NFL Reactions: Preseason Week 3 Snap Analysis

The third week of the NFL preseason isn't the universal "dress rehearsal" of years past, but more teams than not still use it as an opportunity to prepare their starters for the upcoming campaign. For fantasy owners, it's the best chance we have before Week 1 to get answers to lingering questions about player roles and usage.

I spent the majority of my Monday watching condensed versions of all the games on NFL Game Pass, with the exception of Raiders-Packers, Bears-Colts and Broncos-Rams (each of those teams held out its first-string players). In the interest of your sanity as well as mine, this week's analysis will be of the quick-hitting variety, rather than the expanded versions I put forth for the first and second weeks of the preseason.

Per usual, I'm analyzing the allotment and context of snaps, rather than focusing on the standard box score. There's a lot of information to sort through this week, so we'll break it down by position, starting with the most important:

Running Backs

> Leonard Fournette played every snap on Jacksonville's first three drives Thursday against Miami, including a 3rd-and-5, 3rd-and-7 and 3rd-and-8. With no obvious pass-catching alternative in their backfield, the Jaguars are signaling intent to use Fournette in a three-down role. This was one of the most important things I wanted to see during the preseason. For me, it's the difference between drafting Fournette around 20-25th overall or 30-35th.

> Sony Michel got the start and looked great against Carolina (most of his yards were wiped out by penalties), but the Patriots also gave James White and Rex Burkhead plenty of snaps while Tom Brady was in the game. Even though concerns about Damien Harris (undisclosed injury) have dissipated, I still expect the Patriots to use three players in the backfield each week — be it Harris or Burkhead as the No. 3 guy. The good news? Michel is the top touchdown scorer for a team that scores a lot of them.

> Kalen Ballage dominated snaps with Miami's first-team offense Thursday against Jacksonville, staying on the field in all situations — short yardage, 1st-and-10, 3rd-and-long. Of course, it doesn't mean all that much in the absence of Kenyan Drake (foot), who returned to practice Monday. This does at least show that Ballage could land in an every-down role if Drake were to suffer a setback or a new injury.

> Kerryon Johnson stayed on the field for a 3rd-and-6 during the opening drive of Friday's game against Buffalo, but C.J. Anderson handled the next series, and both running backs got snaps on the third drive. Anderson's snaps included some 3rd-and-longs, so it isn't quite clear how passing downs will be divided in the regular season. We've also seen rookie sixth-round pick Ty Johnson get a bit of first-team work this summer, though mostly after Kerryon was removed from games.

> LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore alternated drives with Buffalo's first-team offense, rather than sharing snaps based on situation. The Bills may not have a clear choice for passing downs or short-yardage carries, but everything they've done hints at a multi-player backfield, with Devin Singletary also a candidate to get some work. The rookie was limited Thursday to one carry — a nine-yard TD on the final snap for the first-team offense. T.J. Yeldon didn't play until the second half, catching three of four targets for 51 yards and taking three carries for no gain. Yeldon is on the roster bubble, with no assurance of Week 1 snaps even if he survives cuts.

> Dalvin Cook showed me everything I wanted to see Saturday against the Cardinals, staying on for a 3rd-and-8 on the opening drive before rumbling for an 85-yard touchdown on his next carry. Mike Boone outplayed Alexander Mattison again, but it was the rookie who got work with the first-team offense after Cook was removed. The only bad news? Chad Graff of The Athletic expects Mattison to get goal-line and short-yardage carries. It's stupid to use a clearly inferior player in crucial situations just because he's 10 pounds heavier, but Mike Zimmer and Kevin Stefanski wouldn't be the first coaches to do it.

> Jaylen Samuels got a few snaps with the first-string offense Sunday against the Titans, but he was giving James Conner a breather rather than replacing him on passing downs. The past two weeks provided a strong hint that Conner is headed for a three-down role, relegating Samuels to high-end handcuff status. For what it's worth, both players have looked great this preseason. Samuels is a better runner than we had any right to expect of a converted H-back, and Conner looks nothing like the 240-pound behemoth who caught just 30 passes in 39 games throughout his college career at Pitt.

> Tony Pollard once again dominated first-team work for the Cowboys, with Alfred Morris then following the rookie through the rotation Saturday against Houston. I'm skeptical of the team using Pollard in a three-down role if Ezekiel Elliott misses time, but it's at least a possibility we need to consider. We should also consider that Elliott might lose a few snaps to Pollard, who averaged 5.6 yards on 16 carries this preseason.

> Karan Higdon and Josh Ferguson shared backfield snaps for Houston after Lamar Miller suffered a season-ending ACL tear, with Higdon getting most of the carries while Ferguson handled passing downs. Buddy Howell is listed third on the depth chart and was busy the previous week, but his lack of playing time Saturday suggests he's still a special teams guy. Duke Johnson, who was held out Saturday, is next in line for the lead role. Of course, there's a good chance the Texans add backfield help before Week 1, rather than using Higdon, Ferguson or Howell as their No. 2 option.

> Tevin Coleman continues to work ahead of Matt Breida for the 49ers, though both players got significant run with the starters Saturday in Kansas City. This is another case where the workload won't necessarily be divided based on situation, as coach Kyle Shanahan rightfully seems to trust both players for early downs and passing downs. There hasn't been any clear pattern to when/where Breida replaces Coleman.

> Darrel Williams briefly subbed in for Damien Williams on the second drive of Saturday's game, but it was Darwin Thompson who handled the third series after Damien was pulled from the contest. The rookie sixth-round pick reportedly has been getting more work with the starters during training camp, including regular carries at the goal line. Thompson joins Samuels in the "elite handcuff" category... if there is such a thing.

