
Geoff Ulrich shares key takeaways from week 2 of the NFL preseason and everything you need to know and watch for going into week 3.

We’re on to the last week of preseason. One more week of grinding coach speak and small bits of hearsay information on social media about how many snaps the starting offenses are actually going to play.
We have some clarity in a couple of spots and would like to thank teams like the Vikings and Rams who have just decided to sit their starters completely this offseason and make our life a little easier. Still, we’ll be seeing plenty of starting offenses on the field in week 3, with names like Anthony Richardson, Kenny Pickett, and Jordan Love all expected to get work.
The exact playing time for many of the starting offenses and quarterbacks still remains a mystery in spots, but we do have a better sense of what each team will look like in their final game just given how they have handled the previous weeks.
As always, we’ll be putting up bets for Week 3 of the preseason in the bet tracker, and there are some new futures bets you need to check out while you’re there (Jonathan Mingo SZN?).
Before we get there, though, let’s take a quick look back at the biggest storylines from Week 2 of the preseason to get you set for Week 3.
Or at least many people believe he will be now after beating the Ravens. Howell was certainly swell in week 2, but remember that the Ravens didn’t play their starters on defense and the Commanders also lost Terry McLaurin for, potentially, a regular season game or two.
He didn’t play much against the Broncos, but he did roll out a couple of times and made a couple of solid throws 7-10 yards downfield. His arm seemed about the same as it was last year. Good news for 49er skill players not named Trey Lance.

Aug 11, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) celebrates with quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Kenny Pickett, Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Jaylen Warren (sorry Najee Harris, you’re cut), and Pat Freiermuth. I haven’t even mentioned secret weapon Darnell Washington. No team has me more hyped right now. A big year feels incoming.
Bryce Young has been under pressure on a lot of snaps already and endured another big sack against the Giants last week. He has a 4.7 YPA on his first 12 throws in the NFL and a 58% completion rate. DJ Chark and Chuba Hubbard are also now banged up. Still not looking like a great outlook for Carolina in 2023.
Love again looked competent in his second preseason action and was seen spreading the ball around to Luke Musgrave and Jayden Reed, among others. It’s good news for all the Green Bay pass catchers, some of whom have seen ADP bumps as a result in the best ball streets.
All three of these players put on shows last week. Warren undoubtedly had the best outing with a long TD run and continues to look like a player who is going to force a potential 50/50 split with Najee Harris. Spears’s upside is capped until Derrick Henry goes down, but there is no denying he’s a premium handcuff.
The Packers moved Emanuel Wilson up in the rotation after week 1, to where he was the third RB on the field after AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones were done in week 2. Wilson responded by racking up another 78 yards and garning 17 touches. Wilson looks like he’s ready to be next man up for Green Bay if Dillon goes down or gets traded (or doesn’t come back in 2024—he’s a UFA). He’s worth a stash in dynasty.
This week looks like a mix between teams who are playing it safe and teams who want to give their players one more dress rehearsal before the real thing. Remember, we are now only about two weeks away from the real games, so any injury at this point could affect week 1 availability.
Don’t expect to see starting offenses on the field for a ton of snaps in most spots, even if the coach is adamant that he’s playing the starters.
All of the Week 3 NFL preseason games are listed below with a few extra notes about what to watch and look for in each matchup.
**all times EST

Aug 19, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) leads the team out for the start of the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Obviously, lines in preseason can change quickly based on new information or coaches changing their minds on player usage, but a few spots stand out as good investments based on current information.
Week 3 preseason bets and DFS picks are below.
The Commanders have never won a game in preseason by more than 4.0 points under Ron Rivera. Yes, Sam Howell looked good last week, but the Commanders needed a minor miracle at the end of the game to catch up and beat the Ravens, who were not playing any starters at any point.

Aug 18, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) carries the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
You’ll likely see fewer first-team snaps for Washington this week, and the Bengals are just great at covering under Zach Taylor, no matter the circumstance. They also have two semi-competent QBs who should play the distance for them. The +5.5 looks inflated off of the Commanders' big win against Baltimore and is worth taking.
The Vikings are ready for preseason to end. Kevin O’Connell doesn’t believe in playing starters and already had a small scare with Jordan Addison enduring a concussion last week. The Vikings couldn’t move the ball against the Titans' second and third teamers in week 2, and while Arizona isn’t as deep a team, they held up well against Denver in week 1 and played well against KC to begin the game last week—before things unraveled.
Taking the Cardinals at +1.5 has some appeal given Kevin O’Connell is 0-5 straight up in preseason, but the under looks like a solid play at 38.5 as well.
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