10 biggest reactions to NFL preseason Week 1

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Nathan Jahnke’s fantasy football reactions focus on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2025. Here, we touch on only players who are relevant in fantasy football leagues.

These are my 10 biggest reactions to the games from the last four days. To get a more in-depth breakdown, check out my complete preseason Week 1 recap.

RJ Harvey starts over J.K. Dobbins

Harvey received all of the carries with the first team while running more routes.

The Denver Broncos had one of the most complicated backfields last season, with Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime and Tyler Badie. The Broncos moved on from Williams but added R.J. Harvey in the second round of the draft and J.K. Dobbins in free agency.

Harvey and Dobbins played with the first-team offense, which is a generally positive sign for the regular season. Harvey played 12 of 13 snaps on first and second downs, while Dobbins took all five snaps on third downs. If it carries on into the regular season, this would be excellent for Harvey’s fantasy value this season.

Last season, Broncos’ running backs generated 63 receptions on first and second downs compared to 22 on third downs. While Harvey would be a feature back in the most ideal world, this kind of split would make Harvey a weekly must-start, while Dobbins would not be worth starting. 

It’s worth noting that last season, the Broncos tended to have veterans play earlier in the game and younger players later, regardless of where they ended up in Week 1. This included both running back Samaje Perine and wide receiver Tim Patrick playing with the starters during the preseason, only to get released before the season. Jarrett Stidham also started before Bo Nix in their first preseason game last season. Since they used a different methodology for determining preseason playing time than most teams, we need to take everything the Broncos did in this game with more caution than other teams.

Breece Hall plays 50% of the New York Jets‘ first-team snaps

Hall was the Jets’ starter, but he was immediately part of a rotation.

The Jets retained the same top three running backs as last season in Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. The Jets have a new coaching staff, coming from the Detroit Lions, which used a two-man committee at running back. The coaching staff has also said it wants to use all three backs, and there has been recent talk of Allen having a larger role this season.

Hall played the first two snaps of the game, and Davis came in on third down. Hall returned for the fourth play of the drive but was immediately replaced by Allen for two plays. Davis played the following snap and was then replaced by Hall for two plays. Davis took the final third down of the drive. This suggests that Hall will share early down snaps with Allen, while Davis is the team’s third-down back this season. Hall is clearly ahead of the other two, as he only played on the first drive while Allen and Davis continued for the rest of the half. While Allen tends to play on early downs while Davis tends to play on later downs, this wasn’t a strict rule.

While the Jets were rotating running backs every one or two plays, this won’t necessarily be the rotation once the regular season hits. There was a game where the Detroit Lions did something similar with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs in a preseason game, and then they settled into their regular-season rotation.

There is a chance that future preseason games will give us a clearer picture of what this rotation ultimately looks like. For now, it appears the Jets will stay true to their word and give all three running backs notable playing time. It will be challenging for Hall to finish as a top-15 fantasy running back if the Jets use anything close to this rotation.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt starts for the Washington Commanders

Croskey-Merritt has already worked his way up multiple spots on the depth chart.

While the Commanders don’t have a star running back, they have more depth than most teams. Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler were the main running backs last season, but whenever one of them was hurt, Jeremy McNichols or Chris Rodriguez Jr. graded well. The Commanders added to the room with Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the seventh round of the draft. Croskey-Meritt has drawn significant attention during training camp.

Both Robinson and Ekeler had the night off, like most starters, but Croskey-Merritt started over both McNichols and Rodriguez. In the first quarter, Croskey-Merritt played all of the normal early down snaps, while McNichols played on third downs as well as a second-and-15. Rodriguez didn’t play his first offensive snap until the second quarter. Croskey-Merritt continued to play significantly in the second quarter. Typically, it takes more time for a third-day running back to surpass established veterans on the depth chart, so the fact that he is past two players for early down work is impressive.

