Preseason Roundup: Week Two, Part Three
Week two of the NFL preseason is in the books. The action was hot and heavy as players on deep draft sheets started getting more time on the field. Fantasy owners got an extended look at who can be dynasty relevant and at players who just don’t pass the eye test. The big highlight (or lowlight) from the last set of games was certainly the significant injury to Jordy Nelson, who reportedly tore his left ACL.
The week two preseason action was broken down into three parts. Within each article I discussed the players who have surprised, excelled and those who may be emerging. Make sure you check out part one and part two.
Denver at Houston
Quarterbacks
Peyton Manning just doesn’t seem to have the same arm strength anymore. He is going to excel in short range passes with a few mixed downfield throws and it looks like the Broncos are going to run a lot more. He will be accurate, of course, as he was this week when he threw for 52 yards and was 8-of-14 passing. He would have been closer to perfect if Demaryius Thomas, James Casey, and Jordan Norwood didn’t contribute to the drop ball program. In turn, Manning missed completions to Thomas twice and he also made a bad throw to Owen Daniels. Brock Osweiler was 7-of-16 for 121 yards with one touchdown with one interception. His touchdown came on a nice pass to Andre Caldwell 57 yards deep in the left side of the end zone.
In Houston, the camp battle between Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett is reportedly done. Hoyer was clean as he finished 7-of-11 passing for 52 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. Mallett was 5-of-7 for 23 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. It’s being reported now that Hoyer has seized the starting role, but don’t be surprised if we see Mallett during the year. Tom Savage also positioned himself well as he finished 15-of-24 for 168 yards, but he will need some more seasoning as he lacks pocket awareness.
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Running Backs
C.J. Anderson will be the Broncos primary ball carrier, but I believe Denver will install another running back at times. Look for Ronnie Hillman to get in the action during the season. Hillman had eight carries for 54 yards this week while Anderson had four carries for 24 yards. In short, both backs had solid nights once again. I wouldn’t put too much faith into Montee Ball. He will be the third back on the depth chart and he can add talent to short yardage and goal line carries, but that’s about where his talent ends at the moment.
With Arian Foster out until further notice, Houston will most likely go with the committee approach. Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk all add a dimension to the running game. Blue did not have much to offer this week, though. He rushed four times for just 10 yards and he has hands of stone, so don’t look for him to do much in the passing game. Polk probably had the most successful night as he rushed for 36 yards on seven carries and caught five passes for 34 yards. Grimes was also a good contributor to the ground game as he rushed for 23 yards on five carries. As it stands, this looks to be a committee best avoided as it’s really hard to say exactly which role each player is going to have until Foster returns.
Receivers
The Broncos receiving game revolves around three players – Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Owen Daniels. Both DT and Daniels were on display last night. Manning went to Thomas right away and he finished the night with three receptions for 24 yards. Daniels was involved in the rotation as he caught four passes for 25 yards. Emmanuel Sanders did not play.
If the quarterback competition and running back competition aren’t enough, the Texans could be amidst a receiving competition. We know DeAndre Hopkins is going to be the starter on one side, but who will man the other wing will probably come down to either rookie Jaelen Strong or veteran Nate Washington. Looking at last night’s game, Washington is the leader as of now. He caught two passes for 15 yards while Strong posted just one reception for just five yards. The slot will probably go to Cecil Shorts, who could put in a strong year if he stays healthy. No one receiver stood out for Houston as 17 receivers were targeted and 15 caught at least one pass. Running back Chris Polk outshined all receivers by catching five passes for 34 yards.
San Diego at Arizona
Quarterbacks
Philip Rivers did not play, so that just leaves Carson Palmer as the lone fantasy relevant in the quarterback category for this game. Palmer only had seven attempts and he connected on three for 87 yards and one touchdown.
Running Backs
San Diego also didn’t offer much via the run game. Melvin Gordon sat out and third down back Danny Woodhead carried the ball three times for five yards and caught no passes. Branden Oliver will try to earn some playing time as he carried the ball four times for eight yards and didn’t catch a pass. Donald Brown is also fighting for a roster spot and had three carries for 10 yards.
Andre Ellington did not do much this week for the Cardinals. He only rushed two times for 12 yards. It was rookie David Johnson’s time to shine as he carried the rock 13 times for 66 yards and also caught two passes for 15 yards. Johnson may turn Ellington into a third-down back at some point. Johnson looked good against the Chargers as he used the stiff arm and ran with authority. He will need to get better at pass protection, but overall he was very impressive. It helps that Chris Johnson was shelved with a hamstring injury.
