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Utilization Report: Fantasy Football Takeaways from Preseason Week 2
- 1. Xavier Worthy might be this year's Tank Dell
- 2. Malik Nabers: ALPHA DOG ASS-KICKING MACHINE
- 3. Nico Collins is getting WR1 treatment in the preseason
- 4. Caleb Williams is doing otherworldly things
- 5. Could James Cook be in line for a larger workload?
- 6. The Texans and Bears want to play two TEs with these WRs on their rosters!?!?
- 7. Rashee Rice: The Most Underpriced WR in Fantasy
- 8. Zamir White may not be a lock to dominate touches
- 9. Bucky Irving is a great RB to target late in drafts
- 10. The Broncos could use a one-two punch at RB
The preseason is just the tip of the iceberg when trying to figure out what will happen in the upcoming fantasy football season. It is a portion of a much larger picture that isn't visible to us that we can see, so we tend to overanalyze — yes, I am looking in the mirror.
Because of that, we want to be careful with how much emphasis we place on preseason play, but when paired with other clues — i.e., draft capital, mini-camp and training camp reports, coaching interviews, etc. — it can be helpful in the right cases.
With all that in mind, below are the biggest storylines of Week 2 in preseason and what they mean for fantasy football.
If you want the full breakdown of every takeaway from the weekend beyond my top 10 below — check them out here.
1. Xavier Worthy might be this year's Tank Dell
Worthy has a 25% target share with Mahomes in two preseason games. The rookie speedster is working the opposite areas of the field from Rashee Rice with a 20.8 aDOT, leading the team with a 68% air-yard share.
Worthy's 89% route participation might be slightly inflated with Hollywood Brown out of the lineup, but the rookie is making the most of his opportunities. We may get a Tank Dell-type of rookie season out of Worthy even in a crowded offense.
Worthy's ADP will likely climb after this performance, but likely not enough to keep us from drafting him. He is priced outside the top 100 on ESPN and Yahoo and goes in the 90s on high-stakes sites like the FFPC and RealTime Fantasy Sports.
Worthy ranks as the No. 81 player in our consensus rankings. He is a WR3 with WR2 upside.
2. Malik Nabers: ALPHA DOG ASS-KICKING MACHINE
Nabers led the receiving corps with an 89% route participation rate and a 33% target share with Daniel Jones in Week 2.
The first-round NFL draft pick made two incredible grabs, and Jones looked comfortable forcing the ball to his new No. 1 in tight spaces. Nabers had Derek Stingley Jr. easily beat on another potential long-gainer but couldn't hang on.
The QB play caps Nabers' ceiling, but don't be surprised if he still challenges for a WR1 finish as a rookie — he is an absolute steal in fantasy drafts.
Just how early should you be willing to target Nabers in fantasy drafts?
3. Nico Collins is getting WR1 treatment in the preseason
Collins leads the Texans with a 93% route participation on plays with Stroud this preseason.
Last season, the Collins reached 90% only two times, with Houston heavily rotating their WRs.
The third-year wideout looks like the clear WR1 in terms of playing time and could be in store for more reps than in 2023, which would help him offset new target competition from Stefon Diggs.
Collins is a Round 3 pick on most fantasy sites. While the competition for targets will be fierce, he has big-play ability and resides in one of the league's top passing attacks, making him worth the price of admission.
4. Caleb Williams is doing otherworldly things
Williams started and handled the first five drives in Week 2. He struggled in the box score, going six of 13 for 75 yards, but that didn't tell the whole story.
The No. 1 overall NFL draft pick dropped a dime on the run to Rome Odunze.
Then he just missed tossing an amazing TD on a Houdini play where Odunze didn't get his feet in bounds.
Williams was a potent rusher once his team got inside the 10-yard line in college, and that continued in this game with a scramble for a TD.
For the second week in a row, I have to say that Williams looks special – he is making plays that only a handful of QBs can make in the NFL. Williams offers top-six fantasy upside as a rookie, making him a primary target at QB if you miss out on the early-round studs.
