Fantasy Football: Thursday night roundup

Rounding up the biggest news and notes from Thursday’s NFL preseason action and what it means for your fantasy football team.

Unless you’re a backup, Week 4 of the NFL preseason is meaningless, right? Not so fast my friend!

While it’s true that a lot of the starters didn’t play last night, some managed to get a few reps in. Not only that, but some key backups made what they hope will be a final, lasting impression. What kind of impression you ask? Let’s find out.

I Like What I See

Washington Redskins RB Rob Kelley (16 carries, 99 yards) put a stamp on his preseason with a solid performance against the  Buccaneers. With Matt Jones injured and Keith Marshall on IR, Kelley is a guy to know and own. He’s worth drafting and stashing in all formats until the dust settles in Washington’s backfield.

Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry (7 carries, 62 yards, one TD) continues to look scary good. If you still have drafts left, he’s successfully destroyed his ADP and he’s now going somewhere in the sixth-round range. If you got him at his original ninth round ADP before he went off in the preseason, good for you.

Patriots WR Julian Edelman (3 receptions, 28 yards) surprisingly played in the preseason finale, caught some balls and left unscathed. No reason to shy away from him in drafts.

Bengals QB A.J. McCarron (7/12, 95 yards) finishes the preseason completing 65.5 percent of his passes and a QB rating of 106.8. Why do I like this so much? If starting QB Andy Dalton were to get hurt like last season, I’m not downgrading any of the Bengals offensive players in fantasy.

Bears WR Kevin White (4 receptions, 57 yards) finally did a little something this preseason. The No.2 WR in the Bears offense has seen his stock come down a lot during the summer, but he’s still worth a roster spot in 10-team leagues.

Cardinals WR John Brown (n/a) didn’t do anything but hey, he suited up and took the field! For a guy who missed about a month with a concussion, this a great sign.

Unimpressive Would Be an Improvement

Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi (3 carries, 13 yards) fumbled his first carry of the game and looked bad against guys that will be selling insurance in a week. In a 10-team league with so many players having more upside, I can’t see myself owning any stock in Ajayi.

Colts RB Stevan Ridley (9 carries, 11 yards) continues to get opportunities because of his name and not his tape. Despite how bad the Colts backfield depth is behind Frank Gore, Ridley is not the handcuff you want for Gore, let alone a long-term answer. I’d say “stick a fork in him” but that would be a waste of a perfectly good fork. Ridley is done.

I’m Intrigued

Seahawks RB Thomas Rawls (2 carries, 7 yards) played for the first time since December, which is good, albeit after the starters (including RB Christine Michael) left the game. The Seahawks backfield situation is murky and people who spent an early pick on Rawls should be concerned.

Call Me Crazy but….

Patriots RB D.J. Foster (18 touches, 132 yards) finished the game with nine receptions. Look, he might not even make the team. But with how unpredictable the Patriots are with their RBs, if he does make the team he could eventually overtake James White as the team’s receiving RB. It might sound crazy, but don’t forget that Dion Lewis, who didn’t play a regular season snap in 2013-2014, also beat out White for a spot last season.

Patriots TE A.J. Derby (5 receptions, 51 yards) finishes the preseason with 15 receptions, 189 yards, and a score. He’s already a guy to know if Rob Gronkowski or Martellus Bennett go down with an injury. However, Bennett was already unimpressive this preseason and lost a fumble last night. Combine that with the fact Bennett has a history of being a headache in the locker room and a Derby might be a guy to watch out for.

must read: Fantasy Football: Sunday night roundup

Ravens RB Javorius “Buck” Allen (7 touches, 37 yards) finishes the preseason with 11 receptions, 65 yards, and one touchdown. The Ravens lost RB Kenneth Dixon for about a month with a torn MCL. The Ravens also placed Lorenzo Taliaferro on the PUP list. Justin Forsett will be the starter but hasn’t been all that impressive. With Allen already expected to steal receptions from Forsett, if he does well with his opportunities, he could see more playing time.