2026 NFL Preseason Week 1 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Thursday’s games

• Tyler Allgeier and Jeremiyah Love split-first quarter carries: The Arizona Cardinals were one of a few teams to play their starters on Thursday night. Love got the first nod, but Allgeier also saw three carries on their first drive.

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PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2026.

Detroit Lions @ Cincinnati Bengals

Colbie Young plays with the starters: Young took two snaps on the first two drives in place of Tee Higgins while Joe Burrow was still playing.

The Bengals spent the last two seasons with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as their top two receivers, with Andrei Iosivas joining them in three-receiver sets. The Bengals are one of the top teams in 11-personnel usage, leading to Iosivas playing over 75% of snaps each of the last two seasons. His snap rates have been helped by Higgins missing a few games each of the last two years.

Young was drafted in the fourth round, and appears to have already passed players like Mitch Tinsley on the depth chart. One of Young’s snaps with the starters was in 11 personnel, but he also took a snap in place of Higgins in 12 personnel, rather than Iosivas taking the 12 personnel snap. Often, when starters leave the game, key backups are included. The Bengals' top two running backs and top two tight ends left the game, but Iosivas kept playing with the backups.

This suggests Iosivas' job as the third wide receiver might not be secure. If Young plays well enough and Chase or Higgins suffers an injury, it’s possible that Young, instead of Iosivas, could be the player to pick up off the waiver wire.

The Detroit Lions reworked their wide receiver room: The Lions' backup wide receiver room looks very different from last season.

Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are locked in as the top two wide receivers on the Lions' depth chart, and they were both among the starters who didn’t play in this game. Last season, Isaac TeSlaa, Kalif Raymond, Tom Kennedy, Dominic Lovett and Jackson Meeks were the top backups. Raymond is now with the Chicago Bears, while free agent addition Greg Dortch was expected to take his place. The Lions added to that depth by adding veteran Cedrick Wilson in May after not adding to the room in the draft.

It was no surprise that TeSlaa was one of the primary receivers for this game, but Wilson appears to have overtaken all of the other backups, as he played all 15 snaps on the first three drives. Detroit used 11 personnel for all 15 snaps and deployed a rotation of Dortch and Meeks for the third spot. Both Wilson and Dortch stopped playing at the end of the first quarter, making it seem like their roster spots are secure. TeSlaa played on the first drive of the second quarter, which was odd considering he’s the favorite for the third spot, and two other receivers already stopped playing. Kennedy and Levett, who were two of the top backups last season, didn’t suit up until the middle of the second quarter, suggesting their roster spots are in jeopardy.

While TeSlaa is still the clear favorite for the third receiving spot, the fact that he played so much in this game while other starters didn’t suggests his role isn’t as locked in as it could be.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Detroit didn’t play most of its starters, including quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams and tight ends Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright.
• The Lions were without running back Isiah Pacheco with an MCL sprain, but he is expected to be ready for the start of the season. Projected third-string running back Sione Vaki suffered a broken nose and eye injury a week ago, which has held him out of practice.
• The Bengals used running backs Chase Brown and Samaje Perine over the first two drives. Their usage was extremely similar to last season, with Brown playing more on early downs and Perine more on third downs. Brown took a third-and-short snap, and Perine received some time on early downs during a long drive. Neither of those exceptions was abnormal.
• While Bengals tight end Erick All is expected to be ready for Week 1, he was held out for this game. All missed all of last season, but should see significant playing time, replacing Noah Fant as an early down tight end for Cincinnati.
• Cam Grandy took All’s place in this game, with Drew Sample playing his usual early-down blocking role, and Mike Gesicki continuing his third-down role. It is very unlikely that Gesicki will see enough playing time to be fantasy-relevant this season if he wasn’t playing in early downs even with All out.

Green Bay Packers @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Matthew Golden plays in 12 personnel: Golden took both snaps out of 12 personnel with the starters over Jayden Reed.

Green Bay had a crowded receiver room when everyone was healthy last season, with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and Golden typically working outside. Reed has spent his entire career in the slot in 11 personnel, rarely taking snaps in other groupings. Doubs signed with the New England Patriots and Wicks was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Packers made no significant additions this offseason, instead letting Savion Williams and Bo Melton move up the depth chart. That led to speculation Reed could see more work in 12 personnel, or even start over Golden.

