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2026 NFL Preseason Week 3 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Friday's games
By Nathan Jahnke
  • Luke McCaffrey’s roster spot is in danger: The Washington Commanders receiver was active while six other receivers were inactive, so McCaffrey is only likely to make the roster if Washington keeps seven wide receivers.

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.

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Washington Commanders @ Baltimore Ravens

Ja’Kobi Lane clinches a spot in 11 personnel: The third-round rookie was one of three Baltimore wide receivers who didn’t play in this game.

Lane entered training camp in a competition with Devontez Walker for the third wide receiver spot, vacated by the Ravens not re-signing DeAndre Hopkins. Early reports out of training camp suggested Lane had the lead. Lane and Walker both started last week’s preseason game, but Lane’s day was done early in the second quarter, while Walker continued to play late into the third quarter, giving pretty strong evidence Lane was ahead of Walker on the depth chart.

Baltimore sat just over 30 players for this game, which meant the starters and the most key backups. This included Lane, giving even more evidence that Lane will be the third wide receiver in 11 personnel this season. This makes Lane a fine late-round target in deeper leagues.

The future isn’t looking as bright for fourth-round rookie Elijah Sarratt. While he is likely to make the Ravens' roster given the investment Baltimore made in him, he isn’t as high on the depth chart. Walker, Chris Moore and LaJohntay Wester have spent the last two weeks playing ahead of him, suggesting Sarratt won’t see much playing time early in the season, and could be a weekly healthy inactive. Sarratt began rotating in for this game late in the first quarter on the third drive.

Luke McCaffrey is a surprise play for Washington: The Commanders rested 41 players, meaning anyone who played in this game is in danger of missing the roster.

Washington has had a crowded wide receiver room all offseason, with eight notable veterans and recent draft picks. Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs were two of the players locked in to the roster as they are the starters, and Antonio Williams was highly likely to make the roster because he was a third-round rookie.

Based on preseason usage, Van Jefferson and Jaylin Lane appeared to be the two odd men out if Washington kept six receivers. In each of the first two preseason games, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown and McCaffrey entered the game within the first 10 minutes, while Jefferson and Lane didn’t appear until after. Lane also played into the second half of the second game.

Washington announced six wide receivers who weren’t playing in this game, but not McCaffrey and Jefferson. Jefferson appears unlikely to make the roster at this point, but McCaffrey appears to be in danger too. Even if Washington keeps seven wide receivers, this suggests McCaffrey is further down the depth chart than initially thought, meaning he is unlikely to see much playing time and is unlikely to be a handcuff if there is an injury or two.

Miscellaneous Notes

  • While it would have been nice to see Kaytron Allen on the list of players not playing, it’s worth noting Washington would have had only two active running backs if Allen sat, which may have contributed to Allen participating.

  • Rasheen Ali made his preseason debut and played ahead of fifth-round rookie Adam Randall. Ali took every snap on the first drive and started the second series before Randall rotated in. In practice, Randall is likely an early-down back and Ali a third-down back. If injuries strike Henry, Randall is more likely to see an increased role. If Hill is injured like last season, then Ali would see more time.

Atlanta Falcons @ Miami Dolphins

Alarming usage for Kyle Pitts: Pitts played in only nine of 14 snaps with the starters.

Pitts was one of the most frustrating tight ends for fantasy managers from 2022-2024, but Pitts seemed to put things together last season. He finished second in PPR points among tight ends at 210.8 and fifth in fantasy points per game at 12.4. Part of the reason for his increased fantasy production was an elevated role. He played 87.7% of snaps last season compared to 61.9% in 2024 and 64.4% in 2023.

This offseason, the Falcons brought in a new head coach in Kevin Stefanski, and Stefanski added a familiar friend in Austin Hooper. Hooper was the Browns‘ starting tight end in 2020 and 2021. Pitts was initially on the franchise tag, and there were some minor trade rumors, but Pitts signed a three-year contract extension this summer, assuring everyone he would remain with the Falcons.

Pitts played in the first preseason game and appeared on all eight snaps with the starters. While it was good to see him play 100% of snaps, it was a little noteworthy that Bijan Robinson had that day off, and Drake London only needed to play two snaps. In this game, the other star players in the Atlanta offense again received preferential treatment. Robinson didn’t play, and London left after the first drive.

Pitts played all three possessions with the starters. He played all seven snaps in 11 personnel, but only two of seven snaps out of 12 personnel. Charlie Woerner played all seven snaps out of 12 personnel, with Hooper joining him on four of those plays. Nick Muse also took a snap with Woerner in 12 personnel. If Atlanta simply wanted to limit Pitts' playing time in the preseason, he could have played the first eight snaps on the first drive and left the game at the same time as London and Olamide Zaccheaus. Instead, this suggests we will see some 12 personnel snaps this season with Woerner and Hooper together.

