NFL Preseason Friday: Tetairoa McMillan & 7 More Rookies to Watch Tonight
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Week 1 of the NFL Preseason continues on tonight with another trio of games. The Detroit Lions face the Atlanta Falcons. Cleveland Browns face the Carolina Panthers. The Washington Commanders face the New England Patriots. Each of these teams are going to put on a nice rookie display and so we dive into some current/future fantasy relevant items to watch on the slate.
Isaac TeSlaa - WR - Detroit Lions - 3rd Round
Isaac TeSlaa had a fantastic rookie debut at the Hall of Fame Game. He hauled in three receptions for 46 yards with a long haul of 24 yards. It was limited playing time as you will see, but this was a great stat line for the snap count he was provided. TeSlaa seems to be loved by the fans as well as the coaching staff. He sits as the clear 4th WR on the Lions depth chart.
Atlanta Falcons - NO NOTABLE ROOKIES ON DISPLAY
Harold Fannin Jr - TE - Cleveland Browns - 3rd Round
Fannin Jr was drafted as a depth piece to David Njoku. He surely will not overtake him on this roster, but success equals playing time. If Harold Fannin Jr has a nice camp, they will get him involved in the offense. 2-TE sets? Sure. I doubt Fannin holds any fantasy relevance this year, but Njoku may very well be gone after this season making Fannin a potential dynasty option down the road.
Dylan Sampson - RB - Cleveland Browns - 4th Round
While Quinshon Judkins is out due to legal issues, Dylan Sampson has all the opportunity in the world. He is currently competing with Jerome Ford for playing time. This preseason is going to tell a lot about how this depth chart will shape up. Sampson may very well earn a main role with a great preseason. He is currently being valued just slightly behind Jerome Ford in ADP.
Tetairoa McMillan - WR - Carolina Panthers - 1st Round
Tet McMillan is a hot commodity in fantasy football. He was the first WR taken in the NFL draft and will be the clear-cut WR1 on this offense. He is a big body that will go up and get the ball. It will be fun to see if McMillan makes any highlight-worthy catches in his limited debut tonight. McMillan is currently being picked at about Round Five of fantasy football drafts.
Spoke to someone with the #Panthers about rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan and the early returns have been glowing.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 31, 2025
“He’s been even better than advertised — smooth, explosive, and already gaining trust from the QBs. You can’t take your eyes off him at practice because he’s making so… pic.twitter.com/gX6H4ud69J
Trevor Etienne - RB - Carolina Panthers - 4th Round
It was quite suprising to see the Panthers draft another running back. They signed Chuba Hubbard to an extension and bring in Rico Dowdle to back him up. Jonathan Brooks is also on the team, but out indefinitely with injury. Perhaps they added Trevor Etienne as a depth piece, but the 4th round is quite surprising. I am not sure what value Etienne may provide for fantasy, but he can be a nice DFS option tonight as he should likely see much playing time.
Jaylin Lane - WR - Washington Commanders - 4th Round
Another deeper player tonight is Jaylin Lane. To be blunt, he has no role in this offense. He has not been a standout in camp, and Lane projects to be a special teams asset. The Commanders lack much in terms of rookies tonight. If you are a Commanders fan, I would just keep an eye out for any promising returns on kickoff.
Kyle Williams - WR - New England Patriots - 4th Round
This Patriots WR room is stuffed with talent. Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, then Kyle Williams. Kyle Williams had a massive season at Washington State which lead to his 4th round status. 70 Rec, 1,198 Yds, 14 Touchdowns. He is a very good ball player and with this unstable Patriots depth chart, Williams can rise as high as WR2 on this roster. Tonight is an opportunity for him to stand out.
TreVeyon Henderson - RB - New England Patriots - 2nd Round
TreVeyon Henderson is one of the most hyped rookies around. He is lighting up camp and very well putting Rhamondre Stevenson up against the wall. The Ohio State alum has a lot to offer and it will be on display tonight. Williams is one of my top breakout candidates, so I am especially looking forward to seeing what he has to offer. Surely, it will be better than Ashton Jeanty's stat-line last night.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.