The starters played one drive and largely stuck with 11 personnel, with Watson and Golden outside and Reed in the slot. The Packers ran only two snaps of 12 personnel, and Reed was off the field for both. Williams took one snap with the first unit, replacing Watson in 11 personnel rather than appearing in the heavier grouping. That makes Reed unlikely to be the primary receiver in 12, which caps his ceiling, though it doesn't rule out more of those snaps than usual. Watson and Golden should both play more than they have in the past, but neither is likely to hold above 90% of the offensive snaps, which leaves Reed in position to be the first man off the bench for either.

Starting in 12 personnel helps Golden's fantasy ceiling. He is likely fourth in the target order behind Watson, Reed and tight end Tucker Kraft, but there is room to climb if he plays well.

Pat Freiermuth remains in a tight end rotation: Freiermuth played less than half of the offensive snaps with the starters, primarily playing in passing situations.

Freiermuth was a top-10 fantasy tight end as recently as 2024, but the emergence of Darnell Washington mixed with the addition of Jonnu Smith led Freiermuth to play 50.6% of snaps last season, culminating in a TE25 performance. Smith is no longer on the Steelers, and Pittsburgh didn’t make a significant addition to its tight end room. Reports suggested the Steelers wanted to make an effort to get Freiermuth more involved in the offense this season.

He and Washington played two drives with the starters, with Washington playing more on early downs, and Freiermuth more on third downs. Unlike last season, Pittsburgh has a fullback in fifth-round rookie Riley Nowakowski, leading to a notable decrease in 12 personnel usage relative to last season. Washington was used in a mix of run and pass situations, while Freiermuth was only on the field in more obvious passing situations.

While it’s possible for a tight end to become a fantasy starter in this kind of rotation, it typically needs to be in a better offense. While Freiermuth could be a bye-week replacement, it’s unlikely he has a significant bounce-back this season.

Germie Bernard makes a case for the third wide receiver spot: Bernard was the Steelers' primary source of offense throughout the first half.

D.K. Metcalf has been the top Steelers wide receiver since last season, while Pittsburgh traded for Michael Pittman Jr. to be the second option. When Bernard was drafted in the second round, it was generally expected he would win the third spot. Throughout training camp, third year receiver Roman Wilson has been playing ahead of Bernard.

Metcalf and Pittman have been missing practices due to injuries and didn’t play in this game. This means we didn’t find out which of Wilson and Bernard are currently ahead, as they were the two primary receivers. One hint that Bernard might be further in the pecking order is that he played more than twice as many snaps as Wilson out of the slot. Both Metcalf and Pittman have spent their careers as outside receivers, so it’s likely that Bernard or Wilson will play primarily out of the slot this season.

Bernard caught four passes for 51 yards, while Wilson only caught one pass for 7 yards, although they were catching passes from backup quarterbacks instead of Aaron Rodgers. The fact that both receivers played the entire first half after several starters exited the game suggests there is no clear winner at this point.

It’s unlikely the winner of this battle will have much fantasy value this season, unless injuries continue to impact Metcalf or Pittman. In that case, one of these receivers could finish second on the team in targets.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs is dealing with a groin injury, which will keep him out at least this week. Backup Chris Brooksrecently returned from a hamstring injury, he was held out of this game.
• MarShawn Lloyd started for Green Bay, took every snap on the first drive and played every snap on the second drive with the backups. While this doesn't mean much in terms of where he sits relative to Brooks on the depth chart, it was good to see him used on all three downs.
• Packers backup tight end Luke Musgrave remains on the PUP list. While Tucker Kraft is no longer on the PUP list and he has been practicing, he was held out for this game.
• Josh Whyle was the Packers' primary tight end on the first drive, only sitting out the first play in a run situation. He didn’t play with the backups, suggesting Green Bay views him as a key member of the offense. Reports suggest Whyle could be the second tight end on the depth chart, ahead of Musgrave.
• Pittsburgh chose to sit quarterback Aaron Rodgers as well as running backs Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren, but most other healthy starters on offense and defense played.
• 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson didn’t receive his first offensive snap until the middle of the third quarter, playing well behind both Travis Homer and Lew Nichols, making it seem very unlikely Johnson makes the 53-man roster.

Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots

DeMario Douglas is locked into the third wide receiver spot: Douglas was among the starters who rested, while others ahead of him on the depth chart last season played.

