As we get closer to the start of the regular season, we get closer to knowing who the starters are. Preseason Week 2 provided a more clarity of quarterback battles, running back usage, and the potential of rookie breakouts.
Here's everything you need to know when it comes to Preseason Week 2's fantasy football implications.
Preseason Week 2: Position battle fantasy news
Denver Broncos RBs: RJ Harvey vs. J.K. Dobbins
Harvey has given us what we expected from him. Through his two games, Harvey has 10 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown, as well as involvement in the passing game for the Broncos.
RJ Harvey showed off perfect execution in a goal-to-go rushing scenario against Arizona
— Andy (@AndyyNFL) August 17, 2025
Squeezes through the hole, finds the opening and gets in for the TD. I think he could be Denver’s true RB1 relatively quickly this year. pic.twitter.com/Ic0HbB0CI4
Dobbins did not play in Week 2 of the preseason.
Going off of Week 1, Harvey was in on early downs, and Dobbins came in as the third-down back. If it were to shake out like this, Harvey's receiving upside might take a hit if he's not in on those passing situations.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2025 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
Cleveland Browns QBs: Shedeur Sanders vs Dillon Gabriel
After what was expected to be another Shedeur Sanders start, he popped up on the injury report with an oblique strain.
Because of this, Dillon Gabriel got the start and looked serviceable.
You can say whatever you want about Dillon Gabriel’s height - it’s a low blow - but this kid can SPOT the ball… remember this is one of the greatest college football quarterbacks EVER
— John Frascella (Football) (@NFLFrascella) August 16, 2025
pic.twitter.com/FGzSzAosME
Most who watched casually or looked at the box score would've seen the Pick-6. While that never looks good, the intended receiver simply stopped running his route. Gabriel completed 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards and the interception.
While this performance was solid, it was not as electric as Sanders' performance in Week 1.
However, it's crucial for fantasy managers to keep in mind: This battle is most likely for the backup quarterback. Joe Flacco is still the predicted starter for the Browns, that much has not changed.
PPR RANKINGS: Top 300 Cheat Sheet | QB | RB | WR | TE | DST | PK
Pittsburgh Steelers RBs: Jaylen Warren vs Kaleb Johnson
Rookie RB Kaleb Johnson looked great in his Week 2 performance. He received 11 carries for 50 yards and recorded a nine-yard catch. After the game, Steelers offensive tackle Troy Fautanu said, "As you can see, Kaleb Johnson is a dude." That’s a compliment for those who might not know.
Fun fact: No RB has forced more missed tackles this preseason than Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson (7).pic.twitter.com/AZbSC8rQyW
— Mike Kennedy (@MikeKennedyNFL) August 18, 2025
With this being said, managers need to know that Jaylen Warren is listed as the starter on the Steelers depth chart. This does not mean Johnson can't break out this year, but it might not be until a few weeks to months into the season that he gets a workload befitting his upside.
EXPLOIT LEAGUE APPS: Yahoo, ESPN rankings can reveal sleepers, busts
New York Giants QBs: Jaxson Dart vs. Russell Wilson
Jaxson Dart and Russell Wilson have both looked smooth in their preseason performances.
Dart went 14 of 16 for 137 passing yards, with a touchdown both through the air and on the ground. He has also thrown zero interceptions in both games in which he’s seen snaps.
Wilson went 4-for-7 for 108 yards and threw a pick on what looked like miscommunication. Because of Dart's efforts, he's getting a lot of hype to be the starter.
However, after rewatching his games, 63% of his completions were within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Wilson has shown more ability to push the ball down the field, which is beneficial for Giants star WR Malik Nabers.
While Wilson should still be looked at as the favorite to start for the Giants, Dart has at least made things interesting.
Whoever manages to win the starting job offers a safe QB2 floor in fantasy, but Dart offers QB1 upside. Dart's mobility makes him a fascinating fantasy option if he is able to see the field in 2025. However, if you roster Nabers, Wilson should be your vote to win the job.
NON-PPR RANKINGS: TOP 300 Cheat Sheet | QB | RB | WR | TE
New England Patriots RBs: TreVeyon Henderson vs. Rhamondre Stevenson
TreVeyon Henderson might be the NFL Preseason MVP. The rookie RB out of Ohio State has made play after play, most recently logging four carries for 20 yards and a touchdown in Week 2.
Look at our guy TreVeyon Henderson!
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) August 16, 2025
Cannot believe he fell to the 2nd round! pic.twitter.com/gKTavayGcR
This will still be an RB committee with Rhamondre Stevenson, but expect Henderson to quickly cement himself as the starter.
2025 DRAFT SLEEPERS: QB | RB | WR | TE | DST | Deep Sleepers | 1 From Each Team
New York Jets RBs: Braelon Allen vs Breece Hall
It's getting scary for Breece Hall truthers after what we saw in Week 2.
It's preseason, but seeing how players get used, especially when the starters are on the field, gives us a pretty good indication on volume.
Hall played just 61% of the snaps with the starting offense. While this might not seem bad, Hall is being drafted as a three-down RB. There were five third-down snaps with the Jets starters in the game; Braelon Allen played all five of them.
Hall still can be a viable RB option for fantasy football because of his receiving game. However, the current price for Hall, as of mid-August, is as if he's the clear bell cow in this Jets offense.
We can now bet that Allen will eat into a chunk of Hall's touches in 2025.
WARNING: Avoid more fantasy draft busts
More fantasy tips from Preseason Week 2
- Ricky Pearsall looks like the San Francisco 49ers’ No. 1 wide receiver after getting four targets from Brock Purdy. He caught three of them for 42 yards and remains one of the only healthy wideouts on this team.
- Rico Dowdle took all of the third-down passing usage with the Carolina Panthers. While Dowdle is an interesting running back for deeper leagues, this is more a negative for Chuba Hubbard’s ceiling, which was dependent on one of the heaviest workloads among flex options last year.
- New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson saw three targets off of Fields' total five passing attempts. While this Jets passing game might not be amazing, Wilson is sure to see a massive target share.
- Ashton Jeanty played 14 out of 15 snaps with the Las Vegas Raiders’ first-team offense. This confirms a high usage for Jeanty in 2025 and should ease preseason Week 1 concerns for the borderline Round 1 pick.
- Los Angeles Chargers wideout Quentin Johnson suffered a concussion on a scary hit. After appearing to be unconscious, Johnson was taken to the hospital. He was talking and moving afterwards.