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Rob breaks down the most important fantasy football takeaways from the Thursday and Friday, Week 1 Preseason Games.
Preseason games aren't the end-all, be-all, but they're not nothing either. There is information that we can take away from the games that take place, despite the limited snap counts for starters. It is important not to overreact - positively or negatively - to any singular piece of information.
The other thing we need to be cautious of is writing off data points that do not align with our previous expectations before the games, and vice versa, exaggerating data points that fit our previous beliefs. This can be challenging because we all tend to want to be right. But winning is more fun than being right, and to win, we will most certainly need to adjust what we thought we knew because no one gets it all right in July and August.
In this article, we'll break down the ten most important fantasy football takeaways from the Thursday and Friday preseason games from Week 1. To take advantage of our great premium tools, please use the promo code "BOOM" to receive a 10% discount.
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1. Tyler Warren is a Stud and a Top-12 Tight End
For what seems like an eternity, the Colts have been using a tight end by committee. That ends this year, and it was on full display in their first preseason game of the 2025 season. Before the Colts started to sub out their first unit, Warren had a 100% snap share. When it comes to tight ends, this is incredibly rare. Last year, according to Fantasy Points Data Suite, only two tight ends had a route participation rate of 80% or higher. Only nine tight ends were above a 70% route share, not including the two above 80%.
Warren won't play 100% of the snaps all year, but it's clear he is going to play a lot, and this will lead to a lot of routes, and for a tight end, that's such a big part of the equation for fantasy football value. Only 31 tight ends had 50 targets last year, and of those 31, only 12 had a target rate of 23% or higher. Two of those were Austin Hooper and Will Dissly, who just barely crossed our 50-target threshold. The point here is that since tight ends don't earn targets at a high rate, it's crucial they run as many routes as possible.
Tyler Warren in his NFL Debut:
20/20 snaps (100%).
3/12 targets (25% target-share), not including a 4th reception called back due to penalty.
4.00 YPRR (!!)
Cannot wait to draft more of this man. pic.twitter.com/XpsET1yGnx
— David J. Gautieri (@GuruFantasyWrld) August 9, 2025
Warren is clearly going to be an every-down player for the Colts. While the quarterback situation isn't good, the same thing was true for Brock Bowers last year. Don't let that keep you from drafting an elite prospect who is going to run a ton of routes.
2. TreVeyon Henderson is Ranked Far Too Low
The drumbeat for Henderson has been loud and consistent throughout training camp. You can't get away from it. He's been receiving praise since he set foot on the practice field for the Patriots, and then, with his very first NFL touch, he takes the opening kickoff to the house. All the reasons the Patriots love him were on full display. The speed, the acceleration, the big-play ability. All the things fantasy managers should love.
TreVeyon Henderson hit a top speed of 21.09 MPH on his kickoff return last night.
Last year, Xavier Worthy’s top speed was 21.46 MPH.
(Via @NextGenStats)
pic.twitter.com/CSeYhxj5LJ— Underdog (@Underdog) August 9, 2025
That was just part of it, though. He received one carry and showed his burst, getting through the hole, hitting the second level, and getting 18 yards. Starting quarterback Drake Maye attempted five passes. Three of them went to Henderson. As a fantasy manager, I'm not sure what else you need to see or hear at this point. He was a great prospect and got drafted early. He had a great collegiate career.
He's been dominant and a focal point of the offense throughout training camp. Then, in the preseason, he showcases all the reasons he was drafted high. Rhamondre Stevenson won't go away, but they won't be able to keep Henderson off the field. The upside and the home run ability cannot be ignored. There's a very good chance you're too low on Henderson.
3. Drake Maye has Top-12 Upside and is One of the Best Value Picks Late
Maye averaged 37.2 rushing yards per game in 11 starts last year, eliminating Week 18 when he played less than 3% of the snaps. Over 17 games, that would equate to 632 rushing yards. His ability to secure points on the ground is a fantasy football cheat code, and he showed that off in their first preseason game with a rushing touchdown.
