Even though science was never my favorite subject in school, physics always held a special place in my heart. My high school teacher, Mr. Therrien, made learning fun. Ridiculous experiments that taught us the laws of motion, gravity and energy. Movement, thermodynamics and Ohm’s Law. The list goes on.
Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Actions causing movement in one direction create a ripple effect elsewhere. So on and so forth. Yesterday, I wrote about the “studs” of the 2025 preseason — players who broke out and stand to benefit as we approach Week 1 — today’s equal and opposite reaction: The duds. Like my science grades, these were unfortunately not quite up to snuff. Injuries, roster shuffling or inadequate play have caused several players to fall down (or completely off) draft boards.
Here are some players and situations that caught my attention for all the wrong reasons this preseason.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Preseason Fallers
Quarterback
Anthony Richardson (QB – IN)
The Colts’ decision to sign Daniel Jones this offseason didn’t bode well for Anthony Richardson, who has had a disappointing start to his NFL career. Constant injuries and the inability to hit a broad side of a barn with a pass attempt (he failed to eclipse the 48% completion mark in 2024) made this camp competition a necessity. In the end, Indianapolis opted to make Jones their starter mid-August.
Richardson’s status with the team is currently murky, at best, with head coach Shane Steichen stating that it is “hard to say” if Richardson has a future with the team moving forward. Ouch. The former No. 4 overall pick still possesses elite athletic traits, but it isn’t easy to envision a scenario where he turns into anything other than a footnote in the down chapter of this franchise.
Matthew Stafford (QB – LAR)
I’ve long been a fan of Matthew Stafford’s play since entering the NFL. Despite being constantly bruised and battered behind a woefully inept offensive line in Detroit, his moxie and gun-slinging mentality made him a fan-favorite. Since joining Los Angeles in 2021, his statistics have begun to dip, with advanced age and lingering injuries taking their toll. Entering the season at 37 years old, the Rams took a slow approach to ease Stafford into the preseason with a modified workout plan, knowing he was nursing an aggravated disc in his back (originally reported by Ian Rapoport on August 6th).
Described initially as a “maintenance thing” by head coach Sean McVay, Stafford has been limited to a handful of practice throws as he attempts to ramp up for Week 1. The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue is one of the most plugged-in beat reporters in the league, and she described his back injury as something that “will be a thing that has to be managed throughout the entire season,” and the team is concerned Stafford won’t stay healthy if he takes a big hit. Yeesh. Stafford missing time would be a significant detriment to all other fantasy assets on the team, most notably Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
Running Back
Joe Mixon (RB – HOU)
In mid-June, reports surfaced that Joe Mixon aggravated the foot and ankle injuries that plagued him towards the end of 2024, and he was expected to miss the first few weeks of training camp. Since that point, the news has only gotten worse, with no silver linings to be found. During August, NBC Sports’ Aaron Wilson reported that Mixon was “not considered to be a lock for Week 1,” with Houston taking their time with his rehab process.
That news was later supported by information that Mixon had “multiple injections and electromagnetic therapy to remove scar tissue” and was going through a challenging and complicated rehab. That sound you hear is the anchor dropping off the boat, tied to his fantasy football average draft position (ADP). On August 25th, Houston placed Mixon on the reserve/non-football injury list, guaranteeing he would miss the first four games of the regular season. Since he won’t even be re-evaluated until after that duration, a best-case scenario where he makes a rebound would place him back mid-season. For now, I’d recommend removing Mixon from your draft boards and assuming that veteran Nick Chubb will begin the year as the starter, supported by Dameon Pierce and Woody Marks.
Dallas Cowboys Running Backs
Unlike the majority of backfields around the league that are settled with a firm hold on the depth chart, no one quite knows how Dallas will shake out, making them a difficult commodity to evaluate. Javonte Williams is the odds-on favorite to lead the team in touches due to his reps with the starters in practice, but he has been a shell of his former self after sustaining a gruesome knee injury in 2022.
Dallas added Miles Sanders in the offseason as competition, but he has been equally ineffective and disappointing over the last several years. Fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue‘s work ethic was criticized in early August, and he has been nursing an ankle injury for the past two weeks. The most explosive option of the three-headed hydra, I was set to endorse Blue earlier this offseason as a potential breakout, before he aggravated the sprain during the team’s final preseason game. His status for Week 1 is now questionable, making it all the more difficult to pass Williams or Sanders for touches. Like many other aspects, this is a mess in Dallas.
Wide Receiver
Tampa Bay’s Injury Woes
Tampa Bay was already aware that they would have to ease veteran Chris Godwin back into action, with most reports (such as that from Adam Schefter in mid-August) referencing that the team didn’t anticipate a return until mid-October, despite activating him off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Complicating matters further is the nasty hit that Jalen McMillan suffered against Pittsburgh during Week 2 of the preseason, where he was undercut by defensive back Daryl Porter Jr. on a catch, landing awkwardly on his neck.
The Buccaneers were initially hopeful that he would avoid missing significant time, but ultimately placed him on injured reserve (IR), with reports now suggesting he could miss half the season. Their absence places rookie Emeka Egbuka immediately under the microscope to produce, jolting his development into overdrive. Do I think that he is capable of handling the additional pressure? Absolutely. That said, I was hoping his ADP would continue to be modest, rather than forcing fantasy managers to decide to select him as early as the fifth round. Additional passing targets will also be siphoned off to running backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White, while Tampa Bay waits for the cavalry to show up.
Hunter Renfrow (WR – FA)
I wanted to include Hunter Renfrow here, since I was rooting for him to have a successful swan song season in Carolina, after not playing a snap in the league since 2023, dealing with a bout of colitis. A breakout star in 2021 with a 103/1,038/9 split in Las Vegas as a chain-moving specialist out of the slot, Renfrow had a serious shot to make Carolina’s wide receiver room, with him reportedly out-performing Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette in practices.
A hamstring injury forced Renfrow to miss two weeks in mid-August, which ultimately spelled his doom. Even after the team traded veteran Adam Thielen to Minnesota, the best-case scenario for Renfrow would be to land on a team’s practice squad before attempting to crack a 53-man roster elsewhere.
Tight End
Cole Kmet (TE – CHI)
It is worth noting that although he largely flew under the radar each time, Cole Kmet finished as the TE8 in fantasy in 2022 and 2023, before taking a step back last season (primarily due to matters beyond his control). After Chicago opted to make significant changes along their offensive line to address major problems, I was hopeful that the additional time for Caleb Williams would spell a return to prominence for Kmet.
Not so much. Instead, Chicago opted to select Michigan standout Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft, and his presence is a death knell for Kmet’s value. Even if (and it is a major if) Chicago opts to run 2-TE sets often, the number of weapons in this offense significantly caps Kmet’s upside.
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