TreVeyon Henderson’s Stunning NFL Preseason Debut: Is He the Next Fantasy Football Phenom?
Between the Hall of Fame Game and Week 1 of the preseason, second-round rookie Tre Harris has run 25 routes. He has earned two targets on those routes, neither of which he caught. Fellow rookie Keandre Lambert-Smith, on the other hand, has 43 yards and a score on three targets while running just one more route. Two games of partial playing time aren’t going to decide which rookie wins out in the long run, but they are seemingly fighting for the WR4 job with Keenan Allen back in LA, and KLS has played better in live action.Will Shipley gets two drivesThe Bears rested their starting skill position players. Colston Loveland took the first drive with the backups and played all six snaps. He ran half of his routes from the slot but wasn’t subbed out for either of Chicago’s running plays. This will change when he’s competing with Cole Kmet for snaps, but it’s a good sign that he wasn’t treated like Dalton Kincaid yet.
Luther Burden also played with the backups. Unlike Loveland, Ben Johnson let him play the entire first half. I don’t buy that a top-40 pick is going to play behind Olamide Zaccheus, who was rested with the starters, for long. Burden missed some of the offseason with a soft tissue injury and is a rookie. The fact that he received the typical rookie treatment isn’t concerning to me at this time. Johnson was also effusive in his praise for Burden after the game.
Arizona Cardinals
Luther Burden also played with the backups. Unlike Loveland, Ben Johnson let him play the entire first half. I don’t buy that a top-40 pick is going to play behind Olamide Zaccheus, who was rested with the starters, for long. Burden missed some of the offseason with a soft tissue injury and is a rookie. The fact that he received the typical rookie treatment isn’t concerning to me at this time. Johnson was also effusive in his praise for Burden after the game.
Las Vegas Raiders
There were plenty of notes from the Panthers’ first preseason game. Again, Nathan Jahnke does great work and you should check his piece out for notes on the receivers. One area where our takeaways diverged was the backfield. Rico Dowdle played more snaps than Chubba Hubbard. More importantly, Dowdle ran four routes to Hubbard’s three. Hubbard averaged a dreadful .51 yards per route run last year and the Panthers could be looking for a replacement on passing downs.Bryce Young shines in preseason opener
Los Angeles Chargers
That, of course, might be my fault for expecting Breece Hall to be a three-down back. Jets coach Aaron Glenn said in March that the team has “three running backs on this team that we’re going to utilize as much as possible.” Braelon Allen has drawn praise throughout the offseason and into camp. Hall is entering a contract year. Even second-year back Isaiah Davis has gotten some live from the coaches. Hall is undoubtedly the most talented of the three, but the stars are aligning for him to be a prototypical dead zone back.Colston Loveland is rising, Luther Burden has to earn it
Los Angeles Rams
Nothing to see hereTyjae Spears hobbled to the sideline before riding the cart to the locker room. He was later diagnosed with a dreaded high-ankle sprain and is expected to miss a few weeks. Tony Pollard averaged 13.6 carries and 3.5 targets in games with Spears active last year. That jumped to 22 carries and 3.8 targets with Spears inactive.
Miami Dolphins
Fumble issues continue for Tyrone Tracy
Minnesota Vikings
Will Shipley got every snap of the first two drives for Philly, though head coach Nick Sirriani didn’t play many of his starters. The Eagles have been singing Shipley’s praises this offseason, even as Dillon occasionally mixes in ahead of him in practice. Dillon is on a one-year deal worth little more than the veteran minimum. Shipley is a fourth-round pick entering his second year. If anything happens to Saquon Barkley, I expect it to be the Shipley show.No backfield clarity
New Orleans Saints
Patriots OC Josh McDaniels on TreVeyon Henderson: “We’ve had some really good players with skillsets that are somewhat like his — maybe nobody quite as fast. (Shane) Vereen was probably the fastest — him and Danny Woodhead were fast, but TreVeyon’s fast fast.”Kenneth Gainwell draws the start
New England Patriots
Role change for Luke McCaffrey?The Falcons didn’t play anyone fantasy-relevant, so there’s not much to say here. With Darnell Mooney nursing a multi-week shoulder injury, Ray-Ray McCloud could see an uptick in targets early in the year. KhaDarel Hodge was also rested, so that camp battle is one to watch for deep fantasy formats.
Dont’e Thornton’s strong offseason rolls on — Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) August 11, 2025
The Browns gave most of their veterans the day off, including Jerome Ford. Dylan Sampson started with the second-team offense and ceded one snap to Trayveon Williams. Early camp reports had Ford comfortably ahead of Sampson and we should continue to expect that for now. Ford is a strong Week 1 play for ZeroRB teams if Quinshon Judkins’ legal situation remains unresolved.
New York Giants
This is not the type of running back rotation I would expect for a team with a workhorse runner.Jets RB rotation in the opener:
+ Breece Hall starts and gets a carry.
+ Breece gets another carry.
+ Isaiah Davis 3rd-and-5 pass pro rep.
+ Breece route on 1st down.
+ Braelon Allen route on 2nd down.
+ Braelon carry (and truck) on 1st down.
+ Davis route on 1st down.
