Preseason Week 2 Fantasy Football News: Jaxon Smith-Njigba And More Utilization Takeaways
Dwain McFarland goes game by game to highlight the most important utilization takeaways for fantasy football from every Preseason Week 2 game.
Below is a summary for each team from Week 2 of the NFL preseason. The primary focus is on player utilization and usage with the starting offense.
Typically, starters are determined by drives played with the starting QB. Some instances differ depending on who started, as outlined in each team's position section. You can find definitions for all the table abbreviations at the bottom of this article.
Updates will occur throughout the weekend as data from each game becomes available.
Code: Dwain for 20% off, but you can get 30% this weekend with code MB30.
Preseason Week 2 Recap: Friday Games
Tennessee Titans
Quarterback
- Cam Ward started and played 11 snaps on three drives. He completed two of seven passes for 42 yards. While that doesn't look good, don't freak out. Ward showed an ability to extend plays and keep his focus downfield—hallmarks of some of the best QBs in the NFL. He also rocketed an absolute dime from the pocket that Van Jefferson dropped.
- Brandon Allen was the QB2, playing the next five drives.
Running Back
- Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears (ankle) did not play.
- Julius Chestnut started and handled 73% of the snaps with Ward.
- Kalel Mullings rotated with Chestnut, playing 27% of the snaps with the starters.
Wide Receiver and Tight End
- Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett rested.
- Elic Ayomanor notched an 86% route participation and a 43% target share with the starters. He played the first four drives, remaining on the field in two-WR sets. Lockett is penciled (not inked) in as the WR2 in Tennessee but might primarily play from the slot. In an offense that is willing to play plenty of 11 personnel and some weak competition, there is room for Ayomanor to earn immediate playing time. The Round 4 NFL draft pick is a deep-league sleeper.
- Chimere Dike matched Ayomanor's routes (86%) and saw a 29% target share with Ward. The fourth-round draft selection left the field on 12 personnel plays. Dike is also a deep-league sleeper but might not offer the same route share upside as Ayomanor if restricted to slot duties.
- Van Jefferson started and played 71% of the pass plays. He was targeted only once, dropping a beautiful throw from Ward.
- Chig Okonkwo played 75% of the snaps on the first two drives, but Gunnar Helm rotated with the starters on passing downs. Okonkwo finished the night with a 50% route participation rate, after posting a 100% mark last week. Okonkwo remains a late-round TE target, but we must monitor the situation with Helm.
- Gunnar Helm played 38% of the snaps and notched a 50% route participation with Okonkwo playing on the first two drives. The fourth-round pick played until halftime and caught a sweet TD down the seam against two defenders.
Offensive Line
- Left Tackle: Dan Moore Jr. started and played two drives with Ward. He missed one snap due to injury on the second drive, but returned to the game for one more play.
- Left Guard: Peter Skoronski started and played three drives with Ward.
- Center: Lloyd Cushenberry was activated from the PUP but rested. Corey Levin played three drives with Ward.
- Right Guard: Kevin Zeitler rested. Blake Hance started and played 30 snaps.
- Right Tackle: JC Latham started and played three drives with Ward.
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
- Michael Penix Jr. rested.
- Easton Stick started and played 83% of the snaps.
Running Back
- Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, and Carlos Washington Jr. rested.
Wide Receiver and Tight End
- All of the first- and second-string receivers and tight ends rested.
Offensive Line
- Starters Rested: All.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs played many of their first and second-string players during the first drive, making it difficult to get too many takeaways. However, I dug into who was on the field first and when they left to try and gain some clues around the depth chart pecking order.
Quarterback
- Patrick Mahomes rested.
- Gardner Minshew started and played 18 snaps on two drives.
Running Back
- Kareem Hunt (quad) rested.
- Isiah Pacheco played the first three snaps of the first drive before resting. He didn't register a carry but caught one pass for 22 yards, looking healthier than the injured version of Pacheco we saw at the end of 2024.
- Carson Steele was the second back to enter the game on the first drive, and his night ended after the second series.
- Elijah Mitchell was the RB3, entering the game on the first drive. He played until halftime.
- Brashard Smith played one snap on the second drive and caught a jet motion touch pass that he parlayed into 12 yards. Smith didn't play again until the third quarter, but looked awfully slippery and explosive with three carries for 22 yards and two receptions for 16. It's hard to know how much playing time Smith will get in 2025. But this isn't a loaded depth chart. The former collegiate receiver is a perfect fit for the two-minute offense, which might unlock the door to more playing time. Smith is a deep-league sleeper.
Wide Receiver and Tight End
- Travis Kelce and Hollywood Brown (ankle/foot) rested.
