Live NFL Preseason Week 2 Fantasy Football Takeaways and Advice from Friday's Games

The preseason is a time of great hope. And great hype.

Broncos running back Jonah Coleman is the source of both right now. Not that long ago, Coleman was just a Day 3 rookie joining a crowded Broncos backfield. But after less than 10 preseason carries, some are already anointing the 5'8", 220-pounder the future in the Denver backfield.

The Broncos have seen something they like—after one series and three carries against the Green Bay Packers, Coleman got the bubble-wrap treatment. And with an ADP in the 12th round, whether the future is now or not doesn't really matter. There's also JK Dobbins' durability issues to consider.

But unless Dobbins (or RJ Harvey) gets hurt, Coleman isn't going to see more than a handful of touches per game. And for all the hoopla, we're talking about a guy with seven carries for 33 yards against backups.

Take a breath, y'all.

Saturday features a far larger slate of NFL action, and one of the first games of the day features the Washington Commanders traveling to Detroit to face the Lions.

While talking to reporters, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn wouldn't commit to whether or not quarterback Jayden Daniels will play. But he did say quite a few starters will see action—and maybe that will offer a little clarity regarding a cloudy backfield.

Some fantasy drafters believe that newcomer Rachaad White is just a passing-down compliment to Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Others believe White is the replacement for "Bill," so much so that the pair are literally being drafted back-to-back among running backs—Croskey-Merritt is RB39. White is RB40.

Given the state of Washington's offensive line, it may not matter. But if one of those backs hits at that price tag, that's how leagues get won.

No one is tripping over themselves to draft Denver running back RJ Harvey in fantasy this year. He's an eighth-round pick being drafted outside the top-30 running backs after averaging just 3.7 yards per carry as a rookie.

But Harvey also caught 47 passes, flirted with 900 total yards and found the end zone a dozen times. JK Dobbins can't stay healthy. Jonah Coleman is a Dy 3 rookie pick.

If "Zero RB" fantasy builds are your speed, Harvey has to be on your target list in PPR formats.

Granted, a two-catch, 19-yard stat line has never won a fantasy matchup. And tight end Tucker Kraft wasn't out there.

But the three early targets we saw for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson were encouraging.

Talent has never been the issue with the 27-year-old. Staying on the field is—multiple missed games in all four NFL seasons. But if Watson can put together a full season in a thinned-out wide receiver room, his WR29 ADP is going to be a misdemeanor.

Have to be laser focused.

Otherwise you wind up the guy who wanted Bijan Robinson but drafted Brian Robinson.

Oof.

Nick Chubb was a force in fantasy football for several years—he topped 1,000 total yards in four straight seasons from 2019 to 2022 and was a top-10 fantasy back three times.

But multiple serious knee injuries robbed Chubb of his explosiveness, and Friday he announced his retirement after eight seasons.

I blame Cleveland.

And I'm a Browns fan.

I'm not saying that I have been talking up Jaylen Waddle as a wide receiver with Top-10 fantasy upside available well into WR2 territory on draft day.

Wait. That's exactly what I'm saying.

Know why I've been saying it all summer long?

This. This play is why.

Waddle is going to be the No. 1 receiver in Denver this year.

And a career year is well within his range of outcomes.

So, about the Denver offense.

In his first drive since breaking his ankle in the playoffs last year, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was in midseason form against the Packers Friday night—five attempts, three completions and a 21-yard touchdown throw to R.J. Harvey.

Harvey had three touches for 30 yards and that score. Jaylen Waddle caught a long pass. Denver attacked Green Bay vertically and moved the ball at will.

It's one preseason drive, but if the Broncos can come close to that level of play on a regular basis once games count, then every player on the team's offense is a value in fantasy drafts.

All of them.

All. Of. Them.

OK, not Evan Engram.

OK, so Green Bay Packers running back Marshawn Lloyd isn't exactly a "sleeper." With Josh Jacobs banged up and facing potential league discipline, Lloyd has generated some buzz in fantasy circles.

