NFL Preseason Week 3: The Bears offense looks like it's coming together, plus more fantasy football takeaways

https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/article/nfl-preseason-week-3-the-bears-offense-looks-like-its-coming-together-plus-more-fantasy-football-takeaways-142319756.html

Chicago’s Week 3 preseason matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs wasn’t your typical August runaround. Patrick Mahomes played three drives. The Bears’ starters stayed on the field for four. This wasn’t a cameo. It was a real dress rehearsal and it gave us the clearest look yet at how Ben Johnson plans to run this offense.

It didn’t start pretty. Johnson admitted after the 29-27 win, “Offensively, the first two possessions were really sloppy football that has plagued us in and out of camp so far and unfortunately that is what we got here tonight.”

The Bears’ first two drives went just nine plays for 22 yards with one first down. A fumbled snap, a false start from Colston Loveland and a sack on 2nd and 3 summed up the early struggles.

But once they settled in, the offense showed why there is real optimism. Williams and the Bears marched for 139 yards on their final two drives, producing eight first downs and 10 points. Williams finished 11-of-15 for 113 yards with a touchdown to Rome Odunze and added an 18-yard scramble. He is going off the board as QB14 (Yahoo ADP 110.2) in fantasy football. There will be bumps as he grows into Johnson’s system, but the dual-threat ceiling is undeniable.

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The backfield was all D’Andre Swift. With Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai sidelined, Swift took nearly every meaningful snap. He handled 70% of carries, ran routes on 65% of dropbacks and is locked in as the Week 1 starter. He is RB25 (ADP 70.2). You may not want to draft Swift, but there is no doubt he is the back to roster in what should be a much improved offense.

At wide receiver, Odunze flashed everything you want to see; five targets, a 38% target share, 69% of the air yards and a touchdown. He’s WR32 (ADP 85) yet he is already pushing DJ Moore for the top spot. Moore, who is WR27 (ADP 59.6), was still on the field for nearly every pass play but only saw a 14% target share. This offense is crowded and Odunze is ready to tilt things.

And then there is Loveland. Rookie tight ends usually don’t matter right away, but Loveland ran routes on 71% of dropbacks in this Week 3 dress rehearsal. He rotated with Cole Kmet but was heavily involved in two tight end looks. At TE15 (ADP 120.6), he is worth stashing as a second tight end because the upside is real if his role grows.

The big takeaway is there are multiple pieces of this offense fantasy football gamers should be excited about. The sloppy start showed there will be growing pains for Williams in Year 2 and in his first season with Johnson, but once things clicked, the positives far outweighed the concerns. I feel good drafting Bears players heading into the season.

Courtland Sutton, Broncos

The Broncos traded Devaughn Vele to New Orleans earlier in the week, clearing out a body in the WR room before their Week 3 preseason matchup. Sutton then reminded us why Denver is consolidating around him. Sutton ran a route on 100% of dropbacks with Bo Nix and commanded a massive 50% target share with seven targets in just three drives. Marvin Mims Jr. was also full-time while Troy Franklin rotated and Pat Bryant ran with backups. This passing game is clearly built around Sutton.

The advanced profile backs it up. Sutton’s 43% air yard share ranked fifth in the league last season with 26 deep targets and 22 red-zone looks. His Trinity Score sits in the elite 7.25 range, which is the same bucket that has produced top-tier fantasy producers in recent seasons. With Sutton holding alpha usage and Nix taking a step forward in Year 2, this passing game has room to surprise. Despite WR1 leverage Sutton is still being drafted at WR29 (Yahoo ADP 62), which makes him one of the best mid-round values on the board.

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Ollie Gordon II, Dolphins

Jaylen Wright was expected to see extensive work in Miami’s preseason closer but missed the game with a leg injury. Head coach Mike McDaniel called it “week-to-week” and Wright was seen on the sideline with a compression sleeve but no crutches. With De’Von Achane also less than 100% due to a calf issue, Gordon is positioned to open the season as the Dolphins’ RB2.

This is where fantasy managers need to trust the profile. Gordon was the best running back in the country in 2023, winning the Doak Walker Award and leading the nation in rushing yards and touchdowns before Oklahoma State fell flat in 2024. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry on 26 preseason totes while Wright averaged just 1.5. At Yahoo ADP 131.1 over the past seven days as the RB63, he is essentially free. Do not overthink it. Draft Gordon.

Dont’e Thornton Jr., Raiders

Every preseason game so far, Thornton has earned early looks with the Raiders’ first-team offense. In Week 3, it finally showed up on the stat sheet when Geno Smith connected with him on a 17-yard, back-shoulder touchdown. Thornton has been the starting X receiver since minicamp and has the size and speed profile to stretch the field and open things up for Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty and the entire offense.

At 6’4½” and running a 4.3 40-yard dash time, Thornton is an insane athlete with proven production from his college days, where he ranked first in YAC per reception, third in yards per route run and posted a 16.5-yard average depth of target. He is being drafted as WR78 (Yahoo rank 235), which makes no sense for a player locked into a starting role in a Chip Kelly offense that has historically emphasized the deep ball. His week-to-week volume may be inconsistent, but his ability to rack up chunk plays and air yards makes him a perfect late-round pick. Draft him with confidence.

Travis Kelce, Chiefs

While most of the preseason talk has been about young players, Travis Kelce reminded us why he still matters. In Kansas City’s Week 3 dress rehearsal, he saw three targets on two drives, catching two for 32 yards and looking noticeably quicker than he did a season ago. Mahomes went right to him, and with Rashee Rice likely to miss time later in the season due to a possible suspension, Kelce’s role as the focal point in this passing game is as secure as ever.

Even at 35, Kelce is being drafted as TE8 in Yahoo ADP and offers one of the safest paths to consistent fantasy production at the position. He may not be the 20-point-per-game force of his prime, but the quickness and separation he showed in the preseason are enough to buy back in. Consider me more confident in Kelce this season than I was in 2024.

Woody Marks, Texans

The Texans backfield is crowded on paper, but injuries have opened the door. Joe Mixon remains without a timetable as he deals with lingering foot and ankle issues, Nick Chubb is trying to return from multiple injuries at age-29, and Dameon Pierce has never been able to seize his opportunities. The rookie Marks has taken advantage. In the preseason finale, he scored a nine-yard touchdown, finishing with 19 yards on six carries and adding three catches for 20 yards. His vision and patience stood out, and he has consistently flashed as a pass catcher and protector.

This front office traded up to draft Marks in the fourth round, and his role as a third down and receiving back is already apparent. At Yahoo rank 173 as RB59, he is essentially free and offers the exact skill set that could make him the most valuable back in Houston if Mixon can’t get healthy. Marks has shown he can catch passes, block in protection and run between the tackles. In PPR leagues, he is the Texans running back you want.

https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/article/nfl-preseason-week-3-the-bears-offense-looks-like-its-coming-together-plus-more-fantasy-football-takeaways-142319756.html