NFL Fantasy Check Down: Preseason Fantasy Notes for the NFC East
Week 3 of the NFL Preseason offers fantasy owners a brief, last-minute fantasy scouting session for their upcoming drafts this Labor Day Weekend. We’re back with team by team, fantasy football notes based on what we’ve seen throughout the preseason in the NFC East.
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NFL Fantasy Check Down: Preseason Closure Notes for the NFC East
NFL Fantasy Check Down – Dallas Cowboys
Regardless of the outcome with the disease Travis Frederick is battling, Ezekiel Elliot is going to be an RB1 this season. If Frederick misses a significant amount of time, I’d be okay if you moved Zeke a few spots down on your draft board, but he should still be a unanimous top-10 pick.
I’m down on Dak Prescott this season and it appears other fantasy owners are as well. Dak is currently being selected in the late 12th round of drafts as QB20, according to Fantasy Pros Average Draft Position.
Prescott has looked decent in the two games he has played this preseason. He has completed 13 of 18 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Dak has only ran the ball one time, but it was for a nice gain of 12 yards. If you’re starting Dak in fantasy this season, you’re going to need him to put up points with his legs.
The Cowboys have a very weak receiving core, and virtually no one worth mentioning at the tight end position. This is why I am avoiding Dak Prescott in all formats. Here are the four top receivers he gets to throw to this year:
Yikes. I’d advise getting your fantasy wide receivers elsewhere in 2018. If you had to take one, the price is solid on hopeful red-zone target, Allen Hurns. Glacing back at the Fantasy Pros ADP Chart, he is going off the board as WR48. Cole Beasley can remain a low-end flex play in PPR leagues for the time being.
Rookie, Michael Gallup has had solid preseason work and may be worth a late round flier in drafts, but I’m not convinced he is going to see a lot of targets. He has hauled in only three catches for 46 yards and a touchdown this preseason.
All in all, if you’re looking for fantasy production out of Dallas, it is most likely only going to come from Ezekiel Elliot.
Dallas Cowboys 2018 Fantasy Assets:
- Ezekiel Elliot (RB1)
- Dak Prescott (QB2)
- Allen Hurns (WR3, WR2 potential)
- Cole Bealsey (WR3/flex, slight bump up in PPR)
- Michael Gallup (WR4, WR3 upside)
- Rod Smith (handcuff for Ezekiel Elliot)
- Tavon Austin (potential waiver wire target, would wait until we see his usage)
NFL Fantasy Check Down – New York Giants
The best thing to happen to the Giants offense from 2017 to 2018 was not the drafting of rookie sensation, Saquon Barkley. Tt was the firing of previous head coach, Ben McAdoo. McAdoo was a dreadful signal caller and that showed on ESPN’s 2017 Team Total Offense Statistics report. The Giants finished as the second worst team in points per game last season.
All of those struggles in 2017 should be quickly forgotten by fantasy owners. The Giants hired a creative offensive mind in new head coach, Pat Shurmur. Although New York hired Mike Shula as their Offensive Coordinator, it looks like Pat Shurmur is going to be calling the offensive plays in 2018. That is good news for fantasy owners.
Shurmur spent just one year as the O.C. in Minnesota and had a ton of success. He took a Vikings team that finished in the bottom-10 in points per game in 2016, to the top-10 in 2017. With Shurmur calling the plays, Case Keenum, Stefon Diggs, Latavius Murray, Adam Thielen, and Kyle Rudolph all had significant fantasy production in 2017. People interested in drafting Giants’ players should be excited for what Shurmur brings to the table.
In addition to the new coaching staff, the Giants also have made some positive changes in their offensive line (which was dreadful in 2017). Michael Renner, from Pro Football Focus said it best in his June 12th article NFL offensive line rankings: All 32 team’s units entering 2018:
“After making Nate Solder the highest paid tackle in football and drafting Will Hernandez in the second-round, the Giants offensive line has to be better than last year.”
