NFL Preseason: Thursday, August 11th
Greetings Grinders! The best time of the year is here. With the cancellation of the Hall of Fame game we get our first NFL action of the season tomorrow. As I’ve always done in the past, I’ll take a game-by-game look and try to highlight some strong plays. If I don’t mention someone you like that doesn’t mean you can’t play them. Just make sure to do a quick Google and Twitter search to determine how many snaps that player is expected to get.
Last but not least, be prepared to browse through this Twitter list before kickoff to check for any last minute news.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay
Quarterback
Depth Chart: Jameis Winston, Mike Glennon, Ryan Griffin
Top Target: Jameis Winston will draw the start but he should be pulled after 1-2 series. The guy that you should consider here is Mike Glennon. If Coach Dirk Koetter announces that Ryan Griffin will play the entire second half I still like Glennon better. The most valuable reps for a QB are those that come behind a decent offensive line with decent WRs to throw to. Most of the fantasy goodness in the passing game will come in the first half.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Doug Martin, Charles Sims (Q), Mike James, Peyton Barber, Storm Johnson, Russell Hansbrough
Top Targets: Coach Koetter said on Tuesday that Charles Sims is questionable with an ankle injury. He also said that we are likely to see a lot of the 3-4-5-6 RBs. This situation is just a bit crowded but the guys we would consider are Mike James, Peyton Barber, and Storm Johnson. They should each see somewhere around 5-7 carries. I like Mike James best if I’m forced to choose but ideally we want to target a situation elsewhere with less depth where we can guarantee 10+ carries.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Vincent Jackson (Q), Mike Evans, Adam Humphries, Kenny Bell, Donteea Dye, Evan Spencer, Russell Shepherd, Bernard Reedy, Freddie Martino, Andre Davis, Jonathan Krause, Louis Murphy (PUP).
Top Targets: As I mentioned in the QB section, it’s hard to target a WR buried on the depth chart unless we hear that he’ll gets some playing time with the 1s and 2s. In most preseason games, we’ll see something like 30 passes attempted. Most of those will take place in the first half or third quarter. If you go too deep here, you’ll end up with Ryan Griffin playing behind Tampa’s fourth-string offensive line trying to get your WR the ball. The two guys I like are Adam Humphries and Kenny Bell. The Bucs list Humphries third on the depth chart but only because they don’t have a slot WR designation. Humphries could start with Jackson sidelined but even if he doesn’t, he’ll look to build some familiarity with both Glennon and Winston early in the game. The other player who should benefit from Vincent Jackson sitting is Kenny Bell. If Jackson sits, Bell may actually end up starting on the outside in order to keep Humphries in the slot. As an added bonus, Bell and Humphries will split time returning kicks and either could be paired with the TB defense if you are targeting the double-dip return TD.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Cameron Brate, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Brandon Myers, Tevin Westbrook, Kivon Cartwright, Luke Stocker, Dan Vitale, Alan Cross
Top Targets: We aren’t even through the first game and I’m already writing too many words. I’ll shorten down the analysis as we go. This first game you are learning my thinking that goes into a pick as I give it. I won’t need to repeat again in the later games. The TE situation in TB is interesting. On the depth chart, Cameron Brate is starting ahead of Austin Sefarian-Jenkins. By all accounts, Sefarian-Jenkins has been demoted and this isn’t just a motivational thing. If that’s the case, we could see Sefarian-Jenkins play extensively against backups. A Glennon/Jenkins stack is certainly in play. I only have mild interest in Brate playing with the starters but the other name that interests me here is Dan Vitale. He’s buried on the depth chart but that’s because he’s a combo FB/TE. At Northwestern, he played “Superback.” The Bucs plan to use him in a variety of ways. He’s not a cash-game type option but you can certainly take a look in GPPs.