If that usage were to carry on into the regular season, Pitts would still see more playing time than he did in 2023 and 2024, but it would be notably less than in 2025, when Pitts played 89.4% of 12 personnel snaps. Pitts could still be a fantasy starting tight end this season with that usage, but it would be more difficult for him to finish among the top-eight at the position.

Chris Bell makes his NFL debut: The third-round rookie has been recovering from a torn ACL.

Bell tore his ACL in December and ended his college career early. When Miami drafted him, the Dolphins were thinking long-term, not necessarily someone who could help the team early this season. However, Bell was recently activated off the NFI list, and Miami felt comfortable enough with where he was to play him in this game. Miami also traded Tutu Atwell yesterday, which helped clear room on the depth chart.

While some teams will use different wide receivers in different spots throughout the preseason, Miami has been very consistent about how its wide receivers have been deployed. Fellow third-round rookie Caleb Douglas played as an X receiver in the first two preseason games, and then he was among the starters to not appear in this showdown. However, in this matchup, Bell was also consistently at X. This makes it seem likely the two will be competing for playing time this season. Chances are, the only way one of them will see fantasy value this season is if they pull clearly ahead of the other. That makes it difficult to draft either option in redraft leagues.

Malik Washington played in one preseason game, was the Z in two-receiver sets and in the slot in three-receiver sets. He didn’t play in either of the last two preseason games, and will be the Dolphins' top fantasy receiver to start this season. Jalen Tolbert has consistently played Z throughout the preseason, and will likely get snaps in 11 personnel. Rookie Kevin Coleman Jr. has consistently been in the slot and will be Washington’s backup there. If Miami keeps a sixth receiver, it would be Jalen Reagor, who has at times rotated with Tolbert at Z. However, Tolbert was clearly ahead of Reagor in this game, putting Reagor’s roster spot in jeopardy.

Miscellaneous Notes

  • Drake London played all eight snaps on the first drive, and then his day was done before other starters. Chris Blair took over as the Z receiver for the other two series with the starters.

  • Olamide Zaccheaus played three of four snaps in 11 personnel with the starters, while rookie Zachariah Branch took the other snap. Zaccheaus was done after the first drive, with Zaccheaus playing two of three snaps in 11 personnel on the following two drives.

Houston Texans @ Carolina Panthers

A heated battle for the Panthers' backup receiver spots: While Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette are the unquestioned starters, the backup wide receiver spots are wide open.

Ever since Chris Brazzell landed on injured reserve, there seemed to be multiple available spots among the Panthers' backup wideouts. There have been five players clearly in contention for those slots, with Brycen Tremayne, David Moore, Ja’seem Reed and Jimmy Horn Jr., who were all part of the team last season, and free-agent addition John Metchie III.

In the Hall of Fame Game, Moore, Tremayne and Metchie were the starters. In the first preseason game, Tremayne, Reed and Horn Jr. were the first three wide receivers to play among the backups. In the second contest, it was Tremayne, Moore and Horn Jr., and in this showdown, it was Tremayne, Moore and Metchie.

This means Tremayne is the one backup receiver who is a lock to make the roster. He has also been the most versatile of the group in his alignment. Moore and Reed have primarily played X and are likely fighting for one spot, and Metchie and Horn are likely battling for another as slot options.

Most Panthers writers who have projected the 53-man roster have expected Reed to make it rather than Moore, but the preseason usage, including tonight, suggests Moore is ahead. Similarly, Horn has appeared ahead of Metchie over the first two weeks, but this is the first game where Metchie seemed to be in the lead. The Panthers also have a chance to keep seven receivers. This will be one of the most intriguing wide receiver competitions to watch right until roster cuts on Sunday.

Miscellaneous Notes

  • Both Jordans, Noel and Dell have missed all of the preseason due to injury.

  • Third-string running back Trevor Etienne played the first two snaps and then his night was done, suggesting his spot as the third running back is safe.

  • Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders has been the subject of trade rumors. Unless the Panthers keep five tight ends, he is unlikely to make the roster. Feleipe Franks is expected to make the roster for his play on special teams.

New York Giants @ New York Jets

Najee Harris makes his Giants debut: This was Harris's first game since his Achilles injury last season.

New York used a surprising three-man rotation during the first week of the preseason, where Cam Skattebo started, left the game and then was brought back. Devin Singletary was involved with the starters, which was another surprise.

Since then, New York signed Harris to further complicate the rotation. It sounded like Harris would need some time to get back to being football-ready, but the Giants thought he was prepared for this game. Singletary played ahead of Tracy in last week’s preseason game. The fact that Skattebo and Singletary sat this week further suggests that Tracy has fallen down the depth chart.

