TreVeyon Henderson starts his career off right: Henderson returned the game’s opening kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown while receiving some work with the New England Patriots‘ first-team offense.

Tetairoa McMillan is already a clear starter: McMillan was the only Carolina Panthers receiver playing 100% of the team’s snaps with the starters, and he made multiple big plays.

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PFF’s fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2025.

Detroit Lions @ Atlanta Falcons

Isaac TeSlaa scores for the Lions: TeSlaa continues to show he deserves at least some playing time with the starters once the regular season hits.

The Lions rested their top four wide receivers on the depth chart for a second straight week. Similar to the Hall of Fame game, TeSlaa and Tom Kennedy were the two primary receivers. TeSlaa again played the X receiver role, while Kennedy played both the Z role and the slot. Seventh-round rookie Dominic Lovett was the slot receiver last week, but an injury is expected to cost him time. This left Kennedy moving to the slot more often, while undrafted rookie Jackson Meeks took over as the Z in three-receiver sets. Meeks made the most of his playing time with a 68-yard pass, but TeSlaa also showed up on the scoreboard with a touchdown near the end of the half. It’s unlikely we’ll see how much TeSlaa might play in the regular season until Week 1 hits. The Lions might play their starters one or two drives this preseason. If TeSlaa does earn playing time, it will likely come at Tim Patrick‘s expense.

The Falcons rested most of their team: Most players expected to make the team did not play, but the Falcons will need a third running back.

Atlanta’s coaches have adopted the Sean McVay approach of resting all their notable players in the preseason. The Falcons also spent their 2025 draft class on defense, meaning there is a lack of notable rookies to keep an eye on in their offense. The most remarkable part of the Falcons’ offense is the battle for the third running back spot. Atlanta has four undrafted free agents currently below Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier on the depth chart.

Carlos Washington Jr. is the favorite for the job because he spent Week 18 on the Falcons’ active roster, playing 11 snaps on special teams. However, he hasn’t been practicing for an undisclosed reason and wasn’t in uniform for the game. Elijah Dotson started the game and rotated with undrafted rookie Nathan Carter. The two combined for seven carries for four yards in the first half.

While there is a chance the person who wins the job could be fantasy-relevant if Robinson and Allgeier both suffer an injury, it’s likely the Falcons would add a veteran free agent rather than rely on the third back.

Miscellaneous Notes

The Atlanta Falcons rested running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, wide receivers Drake London, Darnell Mooney,  Ray-Ray McCloud III and KhaDarel Hodge, and tight ends Kyle Pitts, Charlie Woerner and Teagan Quitoriano. The Falcons similarly rested not only their starters but key backups during the preseason last season. We shouldn’t expect any of them to play in the next two preseason games.

Mooney is also dealing with a shoulder injury and is expected to miss another few weeks of practice. There is still optimism around him playing in Week 1.

Veteran D.J. Chark didn’t play until the second half, but it’s understandable he’s low on the depth chart considering he’s been on the team for less than two weeks.

The Lions rested running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond, and tight ends Sam LaPorta and 

Brock Wright both last week and this week.

Lions’ second-year running back Sione Vaki was dealing with a hamstring injury. While he’s returned to practice, he’s yet to play in a preseason game.

Lions backup quarterback Kyle Allen played the first half of the Hall of Fame game, and Hendon Hooker played the second half. This week, Hooker started, while Allen took over late in the second quarter.

Cleveland Browns @ Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan is already the top Panthers wide receiver: McMillan caught two passes for 43 yards in his limited time with the starters.

The Panthers spent last season using Xavier Legette, Adam Thielen, Jalen Coker and David Moore, depending on who was healthy. All were best suited for a Z or slot role, leading the team to spend a top-10 pick on Tetairoa McMillan while adding veteran Hunter Renfrow. While McMillan is expected to lead the receiver room, it’s conceivable that any of the other receivers could emerge as the clear second passing option in the offense and potentially become fantasy-relevant.

McMillan started for Carolina and played every snap on the Panthers’ first two drives as their X receiver. Typically, early first-round wide receivers are immediate starters, so this isn’t too much of a surprise, but it is positive news for those who have or will draft McMillan. Legette started at the Z receiver spot and played each of the first six snaps with the starters before a fight led to him getting ejected from the game. Coker took his place for the rest of the time with the starters. Thielen played 100% of the snaps when the Panthers were in 11 personnel, but he played no snaps in two-receiver sets. This is similar to how Legette was used last season.

McMillan and Coker continued playing once Andy Dalton entered the game, while sixth-round rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. took over as the slot receiver.

