NFL Preseason: Saturday, August 20th
Greetings Grinders! The NFL Preseason rolls on today with an action-packed seven-game slate. Two of the games occur this afternoon and the remaining five happen after 7:00 ET. I’m posting my analysis for the first two games now so you can reserve your spot in the larger GPPs. I’ll add the remaining five games in plenty of time for the 7:00 ET start. In general, the two early games are the ones I’m least excited about. If you like someone listed lock them in but I’ll have several rosters where I don’t use anyone from the first two games.
As a reminder, we are expecting teams to use their starters about a quarter tonight. In the right situation, a starter can pay off in limited time, but we’ll mostly be highlighting backups below. If you like a player I didn’t mention, you can certainly use them, but just be sure to verify that they are playing enough snaps. Below, I’ve highlighted some snap count data that I gathered. If you want the full list of targets and snaps, here is a link to my Google spreadsheet.
Panthers at Titans
Panthers
Quarterback
Depth Chart: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb
Top Target: Coach Rivera said he wants to see the starters play three good drives. That will likely eat up most of the first quarter. Then we should see Derek Anderson followed by Joe Webb. Just like last week, I prefer Anderson here even if Webb gets slightly more snaps. Last week, Webb out-snapped Anderson 35-25, but Anderson outscored Webb 7.72 to 5.76. This isn’t where I’m looking anyways though for cash games.
Running Back
Depth Chart: Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker, Cameron Artis-Payne, Brandon Wegher, Jalen Simmons
Top Target: The Panthers backfield was nothing to write home about last week. Six players combined for 74 snaps and they managed just 6.8 DK points. Artis-Payne and Wegher played the most snaps at 15 and 21 respectively, but both were ineffective. With Jonathan Stewart back in the mix this week, I would look somewhere else.
Wide Receiver
Depth Chart: Kelvin Benjamin, Ted Ginn, Devin Funchess, Corey Brown, Kevin Norwood, Brenton Bersin, LaRon Byrd, Damiere Byrd, Keyarris Garrett, Avius Capers, Miles Shuler
Top Target: Ideally, in preseason we want to target the least crowded situations. The Panthers used ten different WRs last week who played between eight and 27 snaps. If the snaps break about the same way again this week, I’m mostly just interested in two players. Brenton Bersin saw six targets last week while Keyarris Garrett saw four. They were the highest-targeted Panthers WRs, and they are both fighting for a roster spot. The big concern here is that each saw just 25% of the offensive snaps. For that reason, both get my “GPP-Only” label.
Update: Brenton Bersin is out
Tight End
Depth Chart: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Scott Simonson, Beau Sandland, Marcus Lucas, Braxton Deaver, Eric Wallace
Top Target: The Panthers are trying to get a long look at Braxton Deaver and Beau Sandland for their third TE spot. Neither was impressive enough last week to merit consideration though.
Update: Olsen is out
Titans
Quarterback
Depth Chart: Marcus Mariota, Matt Cassel, Alex Tanney
Top Target: Marcus Mariota was an efficient 3/5 for 55 yards last week before being lifted. The remainder of the snaps went to Cassel (17) and Tanney (30). The Titans QB stats are a bit skewed, though, as they ran all over San Diego for 285 yards, which meant there was no reason to throw the ball at all. This week, we’ll see more or Mariota and Cassel. If I have to pick one, I’ll go with Mariota, but I like several other QB situations better on this slate.
Running Back
Depth Chart: DeMarco Murray, Derrick Henry, Dexter McCluster, David Cobb, Antonio Andrews, Bishop Sankey, David Fluellen
Top Target: The Titans RB stats from las week are insane. The most telling thing though is that David Cobb couldn’t get a single carry while six others carried 32 times for 285 yards. The Panthers certainly have a better run defense than the Chargers so we shouldn’t expect anything close to last week’s output. I would mostly stick with Derrick Henry and Bishop Sankey who played 19 and 17 snaps, respectively.