The Patriots had a crowded wide receiver room last season, with Kayshon Boutte as the X receiver, Mack Hollins as the Z and Stefon Diggs in the slot, while Kyle Williams and Douglas were the top backups. New England released Diggs, signed Romeo Doubs in free agency and traded for A.J. Brown. In practice, Brown has been the primary X receiver, Doubs the Z and Douglas the slot. There has still been some rotation, including Boutte coming in at X, allowing Brown to move around.

While Boutte and Hollins were starters last season, they had to play with Williams and Efton Chism III among the backups in this game. This suggests that Douglas is the clear third wide receiver on the depth chart. Chism was consistently the slot receiver, while the other three rotated on the outside. Boutte remains the subject of trade rumors, and it’s likely that one of Boutte, Hollins or Williams won’t make the roster unless the Patriots keep seven wide receivers.

It will be difficult for any wide receiver in New England to have fantasy value this season outside of Brown, considering the depth at receiver and the likelihood that there will still be more rotation than most such rooms.

The Colts' wide receiver depth chart has a clear order:Ashton Dulin was among the Colts starters who didn’t play in this game.

Indianapolis’ wide receiver room has been straightforward in recent seasons, with Alec Pierce at X, Michael Pittman Jr. at Z and Josh Downs in the slot. Pittman was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, opening the door for Downs to play more snaps, but also for a third receiver to emerge in 11 personnel. Indianapolis didn’t make any significant additions to its wide receiver room, adding Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in free agency and Deion Burks in the seventh round of the draft.

The Colts rested their starters in this game, including both Downs and Dulin. This suggests Dulin might not be competing for playing time at this point. His primary competition was expected to be Laquon Treadwell and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Both Treadwell and Westbrook-Ikhine started this game, with Treadwell at X, Westbrook-Ikhine at Z and 2025 undrafted player Coleman Owen joining in the slot. Treadwell was taken out after one drive, while Westbrook-Ikhine kept playing for an additional two possessions, suggesting Treadwell is ahead of Westbrook-Ikhine.

There has been rampant speculation the Colts will add a free-agent wide receiver, with Keenan Allen at the top of the wish list. This game doesn’t rule out the possibility Indianapolis adds someone, but it also suggests the team is reasonably happy with Dulin and Treadwell.

Miscellaneous Notes

• New England rested its starters, including quarterback Drake Maye, running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, wide receivers A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs and DeMario Douglas and tight end Hunter Henry.
• Patriots backup running back Terrell Jennings landed on injured reserve on Thursday, ending his season. He was the favorite for the third running back spot. JaMycal Hasty was signed to take his place on the 90-man roster. Hasty played 15 games for the Patriots in 2024. Seventh-round rookie Jam Miller appears to be the favorite for the third receiver role.
• Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce remains on the active PUP list.
• Backup running back D.J. Giddens is dealing with a hamstring injury, which is likely why he didn’t play. He is competing with Seth McGowan for the backup running back spot, so this game gave no indication of where the two sit relative to each other on the depth chart.
• Indianapolis also rested most starters, including quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receivers Josh Downs and Ashton Dulin and tight ends Tyler Warren and Mo Alie-Cox.
• Drew Ogletree only played on the first drive with the starters for Indianapolis, suggesting he is locked in to the third tight end spot.

Arizona Cardinals @ Las Vegas Raiders

Jeremiyah Lovemakes his NFL debut: Love played 16 of 22 snaps over two drives.

Arizona drafted Love third overall but also signed free agent Tyler Allgeier in free agency. Allgeier was listed first on the unofficial depth chart, and head coach Mike LaFleur has made it clear he doesn’t want to overwork one running back, preferring to keep his backs fresh. This has led to some concern about whether Love would see as much playing time as a typical early first-round running back.

Love started this game, suggesting he is already ahead of Allgeier on the depth chart. He took each of the first six snaps before Allgeier replaced him and ran the ball on three straight plays. Love then returned to finish the first drive. Arizona took out most of its starters after the opening drive, but both running backs continued to play. Love dominated the snaps on the second drive, eight to three. Love continued playing for a third drive, while Allgeier’s day was done after two. Love played eight of 10 snaps on that drive, while Bam Knight played the other two.

The fact that Love started despite the unofficial depth chart was encouraging. He played 75% of the offensive snaps over the first three drives, which is on the high end of the typical snap-rate range for a starting running back. However, it would have been nice to see Love pulled from the game at the same time as Allgeier — or, better yet, at the same time as the other starters. For a coach who doesn’t want to overwork his running backs, giving Love 14 touches in a preseason game was surprising. It’s possible Allgeier cuts into Love’s playing time a little more in the regular season and Arizona simply wanted to give its rookie an extended first look at the NFL.

