Fabs's Fantasy Football Winners and Losers From Preseason Week 1

Ranks: QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K | Top 200

The first week of the NFL preseason is in the books, and there was plenty of hype, overreaction, and social media reaction. Heck, it would seem Ty Simpson is suddenly the second coming of Joe Montana, Cam Ward is a dud and Isaiah Likely’s usage has folks in the fantasy world freaking out.

All I can say is … settle down, Beavis!

Preseason action can be useful, of course, but if you’re moving players up or down your fantasy rankings based on one exhibition game, your rankings probably needed some work. That said, there are definitely some players and scenarios we should monitor over the next three weeks. Take these with a grain of salt, but keep them in the back of your mind moving forward.

Note: ADP data is from FootballGuys.

Week 1 Preseason Fantasy Winners

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Browns (RB21, ADP - 48): According to PFF, Judkins took 80% of the snaps with the starters in the Browns’ preseason opener. He played eight snaps and was on the field for all of the early-down and short-yardage situations. Dylan Sampson was the clear No. 2 back. I have been on the Judkins bandwagon dating back to his rookie year, and I’m even more in on him this season. He could be a bargain as a fourth- or fifth-round selection.

De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, 49ers (WR62, ADP - 156): Stribling caught seven passes for 63 yards in his debut, playing three drives and running 15 routes, per PFF. The Niners are all banged up at wideout, as Ricky Pearsall (knee) is already out for the season, and Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and others have been slowed by various ailments. Per PFF, Stribling lined up in the slot (14 plays) more often than out wide (8), so he could push Kirk for that role. Regardless, he’s moving up draft boards and should be considered in the late rounds as a No. 5 fantasy wideout.

KC Concepcion (WR52, ADP - 125) & Denzel Boston, WRs, Browns (WR58, ADP - 145): Concepcion and Boston appear to both be starters in Cleveland—both rookies were listed as starters on the team’s unofficial depth chart—along with Jerry Jeudy. Concepcion was the most impressive of the two, as he caught three passes for 27 yards and scored a touchdown on a 14-yard rush. I have both rookies ranked ahead of Jeudy, who could be a trade candidate in the coming months, making each of them worth late-round picks as No. 4 or 5 fantasy receivers.

Five Wide Receivers I Can’t Stop Drafting In My Fantasy Football Leagues!@SInow pic.twitter.com/GMHl4zkpMM
— Michael Fabiano (@Michael_Fabiano) July 30, 2026

Caleb Douglas (WR91, ADP - 231) & Malik Washington, WRs, Dolphins (WR70, ADP - 177): Douglas and Washington appear to be the top two wideouts on the Dolphins' depth chart. Per PFF, they were on the field for all snaps in 11, 12 and 21 personnel. I’ve already been on board with the veteran as a late-round dart throw in an unimpressive group of Miami receivers, but Douglas now appears to be on the redraft radar as a late dart throw in larger fantasy leagues.

Ja’kobi Lane, WR, Ravens (WR81, ADP - 215): Neither Zay Flowers nor Rashod Bateman played in Baltimore’s first preseason game, which opened the door for Lane and Devontez Walker to see first-half action. Per PFF, Lane lined up mostly as the X receiver, while Walker spent more of his time at Z. Lane was most impressive, catching three passes for 38 yards and scoring a touchdown. This doesn’t make him a must-draft player in seasonal leagues, but it does put him on the radar. Notably for dynasty fans, fellow Ravens receiver Elijah Sarratt didn’t enter the game until the fifth drive.

Week 1 Preseason Fantasy Losers

Jordyn Tyson, WR, Saints (WR35, ADP - 73): Tyson, whose major red flag coming out of college was his proneness to injuries, suffered a right hamstring injury during practice last Thursday. The injury could affect his status for the start of the regular season and, for me at least, pushes him down the rankings. In fact, I’m not buying him at his current ADP. On a positive note, this makes veteran wideout Chris Olave more valuable in drafts after he busted out last season. He’s locked into being a second-round selection in most leagues.

Tony Pollard, RB, Titans (RB28, ADP - 74): Could a committee be emerging in the Titans’ backfield? Per PFF, Pollard and Tyjae Spears shared the workload against the 49ers. Pollard got the start and played six snaps on the first drive, with Spears playing five snaps. This might not indicate a full 50-50 split once the regular season begins, but it's notable nonetheless.

Cam Ward, QB, Titans (QB25, ADP - 164): Ward is one of the most popular sleepers in all of fantasy football at quarterback, but his first preseason performance was not encouraging. He completed only 5 of 12 passes for 57 yards, and that came against San Francisco’s backups. I’m not going to overreact to this performance, but Ward needs to show some glimpses of the player who was the top overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Don’t move him down … yet.

Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Jets (WR64, ADP - 165): Cooper appears to be buried on the depth chart, as he didn’t play with the starters in the Jets’ preseason opener. Instead, it was Isaiah Williams who looked like their main slot receiver. If this continues and Cooper is no better than fourth in the pecking order, the rookie won’t even be on the late-round radar in redraft leagues.

Oronde Gadsden, TE, Chargers (TE20, ADP - 154): Gadsden, who was already on my tight ends bust list, could find himself in a three-way committee in Los Angeles. While he was active, Charlie Kolar and David Njoku didn’t play against the Texans. That could be telling. Gadsden, who struggles as a blocker, can no longer be viewed as the Chargers’ locked-in starting tight end, so drafting him as even a No. 2 fantasy option could be a problem.

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