5 Fantasy Football Preseason Losers

The NFL preseason can tell a story for those who play fantasy football. Even though preseason games aren't entirely indicative of what teams will look like once the outcome of games truly matter, it gives us a glimpse of how fantasy relevant players will be deployed on offense.

A poor performance or bad stretch of plays in the preseason isn't a definitive reason to avoid a player in fantasy football. At the same time, it should be taken into account when considering specific players, and the usage in certain personnel packages -- especially for tight ends and wide receivers -- can be helpful to determine who to target in drafts.

Following the second week of preseason action, let's take a look at a handful of players who saw their fantasy football stock decline.

Fantasy Football Preseason Losers

Daniel Jones, Giants

Daniel Jones wasn't active for the New York Giants in their preseason debut versus the Detroit Lions, but he started in Week 2 of the preseason against the Houston Texans. Jones saw a decent bit of action in his first appearance since suffering a torn ACL in Week 9 of last season, and he certainly looked rusty.

According to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus, Jones played on 33 offensive snaps for the Giants, completing only 11 of his 18 attempts for 138 yards while tossing two interceptions. Turning the ball over isn't going to instill confidence in Jones being the Week 1 starter for New York in a decisive year for the former first-round pick.

If Jones is unable to perform well under center, it's also hard to get overly excited about drafting any of the skill players from the Giants -- including rookie wideout Malik Nabers. Nabers looked the part in Week 2 of the preseason with the young pass-catcher earning six targets with Jones in the game, but what is his ceiling if New York's quarterback situation is a disaster?

At the moment, Jones is only being taken in deeper leagues as the QB28 in FantasyPros' consensus average draft position (ADP), putting him ahead of Derek Carr, Bryce Young, Drake Maye, and Sam Darnold. While it's only one preseason outing from Jones, the chances of him being the starter for the entire 2024 campaign have certainly taken a slight hit.

Russell Wilson, Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are among the teams who have yet to announce a starting signal-caller for Week 1, and neither quarterback has shown many positives thus far. Russell Wilson made his debut for the black and gold in the second week of the preseason, getting sacked three times in only 21 offensive snaps while he completed 8 passes for only 47 yards.

Following Pittsburgh's Week 2 exhibition bout, Mike Tomlin called the team's quarterback situation "an incomplete study". That isn't exactly a comment you want to hear if you're a fan of the Steelers or someone who is targeting pass-catchers from Pittsburgh in fantasy football.

The only positive news for Wilson is that Justin Fields has also looked inconsistent through two games in the preseason, taking three sacks and fumbling three times (none lost) up to this point. Many have believed that Wilson will be named the Week 1 starter for the Steelers, which is why some are high on George Pickens entering the upcoming season.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the offensive tackle spots for Pittsburgh's offense, the Steelers' quarterbacks could be put in danger often, regardless of who is starting. With some taking a flier on Wilson at a QB26 ADP, it's far from a smooth start for Wilson in his arrival to the Steel City.

Zamir White, Raiders

Zamir White has been talked about often in the fantasy football world this offseason as many expect him to take over the workhorse role on the Las Vegas Raiders that has been left behind with Josh Jacobs departing in free agency. However, White has unquestionably gotten some awkward usage in the preseason.

Through the first two weeks of preseason, White has essentially split starting snaps with veteran Alexander Mattison. White and Mattison have alternated drives with the starters in the preseason while White has even gotten snaps in the second half with the backup offense, which has many scratching their heads.

Along with Mattison, rookie Dylan Laube was also notably getting passing-down work and snaps in the two-minute drill before halftime in the second week of the preseason. Being that White is being taken as RB23 and has an overall ADP inside the top 70, his ceiling could be capped if he's sharing touches with Mattison -- and potentially Laube at some point in the season.

Head coach Antonio Pierce recently announced that Gardner Minshew would be the starting quarterback for the Raiders in Week 1. Having below-average quarterback play -- which was expected -- and sharing the backfield workload more than some were expecting could doom White's chances of outperforming his ADP.

Khalil Shakir, Bills

Since the Buffalo Bills traded Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, everyone in the fantasy football space has been trying to determine who will be the No. 1 option for Josh Allen this season. Along with rookie Keon Coleman and veteran Curtis Samuel, many believe Khalil Shakir is a candidate to see his fantasy value skyrocket in 2024.

Shakir ended last season on a high note with the second-highest target share (17.9%) in Buffalo's two playoff games while recording the second-most yards per route run (2.06) on the Bills during the regular season, via NextGenStats. For Shakir to reach his ceiling outcome this year, he'll need to see the field more than he did a season ago.

Following Buffalo's second preseason game, it was revealed that Samuel has turf toe and is week-to-week ahead of the regular season. But even with Samuel missing the team's Week 2 preseason contest -- and Marquez Valdes-Scantling exiting with an injury -- Shakir only saw the field in three-receiver sets versus the Steelers.

It's somewhat concerning to see Shakir not get more snaps in two-receiver sets as the Bills could deploy plenty of 12 personnel with Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox at tight end. As a result of the latest exhibition contest's findings, the gap between Coleman (WR46 in ADP) and Shakir (WR52 in ADP) could continue to blossom.

Cole Kmet, Bears

It could be a headache trying to decipher who the top pass-catching options will be for the Chicago Bears as offensive coordinator Shane Waldron uses plenty of different personnel groupings. Outside of D.J. Moore, it's tough to predict who will be consistent in fantasy among the likes of Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and Gerald Everett.

The reason Everett is mentioned above is due to the fact that he was rotating with Kmet for starting snaps at tight end. Everett played six snaps compared to Kmet's three in Week 2 of the preseason, and a heavy dose of Everett isn't new for Waldron -- who has coached Everett with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. Kmet climbed all the way to TE8 in fantasy points per game a season ago, but splitting snaps could damper his expectations in 2024.

Kmet was already going to have a tough time replicating that success with the arrivals of Odunze and Allen, so the emergence of Everett likely makes both tight ends players to avoid in fantasy this year. Even with Caleb Williams expected to have a potentially historic campaign under center, the receivers -- mainly Moore and Odunze -- are the players to be targeting from Chicago's offense.

At the moment, Kmet carries a TE16 ADP, putting him slightly behind Pat Freiermuth at the position. Instead of taking Kmet later in drafts, address the tight end position earlier and select a player with more upside at quarterback, running back, or wide receiver to avoid hoping he can carve out a decent-sized role in a loaded passing attack.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.