No surprise, but I'm a comic-book enthusiast. Yes, the engineer who enjoys using data to conjure up takes on how the weather impacts football or which QB to draft has an eye for the fantastical. Truthfully, the oversaturation of Marvel-related content has been fatiguing. And I've found myself watching clips from different parts of the Infinity Saga. But none of that mattered when I sat down to watch Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the MCU intro rolled.
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I'm sure a lot of you felt the same way last week when the preseason games started. We've spent months arguing about rookies, vets and expected schematic shifts. And we'll keep doing it until December. Yet, there was a moment at kickoff where it felt good to be back. Plus, we've got even more action headed our way this week.
With the market reacting to every piece of news, here are the guys I'll be watching for during Week 2 of the preseason.
These Young Guys Can (Maybe?) Play!KC Concepcion, BrownsIf you thought Cleveland's QB situation wasn't going to cause heartache and anxiety for real fans and fantasy managers, I applaud your optimism. But at least there was a bright spot in the passing game.
KC Concepcion: 72 All Purpose YDS, 1 TD, 3 REC in his NFL debut
27 REC YDS • 14 RUSH YDS • 31 PR YDS pic.twitter.com/t6Gzf41clH
Deshaun Watson, the presumed Week 1 starter, only played in the first half. With Watson under center, KC Concepcion was second in routes with a team-high target share of 26.7%. And he was everywhere. Screens, slants, hitches and intermediate posts highlighted Concepcion's route diversity that stood out in his pre-draft evaluation. But it wasn't just how the Browns got him involved. The "where" is what should have gamers eyeing his ADP over the next few weeks.
While Cleveland didn't operate much near Chicago's end zone, Concepcion was the only WR with a target. On top of the screen plays, his speed and ability to muscle through first contact will be hard for HC Todd Monken to ignore. I'd like to see more of Concepcion throughout the preseason. But if he got to rest with the other starters, I wouldn't mind it.
Ty Simpson, RamsI had my eyebrow raised like most of you when the Rams announced they wanted Ty Simpson at 13th overall. But after last week, I realized, once again, I'm not in a position to question Sean McVay and Les Snead.
Ty Simpson looked very comfortable on that TD drive pic.twitter.com/9fVITHNvCB
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 15, 2026(If you squint [really hard]) The kid looked like the guy he'll eventually replace. Only four passes hit the ground for Simpson. And two TD passes, too! But I'm pumping the brakes on Week 1 of the preseason being a complete success.
Pressure Rate: 12.0%
Avg. Time to Throw: 3.02
Air Yards per Target: 4.7
Let's set aside the fact that Simpson was still playing in the fourth quarter against Chiefs' defenders who might not be on the team soon. Kansas City only pressured him three times. Even still, he took over three seconds to throw a pass. And the majority of those required the receiver to do most of the work after the catch.
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To be clear, this isn't to take away from Simpson's performance. We'd want to see the same of any passer with the potential to sit in the QB2 role for our team. But still, there are some steps forward we'd like to see him take with more reps in Week 2.
Drew Allar, SteelersApparently, Pittsburgh saved the best QB for last against the Packers.
Drew Allar SHINES in His Steelers Preseason Debut vs. Green Bay 🔥
10/13, 153 PYDS, 2 PTD, 1 Rushing TD pic.twitter.com/j3Zmx8dsUV
Again, we need to apply similar context to Drew Allar's performance as Simpson's. The former Nittany Lion didn't come onto the field until three minutes remained in the third quarter. However, if we want to use the same metrics to compare, Allar comes out on top.
Pressure Rate: 7.7%
Avg. Time to Throw: 2.36
Air Yards per Target: 6.7
Sure, the Packers couldn't get to Allar the way the Chiefs left Simpson (mostly) alone. But Allar got the ball out faster and farther. And him being willing to use his 6'5", 228-pound frame to bulldoze into the end zone will have analysts invoking Josh Allen's name sooner than we'd all like. In either case, let's see if he can post similar results in Week 2.
Camden Brown, CowboysI was sitting with my brother (a Seahawks fan) when an unknown receiver snagged a TD pass with one hand. We both yelled.
CAMDEN BROWN WITH A CRAZY ONE-HANDED TD GRAB 😱
DALvsSEA on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/sj2vglr6py
I'm sneaking Camden Brown into the rookie section as I'm a fan of the underdogs. UDFAs have the hardest path to a secure job, let alone stardom. But Brown earned our curiosity and attention on Saturday night.
Dallas' seventh-round WR, Anthony Smith, led the way with a 67% route rate and five targets between Joe Milton and Sam Howell. But Smith could only haul in two looks. Meanwhile, Brown scored two TDs and had multiple snaps as a run blocker. It'll take more than a couple of highlights to keep his roster spot, but I'll be watching for Brown against the Cardinals.
A Few Camp Battles of NoteSo … About Tua being the QB …For the next 10 seconds, I'm not here to provide analysis. I'm just here for the generational memes.
michael penix pointing points at tua tagovailoa /// reaction meme pic.twitter.com/xPRo2BvQRC
— bbreact reaction videos (@burnerbwoireact) August 15, 2026OK, let's get back to work.
Tua Tagovailoa bobbled his first snap and had to dive on it. I think there's an old saying about first impressions, but I'll leave that be for now. Afterward, no pass traveled more than five air yards. Denver pressured Tagovailoa on every single one of his dropbacks.
To be fair, Denver can boast that they have one of the best defenses in the league. And as much as I want to blame Tagovailoa, all of Atlanta's QBs finished their rotation with a negative EPA per dropback. Nobody threw for a TD. On the plus side, Kyle Pitts Sr. took four of the five attempts with the starting offense. But if the offensive line, or the guy behind it, is a problem, our hopes for a productive '26 may have to wait for Penix to play.
