The NFL Fantasy LIVE podcast discuss their preseason takeaways from Week 1 of the exhibition season and unearth a few new sleepers. The gang also discuss strategies in alternate fantasy formats, including PPR, IDP and Best Ball leagues, before handing out another round of Daily Daps, where Adam Rank goes on an epic rant about Twitter etiquette. Like, subscribe and listen!
One week of the preseason down, three to go. While many overlook the preseason as merely a tease for the regular season slate, seasoned fantasy owners know that there is much to be learned from watching the exhibition games. That's where you can uncover potential breakouts like Mark Ingram last year. With that in mind, here's what we'll be keeping our eye on in Week 2 of the NFL preseason. Don't forget, you can watch all of the preseason games live (expect in local markets) and get access to thousands of regular season games (including All-22 coaches film) with an NFL GamePass subscription. It's a no-brainer investment for the die-hard football fans.
You can find a recap of what caught our eye in Week 1 of the preseason RIGHT HERE.
FRIDAY
Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets (7:30pm)
ATLANTA:Matt Ryan and Julio Jones boasted a Vulcan-esque mind meld in Week 1, so it'll be fun to see if they shred the Jets defense this weekend. Jacob Tamme figures to be the starting TE, but Levine Toilolo made a few plays last week. If he puts together another strong outing, he could make this position one to watch on the Falcons. Will Devonta Freeman or Tevin Coleman play? Odds are the team will remain overly cautious with their top backfield options, but fantasy owners would love to see one of them suit up and gain some separation in this competition.
NEW YORK: With Geno Smith still sidelined, we'll definitely be watching Ryan Fitzpatrick and his connection with top wideouts Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Chris Ivory received a healthy amount of work (all with the first-team) last week, so it'd be nice to see that trend continue in Week 2. With his ridiculously low ADP (Round 10), he's currently one of the best values in fantasy drafts.
Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs (8pm ET, NFLN)
SEATTLE:Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham connected on just one pass last week for 12 yards. We're hoping to get a glimpse of what this tandem could offer near the goal line this week. Tyler Lockett looked like a special teams spark plug in Week 1, but we're interested to see if he can make more of an impact on offense, too. With Marshawn Lynch on the sideline eating Skittles, will Thomas Rawls continue his strong offseason with another good performance in the preseason? Or will Robert Turbin and Christine Michael be able to effectively fend him off?
KANSAS CITY:Alex Smith and Jeremy Maclin weren't able to connect on a deep pass in Week 1, but odds are they'll give it a shot again. Travis Kelce quietly had two catches for 15 yards last week, and as a trendy breakout player among fantasy pundits, it'd be nice to see him have a dominant game in the coming weeks. Although I for one (and I know I'm not alone) am not the least bit concerned about what he does in the preseason. He'll be a stud in 2015. Who I would like to see a bit more from is Albert Wilson, who ran with the starters last week and also had two catches for 15 yards. Matt Harmon profiled why he's a deep sleeper option here.
SATURDAY
Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers (7pm ET)
MIAMI:Ryan Tannehill and the first-team offense looked really sharp last week, despite still not having a few of their newly acquired pass-catchers (Kenny Stills, DeVante Parker). I'll be watching to see if they can keep it up against a strong Carolina defense. Lamar Miller looked great in his limited action last week, while Damien Williams made his case to be the backup. Keep an eye on Williams to see if he continues to hold rookie Jay Ajayi at bay. Jordan Cameron didn't receive a target in Week 1, so we'd love to see signs of a nice connection between him and Tannehill in Week 2.
CAROLINA:Cam Newton was a bit uneven in his first exhibition game, but we aren't worried. Continue monitoring how he splits up his passing targets again in Week 2, especially given Kelvin Benjamin's injury. Devin Funchess made a nice sideline catch in Week 1, and must continue making plays like that to slide into the starting WR2 role in Carolina. Right now, he offers very little appeal in redraft formats, but his dynasty stock could rise with more strong showings in the coming weeks.
Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles (7pm ET, NFLN)
BALTIMORE: First-round pick Breshad Perriman remains sidelined with a knee injury. If he gets healthy enough to merit a few reps against the Eagles, we'll be watching him closely. Battling him for the No. 2 WR spot alongside Steve Smith are a litany of pedestrian pass-catchers including Kamar Aiken, Marlon Brown and Michael Campanaro. Crockett Gillmore was the starting tight end and notched two catches for 17 yards, while rookie Maxx Williams got a lot of run with the backups and had two catches for 36 yards. I still like Gillmore as a sneaky deep sleeper with Dennis Pitta sidelined, so I'll keep an eye on him for sure. Lorenzo Taliaferro seemed to have the lead as Justin Forsett's backup last week over Javorius Allen. Definitely keep an eye on the backfield to make sure that's still the case.
PHILADELPHIA:Sam Bradford sat out of the Eagles' Week 1 contest, so it'll be great to see him take the field and pilot Chip Kelly's offense. Nelson Agholor looked really good last week despite a few drops. We'd like to see him clean those up and continue his push for the No. 2 option in this offense. With Zach Ertz sideline, the name to watch with the tight ends is Trey Burton, an athletic second-year player out of Florida. But don't take my word for it, trust the great Greg Cosell from NFL Films, as he explains why Burton could make some noise in this offense.
Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts (7:30pm ET)
CHICAGO:Alshon Jeffery had a calf injury last week that was serious enough to be immobilized in a walking boot, despite the team saying it wasn't a big concern. Hopefully he plays and can put any lingering concerns to rest for fantasy owners. With rookie first-round pick Kevin White sidelined for potentially the entire year, fantasy owners will want to watch Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson closely. Royal was already getting whispers as a sleeper, but his stock should rise even more with White out. Wilson missed much of last year with a broken collarbone, but could come on strong with the increased reps.
INDIANAPOLIS:Fantasy owners will want to watch Phillip Dorsett again to see if he can pick up where he left off in Week 1. The tight end battle is also one to watch, as Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener both offer some value, but figuring out which one to choose is a hassle. Josh Robinson was fun to watch against the backups last week, so we're eager to see what he can do in Week 2. We're hoping he gets more run with the first or second-team in lieu of the uninspiring Zurlon Tipton.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants (7:30pm ET)
JACKSONVILLE: Will T.J. Yeldon play? That's the big question here. Both Denard Robinson and Toby Gerhart looked good last week, and given Yeldon's skillset, we fear this could become more of a committee than fantasy owners would prefer.
NEW YORK: We learned next to nothing about the Giants fantasy-wise from their poor showing last week. Give us anything, Tom Coughlin. Please.
New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints (7:30pm ET)
NEW ENGLAND:Jimmy Garoppolo had a game to forget last week. We'll be watching to see if he shakes it off in Week 2, and who he targets. Also, Jonas Gray looked surprisingly spry last week, especially on his 55-yard touchdown gallop. If he plays well again, maybe he'll be able to fend off the inevitable specter of #Belitricks during the season and provide some value. Maybe.
NEW ORLEANS:Who else is going to emerge in this passing attack behind Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston? Brandon Coleman is running with the ones, so pay attention to how he looks. And can Josh Hill become the fantasy sleeper we all want him to be? Ben Watson is still ahead of Hill on the depth chart, and Drew Brees insists it will stay that way. Hmmm.
Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings (8pm ET)
OAKLAND: The team fed Amari Cooper early and he responded well. Latavius Murray also ran with good speed and vision, something many were worried about after such a little sample size last year. Can both do it again this week? If so, their ADPs could be on the rise.
MINNESOTA:Teddy Bridgewater has looked great all preseason, but hasn't thrown a touchdown pass yet. Let's find the end zone this week, eh Teddy? Kyle Rudolph has also looked good on several targets from Bridgewater. We're going to keep our eye on Rudolph, as the fantasy world could be discounting him given his rash of recent injuries.
Denver Broncos at Houston Texans (8pm ET)
DENVER:C.J. Anderson got nicked up last week, paving the way for Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball to both see some extra reps. Both look pretty darn good in the process. We'd like to see Anderson reassert himself with a couple of nice runs with Peyton Manning under center this time around.
