Pre-Season Week 1 Breakdown + more

Week 1 of the pre-season is down in the rearview, and there’s a lot to get into. We’re coming atcha with reads on open opportunities, the biggest performances, and some disappointments. Then Dynasty Detour Jesse clues us into a stat that shows which RBs are the most situation-proof. Let’s hit the Detour.

-- Dynasty Detour Ryan

📝 Pre-Season Week 1 Breakdown

A look at who shined and who disappointed in what we determined to be the most impactful games of Week 1 👀 

🏈 Jaguars vs. Steelers 

Though we didn’t get to see Rodgers and Metcalf suit, there was still plenty to take away from this one, especially looking at the new look Jags. Here are the guys that jumped out to me most, for better or worse ⬇️ 

🐆 Bhayshul Tuten - 5 drives with 2nd/3rd team | 6 carries for 24 yds & 1 TD , 2/2 rec for 18 yds

• Tuten looked like the explosive weapon many thought him capable of being. Though he had the most field time of any RB and the backfield’s only score, Tuten will have to supplant RB2 Tank Bigsby, who looked the most athletic he ever has, to see serious work the next few years.

🐆 Travis Hunter - 1 drive with 1st team | 2/2 rec for 9 yds

• Hunter looked polished on his routes and dangerous with the ball in his hands, especially on a tunnel screen called back for a penalty. He was scripted heavily into the first drive, which makes me feel even better about his role in the offense. His one drive on each side of the ball indicates starter treatment, which is good, but didn’t let us see if he will be able to play practically every snap on offense like he did on Saturday.

🟡 Kaleb Johnson - 4 drives with 1st*/2nd* team | 8 carries for 20 yds , 1/2 rec for 6 yds

• Johnson could’ve looked better, but we were seeing him in a completely different offense than we’ll see Week 1. Johnson bounced one run outside for a solid gain, but otherwise was unremarkable. The offense appears to be shaping up to be even more run heavy than thought, but again, pieces were missing.

We won’t see much, or probably any, of Rodgers this offseason, so the Steelers WR2 battle will loom until the season starts. Even still, there won’t be much volume to go around.

🏈 Titans vs. Buccaneers

Cam Ward and the new look Titans took to the field for the first time against a Buccaneers team that didn’t give us a whole lot to talk about from a fantasy perspective. Here were my thoughts from the debut ⬇️ 

⚔️ Cam Ward - 2 drives with the 1st team | 5/8 for 67 yds , 0 TD 0 INT

Ward wasn’t perfect but I thought he saw the field well and showed great chemistry with Calvin Ridley, who looked really strong as well. We may not see immediate fantasy output from Ward, but I think the team will come together with time and lead him to a solid year 1 finish.

What I really wanted to see was who’s becoming the WR2 for this Titans offense, but was not particularly moved by Tyler Lockett or rookies Elic Ayomanor or Chimere Dike. Bucs rookie WR Emeka Egbuka looked sharp, to no surprise, though we did not get to see how he fits in with Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, or Chris Godwin yet.

🏈 Patriots vs. Commanders

The Commanders kept their first team on the sideline, but the Patriots gave us two drives of Drake Maye and company to look at. Here’s what I saw ⬇️ 

🔵 TreVeyon Henderson - 2 drives with 1st team | 1 carries for 18 yds , 3/3 rec for 12 yds , KRTD

• Henderson set off his NFL career with a bang as he took a kick return to the crib on his first NFL touch. This has largely overshadowed that I think every single touch he got was impressive. Absurd acceleration, a nose for contact, and natural receiving ability just start the list for what I saw from Henderson. I will say Rhamondre Stevenson looks much more athletic than last year, so Henderson will have a harder path to increasing his role, but few players in the NFL look like he did with the ball in their hands.

🔴 Michael Gallup - 2 drives with 2nd team | 2/6 rec for 27 yds

• The Commanders gave all of their many receivers a chance to prove themselves with the starters out. Gallup was the team’s most targeted wideout in this game and looked really solid in the few drives he had to work with. Gallup is the only one of the pack to have contributed significantly at the NFL level, and I think he could see real opportunities in the season, especially with McLaurin’s holdout potentially extending into the season. Definitely worth a waiver add.

Patriots UDFA WR Efton Chism caught six of his eight targets for 50 yards as well in this one running with the 2nd/3rd team. He has been getting great buzz in camp and looked great in this one, though he seems to be sixth on the depth chart for now. By preseason’s end he could easily be fourth and an injury to one of the Pats clear top three WRs away from solid snap counts during the season. Monitor him as well.

🏈 Browns vs. Panthers

The banged up Browns QB room forced the team to turn to a controversial signal caller, plus a coveted Panthers pass catcher had some highs and lows. My take below ⬇️ 

🟤 Shedeur Sanders - 9 drives with 2nd team | 14/23 for 138 yds , 2 TD 0 INT

• 5th round pick Shedeur Sanders heard the noise, and showed out. His first three drives were not particularly great: three-and-out, turnover on downs, punt. But then, after the Browns recovered a muffed punt on the Carolina 10, something special happened. Sanders guided a seemingly impossible touchdown pass to WR Kaden Davis. This was our first glimpse of what Sanders could be. I’m starting to warm up to the possibility Sanders could start some games for this Browns team. And maybe he’s the long term answer. I’d wait and see what we get from him the rest of the preseason before buying (even if the price may go up a bit).

