Fantasy football value after Week 1 of the preseason

How awesome was this past week of NFL preseason action? Before anyone says “yeah, but it was only preseason,” don’t forget that this time last year, there was no preseason. So, yeah, let everyone enjoy football, OK? 

Preseason can be an interesting time because it is difficult not to overreact to everything we see. But deciding what is relevant to fantasy football for the regular season can be very important so every Monday until the season starts, that is exactly what we are going to do right here. So let’s take a look at Week 1, shall we?

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The Pittsburgh Steelers offense

After playing in the Hall of Fame game, the Steelers played a second preseason game Thursday. Starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn’t play, but the rest of Pittsburgh’s key offensive players suited up. Rookie running back Najee Harris continued to show he is ready for a massive workload this season. After seeing eight touches (that’s a lot, by the way) in the HOF game, Harris touched the ball three times in just a few drives against the Eagles, while also having two runs called back by penalty. Harris has looked very good and although the Steelers offensive line doesn’t look like it is going to do him any favors, he has shown the ability to make the first defender miss, which is important. Don’t be shocked if he leads the NFL in touches as a rookie.

Meanwhile, because the offensive line is a concern, the Steelers appear to be experimenting with more 12 personnel. Pittsburgh ran plenty of two-TE sets against the Cowboys two weeks ago, and rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth made his debut last game, resulting in more 12 personnel. This certainly seems like something that will be a theme during the regular season and if that is the case, Pittsburgh’s three-wide sets will drop. Last season, the Steelers went three-wide 75% of the time, which was one of the highest rates in football. Keep an eye on this trend over the course of the first weeks of the season.

Rookie quarterbacks shine

The first-round rookie signal callers all made their debuts over the weekend, and it was difficult not to be impressed. Mac Jones got things started Thursday night, completing 13-of-19 passes for 89 yards against Washington. Then it was Justin Fields Saturday. He got off to a slow start but once he got comfortable, he showed why he will likely be a star, completing 14-of-20 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown, adding 33 yards and an additional score on five carries. The weekend ended with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance shining. Lance connected on an impressive 80-yard touchdown pass, and his completion numbers would have looked better if it weren’t for a few drops. Lawrence took a few bad sacks but also showed the ability to stand tough in the pocket, keep his eyes down the field and deliver strikes. Finally, Wilson showcased serious arm strength in his debut and while his numbers won’t wow you, the Jets leaned on the run heavily in their opening game. 

All five passers showed that not only will they be able to post numbers when they enter the starting lineup, but they will also more than likely be very good for the pass-catchers around them. The excitement is building. 

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Miami Dolphins backfield

Myles Gaskin had a bit of a breakout campaign in 2020, and while most reports have suggested that he will be the clear lead back for the Dolphins this season, Saturday’s preseason usage was interesting. Malcolm Brown started the game and played more snaps with the first team than Gaskin, who played well into the second quarter with the second team. It was just one game but after it, head coach Brian Flores stated that the Dolphins will use three running backs this season, which is completely different than what we saw from this team a season ago. Gaskin logged just 7-of-23 first-team snaps against the Bears on Saturday and with Malcolm Brown potentially splitting carries with him, as well as logging short-yardage work, it may be time to move Gaskin down in our rankings.

Houston Texans backfield

All summer long it was expected that David Johnson would once again start at running back for the Texans. But under this new regime, Houston signed Phillip Lindsay, which is already telling. And in their opening preseason game, Lindsay, who had been listed as the starter on the team’s unofficial depth chart, got the start at running back and outsnapped Johnson 8-2. He also saw five carries to Johnson’s one. While many unofficial depth charts don’t always predict the future, it is very possible that it does in this case. Lindsay’s ADP should begin to shift a lot closer to Johnson’s over the next week or so.