Preseason News and Notes: Week 3

Mon Aug 25 1:01pm ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Sutton has big finish to preseason

Well, another preseason is in the books. Now the fun begins. But before we get to the regular season, let’s take a look at all the info we gained from this last week of the preseason. Here is the latest. . . . .

Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson continued his ho-hum preseason, rushing five times for 24 yards. He caught a pass for two yards. Right now, it seems Jaylen Warren is the clear No. 1 back for the Steelers with Kenneth Gainwell serving as the top backup. Johnson is going to get some weekly work but has some work to do to move up the depth chart and get a larger role in this offense.

It was another solid showing for Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. He was 6-of-12 for 81 yards and a touchdown without an interception. He also had a 23-yard run. He had quite the showing in the preseason and could be the starting lineup for the Giants sooner then later, especially if Russell Wilson has any struggles. Dart looks to be the real deal, finally solving the Giants franchise quarterback issue of the last several seasons.

Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo returned to action from his hamstring injury and ran three times for 12 yards. Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary were both rested in this game, indicating they are both likely ahead of Skattebo on the depth chart right now. Tracy seems pretty entrenched as the starting back for the Giants.

Cowboys rookie running back Jaydon Blue ran nine times for 25 yards and a touchdown, but suffered a sprained ankle in the game. He could miss some time with this one. The bigger story might be Javonte Williams was rested along with the other starters for Dallas, meaning he is likely to open the season as the starting back for the Cowboys. It is his job to lose right now.

The Titans seem to have a battle on their hands for the other starting spot at receiver opposite Calvin Ridley. Elic Ayomanor had a strong camp and preseason, putting him in the mix to start. He had three catches for 25 yards this week. Van Jefferson is having an up-and-down preseason but came up big in this game, catching three passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. He might have the upperhand to start right now but nothing is certain. The Titans seem to like what they have in Ayomanor.

The Chiefs played their starters a good chunk of the game and Patrick Mahomes looked in mid-season form, going 8-of-13 for 143 yards and a touchdown. He used the ball down the field often, which might be a sign of things to come for this offense. Rookie Brashard Smith didn’t do a whole lot but got some run with the starters. He ran two times for a yard and caught a pass for 12 yards on three targets. Smith seems to be carving out a role in the offense his rookie season.

Bears receiver Rome Odunze had another strong showing, catching three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Odunze seems poised to take a big step forward in year two in the Bears new offense. He is building a nice rapport with quarterback Caleb Williams.

The most interesting aspect of the Commanders game this week was who didn’t play. The team rested most of their starters and rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was one of those players resting. It seems he has earned a big role his rookie season, especially after the team traded Brian Robinson.

It really is anyone’s guess how the Browns depth chart might shake out at quarterback after Joe Flacco. It seems the team is going to keep four quarterbacks on their roster. Dillon Gabriel had the better game than Shedeur Sanders this past week. Gabriel was 12-of-19 for 129 yards and a touchdown. Sanders was just 3-of-6 for 14 yards, playing with the third and fourth stringers.

Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was getting playing time with the starters and had two receptions for 16 yards and a touchdown. He is getting rave reviews in camp and seems to have earned a role with the team his rookie season. He could cut into the playing time and targets of starter David Njoku.

The Lions seemed to have found something with rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa. He capped off his big preseason with two receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown. TeSlaa has a real shot to be the No. 3 receiver in this explosive offense to open his rookie season. He just made plays all preseason with his chances.

Houston is another team that rested nearly all their starters for their last preseason game. And one of those players on the bench was running back Nick Chubb. He seems to be the favorite to start for the Texans while Joe Mixon is sidelined. Chubb could have some early-season value for fantasy teams.

The Saints still haven’t named a starting quarterback and the last preseason game didn’t do much to solve that question. Rookie Tyler Shough played better but still wasn’t anything special, going 12-of-20 for 102 yards. He did run in a score, rushing two times for 20 yards and a touchdown. Spencer Rattler didn’t play as much, finishing 5-of-8 for 43 yards. It still seems Rattler has the slight lead here but who really knows?

Denver gave their starters plenty of action to end the preseason. Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton put on a show. Nix was 10-of-14 for 110 yards and a touchdown. Sutton had four receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. This duo could be a big problem for the rest of the season this year. Rookie running back RJ Harvey got some chances with the first-team offense but didn’t do much, rushing three times for four yards. It sure looks like JK Dobbins is going to be the starter for the Broncos to open the season.

It sure looks like Dolphins rookie running back Ollie Gordon earned the No. 2 running back job with his strong finish to the preseason. He had eight carries for 43 yards. The Dolphins aren’t shy to rotate backs, so Gordon could have a decent role offensively his rookie season. He is a player on the rise.

The Raiders are looking for a new backup quarterback. Aidan O’Connell broke his wrist and is going to be out the next six-to-eight weeks. Look for the Raiders to make a move at quarterback this week, bringing in a veteran backup to Geno Smith.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

Preseason News and Notes: Week 3

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