Week 2 NFL Preseason: Fantasy Football Takeaways
In the second week of the NFL Preseason, many teams had a great opportunity to evaluate how some of their backup skill position players look heading into this season. For instance, TE Isaiah Likely is lighting it up for the Ravens this preseason, which could push Baltimore to activate him alongside Mark Andrew in 2022. Gabriel Davis is exceeding expectations in Buffalo. Elsewhere, the New York Giants may have found some depth at receiver after a huge night from Alex Bachman. He had 11 receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns to help the Giants beat the Bengals last night. Let’s take a look at some potential fantasy takeaways from all the Week 2 Preseason games.
Week 2 NFL Preseason Fantasy Football Takeaways
Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks (27-11)
- Cole Kmet caught two of the three targets he saw, finishing his limited playing time with two receptions for 31 yards. Kmet is a sneaky tight end with top-10 upside due to the lack of weapons at the wide receiver and tight end position in Chicago.
- Drew Lock’s chances of starting Week 1 as the Seahawks’ signal-caller went up even though he has been on the couch with COVID-19. Geno Smith played poorly and finished with an abysmal 74.31 QB rating. He barely completed 50% of his passes and failed to find the end zone. Smith’s value is plummeting in the wake of his awful performance. The reality is that if you are starting Lock or Smith, your fantasy squad is probably in trouble.
Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots (10-20)
- Ty Montgomery and Rhamondre Stevenson may eat into Damien Harris’s playing time more than initially anticipated. Both Montgomery and Stevenson are the superior options in the passing game and the former member of the Green Bay Packers trotted into the end zone in the second quarter last week. We could be looking at a three-person running-back-by-committee in New England in 2022.
- Without Baker Mayfield out on that field, the Carolina Panthers offense looked absolutely atrocious. The only touchdown the team scored was on defense yet P.J. Walker threw two interceptions and also fumbled in his own end zone as the Patriots had a defensive touchdown of their own. Nobody on Carolina impressed in this preseason battle.
New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers (10-20)
- In Green Bay’s second preseason game of 2022, QB Jordan Love played the majority of the game, completing 50% of his passes for 113 yards. Love passed for one touchdown caught by rookie WR Romeo Doubs, who had three catches of his own. This was the Packers’ 2022 fourth-round pick’s second touchdown of the preseason. Doubs is making a legitimate case to be a starter for the Packers this season.
- The Saints’ first-round draft pick out of Ohio State, WR Chris Olave, recorded his first touchdown at the NFL level on a 20-yard reception. Rookie receivers for both teams got touchdown catches in this contest. Olave has more upside than Doubs in fantasy football this year but both rookies could be solid late-round gems.
Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams (24-20)
- In this game, Texans QB Davis Mills struggled in his first few drives. After halftime, however, Mills was able to get into a good rhythm with his pass-catchers. He threw an 18-yard touchdown dart to WR Nico Collins just before the end of the first half. Mills is expected to be the Texans’ starting QB heading into this season. Although Brandin Cooks is the clear-cut WR1 in Houston, Collins could make a case for the WR2 role. This is especially the case because of how weak the Texans’ receiving corps is heading into 2022.
- Ignore all the snap counts from the Los Angeles Rams this week. Sean McVay continued his tradition of resting all starters and key backups. There wasn’t much to learn about the reigning champs this week.
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Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills (15-42)
- QB Josh Allen led the Bills down the field in six plays for 70 yards ending in a 28-yard touchdown to WR Gabriel Davis. Davis was expected to assume the WR2 role in Buffalo after the Bills dropped Emmanuel Sanders so it was encouraging to see that come to fruition this week. Davis played 100% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps with the starters.