Philadelphia
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel, Carson Wentz, McLeod Bethel-Johnson
Top Target: After the Eagles re-signed Sam Bradford in the offseason they paid big money to get Chase Daniel to follow Coach Doug Pederson over from Kansas City. Then they traded up in the draft to select Carson Wentz second overall. Pederson has said we shouldn’t expect the starters for more than a few series at best. The exact quote was, “I would go as far as saying, if it’s like a three-and-out deal, I would probably keep the ones in there for a little bit longer. It all just depends on how many plays they get. I don’t have a set number of plays.” That rules out Bradford for us. We will see Chase Daniel for the remainder of the first half after Bradford takes a seat and then we should see rookie Carson Wentz for the bulk of the second half. Based on practice reports, Wentz has struggled mightily. On the other hand, Chase Daniel already knows Pederson’s system and he excelled in it last preseason. I’ll take 1.5 quarters of Chase Daniel playing with talented players over two quarters of Carson Wentz playing with undrafted free agents and camp bodies who won’t even make the team.
Running Back
Depth Chart: Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Kenjon Barner, Wendell Smallwood, Byron Marshall, Cedric O’Neil.
Top Targets: If you read my article this past Sunday, you already know I mentioned this situation but things have changed slightly. Ryan Mathews reported to camp with an ankle injury and only started practicing last week. If he plays, it will be very little. Darren Sproles is 33 years old. He also won’t see much work. Wendell Smallwood has already been ruled out with a quad injury. That leaves just Kenjon Barner, Byron Marshall, and Cedric O’Neil. Originally, I was very excited about Barner but he has struggled catching passes out of the backfield in camp and he also may have injured his quad yesterday. If Barner sits, there is no doubt about it, Byron Marshall is your cash-game RB this week. Even if Barner does play, I will still own a lot of Marshall. Even though he is an undrafted free agent, Marshall is an exciting RB. Marshall finished his career at Oregon with 1877 rushing yards and 19 TDs. He also averaged 13.3 yards per catch on his way to 1293 receiving yards. People who are paying attention will own Byron Marshall. Don’t be one of the people who isn’t paying attention. You can also make the case for Cedric O’Neil here. Heck, if you want you can play both O’Neil and Marshall in the same lineup you can get nearly all of the carries.
Pass Catchers:
Depth Chart: Jordan Matthews (O), Nelson Agholor, Rueben Randle, Chris Givens, Josh Huff, Paul Turner, Cayleb Jones, Marcus Johnson (O), Hunter Sharp (O), TJ Graham, David Watford, Xavier Rush, Deon Long
Top Targets: Based on the fact that I’ll own a lot of Marshall/O’Neil and the TE we will get to next, I probably won’t have heavy exposure to the Eagles WRs. That said, with Mathews out and Agholor set to play just a few series, you can make a strong case for Chris Givens, Josh Huff, and Cayleb Jones (and even Paul Turner). I would also mention Reuben Randle here, but I think he’s enough of an established veteran to get the starter treatment here. Givens is the guy I’m most excited about but if you told me you are playing Huff, Jones or Tuner I wouldn’t talk you out of it.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, Trey Burton, Chris Pantale, MJ McFarland
Top Target: Zach Ertz was injured in practice last week. It isn’t serious but it should be enough to keep him from playing much if at all. Celek should see only a few series. The guy that I absolutely love here is Trey Burton. Coach Pederson loved to use his TEs in Kansas City last year and Burton has been great in camp. He’s one of the top options at TE on this slate. He’s practiced extensively with Wentz and Daniels and both have looked for him often in the Red Zone.
Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons
Washington
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Kirk Cousins, Colt McCoy, Nate Sudfeld
Top Target: Teams that have just three QBs on the roster are much easier to handicap in preseason. We know Kirk Cousins will play a series or two. After that, we should see Colt McCoy for the rest of the first half and Nate Sudfeld for the second half. Last preseason, McCoy appeared in two games where he went 32/44 for 496 yards and 4 TDs. He’s an excellent option for your QB spot. As far as Sudfeld, he hasn’t been great in camp. He is an option based on his expected volume but he isn’t a strong option.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Matt Jones, Chris Thompson, Keith Marshall, Mack Brown, Rob Kelley, Kelsey Young, Joe Kerridge
Top Target The numbers game dictates that the Redskins probably can’t keep more than four RBs. They have about six guys realistically competing for those spots and two are pretty much locked. We’ll see Matt Jones and Chris Thompson with the starters but you can’t expect more than 5 carries from each. Behind Jones and Thompson, a heated competition is brewing among Keith Marshall, Mack Brown and Robert Kelley ,(with Kelsey Young behind those three). Coach Gruden wants to get a long look at all these players, which makes this just a little too crowded for anyone to be a good play. If you forced me to pick I would begrudgingly choose Keith Marshall he not a bad choice but he’ll need to be effective with his carries in order to pay off.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart:
LWR Pierre Garcon, Rashad Ross, Jarvis Turner, Kendal Thompson, Josh Doctson (PUP)
RWR DeSean Jackson, Maurice Harris, Reginald Diggs (O), Dez Stewart
SWR Jamison Crowder (O), Ryan Grant, Valdez Showers, TJ Thorpe
I changed the format on the depth chart there just slightly. The reason I did that is that the Redskins have 14! guys listed. With Doctson, Crowder, and Diggs being the only injuries here, this is an impossibly hard situation to handicap. The only names that interest me are Rashad Ross and Ryan Grant. Ross led the NFL in receiving yards last preseason with 266 yards. He also chipped in four TDs. My interest in Grant is based on Crowder being out which should lead to more snaps in the slot. Both Grant and Ross need to put some good plays on film to solidify their position on the depth chart.