By no means does Renner’s comments on Solder and Hernandez mean the Giants have a top-tier offensive line, but they should be much improved from last year. That’s all we can ask for if we’re targeting Giants’ players in our drafts.
2018 fantasy fan-favorite, Saquon Barkley has had limited action in the preseason due to a hamstring issue, but he looked great from the little we did see of him. He ended with four carries for 43 yards. He should be just fine as a fantasy RB1 this season.
Eli Manning has a lot of weapons to work with in the Giants new offense. He has looked solid in his preseason action completing 21 of 30 passes for 214 yards. Coming off one of his worst fantasy seasons ever, now is the time to buy low on Eli Manning (preferably in 2QB/superflex leagues). If you’re waiting until the very end of your draft to get a QB, he is going in the late 14th round of drafts as QB22.
Odell Beckham Jr. is a top-three fantasy wide receiver. Draft him as such heading into 2018. He is 100% healthy and ready to contribute on a high-level in what should be, a high-scoring offense. The other receivers that have stood out to me this preseason are Sterling Shepard and Cody Latimer.
Shepard is going to be the WR2 in the Giants’ offense and he has looked great so far in the preseason with ten catches for 114 yards. Latimer on the other hand, hasn’t done a whole lot (just two catches for 69 yards), but he’s passing my eye test.
Latimer is a big framed wide receiver at 6’3″ tall, and should be able to score at least five touchdowns in 2018. That isn’t sexy for fantasy owners, but he may be a solid option if Odell or Shepard were to miss any time this season.
Evan Engram had a very nice rookie campaign in 2017. He hauled in 64 receptions for 722 yards and six touchdowns. Assuming he stays healthy throughout the year (he is currently recovering from a concussion in preseason action), all of those numbers should increase. There are a lot of mouths to field in this New York offense, but Engram will often get overlooked by opposing defenses, and that should lead to fantasy points.
New York Giants 2018 Fantasy Assets:
- Odell Beckham Jr. (WR1)
- Saquon Barkley (RB1, top-tier RB1 in PPR)
- Evan Engram (TE1)
- Sterling Shepard (low-end WR2)
- Eli Manning (QB2)
- Cody Latimer (low-end WR4)
- Wayne Gallman (handcuff to Barkley)
NFL Fantasy Check Down – Philadelphia Eagles
We haven’t seen much from any Eagles player so far in the preseason. Carson Wentz is still recovering from his 2017 knee injury and hasn’t played a snap. Fantasy owners should plan on him missing a few starts. If you draft him, expect QB1 results, but it may be a few weeks before you can put him in your lineups. Nick Foles will be a serviceable interim quarterback while Wentz is sidelined.
Jay Ajayi is having knee issues again. There isn’t much word on how severe the injury is, but I am avoiding him in drafts regardless. If Ajayi’s knee injuries continue to hinder his on field availability, Corey Clement should be a fine fill-in. Clement is RB46 on the Fantasy Pros ADP Chart, and I think that is an extremely valuable price drafters can take advantage of.
Alshon Jeffery is also banged up (per usual) and is rumored to miss the first two weeks of the 2018 season. If fantasy owners are anticipating him missing a couple of games, his current ADP at the end of round four is likely to dip down to round five. I’m okay with you taking him in round five, just know there is solid risk involved with that pick.
Nelson Agholor is going to be the WR2 in Philadelphia and may benefit with Alshon missing a few games. I’m not a huge Agholor guy, but he showed plenty of play making ability in 2017, and is a nice value pick in the middle of round eight in drafts.
Zach Ertz should be the main fantasy producer for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is now being the third tight end taken off the boards in fantasy, so he is a costly pick, but he should pay off in a very slim tight end pool this season.
In conclusion, I don’t like the WR/RB situation in Philadelphia for the 2018 fantasy season. I think Clement has a better year than Ajayi, and I’d advise fantasy players to avoid Philly wide receivers. There is plenty of depth at the WR position to pivot elsewhere in your draft.
