Fantasy: Takeaways from Friday's preseason games

Justin Boone

from on 2018-08-25 05:19 (#3XFH8)

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2018 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.

Every game night during the preseason, theScore's Justin Boone gets you caught up on the most important fantasy performances from around the league.

Freeman clears the path in Denver

For the third straight preseason game, Devontae Booker got the "start" in the Broncos' backfield, but he immediately ran into the back of the line for a one-yard gain.

Royce Freeman came in a few plays later and made a convincing case for why he should be the early-down back, with a 24-yard scamper to the end zone.

The rookie has run aggressively in August, breaking tackles at every level. He's also scored a touchdown in all three of Denver's preseason contests.

Booker has totaled 33 yards on nine carries (3.7 yards per) over the last three weeks, while Freeman is up to 84 yards on 15 rushes (5.6 yards per). The veteran has also failed to make much of an impact as a pass-catcher, with just one reception for 10 yards. Freeman, who isn't known for his receiving ability, has one catch for six yards during that same stretch.

Preseason performances can be deceiving, but at the moment, it appears the Broncos would be best suited going with Freeman as the early-down back and undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay as the change-of-pace option. Lindsay has been electric for the Broncos, including a whopping 49 yards on eight touches Friday night.

Any doubts about who should start in Denver should be put to rest by Saturday morning. The key will be whether the coaching staff sees things the same way. Even if Booker remains involved early in the year, Freeman is the best back on the team and should take over as the season moves along. He can be drafted confidently as an RB2 in the fourth round and dynasty leaguers should keep an eye on Lindsay, as well.

Peterson impresses in Redskins debut

Adrian Peterson has made a career of surprising us with feats we never thought possible. His 2,000-yard campaign coming off a torn ACL seemed otherworldly. Now, as a member of the Redskins, the 33-year-old back is hoping to shock the fantasy community once more.

Peterson took his first carry with Washington up the middle for a seven-yard gain. He continued to remind us of his future Hall of Fame resume with runs of 13 and 15 yards, the latter of which came on fourth-and-inches.

Despite his age, there's little reason to be surprised by Peterson's outstanding debut in Washington. He averaged over four yards per carry in three of six starts for the Cardinals late last season. The question isn't how well AP can still play, but rather how long can he keep it up for.

When fantasy owners see the highlights from Friday and the box score line of 11 carries for 56 yards, Peterson's ADP is going to rise. If you're looking for a starting fantasy back for the first month of the season, Peterson should be in the conversation. Just don't expect him to maintain starter production for long.

As a late-round flier, I'll gladly take a shot on what could be one of the most fun stories of the fantasy season. But if his stock moves up into the middle rounds, you should let someone else see how this all plays out. The far more dynamic Chris Thompson is the Redskins RB to own in fantasy.

Bucs going with Barber

On a night when rookie Ronald Jones II hauled in a 37-yard reception, you'd think the takeaway would be more positive for him. Unfortunately, as a runner, Jones gained seven yards on six carries, with four coming on a single play.

It's far too early to write off the 21-year-old, but the Buccaneers have made their intentions clear by putting the ball in Peyton Barber's hands, and he's delivered.

Barber racked up 34 yards against the Lions, highlighted by a 14-yard touchdown during which he was able to evade multiple defenders and find a runway to the end zone.

Jones' catch was a nice sign of development for a first-year back who wasn't asked to do much in the passing game in college. However, he still has a long way to go before he can be trusted as a running back, either in real life or fantasy.

Meanwhile, Barber's ADP entering Friday night was in the eighth round - a bargain for a potential starter in an offense that could be dangerous once Jameis Winston returns from his three-game suspension. Barber has RB2 upside and, at the moment, is unchallenged as the Bucs' lead back.

It's time to stock up on Barber shares if you haven't already.