Tight End
Depth Chart: Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis, Niles Paul, Logan Paulsen, Marcel Jensen, Derek Carrier (PUP)
Top Targets: The Redskins are really deep at TE this year with Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen backing up Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis. We already know that Jordan Reed is out for Thursday’s game and I don’t expect Vernon Davis to see much time. That means I have some interest in Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen based on the volume they will receive. Neither has a major role in the offense, but Martellus Bennett led all TEs last preseason with 11 catches. You shouldn’t be expecting too much from your TE anyways. If you can get 2-3 catches and 25 yards that’s enough.
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Sean Renfree, Matt Simms
Top Target: When asked about his approach to Thursday’s game, Coach Dan Quinn said, “It will really be by position as opposed to unit,” Quinn said regarding snap counts. “So some guys need more looks, more exposure, to have more (reps). Other guys, who I know are game-ready, we’ll move on from them (early). But the young players, yeah, I’m certainly excited to look for them. … There’s a lot to gain from these preseason games: new looks, new stuff in a new environment. So we want to test them, for sure.”
When I read that quote, I assume guys like Matt Ryan and Julio Jones will get an early hook. Matt Schaub will come in behind Ryan but Quinn has indicated that he wants Ryan and Schaub to get their reps early so that Renfree and Simms can get the bulk of the snaps. With four guys possibly taking snaps, this situation is a little too crowded for me.
Running Back
Depth Chart: Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Terron Ward (O), Gus Johnson, Brandon Wilds
Top Targets: With Freeman and Coleman entrenched as the starter and backup, we shouldn’t expect a heavy workload for either of them. The fact that Terron Ward is out means we should see a decent amount of Gus Johnson and Brandon Wilds This situation isn’t as clear as Philadelphia or New York (which we will get to) but I do have mild interest in Gus Johnson and Brandon Wilds. They should split reps as they burn out the clock in the second half.
Wide Receiver
Depth Chart: Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy, Aldrick Robinson, Eric Weems, Nick Williams, Devin Fuller, JD McKissic, Leslie Jordan, Corey Washington, David Glidden.
Top Targets: Based on Quinn’s comments, I have to assume that Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu will play 1-2 series. The young guys who would benefit from extra reps though are Aldrick Robinson and Justin Hardy. I’m very excited about Aldrick Robinson who has even drawn praise from Julio Jones for his play in camp. Robinson caught 11 balls last preseason for 150 yards and a TD. He’s certainly proven he can get the job done in preseason. Hardy also had a strong preseason last year with 11 catches for 130 yards. I like Robinson best, but Hardy isn’t far behind.
Tight End
Depth Chart: Jacob Tamme, Austin Hooper, Levine Toilolo (O), DJ Tialavea, Joshua Perkins
Top Target: With Levine Toilolo out, the main place I’m looking here is Austin Hooper. The Falcons used a third-round pick this season to draft Hooper to eventually replace Tamme. They’ll want to get a long look at Hooper in preseason to see if he is capable of eventually taking on that role.
Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens
Carolina
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb
Top Target: I enjoy teams that only bring three QBs to camp. Especially when one of those QBs is Cam Newton. As is the case with other starters, Newton should play 1-2 series. We should see Derek Anderson and Joe Webb for the rest of the game. That doesn’t necessarily mean either of them will come out and throw 25 passes though. It is unlikely that any QB receives drastically more attempts than the field. That means I’ll usually look for the most talented player I can find that is facing inferior competition but also playing with talented players on his own team. That usually leads me to targeting a guy like Derek Anderson here instead of Joe Webb. If you disagree, that’s fine, you can play Webb. You should get some rushing yards when things break down but overall I think Anderson has the better fantasy game. Last preseason, Webb threw the ball 46 times but finished with just 27 DK points. Anderson threw the ball 36 times but finished with 21 DK points on 10 less attempts. What I’m saying here is that if the number of passes is even close to equal, Anderson will outscore Webb.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whitaker, Cameron Artis-Payne, Brandon Wegher, Jalen Simmons
Top Targets: Even though everyone is healthy here, I’m interested in Cameron Artis-Payne “CAP” and Brandon Wegher. Yesterday, Coach Rivera basically said that the Panthers will only keep three RBs (Plus FB Tolbert) on their roster. That means whichever of CAP/Wegher that loses the third RB job will end up getting cut. Both should see a decent amount of carries (like 10, maybe?) on Thursday. In my eyes, they are about equal. You can play either one.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Kelvin Benjamin, Ted Ginn, Devin Funchess, Corey Brown, Kevin Norwood, Brenton Bersin, LaRon Byrd, Damiere Byrd, Keyarris Garrett, Stephen Hill, Avius Capers, Miles Shuler
Top Targets: Similar to the Redskins, the Panthers have a really tough situation to handicap at WR. Benjamin, Ginn, and Funchess are easily the top three. Corey Brown is recovering from a shoulder injury but he stills slots in at #4 for now. Bersin, both the Byrd’s, Garrett, Hill, Capers, and Shuler are fighting for what will probably be 2-3 available spots. Stephen Hill is a speedster but his knee doesn’t seem to be 100%. I don’t think we can get too far down this depth chart before we need to just look elsewhere. To me, we are just looking at Brenton Bersin and Keyarris Garrett. The big issue with both is that have been dropping passes this week in practice. I may sprinkle them in somewhere, but they aren’t high on my list at WR.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Scott Simonson, Beau Sandland, Marcus Lucas, Braxton Deaver, Eric Wallace
Top Targets: The Panthers have an interesting problem at TE. It’s almost impossible for a team to keep four TEs unless the fourth guy plays special teams. The Panthers will almost definitely keep Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, and Scott Simonson. That leaves Beau Sandland and Braxton Deaver competing for a spot that may not exist. Even if one or both is cut, they are both practice squad candidates. The Panthers should use tonight’s game to get a good look at both. Keep your expectations low (this is TE after all) but both Deaver and Sandland are in play.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Joe Flacco, Ryan Mallett, Josh Johnson, Jerrod Johnson
Top Target: When asked if he had decided who will play on Thursday and who will sit, Coach Harbaugh remarked, “We’ve decided about everybody, but I’m not going to make any announcements. We’re just going to go play the game and do it that way.” If that makes you as angry as me, feel free to send the coach some hate mail. He doesn’t have a Twitter account though (I already checked). Based on the fact that Joe Flacco is coming off an ACL and MCL injury, I’ll do what Harbaugh refuses to do and rule him out here. That should allow us to see a heavy dose of Ryan Mallet here eventually followed by The Johnsons. Before you say, “What if Mallett gets hurt though?” think about how that sounds. The Ravens need Mallett to prove he is a capable backup. If somehow he does get injured, guys like Jimmy Clausen could be signed off the street and provide the same thing Mallett does. We should see enough of Mallett to make him usable in your lineups. I would like him a lot better if he were more talented but I still like him just fine.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen, Terrance West, Kenneth Dixon, Stephen Houston
