Throughout the preseason, we heavily emphasize identifying potential impact players throughout the season that others may not recognize as they aren't necessarily "stars". In our 'Preseason Players to Watch' series, we highlight potentially noteworthy players in each night's game(s) that may be impactful for fantasy football, both in the 2024 season and beyond.
Here are our top players to watch for in tonight's preseason action:
Anthony Richardson (QB - Indianapolis Colts) - at CIN, 8:00 PM on Prime Video
According to Colts' Head Coach Shane Steichen, the starters will not only play but play rather extensively in the preseason finale, getting "about a quarter and a half, probably, give or take" against the Bengals. It comes as a bit of a surprise, but a pleasant one, seeing as nearly all teams will be resting starters this week.
Richardson will be the primary focal point to watch after sitting out last week's preseason game and playing very sparingly in the Colts' preseason opener, going 2/4 for 25 yards and getting just 1 carry for 1 yard.
We know what Richardson brings to the table on the ground (and it's rather unlikely we'll see him run the ball much tonight) as it was what gave him so much upside and production when he was healthy last year, but we're still looking for some reassurance as to the passing side of things. The arm talent is there but the consistency in passing, especially in the short-to-intermediate range is the one question mark at the moment.
If he can get a stronghold on and take a step forward on the accuracy, the overall QB1 spot is well within the range of possibilities for Richardson to hit in 2024.
Adonai Mitchell (WR - Indianapolis Colts) - at CIN, 8:00 PM on Prime Video
Adonai Mitchell is in a tight competition with Alec Pierce for a starting role in the Colts' offense with the two being listed as co-starters in the WR3 role alongside Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs.
With the injury to Josh Downs (ankle), putting some doubt into his status for Week 1, there's a very realistic chance for the rookie 2nd Round pick out of Texas to be a Week 1 starter, but the question then becomes who will be the Colts' 3rd WR upon Downs' return.
Neither Mitchell nor Pierce have gotten significant work thus far in the preseason so the 1-2 quarters of action both are expected to see should give some indication as to what the pecking order may look like for the season opener and how comfortable Anthony Richardson is with the rookie WR.
Khalil Herbert (RB - Chicago Bears) - at KC, 8:20 PM on NFL Network
It sounds like the Bears will be sitting a majority of their starters tonight, which likely means D'Andre Swift will not play. 2nd-string Khalil Herbert has played rather extensively throughout the preseason, getting 5+ carries in each of the team's first three preseason games, and has been quite efficient, taking 18 carries for 97 yards (5.4 YPC).
The playing time with the starters and 2nd-stringers suggests Herbert is pretty well solidified as the backup/change-of-pace back behind Swift, but there still remains little clarity on what type of workload we should expect for Herbert, especially considering Swift has never handled a true 'workhorse' workload in his career.
How extensively Herbert plays tonight should give a slight hint toward at least the early-season utilization he will see. Less means more, and if he doesn't play at all, we could see Herbert in a rather notable role behind Swift to start the season.