• Seven rookie wide receivers have earned a top-three spot on their team’s depth chart, including Atlanta Falcons‘ Drake London — who sits at the top of their depth chart — and Washington Commanders‘ Jahan Dotson — who is their No. 2 receiver.
• No rookie running back has reached the top of their team’s depth chart, but the New York Jets‘ Breece Hall and Seattle Seahawks‘ Ken Walker could get there sooner rather than later.
• For more help to dominate your fantasy football draft, check out the PFF+ Fantasy Draft Guide.
Fantasy football depth charts are a snapshot of where teams currently stand, as they are heavily based on how teams used their players in the preseason and are not a projection of where things are most likely to end up. Several rookies should work their way up the depth charts between now and Week 1.
JUMP TO A TEAM:
ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CIN | CHI | CLE | DEN | DAL | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Treat Darrel Williams as James Conner‘s handcuff for now: The Cardinals similarly rested their starters and key backups, including Williams, which left Eno Benjamin as the starter Friday. Sixth-round rookie Keaontay Ingram didn’t play until the third quarter. Benjamin could still see some playing time this season, but Williams seems to have a hold on the No. 2 spot.
ATLANTA FALCONS
Avoid the Falcons running backs: The Falcons used a heavy rotation of three running backs during their one drive with the starters. Cordarelle Patterson only played two snaps with one coming on a penalty, which could signify things to come or just a sign of a veteran player getting more rest. Qadree Ollison and Damien Williams split the rest of the snaps with the starters. Tyler Allgeier is many fantasy analysts’ favorite sleeper running back, but the fifth-round rookie wasn’t on the field when the backups came in, as Caleb Huntley actually had that honor. Ideally, one back would emerge as the change-of-pace back with Patterson, but if it’s two players, then neither can be relied on for fantasy purposes. Patterson still has some upside in PPR leagues, but it seems like the team’s leader in rushing attempts could change each week.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Don’t Forget about Mike Davis: The Ravens rested their starters tonight, including J.K. Dobbins, giving Davis a chance to shine. He played in 10 of the Ravens’ 13 snaps on their first two drives, running five times for 22 yards and a touchdown in that time. It seems increasingly likely that Gus Edwards misses at least the start of the season, making Davis the second player on the depth chart. He should rotate heavily with Dobbins to start the season and could see significant playing time if Dobbins has a setback.
BUFFALO BILLS
Draft Isaiah McKenzie: McKenzie has been one of the most hyped Bills in training camp. He was among the starters who didn’t play today. Jamison Crowder is his competition for the slot job, but the veteran played with the backups for a few drives. Crowder did leave the game before other backups, so he should still factor in, but McKenzie is clearly ahead of him. Cole Beasley was WR27 in this role as recently as 2020, so McKenzie has a shot to be a consistent fantasy starter.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Avoid the Panthers’ backup running backs: Both Chuba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman played with the first team while Christian McCaffrey took the day off. McCaffrey’s re-injury risk is low, so even if there was a clear backup, they wouldn’t be more attractive than other situations. The fact that it’s unclear who would take over, or that it could be a 50/50 split, makes it hard to draft either player.
CHICAGO BEARS
Draft Khalil Herbert with a late-round pick: The Bears had a number of starters either resting or out with injury, including most tight ends, wide receivers not named Darnell Mooney, and starting running back David Montgomery. Herbert played every snap with the starters, including third downs. This meant sixth-round rookie Trestan Ebner didn’t play until the backups came in. Herbert is Montgomery’s handcuff at the very least but could have some stand-alone value if he can cut into Montgomery’s playing time.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Treat Samaje Perine as Joe Mixon‘s handcuff for now: The Bengals rested their starters and several key backups today, including Perine, which left sophomore running back Chris Evans as the starter Friday night. Evans continued to play on and off into the third quarter — a good sign that Perine remains ahead of Evans for the backup job. There is a chance Cincinnati could look elsewhere if Mixon gets injured, but Perine can be a solid late-round roster stash just in case.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Take a late-round flier on David Njoku: The Browns tight end is considered a sleeper this season, as he is now the Browns’ full-time starter with Austin Hooper in Tennessee. It’s unclear how good the Browns offense will be this season, but Njoku will at least play enough to be a fantasy starter, as he never left the field while the starters were on the field Friday night. The Browns lack depth at wide receiver, which was apparent in this game and should lead to Njoku receiving plenty of targets regardless of the quarterback. He’s worth the risk at tight end and would be good to pair with a more established tight end on fantasy rosters.
DALLAS COWBOYS
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