- Omar Cooper Jr. starts for the New York Jets: The first-round rookie appears to have overtaken Isaiah Williams on the depth chart.
- Jaylen Warren starts over Rico Dowdle: The incumbent Pittsburgh Steelers running back received the start, but both backs were in a rotation throughout the first half.
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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 2026.
New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Omar Cooper Jr. starts for the Jets: Cooper only played with the second team last week, suggesting he has moved up the depth chart.
The Jets drafted Cooper in the first round, but it has taken him some time to move up the depth chart. Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell appear set as the top two wide receivers, with Wilson playing Z and Mitchell playing X. Wilson has played every snap with the starters, while Mitchell has only missed two snaps, and only after making two nice catches.
Isaiah Williams has been ahead of Cooper in the slot. Last week, Williams played all of the 11 personnel snaps with the starters, and left the game at the same time as Wilson and Mitchell. Cooper entered after the starters left, and continued playing over the rest of the first half. This week, it was Cooper who played with the starters instead of Williams. Later in the drive, when Mitchell took two plays off, Cooper received one snap in 12 personnel, while Williams garnered one snap in 11 personnel.
The Jets switched to backups on the second drive and Cooper wasn’t on the field, but Cooper returned for the third possession to play more on the outside. While it could have been nice to see him leave at the same time as the rest of the starters, it’s better to see him getting snaps on the outside, which he did on and off throughout the rest of the first half.
If Cooper only plays in 11 personnel in the slot this season, it will be difficult for him to be fantasy-relevant, particularly when the Jets could use a lot of 12 personnel after drafting Kenyon Sadiq. His clearest path to being valuable in fantasy is also taking snaps on the outside in 12 personnel.
While it doesn’t appear like Cooper is close to consistently taking snaps from Mitchell, this game was still a nice step in the right direction for the rookie. He is a fine late-round dart throw.
A quieter day for Germie Bernard: While Bernard started, he was held without a catch and played more on the outside.
Both starting wide receivers DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. missed last week’s preseason game, leading Bernard and Roman Wilson to be the Steelers' starting wide receivers. The two are competing to be the third wide receiver in three-receiver sets. Last week, Bernard was typically the wideout lined up in the slot, which was a big deal because Metcalf and Pittman traditionally play outside, so whoever wins the job will need to play significantly out of the slot. Bernard also caught four passes for 51 yards.
This week, Wilson and Bernard started again, but Bernard was consistently lined up on the outside. Wilson was the primary slot receiver, with Ben Skowronek also seeing some work in the slot. The Steelers had three drives with the starters, and then turned to backups at running back and tight end. The two wide receivers kept playing further into the first half.
This suggests there is no clear favorite for the third spot, and if anything, Wilson has a slight lead given his playing time in the slot this week. The fact that it’s so close could lead to both wide receivers splitting playing time. It’s unlikely one of these wide receivers will be fantasy-relevant only playing in 11 personnel, and it will be impossible if they are splitting work. Unless Metcalf's or Mitchell’s injuries linger on into the regular season, it’s unlikely Wilson or Bernard will see fantasy value anytime soon.
Don’t read much into the Steelers' backfield rotation: Jaylen Warren started over Rico Dowdle, but the rotation in this game is unlikely to be the mix the Steelers use in the regular season.
The Steelers moved on from Kenneth Gainwell and added Dowdle this off-season. Both Warren and Dowdle have experience being early-down backs as well as third-down backs, but neither has experience as an every-situation back, making it very difficult to project how snaps will be distributed between the two.
In this game, Warren took the first drive, and Dowdle handled the second. Warren started the third drive and played five snaps, followed by six by Dowdle, and then Warren closed out the possession. It is common for teams to play a running back for several plays in the preseason with no regard to the situation, but it’s very rare for that kind of rotation to continue once the regular season starts.
The fact that Warren got the start over Dowdle could be a good sign for his fantasy value, but it could also simply be giving preference to the returning player rather than the new player, which is also common in the preseason. This game should not change anyone’s opinion on how this backfield will look in the regular season.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Steelers decided to rest both Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph so they could evaluate their two younger quarterbacks.
