While NFL preseason stats ultimately don’t matter in the quest for a fantasy football championship, that’s not to say it those numbers are entirely useless to track. Exhibition action gives us a glimpse into unearthed gems and allows gamers to recalibrate late-round flier rankings. After all, just getting an opportunity to showcase one’s talent can be the difference in making a roster or not, which sometimes is enough to create an inroad for a chance during the regular season.
With that established, here’s a spin around the noteworthy performances — good and otherwise — over the second week of the preseason. Since the NFL splits the games up over several days, be sure to check back multiple times for updates.
Sunday, Aug. 18 notables
QB Bo Nix, Denver Broncos: In his second pro appearance, Nix completed all but one of his nine attempts, good for 80 yards and a score to wide receiver Tim Patrick. The rookie also rushed for a dozen yards on three carries. With 61 collegiate starts to his credit, in addition to being an awesome fit for Sean Payton’s offense, Nix may be as NFL ready as any QB in this draft class.
Saturday, Aug. 17 notables
WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs: Five Patrick Mahomes throws went toward Worthy, and the rookie corralled a pair, which included a 39-yarder, before securing a 22-yard touchdown from Carson Wentz. Worthy added 11 rushing gains on his lone carry, and he’s shaping up to be an integral part of this offense.
QB Daniel Jones, New York Giants: It didn’t go well for Jones in his latest test to return from a torn ACL. He threw a Pick-6 early on and tossed another interception the very next drive. No one is banking on Jones in fantasy, but this is far from encouraging for expectations of anyone else in this offense.
RB Eric Gray, New York Giants: The second-year pro has snagged at least four passes in each of the first two exhibition games this year, perhaps a sign of things to come. He’s creeping his way into RB5 range for fantasy purposes.
WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants: The prized rookie addition looks the part of a team’s top target, and his recent upswing in fantasy appeal is legit. Nabers should be a rock-solid WR2 if for nothing but volume alone.
QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears: Underwhelming as a passer this week, Williams redeemed himself with a 7-yard hike into the end zone. He dinked-n-dunked his way to 75 yards on 6-of-13 passing, taking one sack on the afternoon. He’ll have days like this as a rookie, so consider Williams a midrange QB2 selection.
WR Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears: Even though he is still being overvalued in drafts, we’ve seen what Odunze brings to the table with his 16-yard rush and 45-yard reception in preseason’s second week. He’ll be awfully tough to rely on in terms of weekly consistency, though the big plays will taunt gamers into relying on him probably more than they should.
QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders: The signal caller continues to solidify himself as a viable QB2 with top-12 upside. He rushed for 13 yards on his pair of attempts but threw for 78 more on a strong 10-for-12. Daniels is gaining steam early in his promising career.
RB Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills: The rookie turned eight attempts into 58 yards, possibly improving his chances of securing the RB2 gig behind James Cook. Davis presents a late-round flier in most settings.
RB Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers: The Bolts fed Vidal 10 rushing attempts and a trio of targets, resulting in a dozen touches for 50 total yards … nothing special, but promising nonetheless. Playing in a ball-control offense that features two question marks ahead of Vidal, he’s a worthwhile gamble in deeper leagues.
WR Trishton Jackson, Minnesota Vikings: Two scores in as many preseason appearances has Jackson flirting with the No. 3 gig in the Twin Cities. While that’s not a draftable role, he could see extra looks if T.J. Hockenson (knee) indeed misses the first month.
Thursday, Aug. 15 notables
QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots: All things New England were downright ugly on this side of the ball, but Maye at least rushed for a short score. The rookie backup may have witnessed the door crack open slightly with starter Jacoby Brissett missing more attempts than he completed, throwing an interception, and posting a rating of 10.7 … yikes. Regardless, Maye is of no immediate consequence in fantasy.
