Preseason Roundup: Week One, Part Three

Jeff Haverlack

winstonThe preseason is upon us and that means we finally get a chance to see free agents with their new teams and our shiny new rookies in real game action. While many of our dynasty league staples won’t play much the first few weeks, we at least get to see some glimpses of some role players and get a taste for what they may (or may not) be able to do if given a bigger opportunity. While many fantasy football players won’t pay much attention to these games, they’re perfect for the true dynasty enthusiasts to get an early idea on depth charts, player usage and even unearthing a future sleeper. We’ll go through the preseason games as they conclude each week and post this series with some short notes on what we observe during each game.

Tampa Bay at Minnesota

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Of all the games during week one of the preseason, none were more anticipated than the one possessing Jameis Winston taking his first snaps from under center.  Winston did so on Saturday night vs. the Vikings.

On the night, Winston completed 9/19 passes for 131 yards and an interception.  And he looked as poor as his stats would suggest, at least in the beginning.  Much like Marcus Mariota, however, he looked more poised as the game unfolded.  He did rush four times for 18 yards including a nifty eight yard scamper late in the second quarter.  Don’t overreact either way.  He’s a rookie quarterback trying to find his way in the NFL and only time will help him to develop.

Beyond Winston, many were watching running back Doug Martin.  I liked the way Martin hit the hole and he was quicker to square his shoulders than I’ve seen in the past.  Bobby Rainey and Charles Sims also chipped in for a shared workload.  Ultimately, the workload was relatively even as was the production.  Martin looks to still be the primary back but at this early stage it seems that shared carries could well be the recipe.  The receivers didn’t turn in any stand-out performance across the entire group.

For the Vikings, Teddy Bridgewater was productive, completing 7/8 passes for 86 yards.  He showed confidence, accuracy and poise in the pocket.  I was high on Bridgewater coming out of college and I’m even higher on him now.  If he’s the QB2 on your dynasty roster, I think you’ve got a great young keeper.  Not much to report on from the running game although camp back Dominique Williams looked good with a few impressive runs.  We finally have a Cordarrelle Patterson sighting.  He caught both targets including 21 yard touchdown strike from Shaun Hill.  I was happy to see Kyle Rudolph involved in the game plan as he pulled down two receptions for 24 yards.  The biggest news was that the Vikings have lost tackle Phil Loadholt for the season to a torn Achilles.  It’s a major blow for an already questionable offensive line.

San Francisco at Houston

Colin Kaepernick only sniffed the field in the tilt without anything noteworthy occurring.  On Houston’s side of the ball, Ryan Mallett looked the part of a starting quarterback but didn’t throw a touchdown pass.  Both Tom Savage and Brian Hoyer threw touchdowns, Hoyer’s in the first quarter to Cecil Shorts III for 58 yards.  All three quarterbacks had ratings in the triple digits.  It’s a hot mess through week one.

In general, the 49’ers were outplayed and lacking dynamic on offense.  So goes week one.  For the Texans, Alfred Blue rushed nine times for 59 yards.  Chris Polk carried the ball 10 times, amassing 29 yards but did chip in with three receptions for 36 yards.  Fully expecting Blue to be the two-down back with Polk called upon for third down duty.  In the passing game, other than Cecil Shorts’ long touchdown, the only other item of note was the single catch for rookie Jaelen Strong, who converted it for a 10 yard touchdown.  It appears as though Strong will be no better than the third receiver, but the preseason is still very young.  He’s got the size to be a dynamic threat if he can develop.

I can’t shake the feeling that the 49’ers have fallen a long way, on both sides of the ball.

Kansas City at Arizona

Alex Smith was Alex Smith, completing 6/10 passes for 42 yards and an interception.  True to Smith’s history, each completed pass averaged seven yards.  Jeremy Maclin hauled in one of two targets for 12 yards and rookie Chris Conley didn’t find the stat sheet.  In the running game, Jamal Charles didn’t take the field and Knile Davis was carted off with what could be a serious knee injury.  Time to get Charcandrick West on your watch list but let’s not go crazy here.  Darrin Reaves also saw carries in the second half and scored on a short run.  Now a wide receiver, De’Anthony Thomas also left the field with an injury (calf).  Maybe the Chiefs should turn to the receivers who all scored touchdowns on Saturday, Da’Ron Brown, Fred Williams and Frankie Hammond.  Who you say?  Right.

The Cardinals trotted Carson Palmer out on the field for only a few plays, but he was perfect with every pass, completing 4/4 for 77 yards.  Logan Thomas, supposedly barely hanging onto his roster spot, completed 9/15 passes with an interception.  I was high on Thomas as he headed to the NFL and it appears as though the experiment has failed.  I’m still holding out hope but hope is fading.  In the running game?  Well, we’ll need to see if Chris Johnson signs as there appears to be an opportunity available.  That said, Andre Ellington did have two receptions for 59 yards, displaying his pre-injury speed.  The passing game will be all about Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown.  Only Brown tallied a catch on the night, pulling in one for 14 yards.

The last game of this week will feature Indianapolis at Philadelphia.  Should be a fun one and we’ll have a recap later on Sunday.

Follow me on Twitter:  @DLF_Jeff

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jeff haverlack