We are just over a month away from the start of the 2022 NFL season and preseason training camps have kicked off across the league.
We’ll keep you up to date on all the latest and most important NFL preseason news, rumors and storylines across all 32 teams and how it affects fantasy or team outlook.
NFL Preseason & Training Camp News and Notes, 2022:
Chiefs News: Travis Kelce limited snaps with Patrick Mahomes
Travis Kelce has substituted off in both preseason games causing a stir on Twitter in how he will be utilized for the upcoming season. It’s possible Andy Reid takes his best passing game weapon off the field in the regular season, but not sure that would be optimal for a Chiefs’ offense playing without Tyreek Hill. Kelce has a 25% targets per route run in the preseason and the Chiefs have utilized different formations in 2022 preseason which may allow Kelce some easier matchups. Against the Commanders the Chiefs ran 16% of plays using 21 personnel (2021 usage 1.8%). Travis Kelce remains the number one target on the Chiefs offense with Tyreek Hill no longer part of the team. Although Kelce turns 33 in the middle of the season, it is hard to see either the Ravens or Falcons tight ends to have the fantasy ceiling that Kelce does.
Cardinals News: Eno Benjamin plays ahead of Darrel Williams in preseason game
As lead running back James Connor sits on the sidelines, fantasy football enthusiasts debate which backup running back will have a larger role in the offense. In preseason Week 1, Benjamin played while Williams did not leading many to believe that Williams was in the back up spot. Week 2 preseason Benjamin started and Williams followed which aligns with the coach speak during training camp. Benjamin had 4 carries and ran 11 routes with a single target and Williams had a single carry with 3 routes and no targets. Neither running back helped or hurt the chances as backup tonight, and this will be an important backfield to watch as Connor has missed multiple games in all 5 seasons.
Ravens News: Isaiah Likely continues impressive training camp
The rookie tight end had 8 receptions on 12 routes and totaled 100 receiving yards with an impressive 55 yards after the catch. As for fantasy relevance, he will likely need an Andrews injury to be relevant for fantasy football. Passing volume regression can be expected with the Ravens in 2022 and Likely will not run enough routes to have an impact. Last year the Ravens had two or more tight ends on the field 25.7% of plays, which was 20th in the league. In their second preseason game the Ravens had two tight ends on the field for 14 plays, unless Likely steals snaps from Mark Andrews his role will be minimal without an injury or drastic increase in two tight end formations. For context the Ravens had 117 passing plays with 2+ tight ends on the field in 2021 and in 2019 when the Ravens used multiple tight ends at a higher rate 210 passing plays.
Eagles News: Boston Scott First running back in game while Kenneth Gainwell follows. Hunt to Eagles?
With Miles Sanders injured and Twitter rumors of Kareem Hunt as a trade target, the Eagles offense carried on with Scott and Gainwell. Although Hunt to Eagles makes sense in terms of team needs, the Eagles are unlikely to trade an asset and extend a running back while the Browns are unlikely give away a cheap asset that will likely result in a compensatory pick. The Eagles offensive line is more important to the rushing attack than the actual running back and rookie Cam Jurgens is part of the reason why this is a top-3 offensive line in most rankings. Scott started the game and averaged 3.3 YPC but 2.1 yard before contact and Gainwell averaged 4.2 YPC with 1.1 YBC. The Eagles were 2nd in the league in 2021 with 2.26 yard before contact and regardless of who the running back is should provide solid rushing stats. Gainwell averaged .5 yards more after contact per rush last year and outperformed Scott in the preseason game. Regardless of who starts, this backfield will remain a partial split and Scott should be selected in bestball drafts.
Bears News: Fields remains under pressure in second preseason start
This could be a common theme for Justin Fields in 2022 as he completed 5 of 7 passes but was under pressure on 50% of his drop backs against the Seahawks. Fields seems to be adapting under pressure as he was not sacked but he averaged 3.57 air yards per attempt.
Seahawks News: Rookie Charles Cross bright spot for Seattle offense
First round pick Charles Cross recording his second consecutive game without allowing a pressure. Cross has played 29 passing snaps in Week 2 and 23 pass blocking snaps in Week 1 and has not allowed a pressure.
Texans News: Texans using preseason to determine running back roles
Head Coach Lovie Smith stated that letting the running backs play in preseason will allow the coaches to determine who should start the season. Dameon Pierce has created buzz in camp and looked explosive in limited work in the Texans first pre-season.
Jets News: Jets running back duo usage to be rotated like Pokemon (Aug 17)
The New York Jets running back coach described the rotation between Breece Hall and Michael Carter as a game of Pokemon in which he will put out his next Pokemon. As seen in the first pre-season game Carter will cut into Hall’s workload early in the season.
