10 fantasy takeaways from preseason Week 3

The 2024 NFL preseason is now in the books and Week 1 is officially on the clock. Fantasy football is finally back in full swing.

The preseason may seem unimportant in fantasy with it primarily featuring backups and rookies but every week, new developments affect the fantasy landscape. Each team has now played three exhibition games with most showing their hands on starting lineups, rotation schemes, and play styles.

With so much information to digest, Fantasy CPR is here to help after digesting all the information and selecting the most relevant points. Whether you have already drafted a team or are preparing to do so, consider these 10 biggest takeaways from the final week of the preseason as you enter Week 1 of the fantasy season.

Jacoby Brissett goes down

It was not a major injury, but it was enough to cause Brissett to wince in pain and head coach Jerod Mayo to take him out. Brissett was scheduled to play two drives in the game but did not return after his first, allowing Drake Maye to get an extended run.

Brissett was hurt on his first sack of the game in what was essentially a blown block assignment. He went down grabbing his throwing shoulder and was later reported to have a minor injury that he would have been able to play through in a real game.

In his absence, Maye shined once again, throwing for 126 yards and a touchdown with a second score called back. Mayo has admitted that Maye has been the best quarterback on the roster throughout camp but has yet to announcethe Week 1 starter.

Giants' offensive line could be in trouble again

Former top-10 pick Evan Neal returned to the field for New York in their final preseason game against the Jets and immediately picked up where he left off. For most players, that is a positive sign, but for Neal, it meant resuming his role as a human turnstile at right tackle.

Throughout the offseason, the Giants' offensive line has been positive, but that is only relative to their recent performances. The unit was ranked in the bottom five in 2023 and saw all five starters miss time at some point during the year in what has become a recurring issue.

To make matters worse, starting center John Michael Schmitz popped up on the injury report after the game, making him and guard Jon Runyan questionable for Week 1. Should either miss the game, it would be a huge hit as both Schmitz and Runyan are expected to be two of the key pieces of the unit.

Ja'Tavion Sanders is looking like the TE1 in Carolina

More than anything, Sanders could start Week 1 purely on availability. Both veterans listed ahead of him — Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas — are dealing with semi-serious injuries and have not appeared in any preseason games or training camp. However, that has not overshadowed Sanders' play, which has been impressive thus far.

Toward the end of training camp, Carolina head coach Dave Canales said that Sanders is "making the most of his opportunity" and fared well with the starting unit. Unless either Tremble or Thomas can get cleared in the coming week, it seems that the team is comfortable deploying Sanders as the TE1 in Week 1.

Juwan Johnson is back

Johnson gave the Saints a brief scare in June by going down with a foot injury that required surgery. Although he is not a top tight end in the league, New Orleans was practically dead in the water with phantom "tight end" Taysom Hill listed as his backup and Foster Moreau a desperation third string option. Thankfully for Dennis Allen, Johnson returned in time for their final preseason game and played in nine snaps with the starters.

In 2023, Johnson finished as the TE26 in standard leagues and TE24 in full-PPR while appearing in just 13 games. His numbers would suggest that he is a long way away from being a TE1 but in his last healthy season, Johnson finished as the TE11 in 2022. Assuming he can stay on the field, which is not a guarantee, Johnson is worth a look in the late rounds. The fact he played at all in the preseason is encouraging.

Tony Pollard is still ahead of Tyjae Spears

Brian Callahan notoriously said at the beginning of training camp that he sees Pollard and Spears as two starters but he appears to be leaning more on the former. Per Nathan Jahnke of PFF, Pollard is still the RB1 in Tennessee, having started every preseason game and playing the entire first drive during the final showing on Aug. 25.

He is not far ahead of Spears but so far, the backfield is seeming more like a 60-40 than the 50-50 split it was looking like early on. Spears will not go away but both backs present similar skill sets with Pollard being the guy who was paid to be the RB1 in the offseason.

Jalen McMillan is trending toward starting Week 1

McMillan has been fighting with second-year Trey Palmer for the third starting receiver job all offseason and seems to have the edge after three preseason games. PFF had McMillan playing all seven snaps with the starters in their final preseason game with Chris Godwin even moved back into the slot to make room for him at wideout.

McMillan still has work to do but Palmer underwhelmed as a rookie, suggesting he has no strong hold on the job. However, both McMillan and Palmer started the first two preseason games as the starters all sat but it was the Washington product who accrued the snaps with the first unit and looked good doing it.

Chuba Hubbard is Carolina's RB1

This was not as much of a question, considering Hubbard ended 2023 as the RB1, but it is good to have closure. The main hesitation was likely Miles Sanders' hefty contract but Hubbard is clearly the better player and played in all 10 snaps with the starters before taking a seat.

Rookie Jonathon Brooks figures to fit into the picture once he comes back but until then, this is Hubbard's room. In the last six weeks of 2023, Hubbard averaged 20 carries per game for 74.8 rushing yards per game. He was the RB9 during that stretch.

Pat Freiermuth could be in a timeshare

Arthur Smith is done terrorizing Kyle Pitts and his fantasy managers but it appears that the burden will now be placed on Freiermuth. In Smith's infamous multi-tight end offense, he frustratingly had Pitts split snaps with Jonny Smith in 2023 and is doing the same to Freiermuth, at least in the preseason.

Despite having no disclosed injuries, PFF recorded Freiermuth playing just 58 percent of the snaps the starters were on the field for. In his stead, Smith rotated Darnell Washington and Connor Heyward in with MyCole Pruitt seeing time with the starters as well. It is just the preseason, but any manager of Pitts in 2023 should avoid Freiermuth as a precaution to prevent PTSD.

Houston is taking offers for John Metchie III

It was not a development that occurred during Houston's final preseason game but is still worth noting given the talent Metchie still has. Immediately following Houston's final outing against the Rams on Aug. 24, Jordan Schultz reported that the team is fielding offers for Metchie simply due to their depth at receiver.

Although he has just 16 catches to his name, Metchie was considered one of the best receivers of the 2022 draft class before he tore his ACL in the SEC Championship Game. However, he now has a full season behind him and displayed enough of the burst that gave him his name to at least have other teams interested in him. A move would be the best thing for Metchie's personal value and depending where he goes, he could develop into an interesting waiver pickup later in the year.

Parris Campbell is now on the roster bubble

The fallout of the Jahan Dotson trade was bound to shake up some rosters and Campbell is easily the biggest loser of the transaction. Despite a poor 2023 season with the Giants, Campbell spent the entire offseason listed as a starter for the Eagles and rested the first two preseason games along with the rest of the first unit. All that changed after Philadelphia acquired Dotson, forcing Campbell to play on Aug. 24 against Minnesota.

With the amount of receivers Philadelphia has, Campbell is now a cut candidate. The team is nearly guaranteed to keep rookies Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith while Britain Covey's value as a return specialist warrants consideration. John Ross has impressed enough to warrant a spot as well, potentially leaving Campbell as the odd man out. It would be a tough reminder that the NFL is as unforgiving as any professional league but Campbell is now a name to keep an eye on during cut day.