Fantasy Football Winners and Losers After Week 2 of NFL Preseason

The second week of the NFL preseason has come to a close, giving fantasy managers a deeper look at what the 2024 versions of all 32 offenses might look like when the regular season begins. Most of the starters played sporadically or in most cases didn’t play at all, but I was still able to pick out some winners and losers from the second weekend of action.

Bo Nix, quarterback, Denver Broncos: Nix started the game well against the Packers, completing eight of nine passes for 89 yards and one score. He also posted a stellar passer rating of 140.7. The rookie appears to have the inside track at the starting quarterback job, ahead of Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, putting him firmly on the radar for super-flexibility.

Drake May, New England Patriots quarterback: May still trails Jacoby Brissett on the Patriots’ depth list, but he had a great performance against the Eagles. He ran for a touchdown, which he did a lot in college at North Carolina, and led the offense on two of the team’s three scoring drives. If nothing else, it shows the potential May has once he surpasses Brissett. It may not happen anytime soon, but I’d be shocked if the rookie didn’t start sometime in 2024.

Gardner Minshew, quarterback, Las Vegas Raiders: Coach Antonio Pierce announced that Minshew has won the starting quarterback job in Las Vegas. The skilled quarterback wouldn’t be selected in most fantasy re-drafts, but he’s certainly a very flexible option leading an offense with plenty of talent including Davante Adams and rookie quarterback Brock Bowers.

Devin Singletary, RB, New York Giants: Singletary was the standout player in the Giants’ game against Houston, playing in all but four snaps in the first half. According to PFFRookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. missed the game with an injury and could be out for a while, so Singletary will be the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. He could be a great signing early in the season with his current 120.5 average.

Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills: James Cook is the undisputed starter in Buffalo’s defensive backfield, but Davis looks like a fantasy backup. The rookie showed up brilliantly against the Steelers, rushing for 58 yards on eight carries (7.3 yards per carry). Davis played in gap schemes in college, so he’s a good fit for coordinator Joe Brady’s offense. He’s a good late-round player.

Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Fantasy managers who draft Travis Etienne should look to add Bigsby, not Dernest Johnson, to serve as his limiter. According to PFF, Bigsby played 22 total snaps against the Buccaneers compared to just seven for Johnson. I’ll have to see how things play out in the final week of the preseason, but right now, Bigsby is better than Johnson.

Xavier Worthy, wide receiver, Kansas City Chiefs: With Hollywood Brown out for several weeks, Worthy’s fantasy stock is rising. They’ve risen even more since he played most of the snaps with Patrick Mahomes running the offense, and during that time he scored a touchdown, against the Lions. His average draft position (ADP), Currently in the 115 rangeIt may advance into the top 100 in the next few weeks.

Wan Dale Robinson, wide receiver, New York Giants: Malik Nabers is the G-Men’s best player, but Robinson is clearly the second-best pick in fantasy. He played 20 snaps against the Texans, second only to Nabers’ 30 among starters. That doesn’t mean he’ll be a fantasy starter, but Robinson clearly outperforms Darius Slayton and Jalen Hyatt.

Tim Patrick, wide receiver, Denver Broncos: Patrick, who has missed the past two seasons with leg injuries, started and scored a touchdown against Green Bay. The veteran will start on the outside opposite Courtland Sutton, while Josh Reynolds joins the group in three-receiver sets. As for Patrick, he needs to be selected ahead of Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin.

Brendan Rice, wide receiver, Los Angeles Chargers: Rice, a seventh-round pick, got the start even with all of the Chargers’ offensive linemen available. He played on the perimeter alongside Joshua Palmer, while Ladd McConkey played center. That makes Rice, at the very least, worth considering in dynasty drafts and some deeper redraft leagues. Furthermore, his endorsement seems to mean that Quentin Johnston is not guaranteed to be a starter for new head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Aidan O’Connell, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback: That’s clear, as O’Connell lost the linebacker battle in Las Vegas to Minshew. However, he’s no longer a draftable option even for those playing in the super-flexible leagues. It wouldn’t surprise me if O’Connell eventually starts some games during the regular season, but he’s not on the fantasy radar right now.

Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders: White will start out as a running back for the Raiders, and will easily lead the team in carries. However, as I mentioned in my last look at White’s value, he will lose work in third down and passing situations to Alexander Mattison. So while I still see White as a low-level running back/flex player, he does appear to have a statistical ceiling.

Jay Lynn Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Warren’s stock was rising to the point where he was being drafted higher than teammate Najee Harris. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury against the Bills and didn’t return. Hamstring injuries can be a problem, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he was forced to miss several weeks. If that’s the case, I expect Harris to rise and Warren’s stock to fall in the upcoming fantasy re-drafts.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs: Isaiah Pacheco is the undisputed starter for the Chiefs, but who is his ideal backup? We thought it was Edwards-Helaire, but then we saw Denrik Prince get more work in Week 1 of the preseason. In Week 2, Carson Steele got work on the second offensive line. The team’s quarterback position is clearly in flux, but we can’t assume Edwards-Helaire will eventually win that role.

Khalil Shakir, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills: I’ve seen Shakir get picked in more and more drafts, but will he run enough routes to be a fantasy asset? Even with Curtis Samuel not playing, Shakir hasn’t played in two-receiver sets. That’s concerning. On the flip side, Keon Coleman looks like he’ll play a lot as a rookie. He’s the Bills’ target receiver in the draft.

Troy Franklin, wide receiver, Denver Broncos: Franklin, a fourth-round pick out of Oregon, doesn’t appear to be getting much playing time in his first year. With the trio of Sutton, Patrick and Reynolds at the top, Franklin looks like a backup in the Broncos’ lineup. The same can be said for Marvin Mims Jr., who won’t be a starter.

Devonteze Walker, wide receiver, Baltimore Ravens: Walker didn’t start last season, despite the Ravens resting their starters and some substitutes. In fact, he appears to be trailing behind Tylan Wallace, Keith Kirkwood and Malik Cunningham. Walker is still worth considering in dynasty drafts, but he’s off the radar for managers who play in redrafting leagues.

Cole Kmitt, Offensive Lineman, Chicago Bears: We all knew that Kmitt’s stock was down when the Bears added Keenan Allen and newcomer Rom O’Donnell, but he may also have fallen behind Gerald Eifert on the depth chart. Remember, new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron knows Eifert well from their time in both Los Angeles and Seattle, and that could lead to a tight end rotation in 2024. That’s bad news for Kmitt, who is no longer in the TE1 conversation… even after finishing TE8 last year.

Jonnu Smith, Offensive Lineman, Miami Dolphins: I listed Smith as a prospect who might not get a chance to play tight end, as the Dolphins don’t use the tight end position very often. Add to that the fact that he looks like he’s on a committee with Durham Smith and Julian Hill, and it’s clear that Smith isn’t someone to target in the draft. At best, he’s a late-rounder in deeper leagues.

Jelani Woods, TE, Indianapolis Colts: The Colts rested their key players, including Mo Ali-Cox and Kellen Granson, but Woods didn’t get a chance to start against Arizona. Instead, he looked like he was behind Andrew Ogletree and Will Mallory. At this point, it’s questionable whether Woods will make the final roster. He shouldn’t be considered a draftable option.