Based on the wiki, I can't find a definitive report on whether Kubiak planned to sit his starters in that preseason finale — but the game's details give us a good picture. The preseason finale vs. the 49ers took place on August 27-28, and the wiki notes that kicker Matt Gay went 4-for-5 on field goals in that game, including makes from 51, 48, and 53 yards (from the Matt Gay page).
That kind of volume from a starting-caliber kicker suggests starters weren't heavily rested, but the key clue is the QB situation. The Raiders have been explicit about a patient approach — Kirk Cousins is the Week 1 starter with rookie Fernando Mendoza developing behind him (from the Las Vegas Raiders and Fernando Mendoza pages). So my read:
- Likely yes, starters got at least some snaps — Kubiak's brand-new Shanahan system needs live reps, and Cousins needs to knock off rust from his Achilles recovery. The Raiders' whole 2026 season hinges on the offense clicking early.
- But don't expect full starters for the whole game — typical preseason finale approach is a series or two for the first unit, especially with a 36-year-old QB and a rookie you're protecting. The wiki doesn't have the exact snap counts, so I'd temper expectations for big fantasy-relevant stat lines from the first-teamers.
If you're wondering about fantasy implications, the bigger story from that game was Gay locking up the kicking job — he's projected to lead the Raiders in scoring (from the Matt Gay page).