That buzz just got louder.

Four carries for eight yards isn't going to inspire any cartwheels, but it's worth noting that it came against Denver's first-team defense.

But the third-year-pro capped an impressive first drive from the Packers with an 11-yard touchdown catch, and he appears entrenched as the No. 2 back for the Pack.

Buzz buzz buzz.

In case you haven't noticed, this is the time of year when fantasy analysts tend to lose their minds a little. Those of us who had one, anyway.

But it's hard to deny that Houston Texans running back Woody Marks impressed on Thursday—over nine yards a carry and a touchdown in limited duty.

There's a flip side that nice game though—the more touches that Marks gets this year, the harder it's going to be for David Montgomery to be the fantasy value so many people (by which I mean me) are hoping for.

Joe Mixon was a top-10 back in PPR points two years ago because he saw over 300 touches with the Texans. The lone time in his career that Mongomery has logged 300 touches, he was a top-five fantasy option.

Fantasy managers don't want timeshares and committees. We want bellcows and workhorses.

Unfortunately, the NFL doesn't care what we want.

There aren't words for how badly I want to know what happened next.

After rookie first-round pick Omar Cooper played extensively in the preseason opener, there was some speculation in fantasy circles that Cooper's offensive role could be threatened by Isaiah Williams.

Take a breath, y'all.

Cooper's one catch for eight yards isn't an especially attractive stat line. And he's still the third receiver (for now) on a bad offense. But Cooper saw far more snaps with the first-team offense Friday against the Steelers than Williams did.

Cooper is no more than a late-round dart-throw in redraft fantasy leagues.

But give the young man some time.

There has been more than a little debate about which running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers has more fantasy value in 2026. Both Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle have ardent supporters.

Fortunately, that argument was settled emphatically in Friday's preseason game with the Jets.

Just kidding—it wasn't even a little.

Over three drives, the two shared work—Warren played the first drive, Dowdle the second and they alternated on the third. Warren had five carries for 17 yards, while Dowdle carried the ball five times for 18 yards and caught a two-yard pass.

Barring an injury to one or the other, this has the makings to a different kind of the timeshare Warren and Kenneth Gainwell were in last year. But asking Warren and Dowdle to both crack the top-20 again as they did last year is optimistic, but with both backs going outside the top-25 at the position on draft day if just one can repeat that feat they will be a bargain.

This analyst generally leans toward the cheaper option in a shared backfield (Dowdle), especially when that option is also a better bet for short-yardage work.

It's the best day on the fantasy calendar.

Be ready for it.

Recently, a certain analyst suggested that the average asking price of Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta had climbed too high.

That was before the him injury LaPorta suffered in practice put his Week 1 availability in doubt. But that injury is just one more reason to fade the young tight end at anywhere near his ADP of TE6.

Even before the injury, LaPorta was at best the No. 3 option in a Lions passing attack that includes wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams and running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

To return value, LaPorta needs at least 100 targets.

It.

Ain't.

Happening.

It has been quite the summer for Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks, who has been something of a preseason hype darling in fantasy circles. After two mostly missed seasons and two ACL tears, Brooks is 100 percent healthy. Batterymate Chuba Hubbard is not. And many fantasy pundits have talked up Brooks as one of this year's top "Dead Zone" fantasy backs.

Brooks hasn't piled up highlight-reel plays in the preseason—he averaged 3.6 yards per carry in early action against the Jaguars Friday.

But watching Brooks find the end zone is sure to get some drums-a-beating.

Personally? His ADP has climbed to the point that a lot of the value has been priced out. But if you believe he will be a lead back and can hold up under the workload, those types of backs aren't often available in Round 7.

That the Las Vegas Raiders have one of the shakier wide receiver rooms in the NFL is not a surprise. But given the comments of Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak after Thursday's preseason game, um...yeah.

Kubiak did not exactly provide a glowing review of the position group while addressing the media.