Receivers
The Chargers didn’t offer much in this category, either. Rookie Tyrell Williams led the team in yards and was second in receptions. Williams finished with three receptions for 36 yards. Austin Pettis caught four passes for 30-yards. Keenan Allen caught two passes for 25 yards and soon-to-be-retired Malcom Floyd did not play.
In Arizona, look out for rookie J.J. Nelson. He played well in his first contest against the Chiefs as he had two receptions for 20 yards, and this week against the Chargers he torched the defense and caught a 57-yard pass. Larry Fitzgerald caught one pass for five yards, and John Brown took advantage of the missing Michael Floyd as he caught three passes for 39 yards and a touchdown, reminding yet again that he has real talent.
Green Bay at Pittsburgh
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers was his typical self as he connected on 4-of-5 passes for 57 yards. He did most of his damage in the opening drive of the game. Because of two long Steeler drives and a quick three-and-out for Rodgers on his second possession, the quarter ended and Rodgers was done.
Ben Roethlisberger continued to show his great passing arm. He connected on 11-of-14 passes for 100 yards and one touchdown. He came close to a second touchdown when Antonio Brown caught the ball in the end zone but was flagged for passing interference. It will be interesting to see how the Steelers offense will run without one of the best centers in football in Maurkice Pouncey who went down with an ankle injury and could miss the entire season.
Running Backs
Eddie Lacy is an absolute beast. He carried the ball six times for 30 yards and scored one touchdown. He also caught a pass for three yards. Lacy is a lock for one of the top three running backs to go off the board.
Le’Veon Bell didn’t put up his best performance against the Packers. He carried the rock six times for 16 yards and also caught two passes for 16 yards. His two-game suspension will limit his overall value, but he is still a top three pick. DeAngelo Williams will be the backup, and he performed well. He carried the rock four times for 20-yards with a long of 12 yards.
Receivers
One of the biggest issues with fans and players are the injuries to key players in meaningless games. Not only will Maurkice Pouncey injury have a long effect on the team, but now Jordy Nelson also will be out for the entire season with a knee injury.
The spotlight now turns to Davante Adams who performed well last season as a rookie. Adams had one target from Rodgers but did not catch the pass. Randall Cobb also was just targeted once, but he made the reception for 30 yards. Tight end Richard Rodgers caught three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown. Watch for Jeff Janis who had three receptions for 25 yards as he could be a contributor as well with Nelson on the shelf.
There is no doubt that the Steelers passing game is going to be strong again this season. Tyler Muirphy led the Steelers with four receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown, Antonio Brown had four receptions for 24 yards, Markus Wheaton scored a touchdown and Sammie Coates had two receptions for 60 yards.
Dallas at San Francisco
Quarterbacks
Tony Romo only threw one pass in his only series against San Francisco and it went for a negative yard to Lance Dunbar.
Has Colin Kaepernick learned to be more accurate over the off-season? Apparently not. He had five attempts for just two completions and 13 yards. He did run for nine yards, but took an unnecessary sack instead of getting rid of the ball. Its early and the sample size is small, but I just don’t see much change in him.
Running Backs
Like Kaepernick, Darren McFadden also didn’t showcase much change in his ability. He got the start but clearly looked like he earned more of the backup job on a CFL roster instead of being atop of the Cowboys depth chart. He rushed three times and only accumulated four yards. Those four yards came on one carry.
Joseph Randle looked like the starter. He had seven carries for 30 yards. He showed his agility and averaged 4.3 yards per carry with a long of nine yards. I like Randle a lot and he is climbing my ADP chart, especially after the bum performance from McFadden.
Carlos Hyde looked great. He had 40 yards on seven carries including a 17-yard run that saw him cut his way to extra yardage. We already know he’s a brute out there, but he also showed off some grace and displayed some nice mits catching a 6 yard pass. At this point, I am not seeing a committee approach that may have been stated when Reggie Bush was signed. However, others share a different opinion of Hyde, so make sure you take as much information as you can and make a wise decision.
Receivers
Both Dez Bryant and Jason Witten were invisible in the stat column, but the one player I see taking over for the aging Witten is Gavin Escobar. The young tight end caught two passes for 16 yards and was targeted five times, second most on the day.
There’s not much to write home about on the 49ers side as for receivers. None of the main starters caught a pass and Quinton Patton led the team in receptions with three, while rookie tight end Rory Anderson led in yardage with 32.
Quick nod to NaVorro Bowman. After his injury that he sustained against the Seahawks a few years ago, it was nice to see him on the field again and watch him get after it.
St. Louis at Tennessee
I have to say I have been anti-Marcus Mariota from the very beginning. I frowned on him when the Titans took him at #2 overall, but I admit I may have been wrong. Mariota (against one of the better defensive units in football) played very well. He was 5-of-8 for 59 yards, but did not toss a touchdown (though he had one dropped by Dexter McCluster). What I saw was poise and precision on his throws and he handled being under center just fine considering this was what worried the scouts the most was his transition from college to pro.
