Fantasy Football NFL Preseason Week 3 NFC Takeaways
Week 3 of the NFL preseason is the most important for fantasy football players to watch. Consider it a dress rehearsal for the real deal, as the touches and opportunities given here are typically most in line with what will happen in Week 1.
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With that in mind, let's break down the winners of some important position battles in the NFC based on what we've seen in Week 3 of the preseason.
(All ADP numbers via FantasyFootballCalculator.com)
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: Arguably the most important position battle in preseason was for the Cowboys' starting running back spot. Unfortunately, preseason didn't provide a ton of clarity. Joseph Randle is still the projected starter, but Darren McFadden performed well in Week 3 of preseason, adding to the speculation that this will be an RBBC situation. Randle is down to a 4.2 ADP, which is a decent gamble if you want to bet on Randle being the superior back and/or McFadden getting hurt.
New York Giants: Victor Cruz (calf) may not be ready for Week 1, which is actually a good thing for believers in a bounce-back campaign. His ADP should start plummeting from the 7th round spot he's been at. It's hard to take him before round 10, in my mind. Rashad Jennings remained the early-down back for the Giants in Week 3, keeping Andre Williams at bay. Just remember that Shane Vereen is going to take passing down duties. All three players should probably be avoided at their current ADP.
Philadelphia Eagles: The days of getting Sam Bradford as a back-end QB2 are long gone. His stellar Week 3 showing skyrocketed him up draft boards, as he's now being taken before the likes of Philip Rivers and Cam Newton as the 12th QB off the board. That's a little aggressive given his injury history, but the Eagles QB's under Chip Kelly have been extremely productive, and Bradford is the most talented of them all by a longshot. Jordan Matthews and rookie Nelson Agholor are locked in as the team's top two receiving options, with Darren Sproles getting a little run with the WR group as well. Zach Ertz is still questionable for Week 1 (groin surgery), which could make him a steal if he drops too far in your draft.
Washington Redskins: Captain Kirk, eh? RGIII has been sent to the bench, and Cousins is getting the first crack at the starting job in Washington. Leave him on the waiver wire. Rookie back Matt Jones had a nice game in Week 3 (7/57) and should get all passing down work behind Alfred Morris. The Redskins should be down and throwing quite a bit, so keep Jones in mind as a PPR handcuff with some potential flex appeal. Jordan Reed got back on the field in Week 3, and remains one of the more desirable tight end sleepers with Niles Paul out for the season.
NFC North
Chicago Bears: There wasn't a whole lot of preseason intrigue here. Jacquizz Rodgers is the handcuff for Matt Forte. Eddie Royal is a little nicked up with a hip injury, but he remains a preferred WR sleeper with Kevin White out for the year. Jay Cutler remains a great value as a QB2 with QB1 upside in an offense that should be throwing quite a bit.
Detroit Lions: What a mess at running back. Joique Bell has been activated from the PUP list, and should get the green light in Week 1. That should screech the brakes on the Ameer Abdullah bandwagon a bit, especially with the Lions giving Zach Zenner so much love in the preseason. This is a clear RBBC situation for the time being, but Abdullah's talent should eventually win out and help him become a major factor down the stretch. TE Eric Ebron is still flying under the radar after a non-eventful preseason from him.
Green Bay Packers: Jeff Janis or Ty Montgomery as the third receiver flier late in drafts? Montgomery got the start in Week 3, so it may be wise to lean in his direction. Janis is more of a Nelson clone with his size and speed on the outside, so either makes for a fine sleeper. James Starks is still the handcuff for Eddie Lacy, and is going surprisingly late considering we've seen his capaibilities in the past. Richard Rodgers is a TE2 flier worth considering as well. This is an offense you'll want a piece of, obviously.
Minnesota Vikings: RB Jerrick McKinnon was completely unproductive (1.6 YPC) in preseason, and last year's surprise fantasy stud Matt Asiata still lurks in the equation. It's probably best to leave them both undrafted as handcuffs to Adrian Peterson. No one separated themselves in the battle for Minnesota's WR1, as Mike Wallace and Charles Johnson put up similar production in preseason. Kyle Rudolph finished with 7 receptions and 61 yards, and remains a back-end TE1 option that's probably better suited for standard leagues than PPR.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: Tevin Coleman or Devonta Freeman at starting RB? Coleman usually goes about a round before Freeman does, which might have to do with Coleman coming back from a hamstring injury a little sooner and playing in Week 3. Coleman remains the higher upside pick and has the best chance to earn the majority of carries for the Falcons, who should emphasize the run much more with Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator. Roddy White is expected to be ready for Week 1, and can provide value at his 9.6 ADP so long as he can stay on the field. Leonard Hankerson is a deep sleeper to put up stats if you're betting against White. Jacob Tamme remains an uninspiring TE2 choice.