Don't forget about Drake Maye's rushing upside when drafting this year 🤫pic.twitter.com/hnKAMKHwP2
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 9, 2025
Maye was the third overall pick, so don't be surprised if he takes a significant step forward in year two, especially with the additions of rookie Kyle Williams and veteran Stefon Diggs. Maye is being drafted as the QB18, but his rushing ability gives him plenty of upside at that price.
4. Tetairoa McMillan has Top-12 Upside and is Being Drafted Far Too Low
McMillan is another rookie who was drafted early and has been showcasing all the reasons why throughout training camp. In the clip below, you can see the athleticism and what makes McMillan such a tough cover. He's a big-bodied receiver who will be able to beat man-to-man coverage consistently. He already looks to be Bryce Young's favorite target.
When I tell you that Tetairoa McMillan has been the truth in #Panthers’ camp, this is what I mean. Dime from Bryce Young and a gorgeous catch.pic.twitter.com/seA6OQH50A https://t.co/Z7MZAVV26e
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 8, 2025
In the first preseason game, McMillan recorded three targets out of Young's six attempts. That gave him a 50% target share. McMillan also had 43 yards, while Young finished with 58, which gave McMillan a 74% market share of the team's receiving yards when Young was under center. He's going to be targeted early and often. Young picked up where he left off last season, and the connection between Young and McMillan looks very promising.
5. Will Shipley is one of the Best True Fantasy Football Handcuffs and Should be Drafted that Way
Shipley played the first 14 snaps of the Eagles' first preseason game. While we might have thought A.J. Dillon was a more natural handcuff to Saquon Barkley, given his size and how Philadelphia runs its offense, that was not the case. Shipley is the clear handcuff to Barkley. The playing time in their first preseason game was confirmed, but the results put an exclamation point on it.
“I really don't think this is much of a camp battle, as the team likes Will Shipley, who will be given every opportunity to be the RB2 / two-minute offense back.” https://t.co/mUwdIhKNsD
— Ben Cummins (@BenCumminsFF) August 1, 2025
Shipley had 48 rushing yards on seven carries, averaging 6.85 yards per attempt. Dillon had 27 yards on five carries, averaging 5.4 yards per attempt. Barkley is coming off a season where he had 482 total touches. If he misses any time, Shipley will be the biggest beneficiary, and he needs to be drafted as such.
6. Tory Horton is an Appealing Best-Ball Option as Seattle's likely Primary Deep Threat
Reports out of Seattle's camp indicate that Horton is moving ahead of Marquez Valdes-Scantling. That's important because last year in New Orleans, where Seattle's offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, was in the same position, MVS ran hot for a few weeks. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp as Seattle's No. 1 and No. 2 receiver, they'll need someone to work downfield and be their speed threat. That will be Horton or MVS.
Tory Horton has a chance.
He’s a 5th year transfer who was drafted in the 5th round after being injured last year. Thats the bad news…
The good news, he had 2.46 career YPRR and 3.45 in his final season. (Tre Harris 3.00 / 5.15)
24 for 45 (54%) in contested target…
— Jax Falcone (scott) 🚫 (@DynoGameTheory) August 9, 2025
Horton made the most of his opportunity, corraling three of his seven targets for 31 yards and a touchdown. Horton has the chance to secure a starting role for the Seahawks as their primary X-receiver. JSN will for sure be their most-targeted player, and after that, it'll probably be Kupp. After that, however, it's up in the air. It could be running back Kenneth Walker III, it could be Horton, it could be rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo.
However, last year in New Orleans, Kubiak orchestrated several boom weeks for MVS as their play-action deep-ball threat. Horton won't be a consistent option, but he could be a boom-or-bust player in what will be a heavy play-action offense. He's a better in-best-ball kind of player, but he's trending in the right direction.