🔵 Tet McMillan - 5 drives with 1st/2nd team | 2/5 rec for 43 yds

• Tet McMillan is clearly going to be a key player (maybe the key player) in the Panthers offense this season. However, his first game had a couple of ups and downs. He had a beautiful over the shoulder contested catch on a 30 yard peach from Bryce Young early in the first quarter. This is the kind of stuff we should get used to seeing. Later on in the quarter, Young fired in a seed to McMillan in the endzone, who ran a beautiful short route and did everything right — except catching the ball. Later, McMillan had another tight-window drop early in the second quarter which wasn’t great. It’s good to get these drops out of the way early — I’m not overly concerned. But I do want to keep track of this trend. Even first round star prospects have to earn their QB and coach’s trust.

Other notable performances:

• The Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles starting lineup is set and won’t see much of the field this pre-season. That said Tanner McKee balled out for the Eagles to the tune of 252 yards and 3 total TDs. Much of this went to Darius Cooper, who hauled in 6 catches for 82 yards and a beautiful touchdown catch. These two likely won’t see much with the Eagles, but should either be moved, I’m immediately looking into it. Will Shipley also played an amazing game and looks to be beating AJ Dillon for the RB2 role. Definitely worth an add behind a historically injury prone Saquon Barkley.

• Tyler Shough (QB NO) - Shough got four drives with the second teamers and looked much more poised and much more capable of generating explosive plays than current “starter” Spencer Rattler, who got the first two drives. Shough doesn’t figure to be a long term starter in this league, but this makes me feel even better about him as an add for a contending team in need of QB depth.

• Jaxson Dart (QB NYG) - Big Blue took down the Bills in the battle of NYC vs. New York State. We saw all four Giants QBs, but Dart stood out above the rest. Dart’s number was called in the middle of the 1st quarter, running four drives with the second team. Sure, he had a pair of clearly inaccurate passes and nearly had a pick from a tipped pass at the line, but otherwise Dart was awesome. His beautiful 28 yard dime to Lil’Jordan Humphrey may be remembered for a long time by the Giants Faithful.

• LaJontay Wester (WR BAL) and Keaton Mitchell (RB BAL) - The two young Ravens stood out during Thursday’s game against the Colts. Mitchell rumbled for a 22 yard tuff TD. He finished with 9 carries, 68 yards, and that TD. The 23 year old will be one to watch as Derrick Henry’s understudy this season. Wester, a 2025 sixth round pick out of Colorado, showed remarkable elusiveness and speed during his electric first quarter punt return. He finished as Baltimore’s leading receiver, converting his 2 receptions into 41 yards. That WR room is crowded, but Wester could be a fun one to watch.

-- Dynasty Detour Ryan + Dynasty Detour Jesse using the power of friendship

🧠 Driver’s ED: Dynasty Theory Deep Dive

Let’s dive into a key RB stat — and what it could mean for your dynasty team’s future 🔮

When evaluating talent in dynasty formats, you want players whose impact transcends volume or context. One stat that consistently separates difference-makers from storylines? Missed Tackles Forced (MTF). Let’s zero in on the 2024 RB MTF leaders and what they mean for long-term value.

What Is MTF?

Why is MTF worth paying attention to?

MTF is one of the clearest on-field indicators of a running back’s ability to create yards independently of blocking. 

Think about it – offensive line play and scheme can fluctuate year to year, elusiveness tends to be a more stable, repeatable skill. Backs who consistently rank high in MTF can sustain production even when blocking breaks down, increasing both their weekly floor and long-term fantasy value. 

MTF is especially important to pay attention to in Dynasty, since situations can change from year-to-year.

2024 MTF Leaders (per PFF)

Dynasty Takeaways

• 🟣 Derrick Henry is different. Maybe this year will be the year he finally slows down. But last year his tackle elusiveness was top-tier.

  • Dynasty Take: I think this is not the year the wheels fall off, but I do think he finishes lower than RB3. Keep him if you’re a contender.

• 🔴 Bucky Irving is legit. I mean it’s clear the dynasty community believes in him (RB7 on KeepTradeCut) – but wow he is so good. And a high MTF indicates that maybe he’s not as scheme dependent as people think.

  • Dynasty Take: Keep him if you have him. Per ESPN’s Graziano, “Irving is viewed by people in the building as special enough to warrant a high-volume RB1 role. That includes pass-catching work.” If you want to buy him, he’ll cost a pretty penny (about a 2027 Early 1st). Only do this if your team has all the pieces to win around him. 

• 🟢 Tank Bigsby has motion. Honestly, I was surprised with how elusive he showed up in the data. There’s a lot of talk about this Jags RB room and how wide open it is…

  • Dynasty Take: With Bigsby taking the second set of snaps in the Jags preseason game (and the reporting I’ve heard from camp), I think he’s the underdog to be the RB1 on the team. I think that is a golden buying opportunity. He’s currently underpriced, costing just around a 2026 Mid 2nd. I’d take a shot at that price, given his elite elusiveness and potential opportunity in the Jaguars’ muddled backfield.

-- Dynasty Detour Jesse

A lot to digest, but we’re happy to chew it up for you. Stay tuned for another Preseason Pulse newsletter this time next week, and be sure to follow us @dynastydetour on Instagram and X/Twitter to get our reactions and opinions in between issues, as well as email us with any questions at [email protected]. See you out on the road 🚘️.