Wide Receiver
Depth Chart: Rishard Matthews, Tajae Sharpe, Andre Johnson, Kendall Wright, Harry Douglas, Justin Hunter, Tre McBride, Reece Horn, Ben Roberts, Donte Foster, Andrew Turzilli, Jarrod West
Top Target: The Titans traded away Dorial Green-Beckham this week, which signals that they are happy with their current group of WRs. At the top of the list of people the Titans are happy with is Tajae Sharpe, who played just five snaps last week but caught two balls for 35 yards. He should play more this week and he’s quickly becoming one of Mariota’s favorite targets. If you would rather chase volume, Tre McBride and Justin Hunter played 24 and 17 snaps respectively. Both should get a long look today as the Titans try to whittle down their numbers at WR.
Tight End
Depth Chart: Delanie Walker, Anthony Fasano, Phillip Supernaw, Jerome Cunningham, Alex Ellis, Craig Stevens
Top Target: Unless you want to take a chance and use Delanie Walker in limited time, the only player to look at here is Phillip Supernaw. He played 54% of the offensive snaps last week and caught two of his three targets for 22 yards. He’s also got a fun name to say. We can probably find a better option elsewhere though.
Giants at Bills
Quarterback
Depth Chart: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, Logan Thomas
Top Target: Is it still too soon to mention Ryan Nassib’s name in this space. While paying 81% of last week’s snaps, Nassib managed just 1.2 DK points. Eli Manning will make his preseason debut tonight but he shouldn’t play more than a few series. The guy I like here is still Nassib. You’ll get him at a low ownership, and he didn’t play as bad as the 1.2 DK points indicates. He was 7/15 for 75 yards.
Running Back
Depth Chart: Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, Andre Williams, Orleans Darkwa, Paul Perkins, Marshaun Coprich, Bobby Rainey
Top Target: Even in the regular season, the Giants backfield is impossibly hard to predict. Last week, the Giants used seven different backs, who carried between one and nine times. The top scorer was starter Rashad Jennings who picked up an early touchdown. The only name I’m interested in is Paul Perkins, who had seven carries for 36 yards and chipped in one catch for four yards. I only have mild interest in him though.
Wide Receiver
Depth Chart: Odell Beckham, Sterling Shepard, Geremy Davis, Victor Cruz, Tavarres King, Dwayne Harris, Roger Lewis, Myles White, Darius Powe, Anthony Dable, KJ Maye, Kadron Boone
Top Target: Finally, we’ve come to a situation I am interested in. Three Giants WRs played over 50% of the offensive snaps last week. They were Sterling Shepard, Geremy Davis and Roger Lewis. Geremy Davis didn’t trave with the team and will not play today. That should open up even more snaps for Lewis and Shepard. Of the two, I prefer Shepard, as he’ll see some time with Eli Manning and the starters. Those reps are almost always more valuable for a WR.
Tight End
Depth Chart: Larry Donnell, Will Tye, Will Johnson, Matt LaCosse, Jerell Adams, Ryan Malleck
Top Target: It would certainly be defensible to play Larry Donnell, but my main target here is Will Tye. He played 42% of the offensive snaps last week. I would like him more, but he only saw one target in those snaps.
Ravens at Colts
Ravens
Quarterback
Depth Chart: Joe Flacco, Ryan Mallett, Josh Johnson, Jerrod Johnson
Top Target: Coach Harbaugh didn’t outright say it but he strongly hinted that Joe Flacco will not play tonight. In the same situation last week Ryan Mallet played 32 snaps, Josh Johnson played 26 and Jerrod Johnson played 6. Mallet is the guy you want to target here. He went 11/15 for 91 yards and a TD last week. He’s one of the safer options on the slate.
Running Back
Depth Chart: Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen, Terrence West, Kenneth Dixon, Stephen Houston
The Ravens still have an intense battle brewing for their fourth RB spot. Terrence West, Javorius Allen, and Kenneth Dixon should see about the same number of carries they saw last week. They saw 9, 6, and 9 carries respectively. West had the best game of the three with two touchdowns but if you take those away the other two would have outscored him. I think you can play any of the three but with this being a timeshare none are a top option.
