NFL Preseason Week 2 Takeaways For Fantasy Football: Cyrus Allen, Emmett Johnson & More

Below is a summary for each team from Week 2 of the NFL preseason. The primary focus is on player utilization and usage with the starting offense.

Typically, starters are determined by drives played with the starting QB. Some instances differ depending on who started, as outlined in each team's position section. You can find definitions for all the table abbreviations at the bottom of this article.

Updates will occur throughout the weekend as data from each game becomes available.

Saturday NFL Preseason Week 2 Games

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys rested their starters.

Running Back

Malik Davis started the game and played four drives before resting. Over the last week at camp, Davis has received new life due to Jaydon Blue's ball-security issues. Davis handled 72% of the snaps in the first quarter vs. 28% for Blue. Takeaway: Davis is TRENDING UP and could be the RB2 behind Javonte Williams.
Jaydon Blue rotated with Davis in the first quarter, playing 28% of the snaps and handling 40% of the rushing attempts. He remained in the game well after Davis, playing into the third quarter. This comes on the heels of recent ball-security problems at camp. Takeaway: Blue is TRENDING DOWN.
Phil Mafah was the RB3.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals rested their starters. No updates.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs fielded 3 of 5 starting offensive linemen for three series, and Justin Fields played four. The Buccaneers played much of their starting defense for a couple of possessions.

Quarterback

Justin Fields handled the first four drives, playing from under center only 27% of plays and utilizing play action 13%. Those are two things we have heard the Chiefs want to do more, which didn't play out in this game. He was pressured on 33% of his dropbacks, two of which resulted in sacks.

Running Back

Kenneth Walker played one series, handling 67% of the snaps. He left the field on 3rd and 6 for Emari Demercado. While we are hoping for more pass-down work for KWIII in 2026, long-down-and-distance (LDD) situations are not highly valuable for RBs in fantasy. Takeaway: Walker is HOLDING STEADY as one of my favorite targets in Round 2 of fantasy drafts.
Emari Demercado played ahead of Emmett Johnson, taking the LDD snap with Walker on the first drive. The veteran RB played 83% of the snaps in the first quarter, with 60% of the rushing attempts and a 100% route participation rate. Demercado played into the third quarter, and once Johnson entered the game, he was still the RB2. He played into the third quarter. Camp reports have Demercado on the roster bubble, but in this game he got a look ahead of Brashard Smith, who was the RB2 last weekend. Takeaway: This is a fluid situation, but Demercado could still be in the mix.
Emmett Johnson has been the second RB up in drills over the last week, but worked behind Demercado in Week 2 of the preseason. He entered the game on the fourth drive in the first quarter and played into the third period. Johnson handled 75% of the attempts once taking the field, punching in one score, with Demercado rotating. Takeaway: Johnson is HOLDING STEADY as the RB to roster behind Walker but could share work with another back if Walker misses time.
Brashard Smith handled fourth-quarter mop-up duty after taking the RB2 reps last week. Takeaway: Smith is TRENDING DOWN, but the situation remains fluid.

Wide Receiver and Tight End

Cyrus Allen worked behind Tyquan Thornton and Jalen Royals for the second consecutive game. Allen played 75% of the snaps and notched an 86% route participation over the first three drives. But once again, led the team in targets with two (33%) with the starters. Allen played from the slot 59% of the time and was the movement player, with a 22% motion rate, while Thornton and Royals were still in the game. He played into the third quarter, while Thornton and Royals were done by halftime. Takeaway: Allen is HOLDING STEADY and remains the best late-round WR stash option from the Chiefs.
Jalen Royals played 100% of snaps over the first three drives with the starting offensive line, with Rashee Rice resting. He played through the first two quarters, operating from the slot on 40% of plays. Royals now has back-to-back games suggesting he could be on the field often if Rice falters. Royals had a 28% target share in two quarters of play. Takeaway: Royals is TRENDING UP and is a viable late-round dart throw in deep leagues.
Tyquan Thornton played 100% of snaps with the starting offensive line and caught one pass for five yards. He remains the favorite to operate as the field stretcher in 2026 for the Chiefs.
Travis Kelce played one possession before calling it a night.