Carolina Panthers: WR Devin Funchess is dealing with a hamstring injury, so it's tough to say how much Cam Newton is going to target him. He's a safe bet to have at least some WR3/4 value, by default. Deep play threat Philly Brown was dropping everything in sight in Week 3, which puts a damper on his sleeper appeal. With Kelvin Benjamin out and no one stepping up, TE Greg Olsen is the big winner. He was targeted a ton in Week 3, and that should continue to be the case during the regular season. You could argue he should be the second tight end off the board after Rob Gronkowski with Jimmy Graham runblocking more in Seattle. Olsen is going to eat. Cameron Artis-Payne is the handcuff to Jonathan Stewart, which you should absolutely consider if you take the injury prone yet talented back.
New Orleans Saints: RB C.J. Spiller is expected to be ready for Week 1, and missing preseason may have been the best thing for his draft stock. PPR players should be all over him, as he should fill the old Darren Sproles role in New Orleans. Brandon Coleman won the third receiver battle in New Orleans, as Nick Toon has been released. If you're going to gamble on a rookie receiver, a 6-foot-5 red zone threat playing with Drew Brees in a pass-happy offense is one heck of a place to start. Ben Watson won the starting tight end job over Josh Hill, which is obviously a little surprising. Hill is the guy you want to take a flier on late in drafts, though.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs appear to be all in on RB Doug Martin, who soared up draft boards over the last month. Martin has a 20/118/1 this preseason and wasn't pushed by Charles Sims or Bobby Rainey. The Bucs line is still a mess, but opportunity is everything. Martin is the favorite for early down and goalline work, at the least. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins wasn't much of a factor in preseason, and it's hard to imagine he'll get many looks around the red zone with big receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson on the outside.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: RB Andre Ellington should receive less work this season, as rookie David Johnson has shown some solid rushing ability earlier this preseason and receiving ability in Week 3 with 4 catches for 40 yards. Chris Johnson is expected to play in the final preseason game, which could make this even muddier. WR John Brown kept his ADP in check (5/58/1) and remains a popular sleeper target. The real value may be in Michael Floyd, though, who might be back in time for the Cardinals' opener. With plenty of other receiving talent around, Jermaine Gresham should be left on the waiver wire despite his starting gig.
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks are reportedly meeting with recently released RB Fred Jackson, who would become the clear handcuff for Lynch. Either way, Lynch's value will hold. Tyler Lockett is probably the second receiver to gamble on in Seattle, as he's shown big play ability with a special teams TD and a 4/52 line. Doug Baldwin should remain a WR4 type again. Don't go too crazy when drafting Jimmy Graham. He was used more as a blocker in preaseason than we're used to seeing, and he's no longer in a pass-heavy offense. Standard league players should have him ranked higher than PPR players, at least.
San Francisco 49ers: RB Carlos Hyde helped his stock quite a bit in preseason (5.61 YPC), although Reggie Bush did take some third-down work. This doesn't appear to be much of a committee though, as Hyde will get the goalline and early down work. Bush is still worth targeting in PPR leagues, as the 49ers will be down a lot this year. Vernon Davis didn't inspire anyone to believe in his resurgence after a catchless Week 3. Anquan Boldin remains the preferred receiver choice to Torrey Smith, particularly in PPR leagues.
St. Louis Rams: We almost certainly won't get to see RB Todd Gurley in Week 4 of preseason, as he hasn't been participating in all activities at practice yet. Tre Mason has a hamstring injury and is questionable for Week 1, as well, which only complicates things. I'm avoiding both players in drafts, barring big falls. WR Brian Quick has garnered a lot of hype, but didn't do anything in Week 3 of preseason. He should still be the leader for targets over Kenny Britt, but this is a pretty bad offense all the way around that should probably avoided for the most part.