This past Saturday marked the final day of the 2025 NFL preseason, bringing to a close Week 3. Front offices and coaching staffs routinely use the preseason to sift through the back half of their rosters, attempting to determine who makes the final 53-man cut. It makes little sense (other than to knock some remaining rust off) to play starters for more than a quarter or two each game, given the injury risk involved. For fantasy football purposes, judging how much stock to put into preseason stats is highly subjective.
If we were basing the future solely on what we have seen over the last three weeks, the Super Bowl would be between the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Giants (who somehow managed to lead all teams in scoring). Washington, Atlanta and Carolina would fail to win a game, and the defenses of Detroit, Buffalo and Kansas City would fail ever to stop an opponent.
Needless to say, none of that is likely to occur.
Examining statistics is entertaining for the sake of bar bets, but context is crucial. Did the majority of success from a player come against an opponent’s backup players or starters? How viable is the chance that a breakout performance can carry over to the regular season? Will they inherit enough playing time based on their strong play to make them fantasy-relevant?
Here are a few players who stood out to me over the last several weeks, and I feel will have a significant impact on the 2025 season.
Fantasy Football Preseason Risers
Quarterback
Jaxson Dart (QB – NYG)
Jaxson Dart finished the preseason with a stellar 113.1 quarterback rating, routinely guiding New York’s offense up and down the field from under center. In addition to completing several throws in relatively tight windows, Dart also flashed his rushing potential and upside, eluding pressure and stepping up in the pocket amidst defenders.
During the 12 series that he started, Dart passed for 372 passing yards and three touchdowns, adding another score and 52 rushing yards on the ground. The Giants seem comfortable with veteran Russell Wilson starting the season, but any time he falters or has issues, expect the drumbeat for Dart to grow louder.
Head coach Brian Daboll understands that he is on a very short leash with the front office, and expectations are that he turns things around quickly. In a “best-case” scenario for New York, Wilson would hold things down and keep the team competitive until their bye in Week 14. Is that realistic?
The Giants have one of the most demanding schedules on paper in the entire league, and the chances of more than a handful of victories are slim. Whenever the staff makes the switch, Dart will have the opportunity to work amidst one of the youngest rosters in the league, surrounded by mostly unknown talent outside of Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton. As a dual-threat option, Dart immediately becomes intriguing in 2-QB or Superflex leagues, with the potential for more if he continues to shine.
Jalen Milroe played the entirety of Seattle’s final preseason game, completing 13 passes on 24 attempts for 148 yards and a score, adding 31 yards scrambling on the ground. These aren’t eye-popping numbers by any stretch, but we did catch glimpses of why the Seahawks front office is so excited for his long-term prospects.
The best pure-rushing option in the most recent class of quarterbacks, Milroe has a Justin Fields-esque feel to him — a raw athlete with elite rushing upside, who needs refinement as a passer. Head coach Mike Macdonald recently revealed that the team already has a package of plays in place for Milroe this season, and that, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com, he will receive reps with the starters in practice, slowly integrating him into the offense.
Milroe’s inclusion here is a slow burn. I don’t expect him to vault ahead of veteran Sam Darnold out of the gate. But should Darnold pick up an injury mid-season or struggle, the rushing upside alone of Milroe makes him worthy of consideration.
Running Back
Ollie Gordon II (RB – MIA)
Ollie Gordon finished his rookie preseason with 126 rushing yards, the third-highest total in the league. Averaging close to five yards per carry (YPC), he made a serious case to open the season as the handcuff to De’Von Achane, vaulting over the oft-injured Jaylen Wright on the depth chart.
Wright is already dealing with a leg issue that is expected to keep him out of Miami’s Week 1 contest against Indianapolis on September 7th, and Achane (who is no stranger to injuries himself) has been nursing a calf strain the past week. Gordon is a compact 6-foot-2, 225-pound bruiser who excels at converting short-yardage and goal-line situations. He should already be considered one of the best handcuff stashes in the NFL.
The Dolphins’ issues converting short-yardage situations are notable, as the team ranked 24th in the league on third-down conversions in 2025. They are the second-worst team in the NFL over the last three years in that category. Gordon could carve out a nice role in this offense in short order.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WSH)
A seventh-round selection this past April after six seasons at the collegiate level, Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt has impressed Washington’s brass so much that they decided to ship out starter Brian Robinson Jr. to San Francisco, paving the way for early-down work alongside veteran Austin Ekeler.
The potency of Washington’s offense shouldn’t be understated, and grabbing any available pieces of it is a wise decision for fantasy managers to pursue. Fantasy managers should expect Ekeler to handle the vast majority of work in passing situations, with Croskey-Merritt being used as the grinder between the tackles. The presence of Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols is a detriment to some, but this is one “Bill” worth backing. He’s an RB3 with upside in deeper formats.
Wide Receivers
Isaac TeSlaa (WR – DET)
Detroit’s third-round pick selection dazzled this preseason, capping things off with a strong finale in Week 3, catching both of his targets for 41 yards and a touchdown against Houston. Questions remain about what sort of impact the loss of former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will have on the Lions’ potency, but I’m confident that Dan Campbell will keep this well-oiled machine running at high speed.
I’m not worried about Isaac TeSlaa starting behind veteran Kalif Raymond on the depth chart, as his athleticism and 4.4 speed should make him irrelevant in short order (the team already sent Tim Patrick packing). Keep in mind that Detroit invested heavily to add TeSlaa in April, trading up in the draft to grab him. He will make a nice complement to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
Anyone who watched Emeka Egbuka play at Ohio State knew he was an elite talent (Tampa Bay confirmed this as much by selecting him in the first round) and a terror to cover out of the slot. The biggest question when he was taken was what sort of role he could carve out, alongside Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan.
The injury bug decided to clear that up nicely for us. Godwin is still rehabbing a dislocated ankle suffered in Week 7 last year, and was only activated off the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list on August 26th. One has to imagine that even if (and it is a big if) he can regain his old form, it will take a ramp-up period.
Additionally, McMillan took a nasty hit in the second preseason game, being undercut before landing awkwardly on his neck. Tampa Bay placed him on injured reserve (IR) with a designation to return, but he will miss at least the first four weeks of the regular season. Egbuka is in line for a major workload opposite Mike Evans, and the better he performs early on, the more difficult it will be to put the genie back into the bottle.
Tight Ends
Tyler Warren (TE – IND)
Tyler Warren was already a mid-range TE1 in my book, and this preseason has done little to change my mind. Not only has Warren impressed as a receiver when on the field (clearly playing with the first team and being peppered with targets), but he also stands to benefit highly from the Colts’ recent decision to name Daniel Jones as their starter over Anthony Richardson.
Richardson may be the better athlete, but Jones is a much more accurate passer, who should look Warren’s way early and often on offense. Brock Bowers proved last season that even questionable play under center can’t hold off pure talent. I expect Warren to have a similar impact in 2025.
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