If anything, this game should help Love’s ADP rather than hurt it.

Michael Wilson played only seven of 11 snaps with the starters: Wilson played fewer snaps than free-agent addition Kendrick Bourne.

Wilson emerged as a breakout star last season, scoring six touchdowns over his final five games and recording two games with more than 140 receiving yards in the second half of the season. He has typically played the Z receiver role, but much of his breakout came at X receiver while Marvin Harrison Jr. was injured. Arizona strengthened its wide receiver room in the offseason by adding Bourne, who spent four seasons working with new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur with the San Francisco 49ers.

Arizona played Harrison, Wilson and Bourne together for one drive before taking all three out of the game. Harrison lined up at X, Wilson at Z and Bourne in the slot. Surprisingly, Wilson played only seven snaps, with Jalen Brooks replacing him for four plays. However, it’s worth noting that Wilson caught a pass early, came out for one play shortly afterward and then made an 18-yard catch before taking a few running plays off. While Bourne played more snaps, all of his playing time came in 11 personnel.

While it would have been encouraging to see Wilson play X more frequently, his snap count in this game shouldn’t concern fantasy managers. It would become more noteworthy if Wilson continues to come off the field more often than he did last season.

The Raiders’ new wide receiver rotation: Las Vegas has a clear plan for its wide receiver rotation after making several changes at the position this offseason.

Las Vegas’ only constant at wide receiver last season was Tre Tucker in the Z role. Rookie Dont’e Thornton and Jack Bech split time at X, with neither able to secure the job. Jakobi Meyers served as the primary slot receiver until he was traded, after which veteran Tyler Lockett took over the role. Lockett was not re-signed this offseason, while Las Vegas added Jalen Nailor from the Minnesota Vikings.

Nailor took over as the X receiver for this game, while Bech moved into the slot. Thornton has been missing practice due to injury, but it appears unlikely that he will be among the starters. Bech was better suited to play at Z or in the slot coming out of college and was playing out of position at X last season, while Thornton’s natural fit was at X. Nailor and Tucker played in both two- and three-receiver sets and rotated in 13 personnel, while Bech was limited to 11 personnel.

While Brock Bowers is expected to lead the team in targets, either Nailor or Tucker could emerge as a fantasy-relevant option if the Raiders’ offense exceeds expectations.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Cardinals star tight end Trey McBride and Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers each played the first offensive snap for their respective teams before calling it a day. It’s not uncommon for star players to make a brief, one-snap appearance in a preseason game.
• Arizona backup running backs James Conner and Trey Benson missed the Hall of Fame game, and both are still out with injury.
• Rookie quarterback Carson Beck didn’t play in this game due to a rib injury.
• Cardinals backup tight end Tip Reiman remains on the PUP list.
• Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty played the first seven snaps of the game before his day ended, departing before the rest of the Raiders’ starters. The game didn’t reveal much about how frequently Mike Washington Jr. could rotate in during the regular season, but it did help confirm that Washington is the No. 2 running back on the depth chart.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston Texans

Good news and bad news forOronde Gadsden: The Chargers tight end was active, while newcomers Charlie Kolar and David Njoku didn’t play.

Gadsden served as Los Angeles’ primary receiving tight end for most of last season, while some combination of Tucker Fisk, Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly handled early-down snaps. None of those three tight ends were retained this offseason, while Kolar and Njoku were added. The Chargers also brought in new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who consistently utilized a three-man rotation as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. The general expectation is that Kolar and Njoku will play more on early downs, with Gadsden seeing more work in clear passing situations, but the rotation appears to remain fluid.

Ideally, Gadsden wouldn’t have played in this game if the Chargers already viewed him as an established starter. However, it’s worth noting that Los Angeles has only five tight ends on the roster, including two undrafted free agents, so it’s understandable that the team wanted three tight ends active for this game. Gadsden is also the youngest of the group and is likely to benefit most from the additional experience.

Notably, much of that needed experience comes as a run blocker. Gadsden was used primarily in passing situations, both during the regular season and in the preseason last year. He played on each of the Chargers’ first three drives in this game, marking the first time he has been used in all situations. Gadsden’s floor remains very low this season, as Los Angeles could settle on a two-man rotation featuring Kolar and Njoku. However, if Gadsden improves as a blocker, he could earn more playing time than he saw last season. Still, it will be difficult to draft Gadsden in most standard-sized leagues until there is some indication that he will play beyond clear passing situations during the regular season.

