Cam Ward Looks Bad, Topping a List of 8 Fantasy Football Preseason Fallers

The NFL preseason has put pressure on some of its fantasy football prospects who are enduring early missteps.

Aug 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws a pass during a game against the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the NFL preseason underway, changes will begin to take place. Depth charts will shift, and while some players benefit, others take the big hit. We have already found some "fallers" in the game of fantasy football. These are depreciating assets, although they could eventually be valuable in the long term. This is information well worth knowing.

Tony Pollard

Our original projections have already shifted in Tennessee. The expectation was that Pollard would have a 2-to-1 snap-split over Tyjae Spears. According to the Titans' first preseason game, that may be wrong. Pollard was out-snapped 13-to-9 by Spears when the first-team offense was on the field. Spears also shone with 8.8 yards per attempt.

Andrei Iosivas

Iosivas has held onto the WR3 job in Cincinnati for multiple years. He may finally be under attack as rookie Colbie Young is making an impact. Young is not only making an impact at training camp, but he tied for the team lead in targets against the Detroit Lions. Young had 4 targets for 2 receptions and 28 yards, featuring a 20-yard longest catch.

Neither Iosvias nor Young remain relevant in fantasy football, but they can be handcuffs, and Young doesn't have much higher upside.

Isaac TeSlaa

How did Isaac TeSlaa not catch this? pic.twitter.com/TiB1fRGo0I

— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) August 13, 2026

A simple, quick slant bounced off of Teslaa's hands in their first preseason game. That bounce led to a Bengals interception. There is much concern about Teslaa in fantasy football. He is being drafted as a top-150 player, meanwhile Greg Dortch is licking his chops as a new signing brought over from Arizona, with Drew Petzing.

Kaleb Johnson

Dynasty owners, it might be time to throw in the towel. Johnson's rookie season flopped worse than anyone could have expected. In the Steelers' first preseason game, Johnson recorded just two rushing attempts for 3 yards. Eli Heidenreich earned himself 9 attempts for 21 yards, and 5th-string running back Lew Nichols led the team with 10 attempts for 36 yards. Even Travis Homer had 4 rushing attempts. It is clear that the Steelers are not invested in Johnson as an option.

Cam Ward

A popular sleeper pick, Ward might be someone to take pause on. He made a handful of indecisive plays against the 49ers. Ward's stat line was 5 completions on 12 passing attempts. Robert Saleh even chimed in, stating, "It felt like his decisions were right; it just felt like he was a little sped up." This also bodes poorly for rookie Carnell Tate.

Makai Lemon

There is broad speculation that Lemon might have had this hamstring injury for quite some time. It is among the worst soft-tissue ailments a player can deal with. Meanwhile, Dontayvion Wicks is lighting up training camp. Wicks, who joins the Eagles, is a familiar face to new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. The rookie may easily become the Eagles' WR3.

Josh Jacobs and Puka Nacua

Both players are dealing with small injuries at training camp. They both seem likely to play Week 1, but it is something to keep an eye on.

The bigger issue at hand is lingering suspension. Adam Schefter reported that both Nacua and Jacobs are not in the clear for a potential suspension to begin the season. For now, we would draft them at ADP until further notice. Even if either player happened to miss one game, the net loss is not as drastic to your season as one might think.