The first batch of preseason games has come and gone. It’s crazy to think but we only have two more weeks of meaningless games to bet on and watch before the ACTUAL season starts. Soak it all in while you can.
As always, we’ll be putting up bets for Week 2 of the preseason in the bet tracker (our CEO Eliot has already taken the Ravens—shocker) and we’ll go through a full breakdown of all the games for Week 2 below (including favorite bets).
Before we get there, though, let’s take a quick look back at the biggest storylines from Week 1 of the preseason to get you set for Week 2.
The Biggest Stories from Week 1 Preseason
Rookie quarterbacks struggled and/or reminded us they are in fact rookies
Will Levis, CJ Stroud, and Anthony Richardson all threw INTs. Bryce Young didn’t turn the ball over, but he he got smashed into the turf on his first throw and went just 4 of 6 for 24 yards against the Jets' backups—picking up one first down in three series.
Richardson likely had the strongest debut and dropped in a perfect bomb to Alec Pierce that would have broken the internet if he had held on.
Anthony Richardson was named starter
Speaking of Richardson, his performance was good enough to be named starter this week. There will always be doubters, but watching him play, it’s impossible to deny the upside that drips from this human person whenever he steps on the field.
Greg Dulcich is a backup
I rarely overreact to preseason usage or game logs, but my hand is hovering over the panic button for Dulcich after Adam Trautman came in week 1 and drank his milkshake. Seeing how Dulcich gets used will be a major point of interest for week 2.
Some rookie TEs look set to play major roles early
Luke Musgrave, Sam La Porta, and Dalton Kincaid all look set to play heavy snaps in major receiving roles for their respective teams. Don’t forget that this was heralded as the deepest TE draft in history, so if any group of rookies is going to break the rookie TE curse, it will be this class.
The Panthers may be terrible
No team looked worse to me than Carolina in Week 1. Their starting offense got completely shut down by the Jets' backups, and their offensive line allowed Bryce Young to take multiple big shots. If you’re into betting, the Panthers are a futures target for me in the win department as well.
The Saints may be good/great
The Saints were kind of like the reverse Panthers. They looked good in most every facet and were able to overcome the Super Bowl champions, despite the Chiefs playing their starters. Yes, it’s preseason, but good start for New Orleans.
Jordan Love passed his first test
Love had one bad miss in his limited action but overall was solid. He also ended his day with a terrific TD pass inside the red zone.
Aug 11, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) throws a pass during warmups prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY
It’s a good sign for Green Bay’s pass catchers that Love looked better than competent in his first game as starter.
Tyjae Spears, Deuce Vaughn, Chris Rodriguez – arrow up
Each of these three RBs had good to great showings. Spears likely has the best pure upside for fantasy as he looks more and more assured of being the direct backup to Derrick Henry in Tennessee. Vaughn looks like he may carve himself out a passing down role while Rodriguez should be seen as a wildcard for early down work in Washington.
The Ravens continue to own August
25-0…If you kept rolling over your winnings on the Ravens, congrats, you’re Elon Musk.
Week 2 NFL Preseason Preview
The mood always changes a little bit in week 2. Teams begin to roll out more of their starters and things take a turn for the slightly more serious as the first stringers all want to assert their dominance by scoring a TD before leaving the field.
For many starters, this will be the last time they see the field before the regular season as teams tend to rest players in the final week. It’s why the game totals for this week are mostly higher, on average, than the totals we saw last week.
For viewing purposes, outside of the betting department, watching the players' usage and deployment for fantasy and best ball purposes will be our main task.
All of the Week 2 NFL preseason games are listed below with a few extra notes about what to watch and look for in each matchup.
Thursday, Aug. 17
Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles, 7:30 p.m.
- The starters for both of these teams are likely to sit after a tough week of practicing against each other.
- The Eagles' backfield usage will be something to monitor. Kenneth Gainwell has become a pivotal figure, as he rested in week 1 and has people believing he may even lead this offense in carries.