+ Breece…
New York Jets
There’s not much to say other than Jalen Royals played behind Jason Brownlee and Tyquan Thornton, both of whom got a brief look with the starters. It was only three snaps, so maybe Royals would have joined Mahomes had the drive gone longer, but there’s too much risk of Royals being a zero to take him in any fantasy format.The obvious concern with Travis Hunter as a fantasy asset has been the potential for his role on defense to cut into his route rate on the other side of the ball. That couldn’t have been further from the truth in his preseason debut. Hunter played 11-of-12 snaps with the starters on offense and didn’t take the field on defense until later in the game. This could all change next week, but as of right now, the No. 2 overall pick is playing a full-time wide receiver role. He currently goes as a WR3 in Best Ball drafts.
Marvin Mims breakout part two?— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) August 10, 2025
New OC Klint Kubiak brought Marquez Valdez-Scantling with him from New Orleans and the veteran wideout is expected to start for Seattle. While that may be true in Week 1, rookie Tory Horton isn’t going to make it easy for him. Horton and the other backups drew the start versus Vegas. Horton was the standout of the game with three catches for 31 yards and a score.
Philadelphia Eagles
The second-round former Buckeye would have had a strong debut if you simply looked at his role. He ran six routes to Rhamondre Stevenson’s five and played on 7-of-14 snaps with Drake Maye. OC Josh McDaniels then talked about Henderson being one of the fastest backs he has ever coached.Alexander Mattison suffers a season-ending neck injury
Pittsburgh Steelers
The most important note, however, was how Bryce Young looked. The third-year passer picked up where he left off at the end of 2024, going 4-of-6 for 58 yards and a score. PFF charted both of his incompletions as drops. Young is shaping up to be one of the best late-round QBs of the offseason.Jerome Ford is ahead of rookie Dylan Sampson
San Francisco 49ers
Anthony Richardson flopsWarning signs for Breece Hall
- Jauan Jennings – calf
- Brandon Aiyuk – ACL, on the PUP list
- Jacob Cowing – calf
- Isaac Guerendo – shoulder
- Jordan James – finger
PFF’s Nathan Jahnke posted snap counts for the starters in every game and I’ll be referencing those throughout this article, so be sure to check out Jahnke’s work as well.
Seattle Seahawks
Mitchell could be a FLEX-worthy player in a pinch if he earns a role as a change-of-pace option behind Derrick Henry.Matthew Golden plays an every-down roleKeaton Mitchell suffered a torn ACL late in the 2023 season in the midst of a minor breakout fueled by explosive plays. He returned midway through the 2024 season but never looked the same and failed to carve out even a nominal role on offense. Mitchell has reportedly looked like his old self in camp and that proved accurate in the preseason when he ran for 68 yards and a score on nine attempts.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Isaac TeSlaa continues to impressWard remains a fantasy sleeper after debut
Tennessee Titans
The No. 23 overall pick wasn’t an elite prospect and I was largely out on him during the pre-draft process. For fantasy purposes, I have an “L” to hold here. Golden matched Brian Thomas Jr. in career College Dominator Rating (22 percent) and came up .1 yards per route run (1.85) behind him. He was also taken at the same spot in the draft. BTJ was a better prospect because of how much more impressive his year three peak was, but I can squint and see the similarities. Now he’s locked into an every-down role out of the gates? Golden is a strong click in fantasy drafts as a WR4.Week 1 of the NFL preseason is in the books and with it comes a truckload of changes to the fantasy landscape.
The good news for Marv is that he was targeted on 20 percent of his routes and one of his looks was an easy, middle-of-the-field target that he caught. The bad news is that, on the whole, his usage wasn’t much different from last year. He ran 80 percent of his routes from out wide and had an aDOT of 14. MHJ ran 75 percent of his routes from a wide alignment as a rookie and posted a 14.2 aDOT. Of course, Kyler Murray was also intercepted on his second throw to Harrison Jr.
Horton has been making noise in camp and recently got some reps with the 1s. He was a high-upside prospect who is now knocking on the door of a starting job early in his career. Keep an eye on him in dynasty leagues.
The curtain has just fallen on Week 1 of the NFL preseason, and oh boy, the fantasy football world is already buzzing with a flurry of unexpected moves and emerging storylines. It’s that thrilling moment when hopeful rookies make their mark and seasoned veterans reveal tweaks to their roles — all of which could shuffle your fantasy cheat sheet dramatically. Nathan Jahnke at PFF put together an invaluable collection of snap counts for starters across every game, a goldmine I’ll be diving into throughout this breakdown. Trust me, if you want to stay ahead of the curve, his detailed snapshots are a must-see. So buckle up, because we’re about to dissect the early fantasy football shifts that could redefine your draft strategies and weekly lineups. LEARN MORE
Washington Commanders
Alexander Mattison won’t play this year after going down with a neck injury. The team signed Mike Boone and Aaron Shampklin as potential replacements. Jaylen Wright was the only backup to see any run with the starters, indicating he is the favorite to take on what’s left of the vacated Raheem Mostert role. Rookie Ollie Gordon could still push him for that gig as training camp progresses.The Vikings made Maryland’s Tai Felton the final pick of Day Two of the draft. Felton hasn’t made much headway on the depth chart since then. He was never going to pass either of Minnesota’s top two receivers, but a WR3 gig wasn’t out of the question. That now appears to be the case after Jalen Nailor played all 12 snaps with the starters over the weekend. This confirms previous reports from the beats in Minnesota. Nailor averaged 13.4 points per game in two contests with Addison out last year. Addison is slated to miss the first three weeks of the season while serving a suspension, putting Nailor in the DFS mix at least.
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