Top Targets: This is another situation where everyone is healthy but a couple names rise to the top because of competition. Forsett and Allen are pretty much established as the 1 and 2. The major battle is between Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon. West, for his part, has his sights on overtaking the top two but he certainly also wants to hold onto at least the number three spot. Kenneth Dixon was injured early in camp but he has made a strong push of late. Terrance West is my favorite play here but I also think Kenneth Dixon deserves consideration.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Mike Wallace, Kamar Aiken, Michael Campanaro (O), Chris Matthews (Q), Jeremy Butler, Chris Moore (Q), Chuck Jacobs, Kaelin Clay,
Keenan Reynolds, Steve Smith Sr. (PUP), Dobson Collins, Brashad Perrriman (PUP)
Top Targets: Hopefully you didn’t hit send on your John Harbaugh hate mail just yet. In the same press conference as the quote above, Harbaugh did provide some clarity at WR. When asked about Jeremy Butler, Harbuagh said, “Jeremy will play a lot. He’s right there. Jeremy, Chris Matthews, unfortunately, is another guy right in the Jeremy spot. [Michael] Campanaro is in that place. Keenan Reynolds is in that place, and others. It’s just a matter of … Part of it is being out there. Part of it is being out there so you can prove yourself, and Jeremy has been out there, and he continues to improve. I can’t wait to see how this shakes out on Thursday, but also for the next three weeks seeing who the guys are. That’s what we’re going to find out in the next couple of weeks.” Straight from the coach’s mouth we know that Jeremy Butler, Chris Matthews and Keenen Reynolds are the guys we should be looking at here. After Harbaugh said that quote, Chris Matthews got hurt in practice the next day. At this point, you can fire up Reynolds and Butler with confidence as they should play a lot.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Benjamin Watson, Dennis Pitta (Q), Crockett Gilmore (Q), Maxx Williams (Q), Daniel Brown (Q), Nick Boyle, Darren Waller
Top Target: If you thought WR looks bad injury-wise for the Ravens, you should see their ailing TE group. Pitta has an injured finger, Gilmore has a hamstring, Brown has an undisclosed injury and Williams was injured yesterday. That meant at the end of practice the Ravens were down to just Benjamin Watson and Darren Waller. As an aside, Waller is suspended for the first four games of the season. I’m expecting Waller to play extensively as 1.) Watson is a veteran and 2.) Who cares if a guy who is suspended four games gets hurt? He’s already sitting out anyways. Waller is the guy you’ll want to target here but you need to verify the status of Maxx Williams first. If Maxx is healthy, I also like him.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets
Jacksonville
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Blake Bortles, Chad Henne, Brandon Allen, Max Wittek
Top Target: Rookie Brandon Allen could see the majority of snaps for the Jaguars on Thursday. He needs to play well if he wants to force the Jaguars to keep three QBs. I think that’s where I would go if looking for a Jaguars QB. I would keep your expectations low as Jacksonville is missing several of their starting offensive linemen.
Running Back
Depth Chart: Chris Ivory, T.J. Yeldon, Denard Robinson, Jonas Gray (Q), Corey Grant, Joe Banyard
Top Targets: Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon are listed as co-starters on the depth chart. Both should play sparingly in this one. With Jonas Gray questionable, We could see just Corey Grant and Joe Banyard. I like Grant best. The speedster will likely return kicks and get some carries against the Jets. He is a proven kick returner, but his role as a running back has yet to be defined. It’s imperative that Grant thrives as an offensive weapon to lock up his spot on the roster.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Rashad Greene, Marquise Lee (Q), Arrelious Benn, Bryan Walters, Rashad Lawrence, Tony Washington, Shaquelle Evans, Jamal Robinson, Rasheed Bailey, Shane Wynn
Top Targets: I’m mostly just looking at two guys here. Rashad Greene now has a year in the NFL under his belt. The former number one target at Florida State has been he can been effective when given targets. He needs a strong preseason to play his way into some regular season snaps. The other option is Arrelious Benn. This may be the veteran’s last chance in the NFL. While he continues to “wow” in training camp, injuries have always been his biggest issue. Benn needs to perform AND stay healthy to make the roster. It would be safe to expect a big role for Benn against New York.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Marcedes Lewis, Julius Thomas, Nic Jacobs, Ben Koyack, Neal Sterling, Braedon Bowman
Top Target: The main guy I have interest in here is Braedon Bowman. One of the biggest stories to develop over the summer has been Bowman’s emergence. He rarely, if ever, drops passes and has performed well as a blocker this offseason. He is heavily targeted by the backup quarterbacks and may be one of the most reliable depth players on offense. He can lock up a roster spot with a solid preseason.