Tracy started this game, and New York generally used a rotation by drive. Tracy played all of the first and third series, while Harris played nearly all of the second and all of the fourth. Harris went back in for the fifth drive, with Tracy coming in for one play. Tracy suffered a neck injury, so Harris returned to the game. Eric Gray closed out the half. Later in the game, Tracy was cleared from concussion protocol and was able to return to the sideline, suggesting he is likely fine.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Tracy drops to fourth on the depth chart, even if he’s healthy. Harris was signed with the understanding he would have a significant role. Harris’ presence in New York makes it difficult to draft Skattebo at his ADP. Harris is also a solid late-round sleeper, as his ADP hasn’t moved much despite signing with New York.

Giants' wide receiver depth chart becomes clear: A season-ending injury to Calvin Austin III has simplified the Giants' depth chart.

New York brought in several wide receivers this offseason, adding free agents Austin, Darnell Mooney, Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios while drafting Malachi Fields to join Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton. The positional versatility of some of the players further complicated the possibilities of how this depth chart could play out. The Giants released Smith-Schuster a week-and-a-half ago, while Austin tore his ACL earlier in the week, ending his season.

Nabers, Fields and Mooney were the starters who rested. Nabers has played Z in his career, Fields has been the X receiver and Mooney had been competing with Austin for the slot job. In this game, Beckham was the X receiver, Slayton was at Z and Berrios was in the slot. While Slayton had played the X role earlier in his career, he moved to Z this offseason. Assuming New York keeps six wide receivers, these are the likely six.

This leaves Nabers as the obvious star. If any other wide receiver emerges, it will likely be Fields. However, if Nabers is unable to play in Week 1 for whatever reason, Slayton could be the early-season standout.

Miscellaneous Notes

  • The most interesting battle is for the Jets' potential sixth wide receiver spot, where undrafted rookie Malik McClain has played ahead of 2025 fourth-round pick Arian Smith throughout the preseason.

  • Jets tight end Jelani Woods and fullback Andrew Beck are two more players who played in this game who might make the roster, depending on if the Jets want a fourth tight end and/or a fullback.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Buccaneers' battle for the third running back spot: Sean Tucker and Josh Williams rotated at running back throughout the first half and into the second.

Heading into training camp, it was assumed that Tucker would be the third running back for Tampa Bay this season. Tucker had spent the last three years with the team, gaining over 300 rushing yards each of the last two seasons. He was Tampa Bay’s goal-line back throughout last season, leading to seven touchdowns. Williams was an undrafted player in 2025 who made the team as the Buccaneers' fourth running back.

Williams surprisingly played ahead of Tucker in last week’s preseason game. Williams was the first back in once Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell were done, and he took his last offensive snap early in the third quarter. Tucker didn’t enter the game until late in the second quarter, and played until the fourth.

This week, Tucker received the start. Williams received his first snaps on the second drive. They continued to rotate throughout the first half, and continued to play in the second half.

Neither running back did much to pull ahead of the other. The fact that Tucker started suggests he has a slight edge, but the rotation indicates it’s not decided. This backfield will be worth keeping an eye on during cutdown day on Sunday.

Miscellaneous Notes

  • While it may be a tad surprising to see Tez Johnson play when the rest of the key players rested, it’s worth noting Johnson was unable to play in the first two preseason games, which likely influenced the decision to have him partake in this game.

  • The fact that Abdullah didn’t play suggests Jacksonville will keep four running backs. Allen is dealing with a soft tissue injury. He is expected to avoid injured reserve, but considering that injured reserve could be an option means he could very well miss Week 1. If that happens, we could see Abdullah take the third-down and two-minute drill role early in the season.

New Orleans Saints @ Dallas Cowboys

Kendre Miller appears set to be the Saints’ RB2 in Week 1: Miller appears to have emerged as the top backup among New Orleans’ healthy running backs.

The Saints entered the offseason with several notable running backs on the roster. Alvin Kamara, Miller, Devin Neal and Audric Estime all returned from last season, while Travis Etienne Jr. and Ty Chandler were added in free agency. Etienne is the clear starter, but Kamara is dealing with a sprained MCL, opening the door for another back to see significant playing time early in the season.

Chandler landed on injured reserve earlier this week with a knee injury, while Neal missed this game after re-injuring his hamstring last week. Estime injured his ankle in the first week of the preseason and missed last week’s game before returning this week. That has left Miller as the healthiest of the Saints’ primary backup options.

Miller started this week and played every snap on the opening drive. He and Estime both saw playing time on each of the next three drives before Miller closed out the half. Estime broke a 33-yard run, while Miller made a few nice plays on the ground and added a 15-yard reception. Miller also played ahead of Neal last week.

Miller’s roster spot now appears safe, while there should be room for at least one of Estime or Neal until Kamara returns. Miller is unlikely to have much standalone fantasy value in Week 1, but he appears to be one Etienne injury away from becoming New Orleans’ lead back.

