NFL Preseason Week 1 Recap: 16 Must-Know Facts

Aug 16, 2026

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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.

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

Quarterbacks

We still have a QB battle in Vegas: Both Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza got playing time on Thursday, with the veteran kicking things off. The first series was a 10-play, 68-yard drive, capped by a 13-yard touchdown to Michael Mayer. Next was the rook's turn, and he had a mixed bag of a game. Mendoza was on the field for four drives; two resulted in punts, one ended with a nice 6-yard touchdown strike to Jack Bech, and the other placed the Raiders in field goal range. He finished the night completing 10-of-16 passes for 97 yards, but struggled against pressure.

Perhaps the Cam Ward breakout is not happening in 2026: All hopes are not dashed; however, Cam Ward struggled in three drives against San Francisco's backups, finishing with a 5-57-0 line on 12 attempts. The sophomore QB was unable to connect with No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate, whom he targeted three times, as all fell incomplete, including a pass near the goal line.

Zachity Zach Wilson made a strong case to back up Tyler Shough: Fighting for a spot on his third team in his short five-year NFL career, Wilson had a productive game against the Jags, completing 11 of 16 passes for 145 yards and a short touchdown pass to former UGA tight end Oscar Delp. Spencer Rattler, who started the contest, went 8 for 11 for 42 yards and lost a fumble on a sack at the Saints' 10, setting up one of Cam Little’s three field goals for Jacksonville. Neither is on the fantasy radar, but it's worth monitoring for backup waiver purposes down the road if Shough were to miss any time.

It looks like Ty Simpson can handle an NFL pass rush: Faced with the pressure of not being the most popular pick by LA in April, Simpson completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards with a pair of touchdown tosses. The rookie appeared comfortable and poised under center on Saturday. Stetson Bennett, the expected backup to Matthew Stafford, also played well in his lone quarter. Stafford is not exactly the healthiest or youngest QB in the league, so these guys are worth a stab in larger best-ball formats.

Running Backs

Third-rounder Jeremiyah Love proved NFL-ready: The rookie showcased both speed and power on his way to 58 yards on 11 carries, boasting an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Love also had three catches for 14 yards on Thursday night. Arizona invested in their o-line this offseason, and the talent is there for a nice floor, but Love is limited by the QB situation. He's in low-end RB1/RB2 territory and is currently being drafted as the RB13 at pick 3.02.

Fellow rookie Jonah Coleman appears to be as advertised: His sharp running style was on display on Friday night as Coleman notched 24 yards on four carries. He also showcased some solid physicality while playing with the starters in the first half against Atlanta. The Broncos RB room is crowded, but the rookie is a nice bench stash for the latter part of the season with an ADP of 14.10.

The Commanders' RB room is even more crowded than we thought: All offseason we've been dissecting the RB to target for Washington between Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White, with a little Kaytron Allen mixed in. Rookie Allen posted a 23-85-1 line on Friday night, with fellow newbie Robert Henry showing blazing speed on each run, ending with 75 yards on 12 carries with a 22-yard score. The RB situation has been gross all summer and appears to have gotten even grosser.

Don't sleep on Emmett Johnson: If you've been reading my articles this summer, I haven't been pounding, but mildly hitting the table for the rookie RB, and he showed up in his first real NFL action. Johnson carried the ball 12 times and was slippery, evading tackles on his way to 59 yards, and scored a 4-yard touchdown that was nullified by a holding penalty. The rookie's ADP is currently RB62 and is worth a look as the season progresses behind the oft-injured Kenneth Walker.

Wide Receivers

De'Zhaun Stribling keeps turning heads: The rookie wideout played the first three series in his NFL debut, all against the Titans' starters at defensive back, and had seven receptions for 62 yards. In the mix was a really sweet over-the-shoulder grab for 32 yards, plus an 11-yard catch-and-run for a first down to set up San Francisco's first touchdown. Stribling's ADP has been on the rise since the 49ers lost Ricky Pearsall, but the rookie is still a nice value at 13.03 as the WR59.

The drum beat for Ja'Kobi Lane got louder: He posted three catches for 38 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown against the Eagles, and you'd think that touchdown was a one-handed, blindfolded, 30-foot leap, by the way the video of it was passed around social media on Saturday night. Lane's ADP is currently WR83 at pick 18.11 but will likely rise after the performance in his first contest.

Chemistry is brewing with D.J. Moore and his QB: Moore caught three of his four targets for 61 yards on just 10 snaps, which included a 32-yard catch-and-run where 29 of those yards came after the catch. Josh Allen has that alpha he's been missing, and I am here for it. Moore's is currently the WR25 with an aggregate ADP of 5.06.

A rookie with an FFPC ADP of 1777 showed up and balled: If Camden Brown was on your NFL radar before Saturday night, you likely root for Auburn or Georgia Southern, or you're a straight-up sicko. But for the rest of us, this UDFA is a fresh face, and he let us know he's here to play professional football. In his first contest, Brown caught two touchdown passes, one of which was a diving one-hander. The rookie ended with a 3-62-2 line and could be worth monitoring if he continues to produce and get these types of looks through the preseason.

OBJ can come home again: Nearly eight years after leaving New York, Odell Beckham is back in Giants blue and caught a pair of passes in his 2026 debut. The 33-year-old is part of a very deep and crowded WR corps, so draft him with extreme caution if you decide to invest.

The Browns actually have a bright spot: First-round pick KC Concepcion had a 14-yard touchdown run for Cleveland on the first play of the second quarter, and also had three catches for 27 yards on Saturday. He's currently coming off aggregate draft boards at 11.04 as the WR51.

Tight Ends

Like the Texans need another TE option: Well, to be fair, the job has been Dalton Schultz's since 2023 after years of a muddy TE room. However, he's only produced one fantasy TE1 season in Houston, which was 2023 as the TE11, and in the last two years he's ended as the TE30 and TE17 chronologically. Rookie Marlin Klein could be a name to watch as the preseason progresses, as he impressed from the jump on Thursday night. The German-born second-rounder was only on the field for 11 snaps but impressed, inducing this statement from his HC Demeco Ryans: "I thought he really shined today; everybody saw the pass that he caught. It’s where I see him where he can excel for our offense and just open the offense. His catch radius is tough to guard it.” Klein isn't on the redraft radar (yet), but he could be a fun last-round stab in larger best-ball formats.

Kickers

Lay 'em down, smack 'em yack em: Most of you may not get that reference, but Airplane was a staple movie in my childhood, so it's in. Rookie kicker Trey Smack made kicks of 58, 38, and 37 yards and drilled another 58-yarder that didn't count for Green Bay against the Steelers in his first NFL contest. Smack currently doesn't have an ADP and is the only kicker on the Packers' roster.