Instant Impressions

After being sandwiched by two defenders, Evan Engram immediately walked to the locker room. It was later revealed the Giants tight end suffered a concussion. It comes with increased worry considering this is Engram's second concussion in less than two years as a pro. Fantasy owners hoping to find value at tight end in the middle rounds are facing a more difficult task with Engram joining Delanie Walker (toe) and Jordan Reed (toe) in the injury ward. Trey Burton and Kyle Rudolph should be your focus in that range now.

Christian McCaffrey continued his strong preseason with 14 touches for 64 yards. The Panthers are showing no fear in asking the 5-foot-11, 205-pound back to be a workhorse, including at the goal line. As it stands, McCaffrey looks to be a solid investment in the mid-to-late second round. Let's hope he can stay on the field.

If you needed a reminder that Emmanuel Sanders is an excellent draft-day value, the veteran wideout caught four passes for 61 yards and scored on a 27-yard reverse. After tonight, his ADP should get a bump, but he's a steal in the sixth or seventh rounds.

Before you get too excited about Kenny Golladay's 36-yard catch, take a closer look at where the defenders are. Golladay was left wide-open, making it one of Matthew Stafford's easiest throws of the night. It's also noteworthy that Golden Tate returned to two-wide sets across from Marvin Jones on Friday, a role Golladay had occupied last week. In Detroit's offense, the trio will often see the field together and all three are intriguing fantasy assets in 2018. I'm targeting Jones and Golladay, but if you're undecided about which of the group to draft, just take Stafford as your QB.

The Lions' rushing attack is taking a massive leap forward under a new coaching staff and behind an upgraded offensive line. Sadly, fantasy owners may not have a chance to capitalize, given the team's insistence on a committee approach. Unless something changes in the final preseason outing, the Lions will split early-down carries between LeGarrette Blount and rookie Kerryon Johnson, with Theo Riddick occupying his usual passing-down role. Even Ameer Abdullah continues to see preseason snaps with the first-team offense. It's a hard situation to read, and unfortunately means Johnson needs to be viewed as a long-term investment, who could come on as the season progresses.

Chris Godwin is going to make a major fantasy impact this season. With James Winston at the helm in the second quarter, Godwin hauled in a leaping back-shoulder touchdown grab from 10 yards out. From the moment he got on the field in Tampa, Godwin has looked the part of a future star receiver. Reports have suggested he will see his role increase this season, and his preseason usage is backing that up. If Mike Evans were to miss time, Godwin would be a borderline WR1 in fantasy. He's that talented.

Dalvin Cook had a quiet night in his return from a torn ACL. The Vikings back took two carries for one yard in a very brief appearance. Teammate Latavius Murray picked up the slack with the first-team offense, rushing 10 times for 24 yards and a touchdown, while adding three receptions for 32 yards on a shocking seven targets. It's possible Minnesota brings Cook back slowly to start the season, choosing to put extra work on Murray's plate, but that doesn't scare me away from taking Cook in the second round.

We can all collectively agree that if Stefon Diggs stays healthy for the majority of the season, a monster breakout is coming. Diggs continues to flash his newly developed chemistry with Kirk Cousins. In limited preseason action, Diggs has seven receptions for 86 yards and a score. He's cracked my top-10 receivers and warrants consideration as a late second-round pick, though you can normally get him in the third.

Amari Cooper made a statement with his lone catch of the night, bringing down a 49-yard bomb from Derek Carr. Let's hope this is a sign the Raiders will follow through with their offseason plans to send more targets in Cooper's direction. Coming off a disappointing year, I'm buying as many Cooper shares as I can get in 2018.

It may not garner as much attention as other backfield battles, but Bilal Powell saw far more work with the Jets' first-string offense than teammate Isaiah Crowell. It's possible the Jets are easing Crowell back after he suffered a concussion earlier in the preseason. It's also possible the coaching staff likes the reliability of an all-around player like Powell. This is a situation best avoided, even for owners going the Zero-RB route.

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