The only wide receiver with a secure job is McMillan. It appears Legette and Coker are competing for the Z role. While Legette started this game with the lead, getting ejected and Coker immediately scoring a touchdown on the same drive could close the gap. Thielen only playing in 11 personnel isn’t great for his value, and he could potentially lose time to Renfrow, who primarily played out of the slot earlier in his career. He missed this game due to a hamstring injury. He’s already running and cutting, but it didn’t make sense for the Panthers to play him in this game.

Rico Dowdle factors in significantly with the starters: Dowdle played more snaps with the starters than Chuba Hubbard, but that shouldn’t be too concerning for Hubbard’s fantasy value.

The Panthers brought in reinforcements to the backfield this offseason with Jonathon Brooks out for the season and Miles Sanders signing with the Dallas Cowboys. Carolina brought in Dowdle from the Cowboys and drafted Trevor Etienne in the fourth round of the draft.

Hubbard played five of the first seven plays of the game, while Dowdle took each of the first two third-down snaps. Dowdle continued to play for another five consecutive plays, while Hubbard took the final snap on third-and-goal from the five-yard line. Dowdle continued playing once the other starters left the game. It’s unlikely this is a 50-50 split once the regular season begins, as it’s relatively common for a team to pull their running back before other starters in a preseason game. It’s also not concerning that Hubbard came back after Dowdle played six straight plays.

The usage over the first seven plays suggests Dowdle will take the lead on third-down snaps. Last season, Hubbard played roughly half of the snaps on third-and-3-plus yards to go, while Sanders took most of the other half. Hubbard only caught six passes for 27 yards and ran seven times for 19 yards in those situations last season. He will still likely play in some of those situations this year, so even if it goes 75-25 in Dowdle’s favor, it won’t significantly hinder Hubbard’s fantasy value.

Etienne didn’t enter the game until late in the second quarter. It’s not surprising for a Day 3 rookie to be lower on the depth chart this early in the season, so we can’t read much into how he might mix in this season.

The Browns’ third wide receiver spot remains open: The Browns’ top two contenders for the third receiver spot had quiet nights.

The Browns’ wide receiver room is led by Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, who were both among the starters not playing in this game. Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore were the other wide receivers who played significant snaps for Cleveland last season, but neither is on the roster. The Browns signed Diontae Johnson after Johnson was under contract for four different teams last season and have 2024 fifth-round receiver Jamari Thrash competing for the third receiver spot. Thrash was listed as a starter on the Browns’ unofficial depth chart. 

Both started this game. Thrash played primarily out of the slot, which further suggests he’s the favorite to be the third wide receiver, as Jeudy and Tillman primarily play outside. While Johnson was at his best as an X receiver, he played the Z receiver role in this game. We may see plays this season with Johnson at Z and Jeudy moving to the slot.

However, while they played, Kaden Davis, who scored a touchdown, and undrafted rookie Gage Larvadain, who took some snaps from Johnson, led the team in receiving yards early on. It’s possible that the player who becomes the third wide receiver isn’t on the roster, or they could rely on a rotation to fill the third receiver spot.

Miscellaneous Notes

Washington Commanders @ New England Patriots

The Patriots’ crowded wide receiver room: New England has potentially eight wide receivers fighting for three starting jobs.

The Patriots have significant competition for their wide receiver spots. DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker all return from last season, while the team added Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency, and Kyle Williams in the third round of the draft. The Patriots are expected to have a better offense this season, and Drake Maye should be able to support at least one, if not two, fantasy-relevant wide receivers. Diggs and Douglas are expected to be starters. Bourne was listed as the third starter on the unofficial depth chart, but Boutte, Hollins and Williams have all received notable first-team reps.

Diggs and Bourne were among the players who didn’t play in this game, likely due to being cautious with injuries. Diggs is returning from an ACL tear, while Bourne was injured a week ago during a scrimmage.

Douglas, Hollins and Boutte were the three primary receivers on the Patriots’ opening drive. New England ran one play out of 12 personnel on the drive, and Douglas and Boutte were the two receivers on the play. This is significant because Douglas was rarely, if ever, playing in two-receiver sets last season. This wasn’t the case during his rookie season. This should allow Douglas to play more snaps this season than last, potentially making him a fantasy starter. However, on the Patriots’ second drive, they played two more snaps out of 12 personnel, and Hollins and Boutte were in for those plays. Williams replaced Boutte for a few plays on the second drive.

It’s not surprising Williams is a few spots down the depth chart at this point in the preseason, but it was good for him to play some snaps with the starters. It remains possible that any one of Boutte, Hollins, Bourne or Williams could earn the third spot, and it could very well be a rotation.

Both Polk and Baker didn’t start playing until the Patriots’ third drive with the backups. Undrafted rookie Efton Chism III started rotating in at the same time. That is not a great sign for either player that Williams has already surpassed them on the depth chart, and that an undrafted rookie is being used along with them. Polk injured his shoulder on an end-around, which also doesn’t help his case to make the roster.