- The Broncos were annihilated by the Bills in the second week of the preseason. QB Russell Wilson of the Broncos did not see any playing time in the contest. Josh Johnson was Denver’s quarterback for the vast majority of the game. The only fantasy-viable player who saw significant action was TE Albert Okwuegbunam. He hauled in four passes for 32 receiving yards but was rotating in and out with Eric Saubert and Eric Tomlinson. And once rookie third-round pick Greg Dulcich is healthy, Okwuegbunam’s snaps could be even more limited. I’d only target the Denver tight end in the deepest of fantasy football leagues.
Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts (27-26)
- Ignore the snap counts from Detroit as they rested all their key starters. Detroit's top two running backs in this game were Justin Jackson (54 rushing yards) and Craig Reynolds (37 rushing yards). Reynolds performed well at the end of last season and has proven he can perform if given the opportunity. Still, the Lions’ top two running backs heading into this season are undeniably D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams, both of whom were rested this week. Lions wide receiver Tom Kennedy caught five passes for just 24 yards but two touchdowns. This comes after Kennedy had 100+ yards receiving in Week 1 of the preseason. He could be vying for a role in this offense.
- The Colts rested their starters in this game, including WR Michael Pittman. Colts’ second-round pick, Alec Pierce, played in this game and was running plays in two-receiver sets, which is not something he’s done in the past. In turn, WR Parris Campbell was heavily restricted, which could indicate that Pierce is working his way up the chain of Colts’ receivers heading into this season. Since Pierce was a second-round draft pick, he is certainly worthy of being selected late in 2022 fantasy football drafts.
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Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs (14-24)
- The Chiefs have Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Ronald Jones as their top-two running backs heading into this season. However, injuries to Edwards-Helaire in his first two seasons could push the Chiefs to give Jones a fair amount of carries as well as other RBs who could make the team’s final 53-man roster. Notably, RB Isiah Pacheco has been impressive through the team’s first two preseason games. Pacheco ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the draft combined despite his 5’10’’ 215lbs build. There is a chance he gets some playing time and even becomes fantasy-worthy once the season gets going.
- Washington’s backfield has emerged into a three-man committee as well. Brian Robinson started over Antonio Gibson and looks to be the superior ball carrier. Gibson fumbled back in Week 1 and was relegated to special teams duties to start Week 2. Not to mention, the Commanders also have J.D. McKissick on the depth chart. Fantasy owners should probably avoid Washington’s backfield entirely due to the massive timeshares we can expect.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tennessee Titans (3-13)
- Rachaad White is trending in the right direction. Leonard Fournette started the game but Giovani Bernard was sidelined and Ke’Shawn Vaughn fell to fourth on the depth chart. White could see some opportunities if the injury bug hits Tampa Bay’s backfield. White has six carries for 19 rushing yards and corralled his only target for an additional 16 receiving yards.
- Dontrell Hilliard could be a really great handcuff option considering he got the night off after one series. Hilliard performed admirably during Derrick Henry’s absence in the second half of last season. Should Henry go down again, Hilliard could be the primary beneficiary.
Las Vegas Raiders at Miami Dolphins (15-13)
- Avoid Mike Gesicki in fantasy football leagues. Both Gesicki and Durham Smythe started the game and although they both played in two-tight end sets, they split snaps out of the 11 personnel. Smythe saw the majority of snaps on early downs while Gesicki was typically out there on third downs. Instead of playing out of the slot, the majority of his snaps were at in-line tight end, which doesn’t bode well for Gesicki heading into 2022. It will be difficult to put up TE1 numbers with Smythe seeing plenty of action and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle creating space.
- Mack Hollins seems to be leading the competition for the Raiders’ WR3 role in Vegas. The Raiders have rested Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and Darren Waller consistently. Hollins also received last night off, which means he’s most likely locked into the Raiders' WR3 position.
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San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings (17-7)
- For the 49ers, there are some concerns regarding their backfield. While RB Elijah Mitchell is undoubtedly the team’s RB1 heading into 2022, it’s unclear who will be the team’s second or third best options at the positions. Jeff Wilson Jr. has been injured and missed his second consecutive preseason game for the 49ers. If he gets healthy, he should make the cut. Ty Davis-Price had ten carries for 41 yards while Jordan Mason averaged 6.3 yards per carry on nine rushing attempts. Mason stood out in this game for the way he ran fiercely and and efficiently.