- Rashee Rice played a ceremonious two snaps on the first drive before calling it a night.
- Xavier Worthy played three snaps on the first drive before resting.
- JuJu Smith-Schuster played the first drive and exited the game.
- Tyquan Thornton played five snaps on the first drive before resting. Thornton getting to rest after the first drive is notable considering Brown's uncertain status. The former second-round pick never showed much in New England despite his draft capital and the team's clear needs at the position. That combo makes me doubt the value we could see from Thornton in fantasy, but he can press the vertical boundary to open up the rest of the offense.
- Jalen Royals played six snaps on the first drive and called it a night. With Brown's injury and Rice's looming suspension, there is a chance the Round 4 pick sees some playing time in 2025.
- Skyy Moore played two snaps on the first drive but played until the fourth quarter. He had a nice punt return for a TD with less than four minutes remaining.
Offensive Line
- Starters Rested: Jawaan Taylor (shoulder). Jaylon Moore started and played one drive.
- Starters Played: Josh Simmons (LT), Kingsley Suamataia (LG), Creed Humphrey (C), and Trey Smith (RG) played 10 snaps on the first series.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks mixed up their personnel packages on the opening drive with Sam Darnold, which is something we saw from Klint Kubiak in New Orleans (Kyle Shanahan tree).
- 21 Personnel: 40%
- 11 Personnel: 30%
- 12 Personnel: 10%
- 13 Personnel: 10%
Quarterback
- Sam Darnold played the 10 snaps on the first drive. He completed four of four passes for 34 yards. All of his attempts were short with air yards of 4, -5, 1, and -1.
- Drew Lock was the QB2 and played into the third quarter. Based on a mandate from Ian Hartitz, I am legally bound to report Lock's stats (when they are favorable). Lock went 10 of 12 for 129 yards and two TDs. He also picked up 34 yards on two scrambles.
- Jalen Milroe was the QB3 but played one snap on the first drive to handle a tush-push on a 3rd and 1. Milroe went three of five for 46 yards and scrambled three times for 11 yards.
Running Back
- Kenneth Walker III (foot/workload management) rested.
- Zach Charbonnet played 100% of the snaps with the starters and went off for 45 yards and a TD (on a well-blocked play) on five attempts. Charbonnet remains the No. 1 handcuff in fantasy football and is good enough to challenge for a larger role should the team decide to manage Walker's workload differently in 2025.
- George Holani was the RB2 in this one after getting the start last weekend with the starters out. He entered the game on the second drive and played until halftime.
Wide Receiver and Tight End
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba posted a 100% route participation with the starters and notched a 25% target share. He was on the field for 100% of the 11, 12, and 21 personnel snaps. While this is a limited sample, this is precisely what we wanted to see from JSN—he didn't rotate on two-WR pass plays. Smith-Njigba is my most drafted WR (25%) in the first three rounds of fantasy drafts in 2025.
- Cooper Kupp also garnered a 100% route participation with the starters and remained on the field in two-WR sets. Kupp is also one of my most-drafted WRs (14%) in fantasy this year. Yeah, he is old and looked a bit dusty late last year, but that is all priced in at his consensus average draft position of 99.
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling was the WR3 on the first drive with Darnold. MVS played well in Kubiak's scheme last year in New Orleans, but rookie Tory Horton is nipping at his heels. Valdes-Scantling played two drives before resting.
- Tory Horton played one snap on a run play with Darnold, but expanded his role on the second drive after the starters exited. He posted an 86% route participation on drives two and three with a 20% target share. He didn't play after halftime. Horton is a deep-league sleeper.
- Jake Bobo played one snap with the starters on a run play. He saw a 57% route participation on the second and third drives. Bobo played into the third quarter.
- AJ Barner played 80% of the snaps with a 75% dropback rate with Darnold. He saw one target (25%). The second-year TE was done after two drives. Barner appears to be in the driver's seat for the starting job. He is a late-round dart option.
- Elijah Arroyo only played 25% of pass plays with Darnold and 17% with the starting offensive line (two drives). Eric Saubert handled base-down duties on the second drive. Arroyo is not draftable in re-draft formats at the moment.
Offensive Line
- Left Tackle: Charles Cross (finger surgery) rested. Josh Jones started in his place and played two drives. Jones is listed as a right tackle by Ourlads, so this confirms reports that Jones is the swing tackle.
- Center: Olu Oluwatimi (back) rested. Jalen Sundell started and played three drives.
- Right Guard: Anthony Bradford started over Christian Haynes for the second consecutive game despite some depth charts showing Haynes as the starter. Bradford played two drives. Haynes entered the game on the third drive and played into the third quarter.
- Right Tackle: Abraham Lucas started and played two drives.
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