NFL Preseason Week 1 Recap: 13 Must-Know Facts

It’s tough to get too excited about preseason football games, especially when they take place on weekend nights during the final days of summer. Week 1 usually offers a series from first-team players, maybe two if we're lucky. But fantasy players need some clarity before the bulk of drafting starts, so that's where I come in. Here's a position-by-position look at how Week 1 went down, so managers can plan and adjust accordingly for the onslaught of upcoming drafts.

Still not a 4for4 subscriber? Use CODE Jen25 for 25% off any plan!

Note: All ADP mentioned is courtesy of 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP Tool.

Quarterbacks

The Bryce Young improvement arc continues: The third-year QB played just two series but completed 4-of-6 passes for 58 yards, which included a 5-yard touchdown to Jalen Coker. He showed great pocket awareness and that confidence that was lacking in 2023, but emerged at the end of last season.

Justin Fields appears to have no issue with his toe or leading a TD drive: After an up-and-down camp, Fields showed poise and consistency as he orchestrated a 79-yard TD drive in his only possession on Saturday. He ran for a 13-yard TD to cap off the 10-play series.

It was a solid return for J.J. McCarthy: After a fired-up ovation from the Minnesota home crowd for his first NFL start of any kind, McCarthy went 4-for-7 for 30 yards and also ran eight yards for a first down on fourth-and-4 to keep his only drive alive. The 22-year-old is currently the QB19 and makes for a nice QB2 with upside heading into draft season.

Running backs

Oh, hello TreVeyon Henderson: The rookie’s very first NFL touch was a 100-yard kickoff return for a TD, and then he also added an 18-yard run later in the contest. Right now, the rookie is being drafted as the RB21 at pick 60 and is looking like a nice RB2 option in that emerging Pats offense.

The Jets really may be in committee back mode in 2025: There have been hints of New York using more of Braelon Allen and even Isaiah Davis than Breece Hall fans would like, but we saw a true rotation on Saturday in their first outing. Hall played just half of the first team snaps and was rotated in for the other two on early downs, with Davis taking third down duties. It’s early, but considering the coaching staff came from the Lions’ split backfield, it’s not hard to see how Hall could not return his current RB14 draft capital.

Wide Receivers

Training camp darling Tory Horton is still showing out: The former CSU WR caught three passes for 31 yards and a score from Drew Lock in the first half as he continues to make a case for himself to beat out Marques Valdes-Scantling for Seattle’s WR3 spot. He’s currently WR102 in our multi-site ADP.

The Panthers' WRs finally have some sex appeal heading into 2025: After years of Adam Thielen or nothing from our perspective, we have draftable pass catchers on this team. Rookie Teteroia McMillan nabbed a pretty 30-yard go ball and then another 13-yarder, but didn’t get his head around fast enough to get to the TD pass. Instead, it was Jalen Coker who scored for Carolina there. McMillan is the first off boards at WR29, followed by Thielen (WR63). Xavier Legette, who was ejected in the first quarter for fighting, has an ADP of WR66, followed by Coker, who makes for a nice final round stab at WR85.

The Heisman Trophy Winner saw a lot of first-team snaps, with no highlights: Travis Hunter was on the field for 10 snaps with the first team offense and eight on defense, with all offensive snaps coming in three-WR sets. Hunter caught two passes for nine yards, the longest one was for six. This is promising for his usage and as a fantasy asset in 2025. Current ADP: WR32, 66.

Tight Ends

Tyler Warren wasted no time getting noticed: The No. 14 pick in April caught all three balls thrown his way for 40 receiving yards, the longest, a 23-yard slant from Daniel Jones, which he took another 14 yards. Warren’s current ADP is TE11 at spot 10.08.

Brenton Strange looks to be who we thought he was going to be: He had just one catch for 11 yards, but Strange played the vast majority of the first team snaps and none with the second team. Keep on taking advantage of that TE20 ADP.

Kickers, Yes Kickers

Cam Little unofficially set an NFL record: The Jags' leg nailed a 70-yard field goal right before the half. No change in fantasy implications here, but cmon, I had to include it.

Rookie Tyler Loop’s debut was a mixed bag: Inheriting the role from longtime Raven kicker Justin Tucker, Loop missed wide left on a 46-yarder, but nailed a subsequent 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Right now, the rookie is the only leg in town on a highly successful offense.

Koo the King may be dethroned: Younghoe Koo has been a staple for Atlanta since 2020, but he’s struggled the last two years, missing nine field goals in 2025. Lenny Krieg, of the European Football League's Stuttgart Surge, was brought in to compete for the gig, and nailed a 57-yard field goal but also missed a 53-yarder. Stay tuned.

Injuries

• Tyjae Spears, Titans (lower leg), was carted off the field.
• Rachaad White, Buccaneers (groin), left the game in the first quarter and did not return.
• Ameer Adullah, 49ers (rib), left the game and did not return.
• Rondale Moore, Vikings (knee), carted off with a significant injury.
• Alexander Mattison, Dolphins (neck), left the game after being tackled on a 21-yard pass play and did not return.