Bowers. Mayer. Why not both?I'll be honest. I'm speculating here. But put your skates on and roll with me down Narrative Street for a bit.
Kirk Cousins to Michael Mayer! Raiders score on their opening drive!
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/d0IuH5LYG8
The Raiders drafted Michael Mayer only to mothball him with Brock Bowers joining the roster in '24. But his 6.1 YAC per reception ranked sixth among all TEs in Mayer's rookie year. And I seem to recall some … friction between the players and their playcaller at the time.
There's a reason Las Vegas held onto Mayer. Even when other organizations showed interest, nothing materialized. Even with injuries to star TEs around the league. The Raiders stood pat. Klint Kubiak rates with at least two TEs on the field have been third and second over the last two seasons, respectively. Without an alpha WR on the team, Mayer becomes a late-round TE to monitor.
Two-RB Rotation in TennesseeI have a blind spot when it comes to drafting late-round RBs. In the event that the starter goes down, if the backup's path to a full workload is slim, I'm looking elsewhere. But I'm willing to be wrong.
Tyjae Spears led the NFL in tackles avoided per touch in 2025 pic.twitter.com/6NRmaHunBD
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) August 14, 2026(ACLs sold separately.)
Tony Pollard enjoyed a 65-35 split with Tyjae Spears last season. Yes, the Titans brought in Brian Daboll to bring Cam Ward (and the offense) up to speed. But my expectation was the changes would affect the passing game. I'm not so sure anymore.
(Week 1 Preseason) Snap Rate: 37.5% (Pollard), 62.5% (Spears)
Rush Rate: 57.1%, 42.9%
Target Share: 0.0%, 14.3%
Granted, Cam Ward only played a few series. And it wasn't particularly encouraging. But Spears turning up not just as the third-down specialist but in short-yardage situations was an interesting wrinkle to Tennessee's backfield. The offensive environment is still a concern, but let's see if Week 2 of the preseason is enough to make us reconsider the multi-round gap in ADP between the two.
Buzz Worth Your AttentionThe Dolphins' Offense Might Be OKI bought into last year's hype surrounding Malik Willis. Sure, he had a progressive playcaller and strong supporting cast at his disposal. But HC Matt LaFleur wasn't out there cocking back Willis's arm to throw. At some point, we have to assign some credit to the guy bringing the design to life. Week 1 in Miami was a strong sign we may have fallen short in our praise of the former Packers' backup.
Every Malik Willis snap in his first action as a Miami Dolphin pic.twitter.com/RnwxXYXieJ
— Ghost of Adam Gase (@GhostOfAdamGase) August 15, 2026We got a drive out of Willis against the Commanders. The series consisted of seven dropbacks, with two of them turning into scrambles. But let's see if the stats point to the same takeaways as the film.
Pressure Rate: 14.3% (Willis), 36.4% (Ewers), 27.3% (Miller)
Avg. Time to Throw: 2.58, 2.92, 2.45
EPA per Dropback: 0.63, -0.76, -1.01
The numbers indicate Willis played on time and moved the ball with above-average efficiency. His first rep emphasizes the conclusion. As Willis drops back, he's reading the defense and fires after his third step. There's no wasted beats. And the scrambling is a bonus; not the main attraction to his game. So, as someone who's been eyeing De'Von Achane in the second round, I'm more optimistic about his cost.
Ravens Have a WR3Baltimore's wide receiver room has looked like a work in progress for years. Zay Flowers has been the headliner, but the ancillary pieces have only made us hope Mark Andrews would return to form or we'd see more of Isaiah Likely. With the potential for neither to occur, it's good to hear about more than the Ravens' veterans in training camp.
In 27 years of covering the Ravens, I’m not sure I’ve seen a rookie have a training camp quite like wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane.
Every day, Lane produces a highlight-making catch. And today, he has Derrick Henry leaping in the air in celebration. pic.twitter.com/o86oFdqfmj
The drumbeat for Ja'Kobi Lane has grown louder after every practice. His QB has taken notice. I can't scroll through my timeline without a clip or reel of a one-handed catch greeting me at some point. And, as I mentioned, the WR2 bar isn't that hard to clear.
2025: Rashod Bateman, 63.7% (route rate), 9.3% (target share)
2024: Rashod Bateman, 82.1%, 15.8%
2023: Nelson Agholor, 56.8%, 9.5%
Baltimore's passing game has been Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and no one else. Even better for Lane, his receiver archetype complements this offense. He can play the X-receiver role, optimizing Flowers' usage off the LOS and in the slot. While we only got one target for Lane in his first preseason game, I'm expecting to see more of him in Week 2 and beyond.
A Mixed Bag for the G-MenThe Giants offense is going to be a rollercoaster. You've got the highs of Jaxson Dart spinning away from pressure and creating magic downfield. And then there are the lows of an offense still coming together. But we got a good moment in MetLife Stadium on Saturday.
Giants crowd gives big ovation for Odell Beckham Jr. 💙❤️
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/2adXrObvup
Odell Beckham Jr. might be one of the biggest "what if" players of his generation. But the "what if" for fantasy managers is the scenario where he makes the team and plays alongside the current cast supporting Dart.
(2025) Darnell Mooney: 49th (target share rank), 62nd (YPRR rank), 35th (air yard share rank)
Darius Slayton: 54th, 51st, 46th
Calvin Austin III: 60th, 50th, 50th
There were 73 receivers who played a minimum of 10 games last year. The trio behind Malik Nabers couldn't crack the top 30 in any receiving metric. And for all intents and purposes, Beckham still can get open at a moment's notice.
Even if it's just my nostalgia talking, I'd be willing to save a bench spot for Beckham if his participation ramps up this week.
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