Wide Receiver
Depth Chart: Kamar Aiken, Mike Wallace, Michael Campanaro, Chris Matthews, Jeremy Butler, Chris Moore,
Chuck Jacobs, Dobson Collins, Keenan Reynolds, Breshad Perriman, Steve Smith (PUP), Darius White
Top Target: Last week several Ravens WRs sat out with injuries. That left Jeremy Butler playing 62% of the snaps and seeing seven targets. That’s unlikely to happen again though. Harbaugh said prior to last week that we should get a long look at Moore, Campanaro, Matthews Butler and Reynolds. The guy I’m most excited about is Chris Moore. He turned heads early in camp before injury his foot. He appears to be a go tonight and is a solid play.
Tight End
Depth Chart: Benjamin Watson, Dennis Pitta, Crockett Gillmore, Maxx Williams, Daniel Brown, Darren Waller, Nick Boyle
Top Target: At this point we don’t know if Benjamin Watson will play tonight or not. We do know that Dennis Pitta and Maxx Williams are unlikely to play though. That should leave plenty of snaps for Darren Waller who played 86% of the snaps last week and saw eight targets. He’s a top play at TE tonight.
Colts
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Andrew Luck, Scott Tolzein, Stephen Morris
Top Target: Seemingly every time the Colts have played we’ve heard rumors that Andrew Luck would play significantly. Those plans changed each time but they shouldn’t tonight. Coach Pagano said that he has a number of plays in mind for Luck but he wouldn’t disclose that number. My guess is that we are looking at something slightly more than a quarter for Luck. That’s enough to make Luck a better option than Morris and Tolzein but probably not enough to make him a top option.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Frank Gore, Robert Turbin, Jordan Todman, Josh Ferguson, Trey Williams
Top Target: Last week Frank Gore sat out but he plans to play tonight. The most surprising thing when Gore sat out was that Josh Ferguson ended up starting. He played 24 snaps but gained just eight yards on three carries. I’m going back to the well with Ferguson this week though. The Colts should give him some run with the starters once Gore is done and I would expect him to play some with the backups too.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Donte Moncrief, TY Hilton, Phillip Dorsett, Tevaun Smith, Chester Rogers, Mekale McKay, Marcus Leak, Danny Anthrop, Quan Bray, Andrew Opuku, Joshua Stangby
Top Target: With Moncreif and Hilton playing a quarter or so you could certainly make the case for using one of them. If you would like to target volume though the two names to look at are Tevaun Smith and Chester Rogers. Mainly, I’m interested in Tevaun Smith who was targeted six times last week while playing 40% of the snaps.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Dwayne Allen, Emil Igwenagu Jack Doyle, Chase Coffman, Erik Swoope, Konrad Reuland
Top Target: The main guy we are looking at here is Chase Coffman. He played 56% of the snaps last week and saw two targets. You could also make the case for Dwayne Allen though as Luck and the starters are looking at 1-1.5 quarters.
Buccaneers at Jaguars
Buccaneers
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Jameis Winston, Mike Glennon, Ryan Griffin
Top Target: The Buccaneers starters should play around one quarter tonight. That should be enough to make Jameis Winston the highest scoring QB on the team. Last week, Jameis needed just 18 snaps to accomplish the same feat. He went 7/9 for 97 yards and a TD.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Doug Martin (O), Charles Sims, Mike James, Peyton Barber, Storm Johnson, Russell Hansbrough
Top Target: Doug Martin is out tonight with bruised ribs which should allow Charles Sims to get the start. Sims sat out last week’s game with an injury but he has some upside this week. Sims is always a threat to catch a few passes out of the backfield which is what you want in a RB. The other four options had between 15 and 20 snaps last week. None really jump out at me but Mike James is close to making the cut.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, Adam Humphries, Kenny Bell, Donteea Dye, Evan Spencer, Russell Shepard, Bernard Reedy, Freddie Martino, Andre Davis, Jonathan Krause, Louis Murphy
Top Target: You could make the case for using Mike Evans here but just know that you are only getting roughly a quarter. The really exciting option is Russel Shepard. The Bucs have been looking for a fourth WR to step up. Shepard saw three targets last week and hauled in all of them for 62 yards and a TD.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Cameron Brate, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Brandon Myers, Tevin Westbrook, Kivon Cartwright
Top Target: Austin Sefarian-Jenkins has apparently been demoted to the second-string. That’s a bummer for people who own him in season long but it is a huge bonus in preseason. Jenkins has stood out in practice facing reserves. Last week he played 19 snaps and hauled in both of his targets for ten yards.