Kimani Vidal plays while Keaton Mitchell rests: While Mitchell and Vidal appeared to be in a competition for the second running back spot, Mitchell appears to be in second.

The Chargers leaned heavily on both Omarion Hampton and Vidal last season before adding Mitchell in free agency. Mitchell has been among my top sleepers because of his strong play with the Baltimore Ravens and his similarities to Mike McDaniel’s former running back, De’Von Achane.

The fact that Mitchell didn’t play while Vidal did suggests Vidal is a clear third on the depth chart. Unlike at tight end, where Los Angeles had only three players active, the Chargers had four healthy running backs and could have gone into the game with only three if they wanted to. Vidal played every snap on the first two drives before his day ended, earlier than several other players who started the game. While Vidal could see some work in clear passing situations this season, it seems unlikely that he will be a significant part of the rotation. Overall, this game was slightly encouraging for fantasy managers drafting Hampton or Mitchell.

Jaydin Higgins sits while Xavier Hutchinson plays: The two spent all of last season rotating as the Texans’ Z receiver.

Houston had a crowded wide receiver room last season, with Nico Collins at X, Higgins and Hutchinson at Z, and Christian Kirk and Jaylin Noel rotating in the slot. Higgins has been viewed as a breakout candidate this season, but for him to reach his potential, he needs to consistently hold down the Z role.

While it remains unclear how much Tank Dell could stand in the way of a Higgins breakout, Hutchinson may not pose as much of a threat. Hutchinson playing in this game suggests he is further down the depth chart than Higgins, and he also ran more routes from the slot than any other receiver on the first drive. There have been reports that Hutchinson could see more work in the slot, and his usage in this game lends some support to that possibility. The complication is that Houston used all three of its wide receivers in the slot on the opening drive, so Hutchinson doesn’t appear likely to play there exclusively.

It will be difficult for fantasy managers to go all-in on Higgins until there is more clarity on Dell’s role this season, but this game was a slight positive for the former second-round pick.

Miscellaneous Notes

• The Chargers rested quarterback Justin Herbert, running backs Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell, fullback Alec Ingold, wide receivers Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Tre Harris and tight ends David Njoku and Charlie Kolar.
• Los Angeles’ wide receiver depth chart appears to be set. Fourth-round rookie Brenen Thompson played the X role throughout the first half, KeAndre Lambert-Smith the Z, and Derius Davis the slot. All other wide receivers below them on the depth chart are recent undrafted players with minimal NFL experience.
• Houston didn’t play quarterback C.J. Stroud, running backs David Montgomery and Woody Marks, wide receivers Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins, and tight end Dalton Schultz.
• Wide receiver Tank Dell has recently returned to team drills, but he wasn’t ready to play in this game.
• Jaylin Noel was activated from the non-football injury list on August 7th. He potentially didn’t play because he hasn’t practiced enough, although it’s possible he didn’t play because he’s considered a starter.
• Backup running back Jawhar Jordan and tight end Brevin Jordan were out due to injuries.
• The Texans used Marlin Klein and Foster Moreau exclusively over the first two drives, with Klein playing more on both early and late downs. Moreau kept playing into the third quarter, while Cade Stover didn’t enter the game until the second quarter. It’s unclear where Jordan will fit into the backup rotation, but for now, it appears Klein could start the season as the second tight end.

Tennessee Titans @ San Francisco 49ers

Tyjae Spearsout-snaps Tony Pollard: The running back rotation in this game suggests the Titans could be moving closer to a 50-50 split after two seasons of Pollard leading the backfield.

Pollard and Spears have shared the Titans’ backfield for the past two seasons. Last season, when both were healthy, Pollard played roughly 70% of the early-down snaps, while Spears handled roughly 80% of the third-down and two-minute-drill snaps. The two split short-yardage and goal-line situations. They remain the top two running backs on the depth chart this season, but they are now playing under a new coaching staff. New offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has typically utilized a running back rotation outside of his time with a healthy Saquon Barkley.

Pollard started this game and played six snaps on the first drive, while Spears played five. Spears then took all five snaps on the second drive before the two split the third drive with three snaps apiece. There was no clear early-down or third-down back like there has been in the past. Both running backs recorded four carries, with Spears breaking off a 25-yard run and Pollard scoring a touchdown.

