Analysis and fantasy notes from Week 3 of NFL preseason

Key takeaways, fantasy football thoughts, and everything else you need to know from the NFL preseason games.

Thursday games

Dart does it again

The Jaxson Dart hype train continues to pick up steam. Another impressive showing in the Giants' final game of the preseason suddenly has the football world wondering just how much runway Russell Wilson will have as the starter. But I'm less convinced that Dart is actually a threat to the veteran's job at any point early this season. For starters, the transition to the NFL could prove challenging against first-team defenses that are gearing up to stop him. It's also easy to believe that the Giants simply like the idea of Wilson at quarterback for a year. One-dimensional as he may be, his ability to push the ball downfield unlocks plenty of possibilities for a coaching staff that has long suffered through some horrific quarterback play.

That said, even the biggest Dart doubters would have a hard time downplaying the flashes he's shown throughout August. He looks far more comfortable than I would've expected this early in his development process. Even if there's still a long way to go, the playmaking traits showing up so consistently right out of the gate can only be taken as a promising sign for the future. And for those hoping to see him on the field as a rookie, his encouraging preseason could alter any plans this staff may have had for a redshirt year. Putting Dart on the field probably becomes a real possibility if and when the Giants are effectively out of the race. And considering their brutal schedule this year, Dart could get plenty of in-game learning opportunities down the stretch.

Kaleb overvalued?

I've always loved Kaleb Johnson's fit in this Steelers offense. The Iowa product was only my seventh-ranked running back in the 2025 class, but landing in a run-heavy, outside-zone scheme was enough for me to make him my post-draft Offensive Rookie of the Year pick. Now, I'm not so sure he'll come close to that ceiling in Year 1.

Johnson did just fine in Thursday's preseason finale, taking his five carries for 24 yards (4.8 yards per carry). It was easy to see how he might put up big numbers with enough volume, but his opportunities came after both Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell finished up their brief appearances with other active starters. Considering Mike Tomlin's affinity for veteran players and his resistance to forcing rookies into the lineup too early, Johnson may have to sit back and wait. He'll probably work his way up the depth chart at some point, but will that be soon enough to justify his early seventh-round ADP, which currently puts him eight spots ahead of Warren? Maybe not. This might be the latest rookie getting overvalued in fantasy drafts.

Harmon avoids major injury

Pittsburgh's defense got a scare Thursday night when Derrick Harmon was carted off the field. Head coach Mike Tomlin revealed after halftime that the first-round rookie defensive tackle is dealing with a knee sprain. Harmon's injury isn't season-ending, but he's expected to miss at least a few weeks, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Oregon product is a powerful interior lineman who, along with his potential impact as a pass-rusher, figures to be the X-factor in Pittsburgh's quest to improve a leaky run defense. Any sort of lengthy absence would leave the front seven relying on the same group that struggled at times last year.