Jaguars
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Blake Bortles, Chad Henne, Brandon Allen, Max Wittek
Top Target: Last week the Jaguars snaps went Bortles (18), Henne (22) Allen (29). Assuming that Bortles snaps increase that will take away any value that Henne and Allen have. Bortles looked good in the 18 snaps he played last week going 6/7 for 105 yards. If he can do the same plus add a TD that should be all you need tonight.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Chris Ivory, TJ Yeldon, Denard Robinson, Corey Grant, Joe Banyard
Top Target: I’m a big fan of teams that carry just five RBs on their roster. Unfortunately for us, all five players are healthy here. Ivory and Yeldon are listed as co-starters. It is telling though that Ivory ended up getting the goal line work last week. Based on last week’s snaps the Corey Grant (26) would be the target here but I think he loses enough snaps to the other that no one really has any value unless you can predict who gets a TD.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Rashad Greee, Marquise Lee, Arrelious Benn, Bryan Walters, Rashad Lawrence, Tony Washington, Shaquelle Evans, Shane Wynn, Jamal Robinson
Top Target: One of the things I’ve done this preseason is look for starting WRs who see a lot of targets. Allen Robinson only played 11 snaps last week but saw three targets. He caught all three for 80 yards. I think you can use him again this week expecting him to play a quarter. The other names I would look to are Marquise Lee and Rashad Greene.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Marcedes Lewis, Julius Thomas, Nic Jacobs, Ben Koyack, Neal Sterling, Braedon Bowman
Top Target: There’s nothing to highlight here. I would recommend Julius Thomas but he played 18 snaps last week and saw zero targets. If you insist, the guy to look at would be Neal Sterling who caught all three of his targets for 32 yards last week.
Saints at Texans
Saints
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Drew Brees, Luke Mccown, Garrett Grayson
Top Target: Drew Brees is supposed to play “more” this week but that shouldn’t surprise us since he only played three snaps last week. The most interesting there here is that Garrett Grayson ended up getting the first half work and Luke McCown saw the second-half work. McCown still saw the bulk of the snaps though at 50. If I hear that Grayson is playing ahead of McCown again this week it bumps up the Houston defense but it doesn’t make him a better option that McCown.
Running Back
Depth Chart: Mark Ingram, Tim Hightower, Marcus Murphy, CJ Spiller, Travaris Cadet Daniel Lasco
Top Target: The Saints ended up using eight Rbs last week who all played between 6 and 22 snaps. Mark Ingra was the top scorer with two TDs while Daniel Lasco had the most snaps at 22. This situation is way too crowded for my liking. Lasco is at the back end of the depth chart so we can’t count on that many snaps again and we certainly can’t count on two Ingram TDs. He may not score two TDs all season.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Brandon Coleman, Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas, Willie Snead, RJ Harris, Reggie Bell, Jared Dangerfield, Tomylee Lewis, Jordan Williams, Jake Lampman
Top Target: The names that interest me most here are Willie Snead and Michael Thomas. Snead seems to be at risk of losing his roster spot and ended up playing 30 snaps last week. He only saw one target though. Thomas on other handed hauled in four of his six targets for 67 yards. He’s a strong option tonight.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Coby Fleener, Josh Hill, Rashaun Allen Michael Hoomanawanui, Chris Manhertz, Garrett Griffin
Top Target: Bases on snaps, the name to target here is Manhertz who played 31 last week. He only saw two targets though. In fact, all the Saints TEs combined for just five targets. I’ll look elsewhere for my TE tonight.