New York
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg
Top Targets: Up until a few weeks ago, the Jets were still pretending they would go into this season with Geno Smith as their starter. Finally, they were able to agree to a deal with Ryan Fitzpatrick who regained his status as the starter. The situation after Smith is messy. From this far out, we probably want to avoid this situation on Thursday. Geno Smith would love to put some plays on film to increase his trade value, Bryce Petty understands his roster spot isn’t secure after Christian Hackenberg was drafted, while the rookie Hackenberg understands his mechanics have a long way to go. The two that make the most sense here are Smith and Petty but neither is guaranteed many snaps.
Running Back
Depth Chart: Matt Forte (O), Bilal Powell, Bernard Pierce (O), Dominique Williams, Romar Morris, Matthew Tucker, Khiry Robinson (Q)
Top Targets: This slate is riddled with decent RB options but we find ourselves two more in the Jets backfield. Matt Forte has already been declared out and Bernard Pierce should be out too. Bilal Powell will run with the starters but that shouldn’t be for long. Khiry Robinson came off the PUP list this week, but has only participated in positional drills. He’s also unlikely to play. That should leave us with a healthy dose of Dominique Williams and Romar Morris. I like both, but I prefer Williams. Last preseason in Minnesota, Williams rushed 29 times for 117 yards a TD. He also chipped in 10 catches for 83 yards and a TD. If you want to go the other direction, Romar Morris is an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina. He’s also listed as the team’s third kick returner. He should see plenty of carries on the ground too.
Wide Receiver
Depth Chart: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker (Q), Kenbrell Thompkins, Quincy Enunwa, Kyle Williams (Q), Chandler Worthy, Jalin Marshall, Jeremy Ross, Robby Anderson, Devin Smith (PUP), Charone Peake, Anthony Kelly
Top Targets: Eric Decker said he still plans to play on Thursday, but I think that is doubtful. Even if they do play, Decker and Marshall won’t see many snaps. That should give us an opportunity to look at some of the developing talent for the Jets. One name that keeps popping up is Jalin Marshall, an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State. Marshall is buried on the depth chart but he’s been great in camp and he’ll also return some kicks. You could also talk me into Quincy Enunwa and Charone Peake. Overall though, I like other WR situations better. I would rather target the Jets backfield or TE.
Tight End
Depth Chart: Kellen Davis, Jace Amaro, Zach Sudfeld, Brandon Bostick, Wes Saxton (Q), Jason Vander Laan
Top Target: That brings us to Jace Amaro. He’s still listed second on the depth chart but he has a chance to pass Kellen Davis. Amaro has shown the ability to contribute on offense while Davis is mostly a blocker. Amaro has also been a favorite target of the backups in practice. He’s a very solid play.
New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots
New Orleans
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Drew Brees, Luke McCown, Garrett Grayson
Top Targets: By all accounts Drew Brees is having one of the best camps of his career. That’s pretty meaningless to us for this week though. Luke McCown is firmly entrenched as the number two and Garrett Grayson is a distant third. Coach Peyton says that “Brees and other first-teamers are expected to play one series before yielding to backup Luke McCown for a quarter or so. Grayson and the other third-teamers are expected to play the rest of the way.” Since there isn’t a true competition here I think McCown could give way to Grayson well before halftime. In that situation, the target is Grayson based on
his expected volume.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Mark Ingram, Tim Hightower, Marcus Murphy, CJ Spiller, Travaris Cadet, Daniel Lasco
Top Targets: What I’m mostly interested in here is the competition between Marcus Murphy, Travaris Cadet and Daniel Lasco. Coach Peyton was asked about it in his press conference. Specifically, he was asked about Murphy but he elaborated. “I’d say, the last couple of days, Marcus has stood out a little bit. I think we have good competition there. I think Daniel Lasco is competing. I think Travaris (Cadet) (is doing well). But I would say, in the last couple of days, I would agree with you. He’s had a handful of plays where he’s hit the hole, and in some of these live contact drills he’s done a good job of finishing some of his runs. I like the competition we’re seeing there, especially on the back half of the depth chart at that position.” This leads me to believe this will be a three-way split. This isn’t a juicy situation but if you can predict who gets a TD that’s just as good as 60 rushing yards.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Brandon Coleman, Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas, Willie Snead, RJ Harris, Reggie Bell, Jared Dangerfield, Tommylee Lewis, Jordan Williams, Jake Lampman
Top Targets: One name that keeps popping up is rookie Michael Thomas, according to Nola.com, Thomas looked great in the Patriot/Saints scrimmage. “It’s obviously impossible to make a full evaluation after one practice but Michael Thomas looks like a bona-fide playmaker. The rookie from Ohio State already has earned the complete trust of every quarterback on the roster and has become a go-to receiver in key situations. That’s heady stuff and a positive sign for a rookie two weeks into his first NFL training camp.” I also like Willie Snead who is buried on the depth chart despite a successful 2015 season. Lastly, I have interest in Jared Dangerfield here as well. I think his familiarity with Grayson in practice puts a Grayson/Dangerfield stack in play.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Coby Fleener, Josh Hill, Rashaun Allen, Michael Hoomanawanui, Chris Manhertz, Garrett Griffin
Top Targets: I’ve mentioned a lot of Tight Ends I like and I definitely don’t think you should use your flex spot on a TE. If I had to pick someone I would go with Josh Hill but there’s really nothing backing that other than that he has practiced with Grayson and the backups, so he has some familiarity.