- Pittsburgh continued to use a two-man rotation at tight end with the starters, with Darnell Washington playing more on early downs and Pat Freiermuth more in passing situations, but it wasn’t a strict rotation. This is how the tight ends were used last week. This suggests Washington will play more snaps this season, but Freiermuth will run more routes. This is probably a situation to avoid given the split.
- The Jets didn’t have running backs Breece Hall (groin), Isaiah Davis (knee) or rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq (hernia). There is optimism all three will be ready for Week 1.
- Mason Taylor unsurprisingly started with Sadiq’s absence. After the starters left the game on the first drive, including running back Braelon Allen and wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell, Taylor kept playing into the second possession. This suggests his role isn’t as secure as other starters.
- Jets undrafted rookie Malik McClain has played with the second team in each preseason game. If New York keeps six wide receivers, he appears to be the favorite for the sixth spot.
Carolina Panthers @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Jonathon Brooks continues in a featured role: Brooks played all but two snaps with the starters.
Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard is dealing with a hamstring injury and isn’t expected to return until Week 1 at the earliest. This has opened the door for Brooks to be the Week 1 starter, and potentially keep the role for the season. His ADP has skyrocketed, but he still might be a value at his current ADP.
In the first week of the preseason, Brooks was taken out for a third-and-4 for Trevor Etienne, suggesting Etienne would be the passing-down back if Hubbard misses time. This week, Brooks was taken out for one play when the team wanted to try a four-wide receiver, one-tight-end set. He and Etienne split the two third-and-medium plays this week, suggesting Carolina might even be comfortable with Brooks in passing situations.
While it would be okay if Brooks doesn’t typically play on third-and-long from a fantasy perspective, it would be helpful if he plays during two-minute drills. The fact that Jacksonville trusted Brooks with that kind of situation, despite playing a lot of early snaps, suggests it could be comfortable with Brooks in other clear passing situations.
For the second straight week, Etienne kept playing once the backups entered the game. Brooks is someone to continue targeting in drafts.
CJ Williams gets a shot in the slot: The Jaguars' sixth-round rookie wide receiver has a chance to be the primary slot receiver.
Jacksonville rested its starters for a second straight game, which included Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter. That has left Williams, fellow sixth-round rookie Josh Cameron and Austin Trammell as the primary backups. It’s unlikely any of these three wide receivers has a shot at fantasy value if there is an injury, and an injury to Parker Washington might be most significant. Liam Coen’s slot receivers have consistently found success from a fantasy perspective.
The most likely scenario would be either Jakobi Meyers or Travis Hunter moving to the slot if Washington is sidelined, but there is always the possibility of multiple injuries. Trammell was the clear primary slot receiver in the first week of the preseason, with Williams only seeing four snaps out of the slot. The Jaguars used much more of a rotation this week, with Williams hitting four slot snaps in under 10 minutes. Williams has also seen the most targets out of the three receivers through two preseason games.
Hopefully the Jaguars' wide receivers are able to stay healthy this season, but if injuries become a problem, Williams could be a name to remember.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard is dealing with a hamstring injury and isn’t expected to return until Week 1 at the earliest.
- Wide receiver Xavier Legette got rolled up on during Wednesday’s practice, leading him to miss this game. There was some optimism he would be able to play, suggesting this is a short-term injury. Brycen Tremayne took his spot in three-receiver sets this week.
- The Panthers signed tight end Darren Waller earlier in the week. Since he just joined the team, he did not play in this game.
- The Jaguars didn’t have third-down back LeQuint Allen as well as wide receiver Parker Washington due to injuries. Washington is expected to return to practice next week, but Allen is out for the rest of camp. It’s unlikely either would have played if they were healthy.
- Jacksonville rested its starters and key backups, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running backs Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr., wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter and tight ends Brenton Strange and Nate Boerkircher.
Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
Jaylen Waddle makes his Broncos debut: Denver’s new top wide receiver played on one drive, and then his day was done.
The Broncos had a complicated wide receiver rotation last season, with Courtland Sutton as the lead wide receiver and Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr. and Lil’Jordan Humphrey all seeing significant playing time. Denver traded its first-round pick for Waddle this offseason while retaining all five other wide receivers. Mims has been dealing with an undisclosed injury and was dressed in uniform for this game, but didn’t play. Otherwise, we received a first look at the Broncos' pecking order.
