The second week of the NFL’s preseason is in the books, giving fantasy managers a further look at what the 2024 versions of all 32 offenses might look like when the regular season begins. Most of the starters either played sparingly or in most cases not at all, but I was still able to pull out some of the winners and losers from the second weekend of action.
Winners
Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos: Nix got the start and looked good against the Packers, completing eight of nine passes for 89 yards and one touchdown. He also posted an impressive passer rating of 140.7. The rookie appears to have the inside track on the starting quarterback job, ahead of Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, putting him firmly on the super flex radar.
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots: Maye is still behind Jacoby Brissett on the Patriots depth chart, but he did make a statement against the Eagles. He ran for a touchdown, which he did a lot of in college at North Carolina, and led the offense on two of the team’s three scoring drives. If nothing else, this shows what kind of potential Maye brings once he moves past Brissett. That might not be soon, but I’d be shocked if the rookie didn’t start at some point in 2024.
Gardner Minshew, QB, Las Vegas Raiders: Minshew has won the starting quarterback job in Las Vegas, head coach Antonio Pierce announced. The journeyman quarterback still won’t be picked in most fantasy redrafts, but he’s definitely a super flex option leading an offense that has a lot of talent including Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers.
Devin Singletary, RB, New York Giants: Singletary was the Giants featured back against Houston, as he played in all but four snaps in the first half according to PFF. Rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. missed the game with an injury and could be out for a while, so the backfield is Singletary’s for the foreseeable future. He could be an early-season steal at his current ADP of 120.5.
Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills: James Cook is the unquestioned starter in Buffalo’s backfield, but Davis looks like his fantasy handcuff. The rookie looked great against the Steelers, as he rushed for 58 yards on eight carries (7.3 YPC). Davis played in gap schemes in college, so he’s a great fit for the offense of coordinator Joe Brady. He’s a nice late-rounder.
Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Fantasy managers who draft Travis Etienne should be looking to add Bigsby, not D’Ernest Johnson, as his handcuff. According to PFF, Bigsby played a total of 22 snaps against the Buccaneers compared to just seven for Johnson. I’d keep tabs on how things play out in the final preseason week, but for now it’s Bigsby over Johnson.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs: With Hollywood Brown out for several weeks, Worthy’s fantasy stock is rising. It rose further after he played most of the snaps with Patrick Mahomes running the offense, during which time he scored a touchdown, against the Lions. His average draft position (ADP), currently in the 115 range, could push into the top 100 over the next few weeks.
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants: Malik Nabers is the alpha wideout for the G-Men, but it’s clear that Robinson will be the second option in fantasy drafts. He played 20 snaps against the Texans, second behind Nabers’ 30 among the starters. That doesn’t mean he’ll be a fantasy starter, but Robinson is clearly ahead of Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt.
Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos: Patrick, who has missed the last two seasons with leg injuries, started and scored a touchdown against Green Bay. The veteran will start on the outside opposite Courtland Sutton, while Josh Reynolds joins the group in three-receiver sets. As for Patrick, he needs to be drafted ahead of Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin.
Brenden Rice, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: Rice, a seventh-round draft pick, got the start even with all of the Chargers wideouts available. He played on the perimeter alongside Joshua Palmer, while Ladd McConkey played in the slot. This makes Rice, at the very least, worth a look in dynasty drafts and some deeper redraft leagues. What’s more, his assentation seems to mean Quentin Johnston is no lock to be a starter for new head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Losers
Aidan O’Connell, QB, Las Vegas Raiders: This one is obvious, as O’Connell has lost the quarterback battle in Las Vegas to Minshew. With that said, he’s no longer a draftable option even for those in super flex leagues. It wouldn’t surprise me if O’Connell ultimately started some games during the regular season, but he’s no longer on the fantasy radar for now.
Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders: White is going to be the Raiders starting running back, and he’ll easily lead this team in carries. However, as I covered in my recent look at White’s value, he’s going to lose third-down work and passing situations to Alexander Mattison. So, while I still see White as a low RB2/flex starter, he does appear to have a statistical ceiling.
Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Warren’s stock had been rising to the point where he had been getting drafted higher than his teammate, Najee Harris. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury against the Bills and didn’t return. Hamstring injuries can be problematic, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s forced to miss several weeks. If that’s the scenario, I’d expect Harris to move up and Warren’s stock to fall in upcoming fantasy redrafts.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs: Isiah Pacheco is the unquestioned starter for the Chiefs, but who is his fantasy handcuff? We thought it was Edwards-Helaire, but then we saw Deneric Prince get more work in the first week of the preseason. In Week 2, Carson Steele got work on the second offensive series. The team’s No. back position is clearly in a state of flux, but we can’t assume Edwards-Helaire will ultimately win that role.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills: I’ve been seeing Shakir getting picked in more and more drafts, but will he run enough routes to be a fantasy asset? Even with Curtis Samuel not playing, Shakir didn’t play in two-receiver sets. That’s a concern. On the flip side, Keon Coleman is looking like he’ll play plenty as a rookie. He’s the Bills receiver to target in drafts.
Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos: Franklin, a fourth-round pick out of Oregon, doesn’t appear to be anywhere near seeing a lot of playing time in Year 1. With the trio of Sutton, Patrick and Reynolds locked into the top spots, Franklin is looking like a backup in the Broncos wide receiver rotation. The same could be said of Marvin Mims Jr., who isn’t a starter.
Devontez Walker, WR, Baltimore Ravens: Walker didn’t draw a start this past weekend, even though the Ravens rested their starters and some backups. In fact, it appears he’s behind Tylan Wallace, Keith Kirkwood and Malik Cunningham. Walker is still worth a look in dynasty formats, but he’s far off the radar for those managers playing in redrafts leagues.
Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears: We all knew Kmet’s stock was falling when the Bears added Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze, but he might have also fallen behind Gerald Everett on the depth chart. Remember, new OC Shane Waldron knows Everett well from their time in both Los Angeles and Seattle, and that could lead to a tight end rotation in 2024. That’s bad for Kmet, who is no longer in the TE1 conversation … even after a TE8 finish just last year.
Jonnu Smith, TE, Miami Dolphins: I have Smith listed as one of my potential tight end busts, as the Dolphins simply don’t use the tight end position much. Couple that with the fact that he appears to be in a committee with Durham Smythe and Julian Hill, and Smith is clearly not someone to target in drafts. At best, he’s a late-round filer in deeper leagues.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fantasy Football Winners and Losers after NFL Preseason Week 2.
