NFL Preseason Week 3: One Thing to Watch in Each Game This Weekend

The final weekend of 2023 preseason action is upon us.

The NFL has scheduled 10 preseason Week 3 matchups for Saturday, August 26th, with a preseason finale on the docket for Sunday night. There will be no games the following week as teams gear up for their official Week 1 matchups of the 2023 campaign, so make sure to savor these final preseason affairs heading into that mini-bye-week.

With so many games to follow, it can be difficult to parse out the most important things to watch for. It's not easy to keep with all 32 of the NFL's teams. But we've got you covered. Here is one thing to watch in each of this weekend's preseason games.

NFL Preseason Week 3 Betting Odds: Saturday and Sunday

Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers

Lock vs. Love

For the Seattle Seahawks, their preseason has been all about getting extra reps for backup quarterback Drew Lock, and that should carry over into the final game of the preseason. With veteran Geno Smith's steady hand leading the first team, the Seahawks are instead making sure Lock can be prepared if he ever does need to step in for Smith in the regular season.

The home team for this game is taking a similar strategy, except with their starting quarterback for the 2023 season. According to Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, you can't "give a young guy in [Love's] position enough reps," so we should see a fair amount of Jordan Love on Saturday. According to PFF, only five projected Week 1 starters have earned a higher PFF grade on their pass plays so far this preseason than Love's 82.4 grade. Can he keep it up on Saturday?

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings

Can Clayton Tune Usurp Colt McCoy?

If you don't recognize the names Clayton Tune or Colt McCoy, don't worry -- you're probably not alone. However, one of those two quarterbacks is likely going to be the Arizona Cardinals' starter come Week 1 and will be expected to fill in for Kyler Murray in the early weeks of the season -- although Joshua Dobbs might get into the mix after Arizona traded for him on Thursday.

McCoy has been the presumed Week 1 starter for most of the 2023 offseason, but Tune has been putting together some decent performances in the first two weeks of the preseason. The Cardinals have given him every chance to prove his mettle, too -- his 47 preseason pass attempts are the fifth-most across the NFL.

Tune has turned those attempts into just 25 completions (53.2% completion percentage) for 268 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, but he could still win the starting job from McCoy with a strong performance here against the Minnesota Vikings.

That could have ramifications for fantasy football in the regular season, too -- McCoy has heavily targeted slot and low-aDOT receivers whenever he's had the chance to play quarterback, and just 3 of his 12 passes this preseason have traveled deeper than five yards past the line of scrimmage. If McCoy gets the gig, Rondale Moore or Greg Dortch could be PPR fantasy machines.

Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears

Should We Sound the Alarm for Chicago's O-Line?

The NFL season has yet to officially begin, but the Chicago Bears are already dealing with injuries to multiple expected starters on the offensive line. Starting guard Teven Jenkins is expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season with a leg injury, and 2023 first-round pick Darnell Wright recently picked up an ankle injury.

We can't say for certain how concerning this will be during the regular season, but the team's brass is already considering shelving quarterback Justin Fields for the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills as a precaution.

We saw last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers how preseason offensive-line injuries could derail a whole season. If the Bears' situation is anything like that, it could stymie Fields' potential for a third-year breakout. His +2000 MVP odds, per the NFL MVP odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, looked decent during the offseason, but his case for the award may suffer if his offensive line can't hold up -- especially given his own tendency to hold onto the ball.

It'll be interesting to see whether the Bears' offensive line can hold up against the Bills on Saturday.

Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs

Late-Round Fantasy Options Galore

The Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs are both expected to field their starters for at least part of Saturday's game against each other, which could make for some fantastic football. Both teams have a handful of skill-position players who could make an impact in fantasy football, a number of whom can often be taken in the later rounds of drafts.

On the Browns' offense, Elijah Moore has been a constant bright mark in Cleveland's offseason. He was on the field with the Browns' starters in the first game of the preseason. If he earns an every-down role, he will have a great shot to be fantasy-relevant this season.

Kansas City's wideouts could become some of the strongest values in fantasy drafts this season. According to FantasyPros' consensus ADP data, none of their potential starting wideouts are going inside the top 100 picks in fantasy drafts this year. If any of Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, or Justyn Ross stand out this weekend or see significant reps with the Chiefs' starters, those players should absolutely be on your radar in your upcoming fantasy drafts.

Our staff is into a couple of those KC wideouts as potential breakout stars.

New York Jets "at" New York Giants

Can Aaron Rodgers Revitalize the Jets?

It's been a long time since the New York Jets have fielded a good offense -- they've finished top 10 in the league in points scored just one time since the turn of the century. But the arrival of Aaron Rodgers could change that.

On Saturday, the Jets are expected to have their new quarterback take the field for the first time this preseason. This will be the first time we see him take live reps with his exciting new teammates, although Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall may sit due to injuries. The Jets likely have their sights set on a playoff berth this season and will be counting on Rodgers to keep their offense rolling.

Rodgers' +1600 MVP odds rank sixth-best heading into the season while the Jets have the fifth-best odds to win the AFC (+1000), per the NFL conference winner odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

It's (hopefully) the dawn of a new era for Gang Green, and it'll be great to get our first look at Rodgers in a Jets uniform.

Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Commanders

More Sam Howell, Please

At this point, the Washington Commanders may keep starting quarterback Sam Howell on the shelf for their final preseason game. I wouldn't blame them, but as a fan, I would still prefer to see him take the field again against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday.

