Kansas City rests a cluster of veterans in Week 2 of the preseason against Seattle, clearing a path for depth players and late-round prospects to audition behind Hollywood Brown, Briningstool, Deon Bush, Janarius Robinson, Ethan Driskell, and Kareem Hunt. Seattle mirrors the strategy, listing Olu Oluwatimi, Josh Ross, Charles Cross, Kenny McIntosh, Johnathan Hankins, Uchenna Nwosu, and Tyrice Knight as not expected to play. In such games, the fantasy angles shift toward the players fighting for backups, special-teams roles, and breakout opportunities in a game-script that emphasizes depth over stars.

With Brown and Hunt sidelined, Chiefs reps at wideout and backfield become more unpredictable, elevating backup receivers and rotational backs into potential late-round fantasy dice rolls. Seattle’s inactive list creates a similar vacuum along the offensive line and linebacking corps, where a few veterans could be eased in or pushed to star in a run-heavy, evaluative environment. Those watching for fantasy return value should focus on the depth chart movers who flash in extended opportunities, as preseason reps often foreshadow emerging roles come the regular season.

Keep in mind preseason inactives are subject to change and aren’t formalized the same way as regular-season lists. Rosters and playing time can shift an hour before kickoff, underscoring the value of quickly updating projections as the game unfolds.