- Ignore the snap counts from the Vikings yesterday. Alexander Mattison was the only offensive player with value who stepped onto the field for the Vikings. He finished with three carries for 17 rushing yards. Mattison is one of the most valuable handcuff running backs in all of fantasy football if Dalvin Cook goes down with another injury.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars (16-15)
- Quarterback Kenny Pickett looked really good for the Steelers. He went six-of-seven for 76 yards and an 11-yard snipe to Benny Snell Jr. for a touchdown.
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- You also may want to consider drafting rookie wide receiver George Pickens late since he played 17 of the 18 pass plays with the starters. Pickens was even splitting time with Chase Claypool and could very well surpass Claypool on the depth chart as the WR2 in this offense before the end of the season.
- The Jags had all their weapons in the passing game on the field tonight and it was Christian Kirk who performed the best. Kirk was targeted on eight of the 24 passing plays in the first half. This is a strong indication that Kirk will see a high target share throughout the season. Kirk and Marvin Jones each played over 80% of the passing plays on the first drive, while Zay Jones was the clear-cut third option. Kirk finished the game with five receptions for 54 yards.
Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers (32-18)
- Consider Joshua Palmer as a late-round flier. He emerged as the most likely candidate to fill the WR3 role after finishing with three receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown yesterday.
- Ignore the Cowboys’ snap counts from this game. They benched all of their key starters and backups. We didn’t learn much from Dallas in Week 2 of the NFL Preseason.
Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns (21-20)
- Eagles RB Boston Scott started and scored a touchdown on Philadelphia’s opening drive. Scott had a pretty significant role in last year’s offense so his performance bodes well for his fantasy value in 2022. Meanwhile, Kenneth Gainwell didn’t step onto the field until the Eagles’ second drive. This most likely means that Boston Scott is ahead of Gaainwell on the depth chart, yet still behind Miles Sanders.
- Jerome Ford moved up to fourth on the running back depth chart after leading the Browns in both rushing and receiving yards last night.
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants (22-25)
- The Giants gave most of the snaps in the first half to QB Daniel Jones, who completed the majority of his passes yet turned the ball over.
- WR Alex Bachman had a sensational night for the Giants. He caught 11 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns including a game-winner late in the fourth quarter. The Giants’ receiving corps is weak heading into this season and Alex Bachman could be a solid option to bolster their pass-catchers.
- Tyrod Taylor went in for one series and completed the majority of his passes but wasn’t able to lead the G-Men into the end zone. Third-string QB Davis Webb had an impressive game beginning in the second half. The majority of his passes went to Bachman as the two fed off each other to stand out as the Giants’ best offensive surprises in last night’s game.
- Samaje Perine is the handcuff to Joe Mixon, not Chris Evans. Perine was held out of preseason action just like Mixon last night, which is why Evans got the start for the reigning AFC champs. Evans still has some value in dynasty leagues but he doesn’t need to be considered in redraft leagues.
Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals (24-17)
- For the Ravens, rookie TE Isaiah Likely (Coastal Carolina) had eight receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown. While TE Mark Andrews will be the team’s best option and will perhaps have the best season of any tight end in 2022, Likely is turning heads for the Ravens and putting it all out on the field in the preseason. If he ends up being the Ravens’ second-best TE heading into 2022, he could easily gain some fantasy value within the first few weeks of the regular season.
- Lamar Jackson did not play in this preseason game, but backup QB Tyler Huntley did and he played terrifically. Huntley was nearly perfect passing the ball, going 13-of-14 for 129 yards and one touchdown. If Lamar Jackson was to get injured at some point this season, the Ravens have a strong option as their backup QB.
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