NFL Preseason Takeaways: Khalil Herbert, Rachaad White, Dameon Pierce (2023 Fantasy Football)

When the NFL had a four-week preseason, the fourth week’s games were almost completely irrelevant, with most teams refusing to play their starters. Now that the league has gone to a three-week exhibition season, the preseason finales are more of a mixed bag. Some teams didn’t play their offensive starters at all. But some teams treated Week 3 as a dress rehearsal, giving their offensive starters substantial playing time. We fantasy managers didn’t get an enormous volume of actionable information, but we got some — especially at the RB position.

Here’s a position-by-position look at some noteworthy fantasy tidbits from the third and final week of the preseason. And below is a deeper look at the RB position.

More Fantasy Football Advice
Snake Draft Pick Strategy: Early | Middle | Late
Draft Targets for Every Round: Early | Middle | Late
Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE

Running Backs

Buccaneers RB Rachaad White appears to be poised for a meaty role this season. White was on the field for all nine of starting QB Baker Mayfield‘s snaps in the Bucs’ preseason finale vs. the Ravens. White also ran a route on all six of Mayfield’s dropbacks, which bodes well for White’s usage in the passing game. White had 50 receptions last season as a rookie, but that was 23 fewer receptions than now-departed RB Leonard Fournette had for the Bucs. Although Mayfield probably won’t check down to his running backs as often as Tom Brady did last year, White could still catch 60-plus balls.

Bears RB coach David Walker has said Khalil Herbert is the top back in Chicago’s multi-pronged backfield, and the usage of the Bears’ running backs in the team’s preseason finale seemed to (ahem) bear that out. Herbert took a majority of the snaps that Bears QB Justin Fields played in the preseason, and Herbert played all the early-down snaps in Chicago’s preseason finale against Buffalo. Still, it was at least mildly encouraging to see rookie fourth-rounder Roschon Johnson on the field for a pair of third-and-long plays vs. Buffalo while Bears QB Justin Fields was still in the game. A willing and able pass blocker, Johnson might have a chance to become the Bears’ primary passing-down back.

The Texans’ usage of Dameon Pierce in the preseason has been eye-opening. Pierce has been on the field for nearly every snap that starting QB C.J. Stroud has taken in Houston’s three exhibition games. Stroud played nine snaps against the Saints on Sunday night, and Pierce was in the backfield for all nine. Pierce ran out of gas during the latter part of his rookie season, possibly because he was a committee back during his college career at Florida and not accustomed to the heavier workload. It appears that Pierce is positioned for heavy usage in 2023, making him look like draft value since he’s usually not among the first 20 running backs to come off the board.