TreVeyon Henderson plays significantly with the starters: Henderson was already clearly ahead of Antonio Gibson on the Patriots’ depth chart. 

The Patriots’ backfield had a major shakeup this offseason, with the Patriots drafting Henderson early in the second round to join veterans Rhamondre Stevenson and Gibson. Henderson has a RB26 consensus ADP, while several experts rank him even higher. My ranking on Henderson is relatively low due to Josh McDaniels. In 18 seasons as an offensive coordinator or head coach, the running back who has his team in third-down snaps has been different from the running back who leads the team in carries in 17 seasons. The one exception was Steven Jackson during his peak with the St. Louis Rams, which McDaniels inherited after Jackson had already made three Pro Bowls.

Stevenson started the game for the Patriots and played the first three snaps, while Henderson took the next three. On the second drive, Henderson took the first two snaps, followed by five by Stevenson. One of those plays included both running backs on the field. Henderson played the final snap of the drive, which meant he took both of the third downs with more than one yard to go for a first down.

While everyone expected Henderson to surpass Gibson on the depth chart by Week 1, it’s noteworthy that it’s already happened. Henderson did not play with the backups, while Gibson was the primary running back with the backups. Henderson was thrown to three times on his snaps and ran the ball once. Stevenson ran the ball well during his opportunities and ended the day with seven carries. It still wouldn’t be surprising for Stevenson to lead the team in carries while Henderson leads in third-down snaps. The mix of Henderson’s talent and opportunities should be enough to make him a borderline fantasy starter, but he will need to run the ball more often than he did during his two drives in this game to consistently be a fantasy starter.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt starts for the Commanders: Croskey-Merritt has already worked his way up multiple spots on the depth chart.

While the Commanders don’t have a star running back, they have more depth than most teams. Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler were the main running backs last season, but whenever one of them was hurt, Jeremy McNichols or Chris Rodriguez Jr. graded well. The Commanders added to the room with Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the seventh round of the draft. Croskey-Meritt has drawn significant attention during training camp.

Both Robinson and Ekeler had the night off, like most starters, but Croskey-Merritt started over both McNichols and Rodriguez. In the first quarter, Croskey-Merritt played all of the normal early down snaps, while McNichols played on third downs as well as a second-and-15. Rodriguez didn’t play his first offensive snap until the second quarter. Croskey-Merritt continued to play significantly in the second quarter. Typically, it takes more time for a third-day running back to surpass established veterans on the depth chart, so the fact that he is past two players for early down work is impressive.

This usage suggests Croskey-Merritt will be Robinson’s direct backup, while McNichols will be Ekeler’s backup. Rodriguez seems unlikely to make the roster. If Robinson suffers an injury this season, then Croskey-Merritt would be the player to pick up based on how the running backs were used last season. It’s at least possible that Croskey-Merritt could take playing time away from Robinson and possibly surpass him on the depth chart at some point this year.

Commanders’ surprising wide receiver usage: K.J. Osborn might end up as the Commanders’ fourth wide receiver this season.

The Commanders had Terry McLaurin as their leading wide receiver last season, while Noah Brown and Dyami Brown often played as the other outside receiver. Olamide Zaccheaus played both inside and out, and third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey was a backup slot receiver. The Commanders added Osborn once he was released from the New England Patriots, but he only spent one game on the active roster and didn’t register a target. Washington lost Dyami Brown and Zaccheaus in free agency, traded for Deebo Samuel and drafted Jaylin Lane in the fourth round.

McLaurin, Samuel and Brown didn’t play. They were the three wide receivers listed on the first team on the depth chart and will likely be the three receivers leading the team in snaps. However, none of them are primarily slot receivers, and the team liked utilizing a rotation last season. This seemed to open the door for a slot receiver to play significant snaps. McCaffrey played there last season, and Lane played almost exclusively out of the slot during his last two seasons at Virginia Tech.

Osborn, McCaffrey, and veteran Chris Moore were the starting wide receivers, but Osborn consistently played from the slot while McCaffrey was consistently out wide. This included Osborn only playing in three-receiver sets. He’s played significantly both outside and in the slot during his career, and 2022 was his only season as a primary slot receiver.

McCaffrey left the game earlier than other wide receivers, suggesting his spot on the roster is safe, but he’s unlikely to see much playing time this season as an outside receiver. When Lane entered the game, he played out of the slot as Osborn’s backup. There is still time for Lane to surpass Osborn on the depth chart and be the top backup on the team out of the slot, but it seems like McCaffrey is unlikely to have that role.

Miscellaneous Notes

Table Notes

Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.

Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.

Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.