Dynasty Fantasy Football Preseason Notebook: Week Three, Part One
Week three of the 2018 NFL preseason is underway with one Thursday night game and a six pack on Friday evening. The third game of the preseason typically has been referred to as the “dress rehearsal” for the upcoming regular season as teams have tried to create a feeling that the game means much more than it does. This year, the tides have turned.
After multiple injuries cast a major shadow on the first full week of preseason action, teams have seemingly grown unwilling to risk the health of their stars. We’ve seen key players for the Packers sit out and other teams, including Dallas and the Rams, expected to sit their stars. While we’re all ready to see something resembling “real” football, it is also completely understandable to lean this way.
Regardless, not every team sat their key players, so let’s take a look at the important notes from the first seven games of the weekend.
Browns 5, Eagles 0
The game matching the best and worst teams from the 2017 season offered little offense, as evidenced by the baseball-like score. The Cleveland defense stood out, scoring the game’s first points on a safety and then creating four consecutive turnovers in the first-half. Doubt about the regular season status of quarterback Carson Wentz is beginning to leak and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles did not exactly instil confidence in Eagles fans in this game, throwing a pair of picks and falling victim to three sacks.
The Eagles continued to heavily rely on their tight ends, which makes sense considering receivers Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor remain out of the lineup due to injury. Starting tight end Zach Ertz caught four passes for 26 yards, while rookie Dallas Goedert matched the 26 yards on just two grabs. Both Wendell Smallwood and rookie Josh Adams ran well, but neither are guaranteed of a roster spot due to the Eagles’ deep backfield.
The story of the game was a scare for the Browns. On a fourth-down goal line pass attempt, starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor landed awkwardly on his left wrist and the immediate fear was a broken bone. As Taylor jogged back to the locker room, rookie Baker Mayfield took the field, but soon after, the veteran was back in the game and all Browns fans exhaled. The Cleveland pass offense was held in check, but the running back duo of starter Carlos Hyde and rookie Nick Chubb accounted for 91 yards on 21 carries.
Vikings 21, Seahawks 20
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A Seahawks Hail Mary attempt fell just a couple of yards short as the Vikings held on to get the win. Quarterback Kirk Cousins played well, throwing for 182 first-half yards, peppering wide receiver Stefon Diggs with targets. Running back Dalvin Cook made his preseason debut, the first time he’s played since October 1 of last season when he suffered a torn ACL, ending his rookie season. Diggs finished with a 4/51 line, but took multiple hard shots from defenders, reminding fantasy owners why his value has yet to hit that elite level. Diggs left the field and was briefly checked by trainers before returning to the field.
Even receiver Laquon Treadwell, making three catches for 44 yards, looked like a solid weapon in this offense. Most of his work came when Diggs was on the bench. The battle for backup running back became very interesting as rookies Roc Thomas and Mike Boone fight for what is presumably one spot behind Cook and veteran Latavius Murray. Thomas didn’t play while Boone totaled 39 yards. Either of these rookies could be nice dynasty stashes as roster cut down day nears.
With rookie running back Rashaad Penny still out with an injury, Chris Carson continued to look like the team’s week one starter, rushing for 26 yards and a score on seven carries and adding another 20 yards as a receiver. Second-year receiver David Moore made just one catch, but it was a breakaway 36-yard touchdown reception. The Seahawks have a lot of questions about their receiver depth chart and Moore could be a sneaky option to make an impact.
Giants 22, Jets 16
Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold started the game for the Jets and appears to have taken a commanding lead in the race to be the team’s Week One starter. The USC product led a pair of touchdown drives in the first-half and gave way to veteran Teddy Bridgewater early in the second-half. Bridgewater once again played well and it is clear the Jets will face a tough decision following the team’s preseason finale next week. Reports earlier in the week suggest the asking price for Bridgewater is quite high.
The Jets started veteran running back Bilal Powell, gaining just 24 yards. With former Browns back Isaiah Crowell recovered from his concussion, he also totaled 24 yards. This looks like a full-blown committee attack and could get even messier when second-year back Elijah McGuire returns from his injury. Speaking of returning from injury, this game marked the first in a Jets uniform for veteran receiver Terrelle Pryor and although he did not get the start, he was on the receiving end of Darnold’s touchdown pass, a 12-yarder.
The Giants got the win, no thanks to their offense, who moved the ball but were unable to find the end zone. The Giants’ points came on a punt return for a touchdown and five field goals. Quarterback Eli Manning threw for 188 yards, favoring receiver Sterling Shepard, who caught seven passes for 78 yards. The biggest news for the game was the concussion sustained by young star tight end Evan Engram, who has been labeled week-to-week. The injury is unlikely to affect Engram’s status for week one, though it is his second documented head injury during his two-year career.