Backup not for long? Zach Mettenberger put together another strong outing and was nealy flawless as he completed seven of nine attempts for 91 yards. The Titans could get a nice return for Mettenberger as it stands right now, as there is no chance he starts over Mariota and several teams could be in the hunt for a starting quarterback.
As for Nick Foles, I expected better. His three completions on seven attempts for 18 yards is not something the Rams or fantasy owners wanted to see. Foles made errant passes and had some sloppy moments.
Running Backs
The Rams had to go without Todd Gurley, so backup Tre Mason got the starting gig. Mason only had six yards on three carries and is worth a draft space for Gurley owners. Others in the mix include Benny Cunningham, who had 16 yards on six carries and Isaiah Pead who rushed for 11 yards on three carries.
I am guessing Marcus Mariota inspired Bishop Sankey, because Sankey did things his limited talent doesn’t normally do. For instance, gaining 45 yards on six carries is a nice start. How about him busting tackles and shedding defenders? This was all nice to see, but can he keep rolling it out? David Cobb on the other hand, wasn’t impressive at all. He will need to do better than the 26 yards on eight carries he had against St. Louis if he wants to truly be the lead back for the Titans.
Receivers
Dorial Green-Beckham is looking solid for a rookie thus far. Last week he had one catch for 30 yards and this week he had four receptions for 40 yards. At 6’5” and 237 pounds, he is made to be a beast around the field and goal line. The sky is the limit for him, but he will need to stay out of trouble to reach his full potential. The main issue with Tennessee wide receivers right now is there are a bunch of names and very little talent. Players such as Jacoby Ford, Anthony Fasano and Justin Hunter have had their chance to shine, they just never stepped out into the spotlight fully.
The Rams receivers are probably not much better. Chris Givens caught a 80-yard pass for a touchdown and didn’t do anything after that. Kenny Britt caught two passes for 15 yards and Stedman Bailey caught two passes for 34 yards – that was the extent of the excitement the Rams brought to the game last night in the receiving department. It looks as though it will be another up hill climb for the offense, especially with their poor offensive line.
Cincinnati at Tampa Bay
Jameis Winston has arrived, at least for preseason purposes anyway. He was phenomenal for the Bucs against Cincinnati. After a ho-hum first possession, Winston went on to complete eight passes on 13 attempts for 90 yards and also added a running touchdown. His pass to Russell Shepard was right on target and even though he had a couple of errant passes he looked much better than game one of the preseason. Mike Glennon is also making a case for himself to be a starter for another team at some point. He was able to hit 10-of-15 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Andy Dalton struggled against the Bucs defense. Yes, the Bucs defense. He finished six-of-13 for 46 yards. On top of that, he took three sacks and threw two interceptions. The first interception bounced off of AJ Green’s hands, while the other was completely on Dalton. His ADP will be falling fast. A.J. McCarron was much more accurate as he completed 11-of-15 passes for 97 yards, though it was against the backup defenses.
Running Backs
The “Muscle Hamster” is back!?! Yes, what a nice performance for Doug Martin. He had six attempts for 59 yards (with a long of 30) and he capped that off with one reception for a yard. Martin took one carry down the sidelines and almost scored. He looked like a completely different running back, as he stalled, waited for the defense to give him his opening, then exploded down the sidelines and just missed the pilons.
Jeremy Hill looked good on paper as he carried four times for 16 yards. If you take away his long of 11 yards however your looking at three carries for just five total yards. He also fumbled.
Giovani Bernard didn’t help his cause as he rused three times for just eight yards. He also had a long of five yards, meaning he had two attempts for three yards. He wasn’t used on the passing downs on the opening drive and he dropped one pass. The reigns look tighter and tighter for Bernard.
Receiving
With Jameis Winston, look for the receivers to get much better results. Vincent Jackson only caught one pass, but he nearly had another 17 yards downfield if he didn’t commit pass interference in an attempt to secure the reception. With Jackson healthy on one side, it means Mike Evans should improve on his great rookie season. He was targeted twice, but did not come down with a pass before exiting with a minor injury. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins also caught one pass for 11 yards.
Andy Dalton will have the reverse effect on his receivers if he doesn’t improve. Green caught two of his four targets for 24 yards, but he also had one bounce off his hands into the awaiting defense. Not much else to report on as the offense was just dismal.
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- FanDuel Bargains: Week Three - October 1, 2017
- FanDuel Bargains: Week Three - September 24, 2017
- FanDuel Bargains: Week Two - September 17, 2017