> Tampa Bay's backfield remains a mess, with Peyton Barber, Ronald Jones, Dare Ogunbowale and Andre Ellington all getting multiple first-team snaps Friday against Cleveland. The Bucs had Barber and Jones alternate drives early in the game, later turning to Ogunbowale in the two-minute drill at the end of the first half (Jameis Winston, Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard were still playing). It appears three players could have roles in the Tampa backfield Week 1, so the RoJo breakout hype is on extremely thin ice.

> Chris Carson played the first five snaps of Saturday's game against the Chargers before giving way to Rashaad Penny. Coach Pete Carroll mentioned a "one-two punch" early in the offseason, but we haven't seen any tangible evidence of Penny challenging Carson. As much as I hate to admit it, my expectation for a Penny breakout now seems dependent on a Carson injury.

> Wayne Gallman started for the Giants on Thursday against the Bengals, playing most of the first quarter before handing things off to Rod Smith. It wasn't until the second half that Paul Perkins got significant playing time, perhaps signaling the end of his time in New York. (Anyone remember the Perkins breakout hype a couple years ago?) 

> Ito Smith mixed in behind Devonta Freeman with the Falcons' first-string offense, then split work with Brian Hill after Freeman was pulled from Thursday's game against Washington. Smith appears to have successfully defended his No. 2 role this preseason, with three touchdowns and 60 receiving yards on five targets making up for a mark of 2.9 YPC. It helps that Hill and Qadree Ollison haven't been much better, averaging 3.7 YPC apiece.

> Austin Ekeler once again worked ahead of Justin Jackson, who also got a bunch of playing time with the first-team offense, including a snap on 3rd-and-long. Ekeler is still the better bet for production, but it's clear both players will have significant roles if Melvin Gordon's absence stretches into the regular season.

Wide Receivers

> Damion Willis and Auden Tate (knee) started Thursday's game for Cincinnati against the Giants, with Alex Erickson also getting some playing time on the first-string offense. Cody Core and Josh Malone seem to be falling out of the picture, unable to capitalize on the injuries to A.J. Green (ankle) and John Ross (hamstring). More important, the Bengals used some two-TE formations early in the contest, putting C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Eifert on the field together. I'm especially interested in Eifert, who has enough talent to establish fantasy value even if he's limited to 30-35 snaps per game.

> The Cardinals once again used a deep wideout rotation while Kyler Murray was in the game, splitting snaps between Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, Trent Sherfield, Damiere Byrd, KeeSean Johnson and Andy Isabella. Also surprising? The team appeared to have at least one tight end and one running back on the field for every play, eschewing the four-wide formations that are a staple of air raid offenses. The part with Fitzgerald and Kirk rotating snaps is likely just preseason shenanigans, but I do wonder if Kliff Kingsbury is hesitant to rely on four-WR sets now that he's transitioning to the NFL? I also wonder if Isabella will have any role in the Week 1 offense, as Johnson, Byrd and Sherfield all were more relevant this preseason. The recent Michael Crabtree signing adds to the headache here.

> Kendrick Bourne worked as the 49ers' third receiver behind Marquise Goodwin and Dante Pettis (groin), the latter of whom was still in the game early in the fourth quarter. Deebo Samuel also got plenty of first-team run, while Jordan Matthews seemed to disappear after handling the No. 3 role the previous week. Good luck figuring this one out.

> Demarcus Robinson had a regular spot in Kansas City's starting offense, working ahead of Mecole Hardman. I don't doubt that the Chiefs find a way to get the rookie some touches, but it's Robinson who figures to see most of the snaps at the beginning of the season.

> Tre'Quan Smith mostly was limited to three-wide sets for New Orleans, stuck behind Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn. Despite the potential we saw last season, Smith doesn't have a great path to targets in an offense that also fields Alvin Kamara, Jared Cook and Latavius Murray.

> Jamison Crowder once again rarely left the field, playing 23 of Sam Darnold's 25 snaps in the first half against New Orleans. The Jets might challenge the Rams for the heaviest usage of 11 personnel this season. With no fullback on the roster and Chris Herndon suspended for the first month, Adam Gase has every excuse to continue doing what he likes best.

Tight Ends

> Greg Olsen played nine of 11 snaps with Cam Newton (foot) in Thursday's game against New England. Target competition from Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel is a legitimate concern, but it at least seems Olsen won't lose much playing time, if any, to Ian Thomas.

> T.J. Hockenson got a bunch of snaps with Detroit's starting offense, but he mostly was limited to multi-TE formations, rather than replacing Jesse James on passing downs. Seems dumb, no?

> O.J. Howard got three-down usage for a third straight week, limiting Cameron Brate to two-TE sets. Howard finished the preseason with just two catches for 20 yards on four targets, but it wasn't because he was asked to pass block often — Pro Football Focus charts him running routes on 34 of his 39 pass snaps.

> Hunter Henry also handled a three-down role in the third week of the preseason, staying on the field for 1st-and-10s and 3rd-and-longs alike. He subbed out a bit more often than Howard, but not enough to create real concern.

> Kyle Rudolph played 24 snaps Saturday against the Cardinals in a game that saw Kirk Cousins log 25. Irv Smith Jr. may have an important role in the offense, but it seems he'll be joining Rudolph in two-TE formations, not replacing him in single-TE sets.

> Mike Gesicki hasn't been in the starting lineup for Miami this preseason, but that hasn't stopped him from seeing regular run with the first-team offense. He finally showed signs of life Thursday against Jacksonville, hauling in each of his three targets for 59 yards. Training camp reports out of Miami have been mixed, at best, but there's still a decent case for a second-year leap.