Broncos 29, Redskins 17
The Redskins hope they’ve eased their running back woes by signing veteran Adrian Peterson and the early returns suggest they have. Peterson’s debut in Washington resulted in 56 rushing yards on 11 carries and a fast spike in value. While seasonal league players are moving Peterson way up their ranks, we dynasty league focused owners have to be careful. It is important to note that Peterson was the RB17 during his six-game healthy stretch with Arizona last season. Peterson can obviously be viewed as the starter and if he was sitting on your dynasty league’s waiver wire, you know what to do. Many of the key Redskins sat this game out, including Jamison Crowder, Chris Thompson and Samaje Perine.
This game left Emmanuel Sanders owners feeling fine as the veteran was often targeted by quarterback Case Keenum, finishing with four receptions for 61 yards. The highlight of the night though was a 27-yard touchdown run for Sanders. Rookie Courtland Sutton (3/45) also played well and running back Royce Freeman scored his third touchdown of the preseason, though he continued to split first-team snaps and touches with Devontae Booker. Pass-catching backs De’Angelo Henderson and Phillip Lindsay continue to battle it out for third running back duties and according to beat writers, the undrafted rookie Lindsay has taken the lead. For those is very deep dynasty leagues, this will be a situation to watch as we head into the final week of the preseason. Expect both to get a lot of action next week.
Panthers 25, Patriots 14
This game included a major scare for the Panthers as quarterback Cam Newton was upended as he dove for a first down, landing on his head. Newton left the game to be evaluated for a concussion, but later returned to the game. The Panthers kept running back Christian McCaffrey busy again, rushing 12 times for 48 yards and adding another 16 yards as a receiver. McCaffrey is the preseason RB2, for what it’s worth, averaging over 11 fantasy points per game in limited playing time. He appears to be in for all the touches he can handle this season.
Many dynasty owners, myself included, have been expecting rookie receiver D.J. Moore to walk into town and become the top option in the passing game. While that is still quite possible, it won’t be happening early in the season. Moore played mostly with the second team, behind presumed starters Devin Funchess and Torrey Smith. Factor in the targets for McCaffrey and tight end Greg Olsen, and Moore may find a hard road to fantasy relevance as a rookie.
It was a quiet game for the Pats. While quarterback Tom Brady played the entire first half, New England scored just one field goal during that time. The backup running back competition continues between Jeremy Hill and Mike Gillislee. While Hill was viewed as the leader entering this game, Gillislee outproduced him and Hill suffered a late-game injury that looked like it could keep him out a while. Instead, after being horse-collared and having his legs buckle, Hill returned to the game and later declared himself “okay.”
Former Colts first-round receiver Phillip Dorsett is a player to monitor for dynasty leaguers. With Julian Edelman suspended for the season’s first month, it appears Dorsett has claimed the WR2 role. The Patriots have recently moved on from Kenny Britt and Malcolm Mitchell and there are reports suggesting veteran Eric Decker won’t make the final 53-man roster. Dorsett caught all four of his targets for 36 yards in this game.
Lions 33, Buccaneers 30
The Bucs didn’t hang on for the win, but they did hold a three-touchdown lead before the Lions came roaring back in the fourth-quarter. Tampa’s scoring kicked off with a touchdown run from starting back Peyton Barber, who totaled 34 yards on the night. Barber has already won the job prior to this game, but the gap between he and rookie Ronald Jones likely widened even more as Jones rushed for seven yards on six carries. He did make an outstanding 37-yard grab on his only target of the game. Jones is an excellent buy low candidate even though the season hasn’t begun.
Although quarterback Matthew Stafford played into the second-half, he failed to lead a touchdown drive, spreading the ball around to receivers Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay and running back Theo Riddick. Perhaps most noteworthy for the Lions was the knee injury to tight end Luke Willson, which forced him from the game. Lions coach Matt Patricia did not provide an update on Willson’s status following the game. Third-year tight end Hakeem Valles has drawn praise throughout camp and caught three passes for 38 yards against the Bucs. He’s a player to watch in deep dynasty leagues, especially if they are also tight end premium.
Raiders 13, Packers 6
The Raiders first-teamers, including quarterback Derek Carr and receiver Amari Cooper, played just one series in this game. Carr and Cooper connected for a 49-yard gain, leading to a field goal. Undrafted free agent running back Chris Warren continued to impress, rushing for 54 yards and the game-winning score to spare us from overtime.
The Packers sat most of their starters, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receiver Davante Adams, but that still didn’t help them avoid the injury bug as running back Ty Montgomery left the game with a foot injury. Although there has been no official report about the severity of the injury, head coach Mike McCarthy did suggest the injury was not serious. Montgomery is expected to form a three-headed backfield committee with Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones.
The backup quarterback race is still unclear as both DeShone Kizer and Brett Hundley failed to separate themselves from the other. Rookie receiver J’Mon Moore, rumored earlier in the week to be in danger of not making the active roster, led the team with 62 yards on four receptions.
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