Examining the fantasy football implications from Friday’s NFL preseason games.
Friday was day two of Week 2 of the NFL preseason. There wasn’t a lot of impressive performances across the three-game slate but if you dig deep enough, there’s always important events to examine. Here is everything you need to know from a fantasy football perspective from Friday night’s games.
I Like What I See
- Jets RB Bilal Powell (3 carries, 23 yards) is no longer a secret in fantasy football circles. His ADP is creeping into the ninth-round. If you can snag him in the 10th round or later (especially in a PPR league) consider it good value.
- Cowboys WR Dez Bryant‘s (2 receptions, 46 yards, 1 touchdown) stock hasn’t been higher and do you know why? It’s because of the strong play from rookie backup QB Dak Prescott (12/15, 199 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 carries, 28 yards, 2 touchdowns). Unlike last year, the Cowboys have a capable QB of getting Bryant the ball if Tony Romo misses time with an injury.
- Cowboys RB Alfred Morris (13 carries, 85 yards, 1 touchdown) needs to be drafted in every format. Rookie RB Ezekiel Elliott is missing time with a hamstring injury and Darren McFadden is still dealing with an elbow injury. If Elliot misses any regular season action, Morris is in the RB1 discussion behind the Cowboys elite offensive line.
- Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill (12/20, 162 yards, 2 touchdowns) looked pretty good on Friday. Tannehill has some good weapons around him and head coach Adam Gase tends to get the most out of his QBs. In the 14th round, Tannehill has good value as a high-upside QB2.
- Chargers RB Melvin Gordon (6 carries, 18 yards) is still being undervalued in the seventh-round. Draft him there while you still can.
- Cowboys QB Tony Romo (4/5, 49 yards) made his 2016 preseason debut and looked sharp. His injury concerns are still a concern but in the 11th round, he posses some upside as a QB2. However, I wouldn’t reach a round sooner to draft him.
- Cowboys TE Jason Witten (2 receptions, 24 yards) is undervalued as he’s about the 17th TE being drafted in fantasy football. As long as Romo is healthy, he’ll target Witten. Two of Romo’s four completions on Friday were to Witten. Just like Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates in San Diego, this is a rare scenario where comfort level and familiarity exceeds age concerns.
Injuries and their Fallout
- Redskins RB Matt Jones (7 carries, 31 yards) left the game with an AC sprain in his left shoulder. Jones biggest appeal from a fantasy standpoint is his expected high-volume of carries but the injury could cause him to miss Week 1. Even if he doesn’t miss regular season action, the injury could linger. There are probably better options in the sixth-round.
- Redskins UDFA RB Rob Kelley (3 carries, 8 yards) has arguably been the Redskins most impressive running back through two games. If Matt Jones misses time, don’t be surprised if Kelley takes over as the early down RB.
- Redskins RB Chris Thompson is primarily the team’s passing-down running back. If Jones misses time, he’ll see a small bump in carries but nothing dramatic. However, it’ll give Thompson more value as a late-round flier in PPR leagues.
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Let’s not Overreact
- Dolphins RB Arian Foster (2 carries, -5 yards) didn’t look good in his preseason debut but more importantly, Jay Ajayi (6 carries, 19 yards) didn’t do anything special either. Foster is still the Dolphins RB you want to own.
- Cardinals QB Carson Palmer (4/8, 37 yards, 1 interception) has underwhelmed this preseason but there’s no need to panic. His eighth-round ADP is where it should be.
- Dolphins WR Kenny Stills (3 receptions, 71 yards, 2 touchdowns) looked great on Friday. With that said, he’s still not worth drafting in 10-team leagues. Don’t be surprised if he doesn’t have a better fantasy output in any of the 16 games during the regular season than he did on Friday.
Something to Chew On
- The Dolphins have one of the weakest and thinnest CB group in the NFL and it was clear on Friday. This might be an area you want to pick on in DFS matches.