Texans
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Brock Osweiler, Tom Savage, Brandon Weeden
Top Target: The Texans first-team offense never really got going last week against the 49ers but that was the simplified version. Osweiler went 4/7 for 27 yards before exiting. Tom Savage played the remainder of the game and there are serious doubts now whether Weeden will even make the roster. The Saints pass defense is terrible to this is a great place to look tonight. The guy I want is Tom Savage. Even if Osweiler plays the first quarter I think Savage plays most of the second and third. The Texans need to know for sure if they can count on him to be the backup.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Lamar Miller, Afred Blue, Jonathan Grimes, Akeem Hunt, Kenny Hilliard
Top Target: The Texans used five different RBs last week but the main competition here is between Akeem Hunt and Kenny Hilliard. Of the two I prefer Hunt who saw seven carries to Hillard’s 12 but was targeted three times out of the backfield.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: DeAndre Hopkins, Jaelen Strong, Cecil Shorts, Keith Mumphery, Braxton Miller, Will Fuller, Josh Lenz, Tevin Jones, Wendall Williams, Quenton Bundrage
Top Target: You can make the case for DeAndre Hopkins here as he is a PPR monster and should run with the starters in the first quarter. Hopkins will likely be matched up against Delvin Breaux though. The other name to look at is Jaelen Strong. Even though he started last week he ended up playing 41% of the snaps. He saw six targets on those snaps and hauled in four for 42 yards. He’s a strong play in this matchup against the Saints.
Tight End
Depth Chart: CJ Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin, AD Denham, Eric Tomlinson, Stephen Anderson
Top Target: The Texans Tes are another situation I’ll just avoid. The three TEs who played last week combined for three targets. The top scorer was Stephen Anderson but that is because his only catch was for a TD.
49ers at Broncos
49ers
Quarterback
Depth Chart: Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick (O), Jeff Driskel, Christian Ponder
Top Target: This section should be easy. My outlook for the 49ers offense is not good. In fact, the Denver defense is my top play at defense. Colin Kaepernick will sit this one out. That means we’ll see Gabbert, Driskel and maybe Ponder. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for success to me.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Carlos Hyde, Shaun Draughn, DuJuan Harris, Kelvin Taylor, Mike Davis, Kendall Gaskins
Top Target: Chip Kelly’s fast paced-offense leads to a lot of plays but most of that value will be on the Denver side of the ball tonight. Last week, SF used six different RBs. The one I’m most interested in is Mike Davis who had five carries for 72 yards. I probably won’t go here though as I’m not interested in using a RB against
Wide Receiver
Depth Chart: Bruce Ellington, Torrey Smith, DeAndre Smelter, DeAndrew White, DiAndre Campbell, Aaron Burbridge, Des Anderson, Bryce Treggs
Top Target: As I said above, my outlook for the SF offense is not good. There are better places to attack on this slate than the Denver secondary.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek, Bruce Miller, Je’Ron Hamm, Blake Bell, Rory Anderson
Top Target: If there is a weakness in the Denver secondary it is covering opposing TEs. Vance McDonald played nine snaps last week and saw two targets. He caught both for 54 yards and a TD. He’s an option but not a good option.