 "I learned a lot, that we have to get a lot better very fast," Kubiak said. "We took a step backwards. That doesn't mean we can't go forward, but right now we are trying to find someone that is accountable and can help us on Sunday. Still looking."

That Tre Tucker got the night off appears a good sign for his role in the offense. But the late-round "sleeper" appeal of Jalen Nailor just took a hit.

Probably because I liked him.

Sigh.

Not too long ago, this analyst wasn't a big fan of drafting New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne at cost—despite a top-10 fantasy finish in PPR points a year ago with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Part of the reason for that was the New Orleans Saints bringing back veteran running back Alvin Kamara.

The fear was that Kamara would at the very least eat into Etienne's passing game work. But now, the 31-year-old Kamara will be out at least a month after spraining his knee in practice.

With Kamara, who missed six games last year, looking iffy at best for Week 1, Etienne is going to have a chance to show what he can do with a featured back's role.

And Etienne's RB18 ADP is looking a lot more palatable.

One drive in the preseason does not a season make.

But watching New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith go a perfect 7-for-7 on his first drive with 65 yards and throw a 13-yard touchdown to tight end Jelani Woods was still a welcome sight for fantasy managers who have invested an early pick in Jets receiver Garrett Wilson this year.

Fantasy managers who are big on New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo may want to skip this post.

The Giants added some depth in the backfield this week with the addition of Najee Harris, and while speaking to reporters Harris said that he sees an opportunity to be a real part of the offense for Big Blue.

"I want opportunity. I think this is a good opportunity here," he said. "The style of play that they're heading toward is the style of play that aligns with me. Harbaugh coming from the AFC North, me playing against him a lot of times, I know the type of style of football he wants. I think that just coming here is a good opportunity, and I'm willing to just put my foot in there and help out in any way I can."

It isn't panic time—Harris is coming off a lost season due to an Achilles tear. But before that he eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons and is a physical, downhill runner just like Skattebo.

The signing doesn't kill Skattebo's value. But he's gone from arguably a top-15 back to more of a low-end fantasy RB2.

The injury bug has been chomping its way through the fantasy landscape, and the Houston Texans were hit especially hard—No. 2 wide receiver Jayden Higgins went down with a season-ending ACL tear.

On Friday, the Texans tried to address that brutal injury, bringing in a pair of veteran wideouts in Zay Jones and Sterling Shepard.

In and of itself, the signings don't move the fantasy needle much—Jones caught just 12 passes last year in Arizona, while Shepard posted a 39/371/1 line with the Buccaneers a year ago.

But the Texans needed bodies—and there's a chance Shepard could do some damage for Houston out of the slot in 2026.

Fantasy managers who have already drafted who selected Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs thinking they were getting a value with Alec Pierce nicked up were left apoplectic when the Colts signed veteran wideout Keenan Allen this week. Allen was targeted 122 times last year with the Chargers, and many of those targets came at Ladd McConkey's expense.

But put the tequila away.

Is Allen's arrival a huge boost for Downs? Probably not. But Allen is a 34-year-old receiver who languished on the open market for months. The list of 34-year-old wideouts who have had big years is—short.

Downs is going to be a part of the Indy offense—especially if the Pierce injury continues to linger.

And with his ADP falling, Allen's arrival could wind up a blessing in disguise after all.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling entered the preseason with more than a little fantasy momentum. Ricky Pearsall is out for the season. Mike Evans is ouchie. Deebo Samuel didn't have a team until August. George Kittle is rehabbing a torn Achilles.

That momentum has grown exponentially—and after Thursday's second preseason game the Stribling hype train would give the Shanghai Maglev a run for its money.

Stribling played the first quarter of Sunday's blowout win over the Los Angeles Chargers, hauling in four of five targets for 46 yards. The performance put the rookie second-rounder in some rarefied preseason air.

The odds that Stribling opens Week 1 as the "Z" receiver for the Niners are increasing by the day. And given the age and injury histories of the pass-catchers around him, his asking price in drafts will as well.

But for now, there's still value to be had in the double-digit rounds.