We’re on to the last week of preseason. One more week of grinding coach speak and small bits of hearsay information on social media about how many snaps the starting offenses are actually going to play.
We have some clarity in a couple of spots and would like to thank teams like the Vikings and Rams who have just decided to sit their starters completely this offseason and make our life a little easier. Still, we’ll be seeing plenty of starting offenses on the field in week 3, with names like Anthony Richardson, Kenny Pickett, and Jordan Love all expected to get work.
The exact playing time for many of the starting offenses and quarterbacks still remains a mystery in spots, but we do have a better sense of what each team will look like in their final game just given how they have handled the previous weeks.
As always, we’ll be putting up bets for Week 3 of the preseason in the bet tracker, and there are some new futures bets you need to check out while you’re there (Jonathan Mingo SZN?).
Before we get there, though, let’s take a quick look back at the biggest storylines from Week 2 of the preseason to get you set for Week 3.
The Biggest Stories from Week 2 Preseason
Sam Howell is a Hall-of-Famer
Or at least many people believe he will be now after beating the Ravens. Howell was certainly swell in week 2, but remember that the Ravens didn’t play their starters on defense and the Commanders also lost Terry McLaurin for, potentially, a regular season game or two.
Brock Purdy seems fine
He didn’t play much against the Broncos, but he did roll out a couple of times and made a couple of solid throws 7-10 yards downfield. His arm seemed about the same as it was last year. Good news for 49er skill players not named Trey Lance.
The Steelers look fun again
Aug 11, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) celebrates with quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Kenny Pickett, Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Jaylen Warren (sorry Najee Harris, you’re cut), and Pat Freiermuth. I haven’t even mentioned secret weapon Darnell Washington. No team has me more hyped right now. A big year feels incoming.
The Panthers may be terrible, part deux
Bryce Young has been under pressure on a lot of snaps already and endured another big sack against the Giants last week. He has a 4.7 YPA on his first 12 throws in the NFL and a 58% completion rate. DJ Chark and Chuba Hubbard are also now banged up. Still not looking like a great outlook for Carolina in 2023.
Jordan Love passed his second test
Love again looked competent in his second preseason action and was seen spreading the ball around to Luke Musgrave and Jayden Reed, among others. It’s good news for all the Green Bay pass catchers, some of whom have seen ADP bumps as a result in the best ball streets.
Tyjae Spears, Jaylen Warren, and Tank Bigsby – arrow way up
All three of these players put on shows last week. Warren undoubtedly had the best outing with a long TD run and continues to look like a player who is going to force a potential 50/50 split with Najee Harris. Spears’s upside is capped until Derrick Henry goes down, but there is no denying he’s a premium handcuff.
Is Emanuel Wilson a dynasty play?
The Packers moved Emanuel Wilson up in the rotation after week 1, to where he was the third RB on the field after AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones were done in week 2. Wilson responded by racking up another 78 yards and garning 17 touches. Wilson looks like he’s ready to be next man up for Green Bay if Dillon goes down or gets traded (or doesn’t come back in 2024—he’s a UFA). He’s worth a stash in dynasty.
Week 3 NFL Preseason Preview
This week looks like a mix between teams who are playing it safe and teams who want to give their players one more dress rehearsal before the real thing. Remember, we are now only about two weeks away from the real games, so any injury at this point could affect week 1 availability.
Don’t expect to see starting offenses on the field for a ton of snaps in most spots, even if the coach is adamant that he’s playing the starters.
All of the Week 3 NFL preseason games are listed below with a few extra notes about what to watch and look for in each matchup.
**all times EST
Friday, August 25th
Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers, 8:00 p.m.
- The Lions looked terrible last week and are trying to work a new backup in Teddy Bridgewater.
- Carolina needs a good showing of any kind to end preseason. Not letting Bryce Young get hit for a drive or two would be a good start, as he’s endured tough sacks in each of his first two games.
- DJ Chark is banged up, so the Jonathan Mingo hype might get louder as he’ll be expected to play with the starters again.
New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans, 8:15 p.m.
- It’s unclear how much Bill Belichick will play starters this week, but don’t expect a ton of action if they do take the field.
- You could see the Patriots “unleash” Trace McSorley in the second half, making the under a solid target.
- Malik Willis is likely to play a ton again.
Los Angeles Chargers at San Francisco 49ers, 10:00 p.m.
- The Chargers' backfield is something to monitor in this game, as Isaiah Spiller has been outplaying Josh Kelley for backup and early down duties.
- Judging by the -7.5 line, the 49ers are likely to give starters some work, so we’ll likely see a little more Brock Purdy.
- Trey Lance is also slated to see a lot of work as the 49ers attempt to build a trade market for him.
Saturday, August 26
Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 p.m.
- These two teams have practiced against each other all week and look set to rest a lot of starters.
- The Chiefs' WR room will again be an interesting watch with Justyn Ross, Rashee Rice, Richie James, and Skyy Moore all showing well at points in preseason.
Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears, 1:00 p.m.
