Kansas City rests a handful of veterans in Week 3 preseason against Chicago, with several depth pieces not slated to play. Chiefs inactive list includes Nazeeh Johnson, Jake Briningstool, Jack Cochrane, Omarr Norman-Lott, Ethan Driskell, plus Jaylen Royals and Mike Edwards. Chicago mirrors that approach, keeping Deion Hankins, Jaylon Johnson, Terell Smith, Shaun Wade, Kyler Gordon, Austin Booker and Dominique Robinson sidelined. Inactives emphasize rest and evaluation over injury, and rosters must disclose who sits about 90 minutes before kickoff. Fantasy takeaway: this is the weekend to watch untested backups seize reps and potentially carve roles behind the top units.

Expect Briningstool and Cochrane to get looks that could foreshadow later usage, while Norman-Lott and Driskell bubble up opportunities on the Chiefs’ interior line and depth chart. For Chicago, the absence of the starting DBs sharpens the spotlight on reserve corners and versatile linemen, which can tilt snap shares for those chasing late-round DFS angles. In other words, Week 3 becomes a stage for rookies and depth players to prove themselves and potentially alter late-season fantasy plans.

Overall, the matchup serves as a practical lab for evaluating depth and future rotation shifts, with inactives signaling thoughtful rest rather than injury. Both franchises leverage the game to test cohesion and identify hidden value among backups, a reminder that preseason results often illuminate future fantasy opportunities more than box-score highlights.