We don't want to make too many grand statements after a small sample of preseason games, but Howell has absolutely looked like an NFL starter in the Commanders' first two games this summer. Last time out, he helped topple the Baltimore Ravens' long-standing preseason win streak, completing 19 of his 25 passes for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Notably, he and fellow 2022 draft pick Jahan Dotson have already shown good chemistry together. If Terry McLaurin misses any time with the turf toe injury he suffered last week, the Howell-Dotson connection could have big-time fantasy upside early in the campaign.

Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Running Backs Rising

The Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers could both share a similar goal in this final preseason contest: figuring out their running back depth charts.

In Baltimore's case, the team has dealt with injuries upon injuries to presumed starters J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards over the last two years. This preseason has given the team an extended look at both free-agent signing Melvin Gordon and longtime backup Justice Hill, and at this point, it looks like Hill is ready to start making plays for the Ravens' first team. He has taken his 5 preseason carries for a ridiculous 73 yards so far this August, showing off the juice that helped him rush for more than 1,400 yards as a sophomore at Oklahoma State.

In Tampa Bay, undrafted free agent rookie Sean Tucker is starting to live up to his pre-draft billing as a potential three-down player. In his last game, Tucker was the only back able to get things going on the ground, earning 37 yards on 7 carries (5.3 yards per carry) and catching 3 passes for an additional 18 yards. Only Rachaad White seems to have a solid role in Tampa's backfield heading into the 2023 season, meaning Tucker -- or another Bucs back -- is surprisingly close to having a bonafide backup-RB job.

Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars

What Are We Doing With Tank Bigsby?

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back Tank Bigsby is making waves this preseason. The 2023 third-round pick has been making the most of his opportunities this summer, rushing for 122 yards on 22 carries -- good for an efficient 5.5 yards per carry. But what exactly will his role be come Week 1?

It was odd to see Bigsby get a ton of reps last week while the rest of the Jags' starters got the day off against the Lions. They worked him, too, letting him handle a team-high 13 carries during the game. If you look around the league, few players have actually been given as many carries this preseason as his 22 -- and almost all of those players are likely fighting for roster spots.

Bigsby's draft capital would indicate that the Jags want him to split some of the running-back workload with incumbent starter Travis Etienne, but his heavy usage this summer may point in another direction. His usage this weekend against the Miami Dolphins will be the last hint we get about the team's plans for him in 2023. If Bigsby ends up being a distant backup, Etienne could be in line for a massive year in fantasy football.

Las Vegas Raiders at Dallas Cowboys

Zamir White Could Be a Sleeper You Need

The Las Vegas Raiders appear to be at a standstill with the reigning rushing champ, Josh Jacobs. Instead of extending the former first-round pick, the team instead tried to use the franchise tender on him to retain his services for the upcoming year. Jacobs refused to sign that tender and has sat out for most of the team's offseason program. At this point, it's unclear if he will actually play for the team at all in 2023, even with the current CBA making it costly and difficult for players to hold out.

If Jacobs does continue his holdout into the regular season, Zamir White is going to be a player you need on your fantasy teams. White didn't see much action as a rookie -- Jacobs and his league-leading 393 touches made that difficult -- but White has been feasting on opportunities this preseason.

By the looks of things (and a glance at Vegas' depth chart), there's not much standing in White's way to becoming an every-down player in 2023 if Jacobs doesn't play. We'll absolutely be keeping an eye on him on Saturday as the Raiders take on the Dallas Cowboys.

Los Angeles Rams at Denver Broncos

Battle of the Backups

The Denver Broncos have been getting their regular-season starters a handful of reps in each of their first two preseason games this year but are trending toward sitting those players for the final game of the summer. Expect to see Jarrett Stidham get the start on Saturday as the Broncos take on the Los Angeles Rams.

The Rams have given 2023 fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett a lot of live reps this August as they continue their trend of holding starters out of the preseason. He's been up and down with those reps.

Bennett has attempted the third-most passes of any player this preseason, completing 32 of his 53 attempts for 333 yards, a touchdown, and an interception (he added another score on the ground, too). In his defense, he's been dealing with backup offensive linemen and backup skill position players -- on the flip side, it's not like he's been playing against first-team defenses all that much, either.

Neither Stidham nor Bennett will be starting games this season if things go according to plan for the Rams and Broncos, but the stakes are still plenty high for those two quarterbacks -- strong performances here could help them build resumes in the league and could eventually contribute to them earning starting jobs down the line.

Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints

One Last Look at C.J. Stroud

The Houston Texans already announced that 2023 second-overall pick C.J. Stroud would play in their final preseason game, and at this point, we just want to see him succeed.

Like fellow first-rounder Bryce Young, Stroud's preseason hasn't been especially promising. The New England Patriots' defense did what they do to rookie quarterbacks in his first preseason game, and he completed 7 of his 12 attempts against the Dolphins last week for just 60 yards (5.0 yards per attempt). To be honest, it hasn't looked great. PFF's graders assigned him a 56.4 grade for his preseason efforts so far, which ranks 48th among qualifying passers.

He'll get one more chance to right the ship before the regular season as the Texans take on the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have played some solid football this preseason -- though it is fairly obvious at this point that Jameis Winston is a bit unfair against second-string defenses -- but have allowed opposing teams to put points on the board.

I'll be watching to see if Stroud can lead his Texans on a scoring drive before the team puts him in bubble wrap until the season opener.

While you wait for Week 1's daily fantasy football slates to lock, you can get in on some best-ball fantasy football drafts on FanDuel. Just draft your team and watch the points pile up throughout the season.

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.