HOUSTON: Both Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer acquitted themselves well in this quarterback battle last week, though Mallett will get the start this time around (Hoyer did in Week 1). Can either gain an edge? Personally, whichever one has the better rapport with DeAndre Hopkins is the one we'd like to start.
San Diego Chargers at Arizona Cardinals (10pm ET)
SAN DIEGO:Melvin Gordon looked hesitant and uncomfortable in Week 1. We want to see him rush with the same confidence and tenacity this week that he did at Wisconsin. Ladarius Green is also a name to keep an eye on, as he could have some early-season appeal with Antonio Gates sidelined with a suspension for the first four games. I'll also be watching Steve Johnson, hoping he makes a play or two to help cement him as one of my favorite deep sleepers.
ARIZONA:Andre Ellington flashed a bit in Week 1, so it'll be interesting to see how much work he gets, and if he can assuage owners concerns at the arrival of Chris Johnson. Speaking of CJ2K, does he have anything left in the tank? We'll certainly watch to find out.
SUNDAY
Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers (1pm ET, NFLN)
GREEN BAY:Aaron Rodgers targeted Davante Adams seven times in Week 1, and the second-year wideout only caught three passes. Will Rodgers test Adams again, and can he deliver? Richard Rodgers has received plenty of hype this offseason (much of it from us here at NFL Fantasy), so it'd be nice to see him splash a bit more in the preseason.
PITTSBURGH: The Martavis Bryant/Markus Wheaton battle is really the only one worth watching for Pittsburgh. Bryant made a statement last week that the No. 2 WR job is his when he scorched the Jaguars for a deep touchdown. Another play like that, and this "battle" will be all but over.
St. Louis Rams at Tennessee Titans (8pm ET, Fox)
ST. LOUIS:Tre Mason didn't get much room to run last week, so we'd like to see the offensive line open things up a tad more for him. We'd love to see Brian Quick take the field, but that could be a long shot as the team plays it safe as he completes his rehab from a major shoulder injury.
TENNESSEE: Obviously, we're curious to see what Marcus Mariota does in Week 2. He got off to a rough start last week, but rebounded well. Perhaps he'll get to hand off to David Cobb early on this time around? Cobb looked good last week, and head coach Ken Whisenhunt said he could be in line for more first-team reps. Please, Ken, I'm begging you. Also, keep an eye on the WR battle, as it's definitely far from over. I'd like to see Dorial Green-Beckham make a push for more starting reps, but he could still be too raw.
Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers (8pm ET)
DALLAS: Ugh, this backfield. Gus Johnson separated his shoulder last week. Joseph Randle is still on the shelf. And now apparently Darren McFadden is crushing it with the first team in practice? (We're talking about practice?). The game reps this week could help shine some light on this backfield, especially if Randle and McFadden take the field. I'm still very leery of this becoming a true committee, and likely won't be rostering many Dallas RBs on my fantasy squads this year.
SAN FRANCISCO:Colin Kaepernick didn't look too sharp last week, missing a wide open Torrey Smith deep. We're hoping to see a little improvement from Kap. Jerryd Hayne was certainly fun to watch, but can we see more of Carlos Hyde please? His current ADP asking price would feel a lot better if we could see him bowl a few defenders over before draft day.
MONDAY
Cincinnati Bengals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8pm ET)
CINCINNATI: Last week, Giovani Bernard didn't see the field until he stepped out as the starting punt returner. Will he see any run with the ones, or is this becoming more of a 1-2 punch with Jeremy Hill, instead of a 1a-1b situation? Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones are the other names to watch as they work back up to full health and fight for sleeper status in this surprisingly loaded offense.
TAMPA BAY: Like Mariota, Jameis Winston struggled a bit last week. It'd be great to see him settle down and actually complete a pass to Mike Evans - a WR who is going in the second or third round of drafts. Doug Martin looked as quick as we've been hearing out of camp, but he receiver zero room to run from his offensive line. It'd be great if they could give him just a little daylight this time around.
-- Alex Gelhar is a fantasy football writer/editor for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter @AlexGelhar, where he's happy to answer your questions about fantasy football, movies, life, the universe and everything.