Miscellaneous Notes

  • Kamara, Tyson and Tipton were all sidelined by injuries.
  • Noah Fant made his Saints debut this week. He played all seven snaps on the opening drive, all out of 11 personnel, before returning for two snaps out of 12 personnel on the second drive. His day ended before the rest of the offense. Fant often lined up as a traditional tight end on the line of scrimmage, providing further evidence that he will be the tight end alongside Juwan Johnson in 12 personnel this season, with Delp serving as Johnson’s backup.
  • Tight end Moliki Matavao had seen significant playing time early in each of the previous two preseason games, but he landed on injured reserve earlier this week. That made Fant’s debut even more important for clarifying the Saints’ tight end depth chart.
  • Davis and Mingo weren’t roster locks entering training camp, so the fact that both sat out this week strongly suggests they have secured spots on the 53-man roster.
  • Davis, Blue and Phil Mafah had been competing for the backup running back job. Blue appeared to be ahead in the first preseason game, while Davis moved ahead in the second. We might not know the true backup until Week 1, but Mafah playing in this game makes it clear that he is behind both and could be in danger of missing the roster.

Arizona Cardinals @ Green Bay Packers

Miscellaneous Notes

  • Tight end Tip Reiman remains on the PUP list and is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season.
  • Wide receiver Xavier Weaver was placed on injured reserve earlier this week with a hamstring injury. Running back Trey Benson was released and reverted to injured reserve after going unclaimed on waivers.
  • Duvernay appears locked into a roster spot, likely more because of his special teams value than his receiving ability. Fifth-round rookie Reggie Virgil hasn’t been able to move up the depth chart but is also likely to make the roster. That would account for five wide receiver spots, leaving one or two available for Jalen Brooks, Simi Fehoko and Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
  • While it has been reported that Jonnu Smith will sign with the Packers, he has not officially been added to the roster yet.
  • The only Packers skill-position player who appeared in this game and is likely to make the roster is Bo Melton. He played the first three offensive snaps before his night was done.

Seattle Seahawks @ Kansas City Chiefs

Emmett Johnson takes the lead for the Chiefs’ backup running back job: Johnson and Emari Demercado appear to be the top two backups on the depth chart.

Kansas City added Kenneth Walker to be its lead running back this season. The Chiefs also added Johnson and Demercado to compete with Brashard Smith for the backup spots. In the first preseason game, the pecking order was Smith, Johnson and Demercado. In the second, that flipped to Demercado, Johnson and Smith.

Johnson played every snap on the opening drive in this game. He and Demercado split the second drive before Johnson handled most of the third, at which point his day was done. Demercado and Smith split the backfield for several drives after that, with Demercado notably handling the entire two-minute drill. That rotation continued into the third quarter, while Smith remained in the game into the fourth.

This suggests Johnson will be Walker’s primary backup to start the season. Demercado could still see more playing time if he handles the most obvious passing situations, including two-minute drills. It’s also possible Smith doesn’t make the roster if Kansas City keeps only three running backs.

Kansas City’s starting wide receivers play two drives: Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy made their preseason debuts.

Rice and Worthy both dealt with injuries this offseason. Rice underwent a cleanup procedure on his knee in May, while Worthy re-injured his shoulder early in training camp.

Both started and played every snap on the first two drives outside of one play out of 13 personnel, when Tyquan Thornton was on the field. Thornton also joined them for six snaps out of 11 personnel. While six plays is a small sample, it was interesting to see Worthy line up in the slot four times compared to twice for Rice. Last season, Rice played 40% of his snaps in the slot, compared to 30% for Worthy. Rice posted a 35.3% target rate and 2.98 yards per route run from the slot last season, compared to a 24.0% target rate and 1.48 yards per route run when lined up outside. A decrease in slot snaps could therefore have a negative impact on Rice’s fantasy production.

All three wide receivers exited after those two drives, with Jalen Royals, Andrew Armstrong and Cyrus Allen taking over.

It was encouraging to see Rice and Worthy healthy enough to play ahead of the regular season, but Rice’s alignment will be worth monitoring early in the year.

Miscellaneous Notes

  • Tight end Travis Kelce played the first four snaps before his night ended early. Similarly, Noah Gray played only the six-snap opening drive before his day was done.
  • As mentioned in the previous two Seahawks preseason recaps, the fact that Elijah Arroyo has played this much in the preseason suggests Seattle isn’t expecting a breakout season from him. Still, he remains the top backup receiving tight end and should see a decent amount of playing time this season.
  • Sixth-round rookie wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. remains eighth on the wide receiver depth chart, as he has throughout the preseason. That leaves his roster spot in question.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Philadelphia Eagles

Coming soon!

Minnesota Vikings @ Denver Broncos

Coming soon!

Table Notes

  • Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, such as 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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