5. Could James Cook be in line for a larger workload?
Cook played 88% of the snaps and handled 100% of the rushing attempts (six) during his four drives with the starting offensive line. He also posted an 82% route participation.
Last week, the third-year back handled 100% of the work before exiting with Josh Allen. We never want to overreact to small preseason samples — especially at RB — but there is a chance he bests the 49% rush share and 48% route participation rate in my projections by a decent margin.
I prefer Cook in the middle rounds over aging options like Joe Mixon, Alvin Kamara and Aaron Jones.
6. The Texans and Bears want to play two TEs with these WRs on their rosters!?!?
Tank Dell
Dell primarily plays in 11 personnel packages, and his lack of involvement when the team plays two tight ends or a fullback is dragging his route participation down (64%).
Dell still has the playmaking ability (he had a 23-yard gain called back this weekend) to come through with significant spike weeks, but we can also expect more low-floor outputs if he can't push toward 80% route participation when the season kicks off.
Still, Dell is priced down on sites not named Underdog, which makes me think about F*%# utilization. Let's get this beast on our fantasy squads and let the chips fall where they may.
Rome Odunze
Odunze posted a 68% route participation rate — leaving the field on 12 personnel snaps — over the first three drives with the starters. In Week 1, he was at 50% with Moore and Allen.
Things could change as the season progresses, but it looks like Odunze will be the No. 3 WR when the season kicks off. However, fading him for the season feels ill-advised because the No. 9 NFL Draft pick is a BALLER.
Odunze hauled in a long bomb from Caleb Williams and could have scored a TD in the back of the end zone if he had his feet in bounds — so we know the big-play upside is there. That makes him a name we want to bet on in fantasy drafts. Just be prepared to practice some patience early in the season.
7. Rashee Rice: The Most Underpriced WR in Fantasy
Rashee Rice has a 94% route participation rate and 38% target share on plays with Mahomes this preseason.
The second-year wide receiver is picking up right where he left off, soaking up all the underneath (3.7 aDOT) and designing looks for the Chiefs offense. There is more competition for targets in KC this season, but there is still a world where Rice pushes for a WR1 in one of the best offenses in the NFL.
No WR is more underpriced — making him a pillar of the Perfect WR Draft Strategy.
8. Zamir White may not be a lock to dominate touches
White and Alexander Mattison have played the same number of drives in the first two preseason games.
I am lowering White in my projections and the rankings — there is a chance we are looking at a committee on a struggling offense.
9. Bucky Irving is a great RB to target late in drafts
Irving started and played 100% of the snaps and accounted for 100% of the designed rushing attempts over the first two drives with three of five starting offensive linemen in Week 2. The Round 4 pick played well, flashing his ability to make one cut and quickly accelerate downhill — a trait that the coaches have praised throughout camp.
While Chase Edmonds might muddy the waters in the regular season, Irving is the RB2 to target in the later rounds. Irving could shine if Rachaad White suffers an injury or the coaching staff becomes frustrated with his inefficiency.
10. The Broncos could use a one-two punch at RB
Javonte Williams
Williams posted a 42% snap share and handled 30% of the rushing attempts on two drives with Bo Nix. He and Jaleel McLaughlin rotated on both drives.
Williams only had a 25% route share and was targeted one time — the backs are going to be heavily involved in this attack, given the lack of WRs and Sean Payton's history of peppering the position with looks. The fourth-year back had a receiving TD on a scramble drill called back because Nix was beyond the line of scrimmage.
This backfield will be a rotation, but Williams is the favorite to lead the team in rushing.
Williams is an RB3 heading into Week 1.
Jaleel McLaughlin
McLaughlin played 58% of the snaps with the Broncos in pass-first mode on Nix's two drives. The second-year RB handled 30% of the attempts and delivered a sweet 67% route participation rate.
Interestingly, McLaughlin took carries inside the 10-yard line. It is hard to extract too much out of a small sample. However, it doesn't hurt that, at a minimum, the coaching staff wanted to get a look at McLaughlin in that scenario.
Payton has a long history of maximizing receiving backs, and McLaughlin could be the next in line, looking like the favorite to lead this team on passing downs.
McLaughlin is an RB4 with upside.
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