This usage suggests Croskey-Merritt will be Robinson’s direct backup, while McNichols will be Ekeler’s backup. Rodriguez seems unlikely to make the roster. If Robinson suffers an injury this season, then Croskey-Merritt would be the player to pick up based on how the running backs were used last season. It’s at least possible that Croskey-Merritt could take playing time away from Robinson and possibly surpass him on the depth chart at some point this year.

TreVeyon Henderson plays significantly with the starters

Henderson was already clearly ahead of Antonio Gibson on the New England Patriots’ depth chart. 

The Patriots’ backfield had a major shakeup this offseason, with the Patriots drafting Henderson early in the second round to join veterans Rhamondre Stevenson and Gibson. Henderson has an RB26 consensus ADP, while several experts rank him even higher. My ranking on Henderson is relatively low due to Josh McDaniels. In 18 seasons as an offensive coordinator or head coach, the running back who has his team in third-down snaps has been different from the running back who leads the team in carries in 17 seasons. The one exception was Steven Jackson during his peak with the St. Louis Rams, which McDaniels inherited after Jackson had already made three Pro Bowls.

Stevenson started the game for the Patriots and played the first three snaps, while Henderson took the next three. On the second drive, Henderson took the first two snaps, followed by five by Stevenson. One of those plays included both running backs on the field. Henderson played the final snap of the drive, which meant he took both of the third downs with more than one yard to go for a first down.

While everyone expected Henderson to surpass Gibson on the depth chart by Week 1, it’s noteworthy that it’s already happened. Henderson did not play with the backups, while Gibson was the primary running back with the backups. Henderson was thrown to three times on his snaps and ran the ball once. Stevenson ran the ball well during his opportunities and ended the day with seven carries. It still wouldn’t be surprising for Stevenson to lead the team in carries while Henderson leads in third-down snaps. The mix of Henderson’s talent and opportunities should be enough to make him a borderline fantasy starter, but he will need to run the ball more often than he did during his two drives in this game to consistently be a fantasy starter.

Travis Hunter plays significantly with the first-team offense

Hunter played every snap with the Jaguars’ first-team offense when it utilized three-receiver sets.

The Jaguars spent the second overall pick of the NFL draft on wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter. Hunter notably played both wide receiver and cornerback throughout college, and it’s been clear ever since Jacksonville drafted him that he would be playing on both sides of the field. He initially started learning the wide receiver position and was listed as a starting wide receiver and backup cornerback on the official depth chart.

Hunter started the game for Jacksonville and played in 11 of 12 snaps with the starters. The one play he missed was a two-wide receiver set with Brian Thomas Jr. and Dyami Brown on the field. If this ends up being how he’s used in the regular season on offense, he can be a consistent fantasy starter. Several borderline fantasy starters only played in three-receiver sets last season, including Jayden Reed, Josh Downs, Khalil Shakir and Adam Thielen. The differences are that Hunter is more talented and the Jaguars should stay in 11 personnel for most of the game. Head coach Liam Coen’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked eighth in 11 personnel usage last season at 71.9%, despite multiple wide receiver injuries. His 2022 Los Angeles Rams led the league at 90.9%. On the first drive, the Jaguars used it 91.8%.

Coen also commented that they have focused on 11 personnel, and that he’s learning 12 personnel, so he could also start seeing snaps in 12 personnel in the upcoming weeks.

One surprising part of his usage is that Hunter lined up in the slot on five of his 11 snaps, tying Thomas at five of 12 snaps. Thomas was expected to be the primary slot receiver after leading the league in yards per route run out of the slot. Hunter played significantly out of the slot in 2023, but in 2024, he only lined up in the slot 36 times compared to 736 snaps outside. This is significant because Coen’s top wide receivers, from a fantasy perspective, have primarily played out of the slot. This includes Chris Godwin averaging 19.7 PPR points per game last season, which ranked second-most in the league, and Cooper Kupp leading the league in 2022 at 22.4. This is enough reason to raise expectations for Hunter this season while somewhat dampening Thomas’ expectations.