New England
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett
Top Targets: Two year ago Tom Brady may or may not have been involved in a scheme to deflate some footballs. The NFL suspended him four games last season which he appealed. After mixed results in court and finally running out of options, Tom Brady has dropped his appeal and will serve his suspension this season. If you remember last season, it wasn’t guaranteed that Brady would be allowed to play Week 1. Many have asked me, “Won’t the Patriots be careful with Garoppolo to avoid injury?” My answer to that is that the Patriots played Garoppolo extensively in this same situation last year. In four games, he attempted 79 passes of which he completed 46 for 618 yards and 5 TDs. Preseason is about avoiding injury but it’s also about getting your offense ready for the season. Surely the Patriots wouldn’t risk injury to Brady to keep Garoppolo healthy and you can’t possibly think Brissett will play more than a half here. Against a porous Saints pass defense, Jimmy Garoppolo makes a very solid play. He isn’t a must-play though because of so many other QBs with similar snap count projections.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Dion Lewis (PUP), LeGarrette Blount, Brandon Bolden, James White, Donald Brown (Q), James Develin, DJ Foster (Q), Tyler Gaffney, Joey Iosefa
Top Targets: During the regular season, fantasy players agonize over how Coach Belichick will use his RBs. Well, here we are in the preseason and Belichick has potentially six RBs available. Take this with a grain of salt but I really like Tyler Gaffney here. Gaffney rushed for over 2500 yards and 33 TDs at Stanford. He was drafted by the Panthers then picked up by the Patriots after being waived due to injury. He spent last season on IR with a different injury. There is a chance that the Patriots could take a long look at Gaffney in this game since they already know what they have in Blount, White, and Bolden.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Danny Amendola (PUP), Julian Edelman (Q), Nate Washington, Keshawn Martin (P), Chris Hogan, Aaron Dobson, DeAndre Carter, Chris Harper, Devin Lucien, Malcolm Mitchell
Top Targets: On Tuesday, Julian Edelman left practice early to have his foot looked at. He returned as a partial participant on Wednesday but we have to assume he will be very limited if he plays on Thursday. According to one beat writer, Chris Hogan and Aaron Dobson were the starting WRs. This is good news for Dobson as he needs to make a statement this preseason. I expect to see a lot of Keshawn Martin (if his hamstring is ok), Chris Harper and DeAndre Carter after Hogan, Dobson and the other starters are done.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Rob Gronkowski (Q), Martellus Bennett, Clay Harbor, AJ Derby, Bear Pascoe, Steven Scheu Bryce Williams (Q)
Top Targets: In case you are wondering, Rob Gronkowski hasn’t played in a preseason game since 2012. The Patriots see no reason to risk Gronk in meaningless games. I could see Martellus Bennett playing a little but there are still three more games to gain familiarity with Brady/Garoppolo. That should leave us with the likes of Clay Harbor, AJ Derby, Bear Pascoe, and Steven Schue. I’m not overly excited about any of them.
Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears
Denver
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch
Top Targets: If you ask the media, Mark Sanchez will eventually win the starting job in Denver. If you ask the Broncos though, they’ll say this is a true competition. Coach Shanahan has already announced that Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian will split reps in the first half. Then they’ll give way to rookie Paxton Lynch for the entire second half. This is another situation where I’ll take the volume Lynch offers over the uncertainty that Sanchez and Siemian provide.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: CJ Anderson, Ronnie Hillman, Devontae Booker, Kapri Bibbs, Juwan Thompson (FB)
As I typed out the Broncos RB depth chart I smiled a little. Only having five guys is a dream come true compared to other situations. What I’m expecting here is Anderson, Hillman, and Booker to play with the 1s and 2s in order to help pass protect. Once Lynch comes in for the second half, we are likely to see the focus shift to running the ball. It should be a three-headed monster of Booker, Bibbs, and some Thompson. The guy I like best is Booker. Coach Shanahan has indicated that Booker will be given every opportunity in preseason to win the starting job over CJ 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 Targets: Finding the right Denver WR is going to be key this week. Because of the QB competition, we will see Denver throw more passes as a team than we will see from others. The Broncos don’t have a lot of big names behind Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders but they have several guys capable of a good preseason performance. I probably won’t use Thomas or Sanders but you could talk me into Bennie Fowler, or any of the next three guys on the depth chart. Cody Latimer, Jordan Taylor and Jordan Norwood will all benefit from reps with Sanchez/Seimian and all three could still be catching passes from Lynch late into the game.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Virgil Green, Jeff Heuerman, John Phillips, Garrett Graham, Henry Krieger-Coble
Top Targets: Virgil Green is firmly entrenched as the starter here. The interesting thing is the Broncos listed Jeff Heuerman as a co-starter with Green. Heuerman was drafted by the Broncos in the third round in 2015 before getting injured. He’s had a year to learn by watching but he’s still basically a rookie. He should get a long look as the Broncos want to get him some live game action.
Chicago
Quarterback:
Depth Chart: Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, David Fales, Connor Shaw
Top Targets: Coach John Fox said his plans will not change from past preseasons. On Thursday against the Denver Broncos, the starters will play the first quarter, the second team will handle the second and third quarters and the third team will take over in the fourth quarter. That doesn’t necessarily bode well for Cutler who could be pulled just a bit early but it is possible Brian Hoyer gets two full quarters here. Hoyer is the guy you want to target on the Bears.
Running Back:
Depth Chart: Jeremy Langford, Ka’Deem Carey, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jordan Howard, Senorise Perry
Top Targets: From this far out, the Bears Week 1 starter appears to be Jeremy Langford but that is far from settled. With Fox stating that the 1s, 2s, and 3s could play a decent amount it’s hard to handicap this situation. Langford still needs enough carries to solidify his role. Once he’s finished, he’ll give way to Ka’Deem Carey and Jordan Howard. If the carries get split pretty evenly here it makes sense to target a RB elsewhere.
Wide Receiver:
Depth Chart: Alshon Jeffery (Q), Kevin White, Marc Mariani, Eddie Royal (Q), Deonte Thompson, Josh Bellamy, Cameron Meredith, Kieran Duncan, Daniel Braverman, Derek Keaton, Marquess Wilson (PUP), Darrin Peterson, BJ Daniels
Top Targets: After missing all of 2015 with a stress fracture, Kevin White must be excited to finally see the field. The seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft will be seeing his first NFL action. Whether it’s Cutler or Hoyer, I expect White to be targeted heavily early on. Once the starters give way to reserves, the one guy I’m excited to see is Daniel Braverman. Last year in NCAA DFS I played Braverman often because he was always cheap and he always performed. I expect the same result here.
Tight End:
Depth Chart: Zach Miller (Q), Khari Lee, Tony Moeaki, Greg Scruggs, Gannon Sinclair, Rob Housler, Ben Braunecker
Top Targets: Zach Miller has sat out most of this week with a concussion and it would be a surprise if he plays. In Miller’s absence, a variety of TEs have run with the starters but none have shown much promise. Tony Moeki has the best chance at winning this job but honestly there are several TEs I like on this slate. I’m not interested in this group.
With Denver at Chicago finishing up this slate my game-by-game breakdown is complete. If you managed to make it this far I think you for reading. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or come join me in the Week 1 Preseason thread.