1. The Steelers’ Offense is Stagnant

Fantasy managers rejoiced this past offseason when Arthur Smith was relieved of coaching duties in Atlanta. After all, Smith managed to somehow relegate three of the best offensive prospects of the past five seasons coming out of college to relative mediocrity. The bad news is that Smith resurfaced in Pittsburgh in an effort to pump some life into an offense that struggled mightily at times in 2023. After scoring only three points against the Bills on Saturday and a lackluster performance the previous week as well, there is real concern that the Steelers are one of the most fantasy irrelevant teams this season. Justin Fields did show off his scrambling capabilities, netting 40-plus yards on the ground, but the Steelers also lost their starting center to injury and also lost Jaylen Warren (hamstring) that could affect his Week 1 status. Maybe Pittsburgh can finally pull off that trade for Brandon Aiyuk this week, but even then, this is looking like an offense to avoid in fantasy football, especially if Russell Wilson wins the job at quarterback.

2. Caleb Goes to Rome

Caleb Williams wasn’t amazing on Saturday. After all, his first three drives vs. the Bengals resulted in three plays and a punt. But, he did flash his potential in the second quarter and that included a 45-yard rope to potential rookie star receiver Rome Odunze. It was the kind of connection that fantasy managers look for in terms of early chemistry between two highly touted rookies. Odunze also ran the ball on an end-around for an additional 16 yards showcasing another aspect of his big-play ability. With Keenan Allen reportedly playing well-above his normal playing weight and Williams having no history with D.J. Moore prior to this past spring, it is fair to wonder if Odunze will become the Bears’ top receiving option by the second half of the season. Even if he doesn’t, I would say the arrows for both Williams and Odunze are both pointed upward after the small sample size afforded us over the weekend.

3. D.J. vs. C.J. Was No Contest Whatsoever

In a rare preseason game in which both No.1 QBs started the same preseason match-up, Daniel Jones found himself opposite C.J. Stroud in the first half of Saturday’s contest in Houston. As would be expected, Stroud was efficient completing 7 of his 10 passes for 88 yards, included three throws to TE Dalton Schultz, placing Houston into Giant territory twice. The fact that John Metchie (6-68) showed a strong ability to separate from defenders later in the game only highlighted how deep and mega-talented this Texan receiving corps is.

On the other side of the coin, Daniel Jones did not look the part of an opening day starter. Jones threw two interceptions and no touchdowns despite playing the entire first half. It was the kind of performance that keeps a QB off the redraft radar, but it did come with a bit of positive news which I’ll reveal when we get to No.9. In the meantime, continue to load up on Houston players at spots adjacent to or even prior to their current ADP. What’s brewing in Houston is going benefit a lot of fantasy managers this fall.

4. Tua is Greatly Undervalued

Speaking of quarterbacks putting in efficient performances and not being drafted highly enough, the poster quarterback at present is Tua Tagovailoa. Tua led the Dolphins to a seemingly effortless touchdown drive on Saturday going 5-for-5 in the process, all while having River Cracraft as his best receiver on the field. If you take projected stats for Tyreek Hill this season and combine them with what’s projected for Jaylen Waddle and then throw all the likely receiving yards from running backs on screen plays (Miami is one of the best screen pass teams in the league), Tua is being shortchanged on his projections by quite a bit. It’s what used to happen to Kirk Cousins all the time. If you still have Brock Purdy or Jared Goff above Tua in your QB rankings, re-think it. Another year for Mike McDaniel to get comfortable with Tua and vice versa means what we saw last season is probably just Tua’s floor.