Cardinals News: Cardinals practicing 4 wide sets, possible return of air raid offense (Aug 17)
The Cardinals have had practice reps with Marquise Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore and AJ Green in four wide receiver formations. This is a signal that Zach Ertz continues to be over-drafted for fantasy as his role will decrease once Hopkins returns from suspension.
Cowboys News: Rookie Tyler Smith plays 33 snaps as Cowboys rest the majority of offensive starters (Aug 13)
Rookie offensive lineman Tyler Smith played 33 snaps at left guard 19 of which were pass-blocking snaps. Smith allowed 1 pressure for a 5.3% pressure allowed rate in his rookie debut. The Cowboys’ offensive line has a wide range of outcomes and which will rely on health and Tyler Smith’s ability to progress as the season goes on.
Seahawks News: Kenneth Walker III plays an early-down role in Rashaad Penny’s absence (Aug 13)
Rookie Kenneth Walker had six touches in his preseason debut, however, only one carry came on third down. As seen in the past, the Seahawks rotated in Travis Homer who ran 7 routes on 8 third-down snaps. Whether Penny or Walker gets the bulk of the carries on early downs the ceiling for fantasy is limited as both backs have limited upside as pass-catchers on third downs or in the 2-minute offense.
Steelers News: Three Steelers quarterbacks combine for four touchdowns in post-Ben Roethlisberger era (Aug 13)
Mitchell Trubisky started and went 4/7 with one touchdown pass in his two drives in the opener. Trubisky was pressured on 62.5% of his dropbacks in his Steelers debut. Most of the offensive pass catchers did not play, however, George Pickens lived up to the college hype in his preseason debut as he caught three passes including a 26-yard touchdown grab. As for fantasy, George Pickens’s arrival could decrease both Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson’s target share.
Bills News: Isaiah McKenzie rests with starters while Jamison Crowder plays (Aug 13)
It’s early and Crowder had missed time in camp due to injury but Isaiah McKenzie is likely ahead of Crowder in the receiver depth chart right now. As far as running backs go, Devin Singletary had the night off, while James Cook and Zack Moss had three carries each. Singletary is likely to open the season as the early down back, but don’t rule James Cook out from eating to that workload throughout the season.
Colts News: Matt Ryan targets Michael Pittman on 30% of passes (Aug 13)
Matt Ryan played 19 snaps with the first team offense and dropped back to pass 11 times, but was sacked once. Pittman was targeted three times and played all 19 snaps with Ryan, while Parris Campbell played 16 snaps earning two targets and rookie Alec Pierce played 13 snaps earning two targets. Although a small sample size, after being pressured on 39.8% of dropbacks and averaging 2.62 seconds to throw in Atlanta last year, Ryan faced less pressure and had more time to throw as he faced pressure on 18% of dropbacks and averaged 2.74 seconds to throw. Ryan has a significant improvement in offense line this year and Michael Pittman is likely to see a high target share in this offense.
Bears News: Justin Fields lacks receiving weapons and pass blockers (Aug 13)
Justin Fields played two scoreless drives going 4/7 while taking 2 sacks and was pressured on 50% of his dropbacks according to TruMedia. Darnell Mooney and Equanimous St. Brown registered the most snaps at wide receiver while running back Khalil Herbert had the most targets. The offensive line which was ranked last in the league in the Sharp Football unit rankings lived up to that ranking as Fields was under pressure too often and sacked twice. Darnell Mooney will see a high rate of targets throughout the season, however, it will be difficult for him to score a high number of touchdowns as the Bears have a win total of 6.5.
Chiefs News: JuJu Smith-Schuster plays all 11 snaps on Patrick Mahomes only drive (Aug 13)
Mahomes led an 11-play touchdown drive going 6/7 passing. Newly signed wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was on the field for the entire drive whereas Marquez Valdez-Scantling was on the field for 9/11 plays and Mecole Hardman was on the field for 4/11 snaps. Rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore did not take a single snap with Mahomes. Moore will likely be a part-time player to start the season and will be unreliable in the early weeks of the fantasy season. As for the running backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire started the drive, which was to be expected, however, Isiah Pacheco was the 2nd back to take snaps with Mahomes and Jerick McKinnon also played a snap. Ronald Jones was relegated to snaps with the second-team offense. Darwin Thompson did not take snaps with the first team offense in his first pre-season game and played behind Carlos Hyde in 2019. This signals more than just training camp hype as this signals that Pacheco is likely to play a part in the offense.
