of taking a little time off near the end of a 13-play drive.
• Hardman was largely restricted to snaps out of 11 personnel.
• He only played in two-thirds of offensive snaps without Wilson and Cobb, so chances are Hardman will see even less playing time when they are playing.
• It’s fine to draft Hardman in best ball leagues for when he breaks big plays, but it will be difficult for him to make an impact in redraft leagues without injuries.
• This also makes it pretty clear Davis will remain a major part of the offense. This could be implied given his $11.2 million cap hit, but Saturday gave me even more evidence.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles backfield gets more complicated: Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott received the night off while D’Andre Swift started Saturday night with Rashaad Penny playing into the second quarter.
• Swift and Penny both have ADPs among the top 35 running backs while Gainwell is at 52 on Underdog and Scott is going undrafted.
• This suggests it should be Gainwell and Scott getting drafted early.
• There were reports early in the week that Gainwell was playing like the feature back.
• Swift played the first six snaps Saturday night, had a 22-yard run, and then Penny played for the next quarter’s worth of snaps.
• An argument could be made that the Eagles know what they have in Gainwell and Scott after the last two seasons, but players like Olamide Zaccheaus, who is a new free agent addition, received the night off even though he should also be a relatively unknown for the team.
• Penny seems like the most likely player to not make the roster if Philadelphia decides to stick with three running backs.
• It’s worth noting the Eagles typically have different running backs play in different situations, which was not true Saturday night. Penny played in passing situations, which he typically never does, for example. This also happened last preseason, and the Eagles immediately went back to using running backs in situations once the regular season hit.
• At this point, it’s probably best to not draft Swift or Penny at their current ADP and potentially draft Gainwell depending on how high his ADP rises.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Jaylen Warren leads in snaps with Steelers starters: Najee Harris started the game, but Warren also played significantly.
• Harris played each of the team’s first three snaps. Warren replaced him for second-and-11 and third-and-10, which isn’t surprising considering those were the kinds of situations Warren played in last season.
• Warren stayed on the field for the following first-and-10 and was replaced by Harris for a first-and-10. Harris was then replaced by Warren for another first-and-10.
• The Steelers turned to backups for the second drive, which included not just replacing Harris for the night, but also Warren.
• We already anticipated Warren playing in passing situations this year, but this at least increases the possibility of him taking more snaps on early downs, too.
• This could be enough of a reason to move Harris down the rankings at least a little bit until we see the Steelers’ starters again this preseason, if at all.
• It’s also possible the Steelers were just trying different things with the offense. Harris never ran the ball but did catch a pass, whereas Warren was used more as a runner than a receiver — the opposite of what we’d typically expect.
San Francisco 49ers
Jordan Mason is clearly ahead of Tyrion Davis-Price: Mason played on the first three offensive plays and then Davis-Price took most of the snaps for the rest of the game.
• Mason came back for only one drive in the second quarter and a few plays just to give Davis-Price a break before other backups entered in the fourth quarter.
• This is slightly surprising, considering Davis-Price was a third-round pick last season while Mason went undrafted.
• Mason played 82 snaps last season and earned a 90.6 rushing grade, while Davis-Price played 70 with a 56.1 run grade.
• It’s unlikely either sees significant playing time this season with Christian McCaffrey on top of the depth chart and Elijah Mitchell second.
• Trey Sermon was drafted in the third round in 2021 and didn’t make the 49ers’ roster the following year. It’s possible Davis-Price is following in those footsteps.
Seattle Seahawks
Jaxon Smith-Njigba makes his debut with the Seahawks: Smith-Njigba started the game but was limited to snaps in 11 personnel.
• Smith-Njigba was Dre Lock’s favorite target, catching three passes for 25 yards.
• The Seahawks similarly rested most of their starters, including D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
• Cody Thompson was in street clothes for the game, which was a surprise, and Dee Eskridge was injured on the opening kickoff.
• Seattle came into the game planning to play Smith-Njigba in 11 personnel, as players like undrafted rookie Jake Bobo played in 12 personnel instead of Smith-Njigba.
• The Seahawks ran three plays from 12 personnel on their second drive, and Smith-Njigba was off the field for all of them.
• His night was done after the Seahawks' third drive.
• This likely means Metcalf and Lockett’s playing time isn’t in danger, at least early in the season.
• There is certainly a chance that Seattle expands Smith-Njigba’s role as the season progresses, but if the Seahawks wanted him to play in 12 personnel Week 1, this would have been a perfect time to get some practice.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ke’Shawn Vaughn has the early lead on the Buccaneers' backup job: Vaughn started the game and played the first several snaps for Tampa Bay.
• The Buccaneers played Vaughn for a while, then Edmonds for a while and then back to Vaughn and back to Edmonds.
• Tampa Bay similarly rotated its running backs by drive during the regular season late last year.
• This could simply be a case of Vaughn having more experience in the offense, and it’s close given the similar snaps.
• It’s unlikely that Rachaad White is playing more than 75% of offensive snaps once the regular season starts, so one of these running backs — not both — will see some significant playing time in the regular season.
Tennessee Titans
Tyjae Spears makes a statement in the Titans’ backup competition: Hassan Haskins started the game, but Spears made his mark on the first drive.
• Spears outsnapped Haskins on the first two drives and ran six times for 32 yards, compared to two carries for five yards by Haskins.
• Haskins eventually scored a touchdown, but it took him two goal-line tries. His efficiency remained low relative to Spears.
• Typically, rookie running backs are decently far down the depth chart the first week of the preseason — for example, De’Von Achane with the Miami Dolphins — so the fact that Spears is already seeing significant time with the second team is a good sign.
• It’s unlikely Spears has standalone value to start the season, but he’s trending toward being the handcuff for Derrick Henry.
• Henry is also 29 years old and on a below-average team. If the Titans are off to a bad start this season, it’s possible Henry will get traded at the deadline, which could turn Spears into a fantasy starter.
Washington Commanders
New offensive coordinator, same offensive trends for Commanders: Washington played its healthy starters, and the offensive snap trends were very similar to last season even though Eric Bieniemy is the team's new offensive coordinator.
• Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson continued to split offensive snaps, as they did last season, with the general trend of Robinson playing more on early downs and Gibson playing more on late downs.
• Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson were almost always the receivers in two-receiver sets while Curtis Samuel joined for 11 personnel sets.
• While playing time was similar to last season, we already started to see more personnel diversity.
• Washington never used 21 personnel last season, but the Commanders used it once with the starters Friday night. They also only used 20 personnel three times all of last season and already used it once with the starters.
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