- There should be lots of Marcus Mariota if you’re into that kind of thing.
Friday, Aug. 18
Carolina Panthers at New York Giants, 7:00 p.m.
Aug 12, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes during the first quarter against the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
- As noted above, the Panthers were pretty terrible in Week 1 and allowed Bryce Young to get hit numerous times.
- New York should play a few starters this week, but expect to see more Tyrod Taylor than Daniel Jones.
- Rookie Jalin Hyatt will be one to watch as he’s been getting some reps with the starters in camp and has difference-making speed the Giants could use.
Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons, 7:30 p.m.
- Bijon Robinson is expected to play in this game per Arthur Smith, although don’t expect him to have more than a few touches.
- The Falcons will also set Desmond Ridder loose in the wild, so where his targets go will be worth monitoring.
- The Bengals are just trying to get through preseason without any more injuries.
Saturday, Aug. 19
Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions, 1:00 p.m.
- In week 1, Tank Bigsby took a decent workload and some red zone work.
- Bigsby is not likely to supplant Travis Etienne as starter, but he could carve out a red zone or pass catching role right off the bat.
- Detroit will be rolling out a new backup in Teddy Bridgewater but is unlikely to play Jared Goff.
- Jameson Williams (hamstring) is now set to miss the rest of the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans, 4:00 p.m.
- The Dolphins will likely sit their stars.
- Houston’s first overall pick CJ Stroud had a rough opener but gets a second chance this week to put up some good game tape.
- Tank Dell was the standout WR for Houston in week 1, but that was with WRs Nico Collins and Robert Woods sitting.
- Watching to see if WR John Metchie can’t demand a few more targets will be something to keep an eye on in this game.
Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers, 6:30 p.m.
- The usage between Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris was extremely balanced in week 1.
- Warren has been a preseason darling for many in the best ball streets, and more strong usage could send his ADP plummeting.
- Buffalo’s RB core is worth monitoring as well. James Cook took most of the first team reps in week 1, but that was without Damien Harris being active.
Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts, 7:00 p.m.
- Anthony Richardson did enough in week 1 to earn the starting job in Indianapolis. Now he’ll get another chance to put more work on game tape.
- The slot battle for the Colts between Isaiah Mackenzie and Josh Downs is worth monitoring, with Downs set to potentially make up some ground the next couple of weeks.
- Chicago started Khalil Herbert last week at RB, and it will be interesting to see if there is any switch in the pecking order for them at RB in this game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets, 7:30 p.m.
- The Buccaneers look set to start Kyle Trask in this game, who was outplayed by a wide margin by Baker Mayfield in week 1.
- Neither of these teams have much brewing competition-wise after that. New York isn’t expected to have newcomer Dalvin Cook suit up for this week’s game.
Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings, 8:00 p.m.
- The Titans' Tyjae Spears had a great opener, going for 6 carries and 32 yards and catching one pass for 4 yards. He’ll be a good watch in this game, and another good showing would likely lock him into the direct Derrick Henry-backup role.
- Rookie Jordan Addison is out as he was declared to be in the concussion protocol.
Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals, 8:00 p.m.
- The Chiefs are absolute dozers no matter the time of year. Arizona actually put up a good fight in week 1, and past seasons have seen bad teams do extremely well in preseason football.
- For fantasy, the Chiefs' wide receiver usage will be something to watch.
- Also look out for WR Michael Wilson on the Cardinals' side and see if he works into three WR sets (essentially telling us he’s already a starter).
New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers, 8:00 p.m.
- The Packers' WR and TE usage showed us a lot in week 1, and we should expect to see more Luke Musgrave and Jayden Reed action with the first team offense in week 2.
- The Patriots should allow Mac Jones to hit the field, and determining who his first read is at TE and WR (if the rest of the starters play) will be useful.
- Tyquan Thornton had a TD in week 1, but if he doesn’t see snaps with Jones, that will be alarming for his regular season potential.
Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers, 8:30 p.m.
