Fantasy Football Winners And Losers From The NFL's Preseason Week 2

Michael Fabiano | Aug 18, 2025

Bears QB Caleb Williams looked great in his preseason Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills. / David Banks-Imagn Images

The second week of the 2025 NFL Preseason is now in the books, so you know what time it is, fantasy fans … overreaction Monday! Here’s my list of 10 fantasy “winners” and 10 “losers,” all of which need to be taken with a grain of salt and in some cases, and entire pillar!

Still, there are plenty of notes and nuggets in this article that you should keep in mind heading into the third week of preseason action. So … sit back, relax and get ready to overreact (not really, but you know how fantasy fans can be)!

Week 2 Preseason Winners

Caleb Williams, QB, Bears: Williams looked great in limited snaps, completing six of 10 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Bills. It did come against some Buffalo backups, but it’s still notable since Williams has been up and down in training camp. He’s one of my favorite breakout candidates among quarterbacks.

Colston Loveland, TE, Bears: Loveland was involved in the pass attack with the first-team offense, catching two passes for 26 yards. While he did share work with Cole Kmet, it was good to finally see Loveland out there making plays. He’s a potential breakout player at the tight end spot, though the Bears have a lot of mouths to feed.

TreVeyon Henderson, RB Patriots: Henderson continued to impress in camp and the preseason, rushing for 20 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. This follows him returning a kick for 100 yards in the first preseason week, so the hype is going wild. In fact, he’s now being drafted as an RB2 based on ADP data. I’m still skeptical with Rhamondre Stevenson the projected starter, but Henderson’s on the rise.

Jaylen Warren, RB, Steelers: Warren hasn’t played during the preseason, which indicates he’ll be the Steelers Week 1 starter. What’s more, Kenneth Gainwell has played ahead of rookie Kaleb Johnson. If this continues, Warren should be drafted ahead of Johnson (right now, Johnson is going around 14 spots ahead of him).

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Browns: Judkins still hasn’t signed with the Browns, but we did get an update on his status. Prosecutors have declined to file a formal misdemeanor battery charge against him, clearing the way for Judkins to join the team and get his NFL career started. He could still face some sort of league discipline, but we can put all the, “he won’t play for the Browns this season” nonsense behind us.

Tank Bigsby, RB, Jaguars: Bigsby got the start for the Jaguars and even got some love as a pass catcher, while Travis Etienne Jr. played as a third-down back on the first series. While Etienne Jr. started the first preseason game, it’s becoming glaringly obvious that this will be a backfield committee … and Bigsby might be the starter. When you consider he’s going after Etienne Jr. in drafts, Bigsby might be the player to target.

Tyler Warren, TE, Colts: Warren continued to play big snaps with the first-team offense, catching three passes for 25 yards. After two weeks, it’s pretty clear that he’ll be largely involved in the team’s pass attack. I’m not sure he’ll be Sam LaPorta or Brock Bowers, but Warren should play a big role in the Colts offense in Year 1. He has TE1 potential during his rookie season and is one of my favorite tight end breakouts.

Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Lions: TeSlaa should be on your fantasy radar after he recorded four catches, 41 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins. He’s now looked good in both preseason games and is making his push up the Lions depth chart. I don’t think he’ll pass Tim Patrick to start the season, but TeSlaa is worth watching.

Jaxson Dart, QB, Giants: Dart looked great once again, completing 14 of 16 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Jets. That comes after he completed 12 of 19 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown in the first week of the preseason, so Dart is rising. Does that mean he’ll pass Russell Wilson on the depth chart for Week 1? No, but I’d be shocked if Dart doesn’t start games during his rookie year.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Commanders: Jordan Schultz has reported that Washington could look to trade Brian Robinson Jr., which would open the door for Croskey-Merritt to be in a backfield committee with Austin Ekeler. Obviously, this is a situation you need to watch, and Croskey-Merritt needs to be on your radar.

Dolphins RB De'Von Achane will miss some practice time due to a soft tissue injury. / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Week 2 Preseason Losers

De’Von Achane, RB, Dolphins: I’m not super worried about Achane yet, but he is dealing with a “soft tissue injury” that could keep him out for a bit. Adam Schefter said that the Dolphins believe he’ll be fine for Week 1, but managers need to keep tabs on Achane over the next few days and months. He’s still a first-round pick.

Breece Hall, RB, Jets: Is a committee coming to New York? Hall, for the second straight week, shared the workload with Braelon Allen. When you also consider that new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand was with the Lions last season … who use two backs in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery … and you have to wonder if this will be the same in the Big Apple. Regardless, Hall’s stock is in question.

Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jaguars: See Bigsby above … if you’re confident that Etienne Jr. will be a featured back in the Jaguars offense, you should think again. In fact, this looks like a backfield committee much like it was this past season.

Kaleb Johnson, RB, Steelers: As I mentioned earlier, Johnson looks to be behind Warren and Gainwell on the Steelers' depth chart. There are reports that he’s been bad in terms of pass protection, which is obviously a big problem when your quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is 41 years old. Clearly, Johnson’s stock is starting to fall.

Nick Chubb, RB, Texans: Chubb got the start for the Texans in the absence of Joe Mixon, who remains out of action. That could mean he’s the favorite to start in Week 1, but reports suggest he’s been splitting work with Dameon Pierce in practice. So, while Chubb might top the depth chart while Mixon is out, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be a featured back. In fact, I’d guess that a committee will emerge in Houston.

Quentin Johnston, WR, Chargers: Johnston took a big hit against the Rams, resulting in a concussion. With Keenan Allen back on the team and the emergence of KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Johnston could fall behind a bit if he’s forced to miss the rest of camp and the preseason. Regardless, there’s now a lot of mouths to feed.

MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Packers: Lloyd suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to miss some time as a result, so his role as Josh Jacobs’ handcuff is in question. He’s had hammy issues since joining the Packers, so Lloyd has lost some of his luster. In fact, it looks like Emanuel Wilson will be backing Jacobs up to start the year.  

Tyler Goodson, RB, Colts: Goodson suffered an elbow injury against the Packers and could be in danger of missing time. His absence would open the door for D.J. Giddens to potentially earn the backup role for the Colts, behind Jonathan Taylor. That would make Giddens a popular late-round handcuff in fantasy drafts.

A.J. Dillon, RB, Eagles: If you’re looking for Saquon Barkley’s fantasy handcuff, it looks like it could be Will Shipley, not Dillon. Shipley played the first quarter and into the second in the preseason opener, but this week he was rested while Dillon played. With Barkley coming off a season with a massive workload, it’s a smart move for fantasy fans to keep tabs on this battle over the next few weeks before Week 1.

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Browns: Gabriel wasn't awful in his last preseason game, completing 13 of 18 passes for 143 with an interception. However, head coach Kevin Stefanski has named Joe Flacco as the team's Week 1 starter, so Gabriel won't have any redraft value (not that he had much previously, but now it's confirmed).