Broncos
Quarterback
Depth Chart: Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch
Top Target: This might surprise some people but I’ve heard Trevor Siemian has the inside track to win the starting job in Denver. Sachez should still see the first team work but Chip Kelly’s offense is on the other side of this game. There will be plenty of plays to go around. I like Siemian here. He was 7/12 last week for 88 yards. You could also make the case for Sanchez though for all the same reasons.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: CJ Anderson, Devontae Booker, Ronnie Hillman, Kapri Bibbs
Top Target: As I said above, facing a fast-paced offense provides more opportunity for the opposing team. Last week Kapri Bibbs saw 15 carries He’s a very intriguing option here. You can also look to Devontae Booker who only saw four carries last week. He’s supposedly going to be allowed to showcase his skills in order to win the number one job from Anderson.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Bennie Fowler, Cody Latimer, Jordan Taylor, Jordan Norwood, Devier Posey, Kalif Raymond, Mose Frazier, Bralon Addison
Top Target: We are looking three places here. If you want to play a starter Demaryius Thomas makes a solid choice based on his PPR value. If you want to chase volume, look to Cody Latimer and Benny Fowler who were each targeted seven times last week.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Virgil Green, John Phillips, Jeff Heuerman, Garrett Graham, Henry Krieger-Coble, Manasseh Garner
Top Target: I highly recommend Heuerman last week and he let me down with just one catch. I’m going back to the well again this week though. Heuerman played 25 snaps and he should see a similar allotment again this week.
Chiefs at Rams
Chiefs
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Alex Smith, Tyler Bray, Aaron Murray, Nick Foles, Kevin Hogan
Top Target: The Chiefs are expected to play their starters the entire first half. That’s more than we can expect from a lot of other teams. That makes Alex Smith possibly the best option on this entire slate. Smith was effective last week going 3/4 for 34 yards on KC’s first drive. After watching Dak Prescott carve up this Rams defense last week I have no doubt Smith can do the same.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Jamaal Charles, Charcandrick West, Spencer Ware, Knile Davis, Darrin Reaves
Top Target: With the Chiefs starters playing nearly a half I think it’s a good idea to stick with just Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West here. Ware was able to punch in a TD but West saw two targets out of the backfield. You could play either one this week.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Jeremy Maclin, Albert Wilson, Frankie Hammond, Chris Conley, Tyreek Hill, Rod Streater, De’Anthony Thomas, Mike Williams, Kashif Moore, Demarcus Robinson, itch Mathews, Da’Ron Brown
Top Target: With starters playing up to a half you can easily make the case for Jeremy Maclin. He’s not the Chief I am most excited about though. Tyreek Hill has been excellent in camp and saw four targets last week while playing 22% of the offensive snaps. He’s in my top tier at WR tonight.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Travis Kelce, Demetrius Harris, Travis Ross, James O’Shaughnessy, Brian Parker
Top Target: Similar to QB, RB, and WR I think you have to lean towards the starter if you want to play a Chiefs TE. That guy is Travis Kelce. He makes an excellent option at TE tonight.
Rams
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Case Keenum, Jared Goff, Sean Mannion, Dylan Thompson
Top Target: Case Keenum is expected to start and play about three series Then we’ll see rookie Jared Goff until some point in the third quarter. I don’t think you can play either Keenum or Goff when Alex Smth is playing a half on the other side of this game.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Todd Gurley, Benny Cunningham, Malcolm Brown, Terrence McGee, Chase Reynolds, Zach Laskey, Aaron Green
Top Target: The Rams used six RBs last week even with Gurley sitting out. This situation is crowded enough that I’m not highly interested in anyone. The only two names I’m interested in here are Aaron Green and Chase Reynolds. Green saw four targets last week and Reynolds played 45% of the snaps. My expectation for both is low though.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin, Bradley Marquez, Brian Quick, Pharoh Cooper, Mike Thomas, Paul McRoberts, Nelson Spruce, Duke Williams, Marquez North, Austin Hill, David Richards
Top Target: Pharoh Cooper was a bit disappointing last week with just 17 snaps and two targets, I think both of those numbers should come up this week though. The guy who really jumps off the page is Nelson Spruce who was targeted eight times in 20 snaps. He caught six of those targets for 51 yards and a TD.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Cory Harkey, Lance Kendricks, Justice Cunningham, Tyler Higbee, Temarrick Hemingway, Benson Browne, Jake Stoneburner
Top Target: Hopefully you watched last week’s game against Dallas. If you did, you got your first look at “Baby Gronk.” Tyler Higbee saw six targets of which he caught five for 49 yards. Those are insane numbers for a preseason TE. I love him again this week.