What I’m Looking for in Preseason Week Two

Mike Havens

Week two of the preseason is upon us, so it’s time to think about some position battles to watch as the week unfolds. This is the week when most NFL teams play their starters for a few drives and even into the second quarter. With that being said, who are some players you are looking forward to seeing this time around?

I posed this question in our DLF forums. We have informative users who love to discuss various issues and talking points around the league. Below are a mixture of comments from those users as well as a few more players I thought would also be worth watching. The forum username will be displayed prior to each comment.

Le’Veon Bell, RB NYJ

DLF Writer Mike Havens: There’s no definitive word if he’ll play this preseason or not, but Bell has already expressed his desire to get in the game before the regular season starts. If that happens, there’s no doubt that all eyes will be on Bell. This might be the most-anticipated return of the year.

Darwin Thompson, RB KC

Bot101: Let’s see if the Chiefs reward his performance with any play time ahead of Darrel Williams.

Preston Williams, WR MIA

Phaded: Can he continue to build on his week one performance? This is a pretty barren depth chart [and] the talent is clearly there. He will most likely make the roster at this point, but can he continue to impress and force the team to give him significant playing time come the regular season?

Guys Expected to be Healthy by Week One

moishetreats: I’m simply interested to see if they (Jimmy Garoppolo, Amari Cooper, Derrius Guice, etc) get even a single snap. If so, then I feel confident that they will be ready to go when the NFL season starts. If not, then I’ll continue to tread cautiously.

Andy Isabella, WR ARI

ericanadian: Looking forward to seeing if he comes back, how he performs and where he stands in the pecking order at WR.

Miles Sanders, RB PHI

frodo2003: He didn’t get many carries and didn’t do a lot with what he had. Hoping to see more out of him.

DLF Writer Mike Havens: I’m interested to see the splits between Jordan Howard and Sanders. What types of carries will each back receive? What will the usage differential look like? Would it be possible to see both players on the field at the same time?

Tony Pollard, RB DAL

kmbryant09: Sounds like the Cowboys love him. He started week one but was immediately pulled with the rest of the first string. Can he get some extended run/touches with the starters and show his owners what his role could look like if Ezekiel Elliott‘s holdout lasts into the season?

Josh Jacobs, RB OAK

FantasyFreak: I am looking forward to seeing Jacobs in action. I believe Jon Gruden said the starters will be playing this week.

Weknownothing86: I’d like to see him in an actual game. Lots of mixed reviews on him as a pure runner, but if he is involved a lot in the passing game, which is a strength of his, will that cover up for some of the running issues he may have? I just want to see how they utilize him.

Terry McLaurin, WR WAS

DLF Writer Mike Havens: He didn’t play at all last week, which was a huge sign that the coaches already like what they’ve seen from him and didn’t want to take a chance with injuries. He’s expected to run with the first string, so it should be his NFL debut this coming weekend.

Josh Rosen, QB MIA and Sam Darnold, QB NYJ

djeternal2: Looking forward to seeing if they can build on week one.

Jazz Ferguson, WR SEA

whaley88: Does his week one performance gain him some solid time with the (first string). Is he better than DK Metcalf?

Miles Boykin and Hollywood Brown, WRs BAL

Pac_Eddy: Who’s running with the starters, who is getting the snaps? Etc.

Brian Hill, RB ATL

ColdZealDonkeyStrike: Does he start to move ahead of Ito Smith in the pecking order in Atlanta? That number two spot in Atlanta could be fantasy gold, and Hill is a big back with pretty decent speed. Smith is a more natural replacement for Freeman, but if Freeman were to go down, I’d be a lot more intrigued if it is Hill getting major carries in a high-scoring offense with an improved offensive line.

Curtis Samuel, WR CAR

DLF Writer Mike Havens: There’s been more talk through training camp about the progress of Samuel than probably every other player in the NFL. Word is that he might be the new number one going into the season, and if this is the case, I’d like to see some of his play this preseason.

The Number Two WR in Green Bay

DLF Writer Mike Havens: Aaron Rodgers has a history of creating two relevant receivers every season. This year is still up in the air, but it’s presumed that whoever wins the starting job opposite Davante Adams will be the player to own in Green Bay. Whoever gets the nod on the first snap should be the lead candidate for the year.

AJ Brown, WR TEN

mild: I’m looking forward to seeing AJ Brown get some run. He returned from the hamstring injury this week and was immediately installed as the WR2 opposite Corey Davis. It seemed like all [quarterback] Marcus Mariota wanted to do was target Humphries (last week) so I’m curious to see if he simply has an anti Corey Davis agenda, or whether AJ Brown can flash some.

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There are several other players I could have mentioned. Are there other players you prioritize? Mention them below! I’d love to hear who you are looking forward to seeing and why. Anyone you mention could be reviewed in my next column as we wrap up week two.

mike havens