The NFL season is officially upon us. We are going to give you a rundown of the biggest storylines coming out of NFL training camps and the preseason and what the fantasy implications are. Be sure to check back each week for our weekly NFL Preseason Fantasy Impacts updates.
1. 2018 second round pick Derrius Guice tore his ACL during the Redskins first preseason game.
Fantasy Impact:Â We barely got to see what Guice could have been for fantasy. He left the game after what was thought to be a minor knee injury until the MRI revealed a torn ACL ending his season before it began. Guice was projected to be the Redskins early-down back behind a solid offensive line. Now that role falls to either Rob Kelley or Samaje Perine. Kelley has reportedly slimmed down coming into camp, but this battle will be one to watch.
2. The 49ers will be without many of the offensive weapons for the remainder of the preseason.
Fantasy Impact: It was a rough weekend for the Niners after both TE George Kittle and RB Matt Breida suffered shoulder injuries that will likely keep them out until the regular season. While neither appears to be serious it is a shame we won’t get to see how these players will be used in the offense with Jimmy Garrapolo at quarterback. Jerick McKinnon also suffered a minor knee injury, but we don’t know how much time if any he will miss because of it. Backup running backs Joe Williams and Jeremy McNichols will get a chance to show what they can do now.
3. Ronald Jones continues to struggle in the passing game opening the door for another running back.
Fantasy Impact: Jones was thought of as the future starting running back for the Buccaneers the minute he was drafted in the second round. But Jones simply can’t seem to find his groove with pass protection and has an issue with dropping passes. If he can’t right the ship quick the team will likely use another back that they can trust more. Peyton Barber has looked good in camp and pass catching specialist Charles Sims is still on the team as well. Barber, in particular, could be a steal late in fantasy drafts.
4. Christian Kirk has been getting reps with the ones since the beginning of Cardinals camp and should be locked in as the number two wide receiver.
Fantasy Impact: Earlier in camp it seemed no one was flashing enough to lock down a wide receiver spot behind star Larry Fitzgerald. Now the job seems to be Kirk’s to lose. With the Cardinals losing Jaron Brown and John Brown in free agency there is a large enough target share available to provide fantasy value. Sam Bradford has produced good offenses when healthy and the team doesn’t have many receiving options behind Fitzgerald and David Johnson.
5. The Jaguars made a lot of moves at wide receiver this offseason, but an undrafted 2017 rookie continues to get talked up as the favorite of the group.
Fantasy Impact: The Jaguars resigned Marqise Lee, brought in Donte Moncrief from the Colts, and drafted D.J. Chark in the second round during the draft. They also still have fourth-round wide receiver Dede Westbrook on the team yet Keelen Cole continues to impress in camp. Reports came out early in camp that the team might have Cole as a starting WR in 2018 which I didn’t believe at first based off of their offseason moves. However, the reports keep coming and I have to start believing in them more. Cole is mostly forgotten about in fantasy right now, but he could be a late-round sleeper.
6. The Panthers’ offensive line has caught the injury bug and it is leaving questions about the success of the Panthers’ offense.
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Fantasy Impact: The Panthers lost LG Andrew Norwell in free agency who was rated as the best guard during the 2017 season. RT Daryl Williams was lost early in camp due to an MCL sprain. Now Norwell’s replacement G Amini Silatolu suffered a torn meniscus. We’ve seen what can happen when a team loses its starting offensive line members. Dak Prescott struggled mightily last year due to his line and the entire Bengals offense was one of the worst in the league in 2017. If you see Christian McCaffrey, C.J. Anderson, or Cam Newton struggle this year the offensive line could be the problem.
7. The Colts backfield has been underwhelming opening up opportunity for a rookie to take over.
Fantasy Impact:Â Marlon Mack was the perceived starter for the Colts after Frank Gore left in free agency this offseason. Mack now has a hamstring injury. Robert Turbin was also being talked about as a guy that could see a decent amount of work during the season, but he is suspended and also has an ankle injury. Nyheim Hines was being talked about as the pass-catching back but has underwhelmed so far. Christine Michael is Christine Michael. Rookie Jordan Wilkins is the only back left that has yet to disappoint. Wilkins is going super late in drafts and right now has the best opportunity to take over the backfield even if it ends up being somewhat of a committee.Â
8. Jeremy Hill’s good play during the Patriots first preseason game is moving him up the depth chart.
Fantasy Impact:Â Hill ran 11 times for 51 yards and a touchdown during the Patriots first preseason game. In practices following camp, Hill was getting work with the ones over Mike Gillislee who has been with the team longer. We saw last year that the Patriots goal line back can have value if they commit to him. With both Burkhead and Michel dealing with injuries right now Hill is getting a chance to show he can be a value to the team. I expect Burkhead to be the lead back, but if Michel’s knee injury is worse than we know Hill could definitely provide value backing up Burkhead.
9. Eagles WR Alshon Jeffrey remains on the PUP and his Week 1 availability is in question.
Fantasy Impact:Â Jeffrey had a slow start to his 2017 season as he took time to build a rapport with quarterback Carson Wentz. Later in the season, we saw Wentz trust his number one wide receiver and let him go after jump balls leading to Jeffrey’s nine touchdowns on the year. Jeffrey had rotator cuff surgery following the season and remains held out of practice. With Wentz’s health also in question, Jeffrey remains a risky pick in drafts right now. If both him and Wentz are healthy he is priced accordingly, but that simply isn’t the case right now. Mack Hollins would likely take his place opposite Mike Wallace should Jeffrey miss some time, but the Eagles spread the ball around so much that there may not be a ton of value there.
10. Rookie quarterbacks all impress in first preseason action.
Fantasy Impact:Â None of the rookie first-round quarterbacks looked terrible in their first real game action of the season. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold easily looked the most NFL ready of the group. Mayfield likely won’t play over Tyrod Taylor to start the season, but Darnold could win the job for the Jets. Josh Rosen also looked good despite not putting up large stat numbers, but like Mayfield, he is stuck behind Sam Bradford. Lamar Jackson continues to flash but also looks like he needs time to get in his NFL groove. The other rookie that could be a starter come Week 1 is Josh Allen. Allen didn’t look awful in his first game action even though he did have one terrible play. Allen has a chance to be the Bills starting quarterback, but they have very few offensive weapons.
11. Can Frank Gore defy the odds and be a viable fantasy running back at the age of 35?
Fantasy Impact:Â We always say that father time is undefeated when we talk about football players getting old. Running backs, in particular, tend to start their decline when they hit age 30. Gore has been the outlier for years now and once again he is getting all kinds of hype out of Miami’s camp. The Dolphins clearly don’t want to give Kenyan Drake a full workload after bringing Gore in and also drafting rookie Kalen Ballage in the fourth round of the draft. It is very possible Gore is the primary back for this team yet his average draft position is nowhere close to Drake’s. Right now I feel a lot better about taking a shot on Gore versus taking Drake in the fourth round.
12. Packers No. 3 wide receiver role is still up for grabs after Geronimo Allison and others struggle.
Fantasy Impact: Wide receivers for the Packers are always valuable fantasy assets because of Aaron Rodgers. Allison has reportedly not looked like anything special in camp. The Packers’ pass game coordinator also said fourth-round rookie J’mon Moore also has been inconsistent compared to other rookies. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown are other rookies in the mix as well. Someone else will end up starting behind Davante Adams and Randall Cobb once the season starts and they will have fantasy value.
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