Teams don’t always rotate their running backs the same way in the preseason as they do in the regular season, so Pollard could still lean more toward early-down work and Spears toward third downs. Still, the frequency with which they rotated — combined with both leaving the game at the same time — suggests this backfield could be much closer to a 50-50 split than it has been in past seasons. Spears’ consensus ADP is 92 picks later than Pollard’s, but based on this game, the gap between the two should be considerably smaller.

Carnell Tatetakes the Z receiver role: Tate had been expected to serve as the Titans’ X receiver this season.

The Titans revamped their wide receiver room this offseason, drafting Tate with the fourth overall pick and adding Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency. Calvin Ridley is also back healthy, pushing Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike from starting roles into backup spots. The general expectation was that Tate would play X, Ridley would line up at Z and Robinson would operate out of the slot.

Robinson played in the slot as expected, but on the first drive, Ridley primarily lined up at X and Tate at Z. Ridley played only the first seven snaps before his day ended ahead of the other starters, with Ayomanor taking over at X for the remainder of the starters’ playing time. The starters played three drives in total, with Dike also mixing in exclusively in place of Tate at Z.

The amount that Ayomanor and Dike mixed in with the starters is somewhat concerning for the fantasy value of the Titans’ receivers. It was particularly notable for Robinson, who played exclusively in 11 personnel. All four other receivers logged multiple snaps in two-receiver sets. Robinson played in 12 personnel for most of last season, so he is expected to see a decline in routes this year. While Tate lining up at Z was somewhat surprising, it’s notable that Malik Nabers played the same role in the Giants’ offense when Brian Daboll was head coach. If that usage carries over to Tate, it could be a positive sign for his fantasy value.

Slow the hype on Gunnar Helm: The second-year tight end split playing time with Daniel Bellinger tonight.

Helm spent last season as a backup for the Titans, but his playing time increased as the season progressed. Tennessee didn’t re-sign Chig Okonkwo, suggesting Helm could emerge as the clear starter this season. However, the team signed Bellinger, who has spent his entire career playing under Brian Daboll.

The two shared the field in 12 personnel, but only for five plays. This appears to be an offense that will utilize 11 personnel more frequently than most teams. In 11 personnel, there was a general tendency for Helm to play in passing situations and Bellinger to handle more blocking work, but Helm was still on the field for only 64.3% of the Titans’ passing plays.

It’s possible for a tight end to be fantasy-relevant with that level of playing time, but it generally requires a high target rate and a productive offense. Helm hasn’t shown that he can consistently command targets at a high rate, and there are still questions surrounding the Titans’ offense. For now, Helm should be left undrafted in most redraft leagues.

De’Zhaun Stribling shines over three drives: Stribling caught seven passes for 63 yards on 15 routes.

The 49ers drafted Stribling in the second round, and there has been significant speculation about how he could be used this season. His most natural position appears to be at X, where Mike Evans is expected to play. The 49ers’ biggest need may be in the slot, so Stribling has also seen some practice time there. With Ricky Pearsall out for the season, there has also been some speculation that Stribling could play at Z, even after the addition of Deebo Samuel.

Most of San Francisco’s key players were out for this game, either due to injury or because the team elected to rest them. Even so, we received some indication of how Stribling could be used this season. He lined up in the slot on 14 plays compared to just eight out wide, suggesting his most direct path to playing time could be overtaking Demarcus Robinson and Christian Kirk for the slot role. When Stribling lined up out wide, he played more at Z than at X. However, he caught three passes for 47 yards on only five routes from an outside alignment, compared to four receptions for 14 yards on 10 routes from the slot.

This game was encouraging for Stribling simply because of how heavily he was featured. His usage could also be good news for Evans, who may not have to worry as much about Stribling cutting into his playing time this season.

Miscellaneous Notes

• 49ers tight end George Kittle and backup running back Isaac Guerendo remain on the PUP list.
• Running backs Christian McCaffrey (soreness), Jordan James (ribs), Kaelon Black (thigh), Kyle Juszczyk (finger) and wide receivers Mike Evans (quadriceps) and Christian Kirk (calf) are all dealing with various injuries.
• San Francisco also rested quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Mac Jones, wide receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. and Demarcus Robinson, and tight ends Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell.

Table Notes

• Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, such as offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.

• Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.

• Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.