Philadelphia Eagles 2018 Fantasy Assets:
- Zach Ertz (high-end TE1)
- Carson Wentz (high-end QB1, once healthy)
- Alshon Jeffery (WR2)
- Nelson Agholor (WR3, slight bump up if Alshon misses time)
- Jay Ajayi (RB3)
- Corey Clement (RB3, bump up if Ajayi misses time)
- Mike Wallace (WR4, bump up if Alshon misses time)
NFL Fantasy Check Down – Washington Redskins
I’ll get right to the point: Alex Smith is an excellent choice for your fantasy QB1 this season. Looking at the Fantasy Pros Average Draft Position, Alex Smith’s name is currently being called as the 18th quarterback off the board.
Did people forget what Alex Smith provided at the quarterback position last season? According to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Leaders, Smith finished the 2017 fantasy season (weeks 1-16) as the second overall QB!
Yes, he changed teams, so there is some uncertainty with how all of that will play out, but to let him drop to QB18? No, no, no. If you’re like me and you like to wait on quarterbacks in the draft, Alex Smith is an absolute steal in the 11th round. Load up on stud running backs and wide receivers, and snag Smith later in the draft. You’ll be just fine.
He is playing behind a solid offensive line, and has plenty of weapons to use in the passing game. We haven’t gotten to see a whole lot from any of the Redskins’ fantasy relevant wide-outs, but there should be a lot of solid receiver production once the season starts.
The wide receiving core is going to be led by Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson. Refer back to my article last week on Fantasy Value Picks, if you want to dive a little deeper into the value Crowder can bring to the table in 2018, as a late seventh round fantasy draft pick. Crowder is going to be one of Alex Smith’s favorite targets, if not the favorite.
Is this finally the year Josh Doctson breaks out? I’m banking on yes. If he flops, so what? He only costs you a 14th round pick in 2018 drafts. He is entering his third year in the league and it’s about time for him to show Redskins’ fans why he was a first round draft pick back in 2016.
I like Doctson to be the main red-zone threat assuming Jordan Reed gets injured early in the season. Speaking of Jordan Reed, for some reason, I like where he is going in drafts this year. He is going off the board as TE10 (middle of round eight) and we all know he can easily outperform that if he could just stay on the field.
It’s probably a pipe-dream that Reed stays healthy, but he has the ability to be a top-three tight end. Alex Smith loves going to the tight end. We’ve all seen the damage he and Travis Kelce caused together. Jordan Reed is a great pass-catching tight end who could mock Kelce’s production with Alex Smith (when on the field).
As I’ve mentioned time and time again, the tight end position is insanely thin this season. If we are blessed with a miracle (a healthy Jordan Reed), he may be a difference maker for fantasy owners in 2018, but draft him with extreme caution.
Adrian Peterson was back on the gridiron week as a new acquisition for the Redskins. Believe it or not, he kind of looked like Adrian Peterson. He rushed 11 times for 51 yards, and he looked good doing it. It’s safe to say, AP is going to make this Redskins team and is probably going to be the early down runner for Washington in week 1.
I am still a firm believer that Samaje Perine is the best running back on this Washington roster now that Derrius Guice is out for the season, but you’ll have to take Peterson in your draft prior to Perine.
Chris Thompson should have a strong hold on the running back position on passing downs, so continue to draft him as an lower-end RB2 in PPR leagues. Hard pass on anything that has to do with Rob Kelley.
Washington Redskins 2018 Fantasy Assets:
- Alex Smith (low-end QB1)
- Jamison Crowder (WR2 in PPR, solid flex in all other formats)
- Josh Doctson (WR3, WR2 upside)
- Jordan Reed (TE1, pray he stays healthy)
- Chris Thompson (low-end RB2 in PPR, RB3/flex in all other formats)
- Adrian Peterson (RB3/flex)
- Paul Richardson (WR4, WR3 potential)
- Samaje Perine (RB4, bench stash until further notice)
Next. 2018 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver tiers. dark
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