Waddle and Sutton played an every-down role on the first drive, with Bryant joining them in three-wide receiver sets. Waddle and Sutton were taken out after one drive, with Franklin, Bryant and Humphrey rotating throughout the second series. Franklin and Humphrey continued to play over the rest of the half with backups. This reinforced the idea that Waddle and Sutton are the top wide receivers on the depth chart, followed by Bryant, but didn’t give us a great indication of how they might rotate in the regular season.
Sean Payton has a long history of rotating wide receivers more than most teams, and also has a pattern of not following that order in the preseason. In fact, the preseason sequence has also been misleading at times, with Mims serving as the clear second wide receiver in last year's preseason, followed by a part-time role, and Tim Patrick starting in the preseason before his release.
In this case, it’s clear Waddle will be first given how much Denver has invested in him, and we can expect Sutton to be second given his long history with the team. But, we should still write the Broncos' depth chart in pencil, not pen.
Evan Engram sees an increased role: Engram played a clear majority of snaps with the starters, unlike past games.
Engram had a long history of being an every-down tight end over five years with the New York Giants and three with the Jacksonville Jaguars. For example, in 2023, he averaged 78.6% of offensive snaps. When he joined the Broncos, he became a part-time player.
Sean Payton has a long history of utilizing a tight end rotation, with the only exception being Jimmy Graham during his elite seasons. Since Payton joined the Broncos, Adam Trautman has been his early-down tight end. Engram averaged 42.1% of snaps last season, peaking at 55.6% of snaps. This led to a disappointing fantasy season.
Davis Webb is the new offensive coordinator for the Broncos. He was a third-round rookie by the New York Giants in 2017, the same year Engram was their first-round pick. Their friendship has led some to believe Engram could have a bigger season this year. Engram played 12 of 14 snaps with the starters this week after playing 15 of 25 last week. Last season, he played 33 of 54 snaps during the preseason, so this has been a step in the right direction. Engram played on the first drive with the backups, while Trautman played the rest of the half, further suggesting Engram might be pulling apart from Trautman.
Engram is unlikely to move up the rankings enough to make him worth drafting in most drafts, but he is a name worth monitoring early in the season, as he could become a popular waiver wire target if all goes well.
MarShawn Lloyd shares the backfield with Chris Brooks: Lloyd remains in the lead for the Packers backup job.
Packers running back Josh Jacobs returned to practice on Tuesday with his groin injury but didn’t play in this game. Brooks and Emanuel Wilson were the Packers' backup options last season, but they opted not to retain Wilson and didn’t make any significant additions to the backfield. This left Lloyd, who has barely played in his two NFL seasons, and Brooks in contention for the backup job. Brooks was unable to participate last week, so Lloyd played every snap over the first two drives and then his day was done.
Lloyd started this game and played each of the first four snaps. Green Bay had a 14-play drive to begin the game, with Lloyd playing nine snaps to five by Brooks.
Green Bay pulled its starters after the first drive, which included taking out wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden and tight end Josh Whyle, but the running backs kept playing. After three drives, Lloyd had tallied 16 snaps to seven by Brooks, with a tendency of Brooks playing more on third downs. Brooks continued to play on the fourth drive and began rotating with Pierre Strong.
This strongly suggests that Lloyd will be the primary backup on early downs, while Brooks may be the backup on third downs. There were reports earlier in the offseason that Brooks may see time at fullback, but that didn’t happen in this game. Lloyd remains a late-round dart throw, but the Packers could still add another running back after cut-down day, complicating the backup situation.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Packers mostly played their healthy starters, but Jayden Reed sat out for an undisclosed reason.
- Skyy Moore was the backup slot receiver for Green Bay in Reed’s place, while Bo Melton and Savion Williams were the secondary wide receivers. Williams stopped playing after his two snaps, so it’s possible he suffered an injury that has not been reported as of this article being published.
- Tight end Tucker Kraft is still being eased back into action. He’s returned to team drills, but not 11-on-11 practices, and he was held out of this game. Backup tight end Luke Musgrave remains on the PUP. Josh Whyle is the likely second tight end option this season, and would be someone worth considering if Kraft isn’t ready for Week 1.
- Similar to last week, J.K. Dobbins didn’t play, RJ Harvey started the game and Jonah Coleman entered not long after. This gives us no indication on how the Broncos' running backs might rotate once the season begins.
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.
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