Hunter didn’t play the first drive on defense, but he played left cornerback on the Jaguars’ second and third drives, playing all eight snaps on those drives. Tyson Campbell was one of multiple Jaguars defenders who only played the first drive. Jarrian Jones started the game at left cornerback and switched to right cornerback when Hunter entered. Jourdan Lewis, who joined the Jaguars from the Dallas Cowboys, played as their slot cornerback, even though Jones held that position last season. If Hunter plays on defense in the regular season, it would likely be at Jones’ expense. This wouldn’t necessarily need to be in any particular personnel groupings. 

While he might eventually gain more playing time on defense, for now, it appears that offense is his primary focus. At Hunter’s current ADP, he is a value.

Marvin Mims Jr. sees a normal starting workload

Mims played 16 of 19 snaps with the starters and left the game at the same time as Bo Nix.

The Broncos utilized a significant wide receiver rotation last season. Courtland Sutton and Lil’Jordan Humphrey often played on early downs, while Sutton, Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele played in three-receiver sets, and Marvin Mims Jr. mixed in more and more frequently in every situation as last season went on. The Broncos no longer have Humphrey, but they spent a third-round pick on Pat Bryant and added veteran Trent Sherfield Sr.

In 12 personnel, the Broncos consistently used Sutton and Mims, except for one play where Franklin took Mims’ spot. In 11 personnel, both Sutton and Mims played 11 of a possible 13 snaps. The other snaps were split between Vele and Franklin. Bryant’s two snaps with the starters were in place of Sutton.

Mims consistently lined up on the outside, while Vele and Franklin took the slot snaps. Mims has 2.57 career yards per route run from the slot compared to 1.57 out wide, so this was somewhat concerning. However, the increase in playing time compared to last season could make Mims a weekly fantasy starter.

The fact that Bryant only played in Sutton’s place with the starters and consistently played the X receiver role with the backups suggests he might not play much this season, except for when Sutton needs a break. Sherfield didn’t play a single offensive snap until late in the second quarter, which is also a good sign for the top four Broncos wide receivers on the depth chart.

The Arizona Cardinals‘ potential new WR2

Zay Jones played more offensive snaps with the first-team offense than Michael Wilson.

The Cardinals kept the same top four wide receivers as last season. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Wilson were the two every-down receivers. Greg Dortch started the year as the team’s slot receiver while Jones was suspended. Jones played more as the season progressed. Harrison and Wilson both played around 80% of Arizona’s offensive snaps over the course of the season. Jones played around 37% of the snaps by the end of the season despite only catching eight passes for 84 yards on the year, while Dortch was down to 25%, catching more than eight passes in December alone.

In this game, Harrison and Wilson played 100% of Arizona’s snaps in 11 personnel, while Jones took four of six, and Dortch played two of six. Jones overtook Wilson with 12 personnel. The team played 11 snaps out of 12 personnel with the starters. Harrison played all 11, while Jones played seven, Wilson played three, and Dortch played one. If this kind of usage carries on into the regular season, we can expect Wilson and Jones to be close to even in terms of playing time. Wilson was a late-round option at wide receiver, given his playing time, but this makes it even harder to consider Wilson in fantasy drafts.

Jack Bech is clearly WR4 for now

Dont’e Thornton Jr. started for the Las Vegas Raiders, while Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker only played one drive.

The Raiders seemed to have the least depth at wide receiver last season after they traded Davante Adams. Meyers was the clear star of the group, while Tucker turned into an every-down starter, and playersl ike D.J. Turner and Terrace Marshall Jr. played some of the snaps in three-receiver sets. The Raiders reloaded at the position in the draft with Bech in the second round, Thornton in the fourth and Tommy Mellott in the sixth. It’s possible that whoever wins the second wide receiver job will have value this season.

Immediately after the draft, it seemed like Meyers and Bech would be the top two wide receivers, but early reports suggested Thornton was ahead of him on the depth chart. Thornton is a clear X receiver, while Bech is more of a Z and slot, similar to Meyers.