- The Bears are on Jonathan Taylor watch this week and may not be as into this game as the Bills, who got stomped by Pittsburgh in week 2—despite playing their starting offense.
- The Bills' third WR position is still up for grabs, so keeping an eye on names like Khalil Shakir (if he plays—ribs) and Deonte Harty is a must.
Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers, 1:00 p.m.
- This game should be fun as the Packers are again expected to give Jordan Love a little run at the beginning.
- Both teams have competent backup QBs in Drew Lock and Sean Clifford, who has surprised with a couple of good showings in preseason.
- Green Bay’s WR usage will again be something to watch, although it looks like their starting set will be Watson, Doubs, and Jayden Reed in the slot.
Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings, 1:00 p.m.
- These have been two of the worst teams in preseason to date. The Vikings won’t play starters, so look for Nick Mullens to get work—and he was effectively awful against Tennessee, as was backup Jaren Hall.
- Watching how the Cardinals use WRs Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch will be of intrigue.
- Wilson projects as a starter, as his size and athleticism give the Cardinals a different element, but Dortch has been great in training camp by all regards.
New York Jets at New York Giants, 6:00 p.m.
- Aaron Rodgers will play football in this game, which means you’ll likely see a lot a highlights from the one series he’s on the field.
- With Corey Davis retiring, the Jets' backup WRs are suddenly worth watching.
- The Giants look set to rest the starters after a very efficient showing last week.
Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Commanders, 6:05 p.m.
- Washington is coming off a big high after Sam Howell had a great showing and was named starter.
- Washington ended the Ravens' win streak, but their starters weren’t all that great against the Ravens' backups.
- Expect a backup show again from the Bengals, who played tough against the ATL starters last week.
Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:00 p.m.
Aug 19, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) leads the team out for the start of the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
- The Buccaneers named Baker Mayfield starter last week and look set to give him and Kyle Trask some work again this week.
- With John Wolford out, we could see a ton of Trask this week.
Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars, 7:00 p.m.
- The Dolphins' first team offense looked explosive last week, but they are +7.0 underdogs and look ready to sit Tua Tagovailoa.
- Skylar Thompson played well in week 2 and could be a good DFS target again.
- The Jaguars will again give some of their starters run.
Las Vegas Raiders at Dallas Cowboys, 8:00 p.m.
- Aidan O’Connell has been a preseason stud, completing 26 of 36 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns thus far. He figures to once again play a ton for the Raiders.
- The Cowboys have been putting their starters on ice and figure to do so once again.
- The backup RB job for Dallas looks set to go to Deuce Vaughn, who plays at a different speed than most preseason RBs.
Los Angeles Rams at Denver Broncos, 9:00 p.m.
- The Rams are a team who don’t play their starters at all in preseason.
- Stetson Bennett played nearly the entire game last week, but wasn’t as effective as he was in week 1. He should get a ton of run this week once again.
- Based on his two outings thus far, Russell Wilson needs reps in this offense. With the line set at Broncos -6.0, he looks set to play a couple of series in this game.
Sunday, August 27
Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints, 8:00 p.m.
- The Texans have yet to announce CJ Stroud as their regular season starter, but he is starting this game. Only a complete dud would stop him from being their starter in week 1.
- The Texans' WR rotation is worth watching; nothing is set in stone there.
- The Saints don’t have much to play for. Their depth chart is mostly set, so expect to see a little Jameis Winston and a lot of Jake Haener.
Week 3 NFL Preseason Betting Preview
Obviously, lines in preseason can change quickly based on new information or coaches changing their minds on player usage, but a few spots stand out as good investments based on current information.
Week 3 preseason bets and DFS picks are below.
Bengals +5.5 (-110, BetMGM)
The Commanders have never won a game in preseason by more than 4.0 points under Ron Rivera. Yes, Sam Howell looked good last week, but the Commanders needed a minor miracle at the end of the game to catch up and beat the Ravens, who were not playing any starters at any point.
Aug 18, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) carries the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
You’ll likely see fewer first-team snaps for Washington this week, and the Bengals are just great at covering under Zach Taylor, no matter the circumstance. They also have two semi-competent QBs who should play the distance for them. The +5.5 looks inflated off of the Commanders' big win against Baltimore and is worth taking.
Cardinals at Vikings under 38.5 (-110, BetMGM)
The Vikings are ready for preseason to end. Kevin O’Connell doesn’t believe in playing starters and already had a small scare with Jordan Addison enduring a concussion last week. The Vikings couldn’t move the ball against the Titans' second and third teamers in week 2, and while Arizona isn’t as deep a team, they held up well against Denver in week 1 and played well against KC to begin the game last week—before things unraveled.
Taking the Cardinals at +1.5 has some appeal given Kevin O’Connell is 0-5 straight up in preseason, but the under looks like a solid play at 38.5 as well.
You can tail both of these bets on BetMGM, where you can get up to $1,000 paid back in bonus bets if your first bet does not win when you sign up for a new account below!
Week 3 NFL Preseason DFS Preview
Bellcow RBs:
- Emanuel Wilson
- Tyjae Spears
Rushing Quarterbacks:
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson
- Malik Willis