- The Broncos' starters will get another shot at scoring the football here in week 2. They were barely up to the task in week 1.
- The TE battle for Denver will be something to monitor, specifically to see if Greg Dulcich sees better usage. He played primarily on second and third downs only in week 1.
- The 49ers aren’t likely to play Brock Purdy, but have also suggested that nothing is set in stone in that regard. They got whooped in week 1 by Vegas and their o-line looked terrible.
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams, 9:00 p.m.
- The Rams likely won’t play starters. Getting a look at Stetson Bennett again will be fun.
- The Raiders actually looked good in week 1, so seeing if that rolls over to week 2 will be interesting.
- The usage for Zamir White and Michael Mayer (if he plays) will be interesting to note.
Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks, 10:00 p.m.
- The Cowboys will be keeping Dak Prescott and most of their starters on ice again.
- Seattle has injury issues in the backfield, but we’ll likely get another glimpse of Zach Charbonnet running the ball.
- The Seahawks are the second biggest favorites of week 2 at -7.0.
Sunday, Aug. 20
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers, 7:05 p.m.
Aug 13, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes to tight end Juwan Johnson (83) against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
- Both of these teams are coming off monster wins.
- The Saints were super resilient in week 1, and seeing Derek Carr work again in this offense with his top receivers will be important to watch.
- The Chargers aren’t likely to play many starters, but rookie Quentin Johnston should be given a long look once again.
Monday, Aug. 21
Baltimore Ravens at Washington Commanders, 8:00 p.m
- It’s the Ravens in preseason, congrats in advance bettors.
- If we see Lamar Jackson in this game, all eyes will be on whether or not he can have success in this new offensive scheme.
- Washington needs to see Sam Howell step up and have a good game.
- In the backfield, watch out for Chris Rodriguez, who is trying to steal touches away from the Commanders' starters.
Week 2 NFL Preseason Betting Preview
Bengals at Falcons under 38.5 (-110, BetMGM)
These teams combined for zero offensive TDs in week 1. There is obviously a need for caution on the Bengals' side with Joe Burrow out, and they’ll be facing an Atlanta defense that was aggressive in week 1, compiling five sacks.
The Falcons' starters will be playing a little after sitting week 1, but it sounds like they’ll be getting light reps at best. The coaches on both sides seem like they would be happy with a boring, incident-free game, making the under playable at 38.5.
You can tail both the under and my Vikings bet (below) on BetMGM, where you can get up to $1,000 paid back in bonus bets if your first bet does not win! Simply sign up below and start betting TODAY!
Vikings +2.5 (-110, BetMGM)
This game will likely see a lot of veteran players sit on both sides, including both starting quarterbacks. The Titans' quarterback play and o-line play was uneven in week 1, and they suffered a depth injury to Treylon Burks this week. The line gives Tennessee a small edge, but at +2 for preseason, it suggests the matchup sets up as more of a pick'em to the books, making the points more desirable.
Chargers vs Saints over 37.5 (-110, DraftKings)
Both of these teams performed well in week 1. The Saints should give their starters a little more playing time in week 2, and that could lead to a few more points early. Easton Stick looked solid against the Rams, and he’ll need to keep playing well to hold off rookie Max Duggan, who can run and should help keep the ball moving late in this game. Overs were 10-5-1 in week 1, and this total remains one of the lowest on the board for week 2.
You can tail the over on DraftKings Sportsbook, where you can also get up to $1,000 in DK Dollars when you sign up for a new account below!
Week 2 NFL Preseason DFS Preview
Stacks to target
- Easton Stick / Quentin Johnston
- Sean Clifford / Samori Toure
- Bailey Zappe / Tyquan Thornton
- Clayton Tune / Michael Wilson
Bellcow RBs
- Tyjae Spears
- Emanuel Wilson
- Isaiah Spiller
- Chris Rodriguez
Yolo WRs
- Jordan Addison
- Andy Isabella
Rushing QBs
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson
- Malik Cunningham
- Max Duggan