7. Shedeur Sanders is Legit Good and Will Start at least Five Games this Year
We'll never know if Sanders' father, Deion Sanders, and his strong personality were a factor in the teams' reluctance to draft his son. Maybe Shedeur's draft process was the culprit. What we do know, however, is that his draft day slide was unpredictable and unforeseen. Most draft analysts had him going in the first round, and the majority had, at least, a round two grade on him. Sanders fell to the fifth round, however.
Shedeur Sanders in his preseason debut for the Cleveland Browns:
◽️ 14/23
◽️ 138 pass yards
◽️ 2 TD
◽️ 0 INT
◽️ 106.8 rating pic.twitter.com/6fh2qbLtOF— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 9, 2025
He had an incredibly productive collegiate career. Maybe there were legit concerns surrounding how his talent would translate to the NFL. Maybe there were other reasons at play for why he fell. That part is irrelevant now. Sanders showed that he can play. Sure, it was preseason, and we shouldn't get too excited. However, he was playing alongside the backups for Cleveland, while Carolina played its defensive starters for the first two drives, where Sanders threw his two touchdown passes.
He led three touchdown drives and looked the part. The quarterback depth chart in Cleveland starts with Joe Flacco, but he's not the future. There will come a time this year when the Browns are eliminated from the playoffs and start to look for the future. Sanders gave the coaching staff plenty of reasons why he should be the one they turn to when that happens.
8. Jerome Ford is a Draft Day Bargain Right Now
Second-round rookie running back Quinshon Judkins remains unsigned. He also recently waived his rights to a speedy trial. He has been charged with battery and domestic violence. There's no reason to expect Judkins to sign his rookie contract until his legal situation is resolved. Even once it is resolved, Judkins will likely face an NFL suspension. All the while, he's missed significant practice time.
In Cleveland's first preseason game, Ford was held out of the game, along with several other starters, including Joe Flacco, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and David Njoku. Ford should be seen as the team's No. 1 running back at this time, which makes him a winner. Dylan Sampson, the team's other rookie running back, didn't make much noise in his first NFL action, which is also a positive for Ford. Currently, he remains a bargain at his RB48 price point.
9. Jacory Croskey-Merritt Needs to be Drafted
Austin Ekeler will likely reprise his role as the team's third-down and pass-catching back. He isn't the direct backup to starter Brian Robinson Jr. Last year, they used Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez in that role. It's a valuable role to have. Washington is an elite offense, and there's plenty of touchdown equity to be had. Robinson also struggled to stay healthy last year.
“Croskey-Merritt started over McNichols and Rodriguez. In 1st quarter, [JCM] played all normal early down snaps. Typically, it takes more time for 3rd day RB to surpass established vets, so fact he is past 2 players is impressive. This suggests [JCM] will be BRobs direct backup.” https://t.co/e1XelsOjJp
— Ben Cummins (@BenCumminsFF) August 9, 2025
Croskey-Merritt appears already to be the team's preferred backup to Robinson, which makes him a high-end handcuff. This offense will score plenty of points. Any game Robinson misses will be a game that Croskey-Merritt could end up in the endzone, and while it's a bit of a long shot, Robinson isn't a stud or a household name whose job is completely secure.
10. Ja'Marr Chase is "The" 1.01
We know Chase is a stud. He proved that last year. Sure, you could consider Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, or Justin Jefferson at the 1.01, but Chase is the correct answer, and he showed us why in his brief preseason appearance. He caught all four of his targets for 77 yards and a score.
JA'MARR CHASE HAS 15.7 FANTASY POINTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF A PRESEASON GAME.
THAT'S WHAT A NO. 1 FANTASY PICK DOESpic.twitter.com/ND3Zu3DqyQ
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 8, 2025
More importantly, Cincinnati's defense was just as inept as it was last year. Philadelphia didn't start any of its starters, but its second unit still managed to dominate the Bengals' defensive starters. They were missing Trey Hendrickson, which is a big deal, but the early returns on their defense are underwhelming. That'll leave Joe Burrow and Chase to have to put up plenty of points to win.
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