Panthers News: Baker Mayfield’s only drive led to a field goal (Aug 13)
Mayfield started, played 12 snaps, and completed 4/7 passes. Of note, Chubba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman each played 6 snaps. Hubbard had 3 carries and ran 3 routes while Foreman ran 5 routes on his 6 snaps. Foreman is likely the handcuff back to own behind Christian McCaffrey as he would likely split carries with Hubbard but receive more of the passing down role if McCaffrey were to miss time. Also of note, the Panthers’ starting offense played multiple snaps without a tight end on the field.
Commanders News: Wentz played three drives in the preseason opener (Aug 13)
Wentz dropped back to pass 13 times and rookie wideout Johan Dotson ran a route on all 13 dropbacks. Although Dotson had no targets he ran a route on the lone pass with two tight-ends on the field. Early signal is Dotson will play in most situations and his stock should be rising in fantasy drafts. As for Antonio Gibson an early fumble limited his time with the first team offense and Brian Robinson took carries on the next drive. J.D. McKissic was also involved and ran routes on third downs. This backfield is murky as McKissic is likely to play on third downs and early downs could be split and both Gibson and Robinson would be touchdown dependent.
Cowboys News: Cowboys Offensive line struggles in first joint practice (Aug 11)
After losing Connor Williams to free agency and releasing La’el Collins, the once-dominant offensive line becomes a possible concern for the Cowboys. Connor McGovern played ahead of first-round pick Tyler Smith but it was clear that the line struggled against the Broncos pass rush. The Cowboys are likely to see regression in terms of turn-overs created by the defense and offensive line struggles could be a signal that the Cowboys are over-valued in terms of the betting market and over-drafted in fantasy football.
Ravens News: Injuries continue to be a storyline in Baltimore (Aug 11)
After the entire team was decimated by injuries last year, the trend continues early into camp again this year. Although no definitive long-term injuries have occurred at camp, the volume of players missing camp is starting to stack up. An already thin receiving core has is missing both top options as Rashod Bateman has missed consecutive practices and Devin Duvernay has missed a week of training camp. The offensive line has questions as rookie Tyler Linderbaum has conflicting reports on his injury timetable and Ronnie Stanley is still rehabbing his ankle surgery. On the plus side, J.K. Dobbins appears to be progressing and could potentially play in Week 1. This situation will need to be monitored closely and the Ravens could be in the market for a veteran wide receiver, if Duvernay continues to miss practice time.
Texans News: Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead listed as co-starters on Texans depth chart (Aug 9)
Although Dameon Pierce is listed behind the veteran running backs, potential upside exists for the fourth-round draft pick. New offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton has been implementing a quick passing dink and dunk offense which could feature an increase in early down running back passes. The Texans ran the ball at the third highest rate on first down despite ranking last in EPA/rush and an increased passing rate on early downs should be expected. Burkhead is likely to start as the third-down back leaving early down work up for grabs between Mack and Pierce.
49ers News: Jimmy Garoppolo is listed 4th on the quarterback depth chart (Aug 9)
In case it wasn’t clear, this is Trey Lance’s team. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has done a great job of removing the Garoppolo distraction for Lance in case of early season struggles. It is important to remember that Lance only had 318 passing attempts in college and it could take time for the second-year quarterback to develop. As for fantasy, Lance has a rushing floor and three elite receiving weapons in George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and could post a top 6 QB season with limited passing attempts.
Buccaneers News: Interior offensive line remains a work in progress (Aug 9)
Tampa Bay will have 3 new starters on the interior of the offensive line to start the season and the starting left guard position is up for grabs. Aaron Stinnie, Nick Leverett and Brandon Walton are all competing to fill the hole left by Ali Marpet’s retirement. This situation needs to be monitored for fantasy purposes as the Buccaneers starting five played the most snaps of any unit in the league last year and Tom Brady was only pressured on 20.6% of dropbacks and had a 3.4% sack rate. The 45-year-old quarterback will likely see an increase in interior pressure in 2022 as he faces a top ten schedule of pass rushes.
Chiefs News: Crowded backfield competition behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Aug 9)
Rookie Isiah Pacheco is creating buzz at Chiefs camp, however, the path to playing time is not guaranteed. The Chiefs resigned Jerick McKinnon, signed Ronald Jones and Derrick Gore remains. What is clear is that Edwards-Helaire has been the first back in 11-on-11’s. Pachecho is receiving hype similar to that of Darwin Thompson in 2020, the training camp sensation who finished the year with 27 carries for under 100 yards. It is important to note that Pachecho is a different prospect than Thompson as Pachecho has explosive 4.37 speed and lead back size, potential breakout exists but he is still behind multiple veteran backs.
