Top 150 PPR Rankings – Preseason Week 1 Takeaways

This week in the 2024 Top 150 PPR Rankings, I discuss the takeaways from preseason Week 1. I will only cover the teams where the QB1 played in the game. Now these takeaways will be less stat-based and more focused on which players were on the field with the top QB based on personal groupings etc. I will provide a list of the QB1s who did not play so you know which teams will be covered in the article.

What goes into my rankings? Every year, I start with a baseline of what happened the prior year. Then, I review key things that might have impacted the player’s production like injuries, bad coaching, or lack of talent around that player. Next, I review what’s changed heading into this season. This includes things like coaching or personnel changes, injuries, and training camp news and notes on how a player has moved up or down the depth chart.

Check out the latest 2024 Flex Fantasy Football Projections on Razzball.com!

 

QB1s Who Did Not Play

• Kyler Murray
• Kirk Cousins
• Lamar Jackson
• Bryce Young
• Jared Goff
• Deshaun Watson
• Dak Prescott
• Justin Herbert
• Matthew Stafford
• Tua Tagovailoa
• Daniel Jones
• Aaron Rodgers
• Jalen Hurts
• Brock Purdy
• Geno Smith
• Baker Mayfield

 

Takeaways from Preseason Week 1

 

Team: New England Patriots

QB1: Jacoby Brissett

Notable DNPs: Demario Douglas

 

• The veterans got the nod with Brissett this week as K.J. Osborn, Tyquan Thornton, and Jalen Reagor played ahead of Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker
• Rhamondre Stevenson operated as a three down back
• Patriots utilized a lot of two tight end sets

 

Team: Houston Texans

QB1: C.J. Stroud

Notable DNPs: Joe Mixon

 

• Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins played in two WR sets
• Diggs moved to the slot in three WR sets

 

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

QB1: Justin Fields (Sorry Rus)

Notable DNPs: Roman Wilson

 

• Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren split reps nine to eight, and Warren played on third downs
• Pat Freiermuth and George Pickens operated as every-down players

 

Team: Washington Commanders

QB1: Jayden Daniels

Notable DNPs: Zach Ertz

 

• Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler split reps seven to five. Ekeler operated as the third down back while Robinson did get the goal line work. Ekeler did stay in on third down inside the 5.
• Jahan Dotson started in the slot while Dyami Brown played ahead of Luke McCaffrey
• Dotson and Brown rotated in two WR sets with Terry McLaurin
• Even though Ertz was a DNP, the tight ends split out in the formation a decent amount (ran a route from the slot or out wide)

 

Team: Chicago Bears

QB1: Caleb Williams

Notable DNPs: N/A

 

• Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore played in two WR sets
• Rome Odunze did get snaps in the slot, but the Bears did play a lot of two TE sets as well.
• Gerald Everett played ahead of Cole Kmet
• Khalil Herbert rotated in on the first series with the starters

 

Team: Buffalo Bills

QB1: Josh Allen

Notable DNPs: Ty Johnson and Mack Hollins

 

• Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir played in most 2 WR sets
• Dalton Kincaid was featured in the slot
• Khalil Shakir played in the slot in most three WR sets
• Coleman played every down, but was in the game after Allen and the other starters left as well
• James Cook stayed in on third and fourth down, but Ty Johnson could have that role
• Shakir, Cook, and Kinciad got the starters treatment. The rest of the players kept playing with the backups

 

Team: Las Vegas Raiders

QB1: Aiden O’Connell

Notable DNPs: Davante Adams

 

• Raiders featured plenty of two TE sets
• Michael Mayer stayed in as the lone TE in three WR sets
• Brock Bowers was featured all over the formation in the slot, out wide and in the backfield
• Alexander Mattison operated as the third down back

 

Team: Minnesota Vikings

QB1: Sam Darnold

Notable DNPs: Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones

 

• Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt rotated as the TE1 with Hockenson out
• Vikings featured a lot of two TE personnel

 

Team: Green Bay Packers

QB1: Jordan Love

Notable DNPs: N/A

 

• Marshawn Lloyd left with an injured hamstring
• Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and Jayden Reed started in three WR sets, but Dontayvion Wicks mixed in as expected and caught a long TD
• Doubs is the only WR to play all of the snaps with Love
• Josh Jacobs played on third down

 

Team: Cincinnati Bengals

QB1: Joe Burrow

Notable DNPs: Ja’Marr Chase, Zack Moss, and Mike Gesicki

 

• Andrei Iosivas started in the slot
• Chase Brown converted on a short yardage play
• Trenton Irwin is next man up with Ja’Marr Chase out

 

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

QB1: Patrick Mahomes

Notable DNPs: N/A

 

• Marquise Brown got hurt on the first play. Head coach Andy Reid said Brown suffered the same injury to his left shoulder in Saturday’s preseason game versus Jacksonville that former Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill sustained during the 2019 season, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star.
• Xavier Worthy got plenty of snaps with Patrick Mahomes

 

Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

QB1: Trevor Lawrence

Notable DNPs: N/A

 

• Brian Thomas and Gabe Davis played in two WR sets

 

Team: Tennessee Titans

QB1: Will Levis

Notable DNPs: DeAndre Hopkins

 

• Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears split reps eight to six
• Spears came in on third downs while Pollard did get the lone goal line snap. Both players did get snaps when the team was inside the five

 

Team: New Orleans Saints

QB1: Derek Carr

Notable DNPs: Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson, and Kendre Miller

 

• Cedrick Wilson played ahead of A.T. Perry

 

Team: Denver Broncos

QB1: Jarett Stidham (For now)

Notable DNPs: N/A

 

• The Broncos starting three WRs included Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and Josh Reynolds
• Patrick played in the slot. Could be Sean Payton’s new big slot WR
• Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, and Greg Dulcich rotated with Dulcich in the clear pass game role
• Samaje Perine operated as the second RB, and played on third downs

 

Team: Indianapolis Colts

QB1: Anthony Richardson

Notable DNPs: Josh Downs

 

• Mo Alie Cox operated as the main TE while Kylen Granson took over on obvious passing downs. Jelani Woods played strictly with the backups
• Trey Sermon is the next RB after Jonathan Taylor but hurt his hamstring
• JD Mitchell replaced Downs in the slot. It’s nice to see he has the position flexibility, but that could mean he is behind Alec Pierce.

 

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 For more from Bobby and his Razzball content, find him on Twitter @bobbylamarco.

Sources: Razzball.com, PFF.com, FantasyPros, FFToday, Pro Football Reference and Football Outsiders