The Raiders started the game with Thornton as the X receiver, Tucker as the Z, and Meyers in the slot. After the first drive, Bech replaced Tucker as the Z receiver, and Alex Bachman took over in the slot. Thornton was taken out after the third drive, while Bech played the rest of the first half. While Bech has some experience in the slot, he was very consistently playing on the outside. This suggests Thornton’s starting job is secure, so Bech is competing with Tucker for snaps. We have seen several rookie wide receivers fourth or lower on the depth chart in the first preseason game who reach the starting lineup by Week 1, so it’s still possible Bech earns a role in three-receiver sets.

Even if Bech does become a starter, he might not play much in two-receiver sets. The Raiders lived in 11 personnel in this game, but Brock Bowers only played one snap. We don’t know how much 12 personnel the Raiders will run this season with Bowers and Michael Mayer.

Changes to the Tennessee Titans’ tight end room

Chig Okonkwo played every snap with the starters while Josh Whyle fell to fourth on the depth chart.

Last season, the Titans had Okonkwo and Whyle rotate in passing situations, while Nick Vannett was their blocking tight end. As the season progressed, Okonkwo earned more playing time while Whyle’s playing time dipped. The Titans didn’t retain Vannett, but they drafted Gunnar Helm in the fourth round. When the Titans released their unofficial depth charts earlier in the week, Helm had already surpassed Whyle.

Okonkwo played all 15 snaps on the Titans’ first two drives. He is on the smaller side for tight ends and has always been part of some rotation. Last season, he was also rotated out significantly with the starters in the preseason. He was already a sleeper tight end in deeper leagues, but now, he might be at a point where he’s worth drafting in a typical league.

Helm joined Okonkwo in two-tight-end sets, and 2024 undrafted tight end David Martin-Robinson joined them in three-tight-end sets. Helm became the primary tight end on the third drive, while Martin-Robinson joined Helm in two-tight-end sets. Whyle didn’t play his first offensive snap until the kneel down to end the half. This suggests Whyle won’t make the roster unless they keep four tight ends.

The Seattle Seahawks‘ tight end battle becomes more complicated

Eric Saubert was the Seahawks’ starting tight end, rotating with Elijah Arroyo.

The Seattle Seahawks utilized a three-man rotation at tight end last season, including Noah Fant, fourth-round rookie A.J. Barner and Pharaoh Brown. Brown left in free agency and Fant was released two weeks ago, while the team drafted Arroyo and signed Saubert for new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Saubert played under Kubiak in 2022 with the Denver Broncos.

Barner had the night off, while Saubert and Arroyo rotated by situation. Saubert was an early-down tight end and Arroyo played on passing downs, while the two were often on the field together for two-tight-end sets. Kubiak has experience with both every-down tight ends like Tyler Conklin in 2021 with the Minnesota Vikings and George Kittle in 2023 with the San Francisco 49ers. He also has experience with this kind of rotation that they used in this game. Last season with the New Orleans Saints, Foster Moreau played more on early downs while Juwan Johnson played on passing downs. Similarly, his 2022 Denver Broncos had Saubert and Eric Tomlinson as blockers, and Greg Dulcich as a receiver.

Saubert stopped playing at the end of the first quarter, which isn’t surprising considering his experience. Arroyo was used in some plays out of 21 personnel in the second quarter. It was good to see the Seahawks getting him experience in those situations because his best-case scenario is being an every-down tight end as a rookie rather than just a passing-down specialist.

Anything is possible by the end of the season, but it would not be surprising if this is an ugly three-man rotation to start the season. Barner is clearly at the top of the depth chart at the moment, but it could be similar to Moreau being on the top of the Saints’ depth chart last season. It’s also possible that Barner is the every-down tight end. The rookies were relatively low on the depth chart, so there is still time for Arroyo to work his way up. 

If anything, this game should be a reminder that it’s not just Barner and Arroyo competing for playing time, and that Saubert, who already has familiarity with Kubiak, could play significant snaps as a blocker this season.