Titans News: 5th-round receiver Kyle Philips receiving positive attention as 1st-round receiver Treylon Burks does the opposite (Aug 8)
Kyle Philips has the potential to be the starting slot receiver for the Titans, whereas it is reported Burks is practicing with the 2nd and 3rd team offense. Camp noise continues for Burks but he is clearly the rookie receiver to target from the Titans for fantasy drafts as the Titans had two or fewer receivers on the field for 41% of snaps in 2021, which doesn’t bode well for the undersized slot receiver Phillips.
Jaguars News: James Robinson continues to make progress in return from Achilles injury (Aug 8)
Robinson, who tore his Achilles in December, took his first reps with Trevor Lawrence catching a pass and taking a handoff from the second-year quarterback.
Bills News: Pair of offensive line starters return to practice (Aug 8)
The entire starting offensive line has not practiced together early in training camp. Both starting left guard Rodger Saffold and right tackle Spencer Brown have practiced for consecutive days.
Bengals News: Joe Mixon potentially in line for increased targets (Aug 7)
Head coach Zac Taylor stated the Bengals will hold back Mixon in training camp as he is a work-horse back and could see an increase in targets this year.
Cardinals News: Eno Benjamin potential change of pace/third down role (Aug 6)
Benjamin could play a similar role similar to that of Chase Edmonds in the 2020 Cardinals offense.
Buccaneers News: Wide receiver Chris Godwin returns to practice and Mike Evans exits practice early (Aug 5)
Godwin suited up in pads for the first time since tearing his ACL in December. Not all news was good for Buccaneers’ receivers as Mike Evans left practice early with an apparent hamstring injury.
Cardinals News: Wide receiver Marquise Brown and tight end Maxx Williams practice (Aug 4)
Hollywood Brown was arrested for speeding on Wednesday and had yet to practice from an offseason injury. Maxx Williams was activated from the PUP.
Falcons News: Tyler Allgeier most consistent running back in pads (Aug 4)
The Falcons have 136 vacated rushes and 58 vacated targets from Mike Davis and early in camp rookie running back Tyler Allgeir has impressed as a runner.
Bills News: Isaiah McKenzie continues to work ahead of Jamison Crowder (Aug 4)
Crowder returned from injury, but McKenzie continues to impress during camp as he earned praise from Josh Allen.
Cowboys News: Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard on field at same time (Aug 4)
With the injuries to Michael Gallup and James Washington, Cowboys have been lining up both running backs on the field. A couple of plays Cowboys starting running back blocked for back up running back Tony Pollard.
Broncos News: Russell Wilson has more freedom at line of scrimmage (Aug 4)
Head coach Nathaniel Hackett discussed that he and Wilson will both be involved in calling plays in 2-minute drill. Collaboration between head coach and starting quarterback seems strong early on in camp.
Broncos News: Wide receiver Tim Patrick out for 2022 season (Aug 2)
Tim Patrick tore his ACL after making a catch in practice. It’s former 2nd round pick KJ Hamler’s time to ride in Denver in the WR3 spot.
Falcons News: Bryan Edwards remains in non-contact jersey (Aug 2)
After injuring his shoulder last week in practice, Edwards has returned to practice but in a non-contact jersey.
Bills News: Safety Jordan Poyer injures elbow (Aug 2)
Poyer hyperextend his elbow and is expected to miss a few weeks.
Panthers News: Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold continue to split snaps with starters (Aug 2)
Although Mayfield is healthy, Rhule states that he will continue to mix in both quarterbacks while installing the new offense.
Chiefs News: Isiah Pacheco making an early impression at Chiefs camp (Aug 1)
Rookie running back Pachecho has been in rotation with the starting offense and playing in the slot.
Chargers News: Training camp battle for RB2 (Aug 1)
2022 draft pick Isiah Spiller continues to battle for RB2 with Joshua Kelley & Larry Roundtree.
Cowboys News: James Washington fractures right foot (Aug 1)
Washington will undergo surgery on Tuesday and is expected to miss at least two months. CeeDee Lamb is now the only active wide receiver on the roster with an NFL touchdown.
Saints News: Tight-End Adam Trautman busy at practice (Aug 1)
Early in camp, Trautman leads all Saints receivers in targets and receptions.
Rams News: Van Jefferson requires second knee surgery (Aug 1)
Jefferson is scheduled for knee surgery on Tuesday and will miss multiple weeks. This opens up competition for a starting wide receiver spot for Tutu Atwell and Ben Skowronek.
