10 Takeaways from Week 3 of the 2025 NFL Preseason: Harold Fannin Jr. and Marvin Mims keep rising

The last week of the 2025 NFL preseason is in the books, giving us one final look at what to expect for Week 1 of the season. These are my 10 biggest fantasy takeaways, plus some extra notes on key players who rested with the starters.

1. Jaydon Blue tweaks his ankle

The good news is that the Texas rookie appears to be okay after tweaking his ankle versus the Falcons. He told reporters after the game he didn’t think it was serious. The bad news is the Cowboys rested Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. They also started Deuce Vaughn, putting Blue at fourth on the depth chart. That was before he injured his ankle. Blue looked good during his brief run against Atlanta, but missing more practice time as a depth option doesn’t bode well for his odds of being a fantasy contributor in the first month of the season.

2. Two Bears rookies on different paths

Tight end is a position we don’t often see rookies excel at, and the most recent one — Brock Bowers — was an all-time great prospect. Bears rookie Colston Loveland was a risky bet to make early in the offseason, even as a top-10 pick. He was injured and could have been Cole Kmet’s backup. He returned from his shoulder injury at the start of camp and has since worked himself into a rotational role. Loveland ran a route on 13-of-17 Caleb Williams dropbacks in the team’s final preseason game despite Kmet getting the start. That’s not an elite route rate for Week 1, but it’s probably enough to get him near the top of the TE2 ranks. Loveland will close the year as a TE1 if he improves on that route rate throughout the year.

Luther Burden, on the other hand, played one snap with the starters. Burden is still a fun bet to make for his late-season upside, but we won’t be playable in Week 1.

3. Brashard Smith comes back to life

Chiefs rookie running back Brashard Smith has struggled to earn a clear role with the starters during training camp and the preseason, but there was a flicker of hope over the weekend. He got two snaps with the starters. Both were passing plays and he was targeted on both.

The Chiefs struck gold with Jerick McKinnon a few years ago and are trying to do so again with Smith. His usage in the team’s final preseason game suggests they will get him involved in the offense early in the year, keeping him on the menu as a 20th-round pick.

4. Harold Fannin stans, rise up!

Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. rested with the starters last week and played with them this time around. FantasyLife’s Dwain McFarland has Fannin with a 60 percent route rate before David Njoku left the field.

He had no issues earning targets and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Fannin had the best single season for a tight end in college football history last year. He looks like that player in the pros.

Fannin is a great TE3 for Best Ball and is a screaming value in dynasty leagues.

5. Dont’e Thornton is a premier sleeper

A fourth-round pick from Tennessee, Dont’e Thornton is an otherworldly athlete who never put it all together in college. The Raiders have anointed him as an every-down X receiver in practice and during the preseason. He played all 10 snaps with the starters over the weekend. Thornton’s major red flag in college was his inability to earn a large role. That hurdle has been cleared with ease, making him a great pick in the later rounds.

6. Marvin Mims gets all of the routes

Marvin Mims played every snap with the starters this week and looks like a full-time wideout after playing a gadget role last year.

Mims averaged 2.4 yards per route last year, putting him in line with Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. He got there by maximizing his skills as a gadget player. The big question for him this year was if Sean Payton would let him play a more traditional role and the answer appears to be yes. That might not work. Mims has been targeted on 2-24 preseason routes. Maybe gadget duties are all he is cut out for. But if he can expand his route tree and still post strong, efficiency numbers, Mims could be the breakout many were hoping for when they drafted Jayden Reed three rounds earlier.

Ja’Marr Chase cemented his status as the fantasy WR1 by winning the receiver triple crown last year, while Justin Jefferson is looking to dethrone him with the help of J.J. McCarthy.

7. Ollie Gordon plays every snap

The Dolphins are currently without De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright because of various injuries. Tua Tagovailoa and a handful of starters played 17 snaps in the third preseason game. Rookie Ollie Gordon was on the field for all 17. Only 18 backs saw at least 25 carries in the preseason and Gordon led them all in:

• Yards per carry – 4.8
• Yards after contact per carry – 3.9
• Breakaway runs (three)

The Dolphins gave Gordon an extended look and he passed with flying colors. He stands to benefit immensely from the injuries ahead of him on the depth chart.

8. Isaac TeSlaa just keeps balling

Lions rookie wideout Isaac TeSlaa played with the backups while the starters rested. That would normally be enough to keep him out of an article like this. But the man is making his presence undeniable. He scored his third preseason touchdown and Dan Campbell took notice after the game.

TeSlaa might only be the Lions’ WR4 to start, but that player can pop up for the occasional spike week. He is a good bet to be a starting receiver by the end of the year.

9. Dylan Sampson starts over Jerome Ford

Cleveland’s second-round running back Quinshon Judkins is seemingly past his legal issues but could still be suspended. He hasn’t signed his rookie contract either, meaning he’s not even a member of the team yet. At best, he’s signing his contract and getting a week of practice in before Week 1. We should expect someone else to start for the team’s opener. If the preseason is any indication, that guy might be fellow rookie Dylan Sampson. As PFF’s Nathan Jahnke points out, neither back played a specific role in the offense. Sampson got the start and the two rotated evenly. Sampson is a productive rookie who might be his team’s lead back out of the gates. That’s a bet anyone — especially ZeroRB drafters — should be dying to make.

10. Kendre Miller is the Saints’ RB2

Alvin Kamara played a handful of snaps with the Saints’ starters and quickly left for the bench. Kendre Miller was the next man up, played some of the first drive plus the entirety of the second, and then took the bench with the rest of the starters. He is locked in as the team’s RB2 and is a phenomenal 20th-round pick in Best Ball.

Starters getting rested

Plenty of starters got rested for the final week of the preseason and there are a few who I think deserve a shoutout as clear fantasy targets.

Mason Taylor

Jets second-round pick Mason Taylor has already cemented himself as the team’s starter early in camp. An ankle injury could have derailed his bid to hold that job into Week 1. He returned to preseason action last week and then got rested with the starters this time around. He’s a clear starting tight end with the upside of a highly drafted rookie. Taylor is a layup pick in the later rounds.

Nick Chubb

This one isn’t a surprise. That Dameon Pierce didn’t get rested is at least a little interesting. The Texans look likely to be without Joe Mixon for Week 1 and potentially much longer as he works his way back from a mystery foot/ankle issue. Nick Chubb is in line to take his place in the lineup. Pierce saw 7-of-9 carries with backup but only ran one route. Chubb is locked into an early-down role for as long as Mixon is out for the start of the year. Pierce will likely work in the rotation to keep him fresh. Dare Ogunbowale appears to be penciled in as the pass-downs specialist with Woody Marks vying for the role in the long run.

Brian Robinson

Look, I know Brian Robinson was rested because he joined the 49ers a few days ago, but “11 Takeways” doesn’t have the same ring to it. What’s more important about Robinson resting is it meant he stayed healthy while Isaac Guerendo played and re-aggravated his shoulder injury. Kyle Shanahan made it clear that Robinson is the clear RB2 in San Francisco.

Commanders rest a pair of rookies

The Commanders gave rookies the day off in Jacory ‘Bill’ Croskey-Merritt and Jaylin Lane. Bill has been dealing with a shoulder injury for some time. He played through it in the preseason last week but the team was extra cautious this time around.

I’ll be taking that caution as a sign that Dan Quinn knows he’s their starter, though it’s not a cut-and-dry case.