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Preseason Week Two Stock Up, Stock Down

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Jordan Love
Bruce Matson Posted On August 23, 2023
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We are a week closer to the NFL season. The storylines from training camp are unfolding right in front of us during these preseason games. In week two we saw a lot of rookies perform well. The 2023 draft class looks like it’s going to be a massive hit as a whole for dynasty gamers.

QUARTERBACK

CJ Stroud, HOU

We must remain patient with these rookie quarterbacks. We’ve been hanging on every training camp clip and fantasizing about their draft profiles but playing quarterback in the NFL is the toughest job in sports. Sure, he completed seven of his 12 pass attempts, and he was off the mark on a few attempts. This is just a part of the process and 2023 should be considered a developmental year. The offensive line didn’t do him many favors. It’s going to be fun watching him develop this year.

Aidan O’Connell, LV

It looks like he might play his way into a starting role. Against the Rams, he completed 11 of his 18 pass attempts for 163 yards and two touchdowns. O’Connell has been the Cinderella story out of preseason so far since there hasn’t been a player in the entire league who has increased their stock more than him. He has shown good mental processing and the ability to fit the ball into tight windows. The sample size is still small but he has shown that he belongs in this league.

Daniel Jones, NYG

Jones passed the eye test, completing eight of his nine pass attempts for 69 yards and one touchdown. He connected with Darren Waller who appears to be one of his favorite weapons already. If he continues to play well, then we could see him ramp up in 2023.

Jordan Love, GB

Love looked smooth, cool, calm, and collected out against the New England Patriots’ defense. He completed five of his eight pass attempts for 84 yards and one touchdown. It’s a very small sample, but the Packers might have a smoother transition than expected from Rodgers. We will officially find out once we get a few games into the season as Love’s progress could reverse once he’s playing against a live first-team defense.

RUNNING BACK

Bijan Robinson, ATL

Robinson saw his first carry as an Atlanta Falcon and we instantly saw the athleticism drip from his body every time we saw him touch the ball. He had a one-handed snag that he brought into his body. Robinson executed excellent lateral ability on all of his runs. Even though it was just four carries for 20 yards, it’s hard to not get excited for him.

Tank Bigsby, JAC

Bigsby had another good performance against the Detroit Lions, rushing the ball 13 times for 70 yards. He has earned a larger role in the offense and if he continues to play well, we are going to see him receive opportunities throughout the season. In his two preseason games, he has rushed for 122 yards while averaging 5.5 yards per attempt. He has created 61 yards after contact, averaging 2.77 yards after contact per attempt.

Sean Tucker, TB

We got to see him perform against the New York Jets on Saturday Night. He was given the nickname of Baby Nick Chubb during training camp. From watching him play he does look like a miniature Nick Chubb out there considering his compact frame and the burst he displayed while out on the field. Tucker led the team in rushing with 37 yards and caught all three of his targets for 18 yards.

De’Von Achane, MIA

As we would expect Achane looked explosive running the football. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury and had to leave the game. On Monday reports came out stating that his injury status is going to week-to-week. Fantasy gamers will need to monitor the injury to see when he will be available for the Miami Dolphins. This could be an opportunity to kick your league mate in the shin to see how they value him.

Zach Charbonnet, SEA

It was very exciting to see Charbonnet on the field. He broke off a 29-yard run that showcased some wiggle and athleticism. The second-round pick will be sharing the backfield with Kenneth Walker. The two running backs are expected a deliver a one-two punch in the run game.

Javonte Williams, DEN

Things are looking good. He ran the ball three times for 12 yards and also caught four of his five targets for 18 yards. Williams didn’t exactly blow up the box score or have an amazing highlight reel run. It is a good sign that he’s on the field and seeing opportunities after his devastating injury.

Chase Brown, CIN

The Bengals’ offense didn’t look great without Joe Burrow and company. We didn’t get a true picture of how things would look if Brown got the opportunity to start for the Bengals. However, he carried the ball nine times for 18 yards for just two yards per carry. Brown looks good as a late-round prospect considering his collegiate production combined with his athletic profile. If the coaching staff gets a bad taste in their mouth overall from this offense and something happens to Joe Mixon, they might decide to bring another running back in because they are chasing a Super Bowl.

WIDE RECEIVER

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA

He’s a very talented receiver. Dynasty gamers should not worry about his transition to the NFL game. Against the Dallas Cowboys, he caught all three of his targets for 58 yards. He exploded on social media for a 48-yard catch and run. Recently, news broke that he is undergoing wrist surgery and will have a chance to be ready for the start of the season. Dynasty managers will need to monitor his progress.

Zay Flowers, BAL

Flowers blew up social media when he took a pass 26 yards to the house while shaking and baking defenders on his way to the end zone. He caught two balls for 37 yards and one touchdown in his performance against the Washington Commanders. Flowers has been a handful to deal with all of training camp and we are seeing signs that he’s going to cause problems for defenders when we get into the season.

Rashee Rice, KC

We’ve been watching the young wide receivers battle it out for playing time during training camp. Against the Cardinals, he caught eight balls for 92 yards. Rice looks like he can be a playmaker at the NFL level. He’s showing he can be productive while also snagging balls left and right during training camp.

Andrei Iosivas, CIN

The Bengals might have another option for fantasy if the injury bug decided to attack their depth chart. Iosvias caught five of his 11 targets for 44 yards. The encouraging thing is that he saw 143 air yards in this contest as two of his targets went for more than 20 yards. Downfield opportunities are very encouraging when you are looking for a spike-week savant in fantasy.

Jalen Tolbert, DAL

After a disappointing rookie season, it appears that Tolbert is taking a massive step forward in his development. He blew up social media with a few highlight reel catches. The beat writers a saying encouraging things about him on the daily. Against the Seahawks, he led the team in receiving, catching four of six targets for 66 yards. There’s going to be a role for him in the offense this year and if attrition hits this wide receiver unit, then we could see him receive some larger opportunities.

TIGHT END

Darren Waller, NYG

I think it’s safe to say Waller is going to have a good season in New York. As long as he’s healthy and on the field, Daniel Jones is going to find him. He caught three of his four targets against the Carolina Panthers. The Giants don’t have any true alpha wide receivers of consequence to soak targets, therefore there should be plenty of opportunity for Waller to have a massive season.

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