5. Auditions for Nick Chubb’s Job Continue…

When D’Onta Foreman was injured in training camp earlier this summer, it was safe to wonder if he would be given a chance to factor into the Browns’ rushing attack early in the season while Nick Chubb continues to recover from a devastating knee injury. Yet, in Week 2 of the preseason, Foreman hit the field and garnered fifteen touches alongside a TD rush. Granted, ten of his touches (all rushing) resulted in only 18 yards, but Foreman did catch all five of his targets for nearly 50, signaling that he might be a useful asset in the passing game. Cleveland got a long, solid look at Jerome Ford last season, so there’s not much for him to do this preseason in terms of carving out an early-season role. He’s already got one. But, Foreman has typically been productive wherever he’s been and his usage on Saturday was intriguing. He may not earn a 50-50 split with Ford, but assuming he makes the final roster, some degree of involvement looks likely.

6. A Wide Receiver Worthy of Praise

This could be a tremendous WR rookie class. I want to get that on record now because between Odunze looking the part over the weekend and what’s behind curtain No.9 in this write-up, there’s a lot to be excited about. A guy who’s also quickly asserting himself into that mix is Xavier Worthy in Kansas City. With Marquise Brown questionable for the start of the regular season, Worthy is being given plenty of looks with the first team offense and that resulted a 39-yard strike from Patrick Mahomes followed by a 22-yard TD reception later in the first half on a dime from backup, Carson Wentz. The NFL is moving slowly, it would seem, on any discipline for Rashee Rice which caps Worthy’s value some, but truth be told, Rice’s ability to work underneath should enhance Worthy’s ability to draw lesser coverage on the outside. If Brown’s injury is difficult for him to shake, he may never get his job back in terms of being the primary outside target for this offense. I know it’s early to make such a claim to some extent, but Worthy looks like the real deal.

7. Another Longhorn Rookie WR of Note

8. Comeback Stories to Root For

Would there be a better comeback story than Tim Patrick in Denver? After two solid seasons in 2020-2021 in which Patrick was targeted 164 times, enjoyed 1,500+ receiving yards, and 11 TDs, he was lost for the season to serious injuries in two successive training camps/preseasons in 2022 and 2023. That usually spells an injury settlement, release, and fade into obscurity, but Patrick has persevered and on Sunday night, he caught all four of his targets for 30 yards and a TD from presumptive starter, Bo Nix.

Halfway across the country, the well-traveled Laquon Treadwell was busy catching 7 balls for 72 yards for the Indianapolis Colts. Indianapolis is Treadwell’s fifth team in five years after beginning his career in Minnesota. His story, like Patrick’s, is nice, but what does it have to do with fantasy football? Well, no two teams in the league right now have more questions when it comes to their WR2 spot than the Broncos and Colts, especially with Josh Downs (ankle) nursing an injury that could linger well into the season. Patrick and Treadwell could be last minute cuts and miss out on producing in 2024 altogether. But they could also be deep sleeper candidates and that fact alone is impressive.

9. Like A Good Nabers

Daniel Jones did throw two interceptions on Saturday and did not look to be a viable fantasy option anytime soon. But Malik Nabers could still be highly relevant almost immediately. Nabers hauled in 4 receptions for 54 yards on 6 targets vs. the Texans and like Marvin Harrison Jr. in Arizona, is going to be given the alpha role in New York from Day 1. With wide receiver being the one position in fantasy football most easy to overcome in terms of a draft day miss, why not take Nabers early and lock in his upside? After all, guys like DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle - while talented - aren’t even the top WR options on their own teams. Nabers will be. Taking a chance on him might just be the difference between making and not making your fantasy playoffs.

10. Trey, Kimani Looking the Part at RB

Finally, I haven’t mentioned the RB position much this week, but rookies Trey Benson (Arizona) and Kimani Vidal (LA Chargers) both looked solid in extensive action in Preseason Week No.2. Benson (9-43) remains firmly behind starter James Conner, but is a must as a handcuff and will almost certainly see an increased role as the season wears on. As for Vidal (11-49, 2 catches on Saturday), he’s got a couple of veterans to leapfrog in the form of Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, but Jim Harbaugh has a clean slate to work from in terms of who earns carries in L.A. and Vidal continues to be worth a late-round flier as a result.

Next week, we’ll break down everything related to Preseason Week No.3. Until then…