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Thursday night marked the start of the first week of preseason football. It also marked one month until the first Sunday of the regular season. Basically, we’re at the point where it’s no longer weird to spend all of your free time researching fantasy football (at least that’s what I’m telling myself).
With the season so near, it’s critical to follow training camp news and preseason games to gain an edge over your opponents. Let’s take a look at some of the information we learned on Thursday.[[ad:athena]]
Injured Rookie Wideouts
Rashod Bateman is set to undergo groin surgery, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the team expects him back “sometime in September.” Harbaugh even refused to rule Bateman out for Week 1. Still, it’s unlikely he’s ready for the opener, and he could miss additional weeks on top of that. The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec reported that Week 4 could be the return date for Baltimore’s first-round pick. That would make sense, as the NFL is bringing back the three-week IR rule they introduced last season. If Bateman opens the year on IR, he would not be able to return until Week 4. David J. Chao (also known as Pro Football Doc) indicated it might be more realistic to expect an October return:
With Marquise Brown also nursing an injury, Mark Andrews is in line for an increased target share.
Elijah Moore left Jets practice on Thursday with a quad issue, for which he is expected to get an MRI. Jets coach Robert Saleh said he’s optimistic, but it’s too early to gauge the severity of Moore’s injury. Edwin Porras (of Fantasy Points) shed some light on what the timeline could be based on what little information we have.
E. Moore quad -
— Edwin Porras, DPT (@FBInjuryDoc) August 12, 2021
*From 2017-2019 official injury reports:
*46 players w/ isolated quad injury
*67% missed 0 OR 1 game
*54% missed 0 games
*15% missed > 2 games
*Quads are massive & resilient. It’s unlikely this is serious but like we saw w/ Bateman, things can change quickly
It’s too early to hit the panic button on Moore, especially since quad injuries usually aren’t too serious. However, it’s worth keeping an eye on the situation.
Darrell HenderSZN?
There’s still time for the Rams to add another back, but reports hint that they may be impressed enough with Xavier Jones and Jake Funk to roll into the season with their current group. Per USA Today’s Cameron DaSilva, both backups are opening eyes at training camp.
“But if both players shine and continue to impress, there will be no need for the Rams to sign a veteran. Two quality backups behind Darrell Henderson Jr. will be more than enough heading into the regular season.”
— David Zäch (@DavidZach16) August 12, 2021
Darrell Henderson’s ADP is STILL sitting in the RB20s https://t.co/UOZC2vrUtN
Darrell Henderson is the only running back on the Rams’ roster who has ever recorded an offensive snap in the NFL, so I expect them to add someone. Still, the fragility of Henderson’s current outlook is already accounted for in his ADP. If the market expected it to be the Henderson show, he’d be going in the first two rounds. However, his ADP currently sits in the fourth or fifth round depending on the platform. Even if they add someone like Duke Johnson, Henderson’s ADP wouldn’t fall too much. In that regard, he has asymmetric upside because there is at least a small chance he strolls into Week 1 as the clear RB1 in an elite offense. I’m happy to scoop him up if he falls to Round 5.
The King of the Jungle
I know, it’s hard to get excited about Detroit’s offense. Still, someone is going to catch Jared Goff‘s passes – and “someone” bears an awfully close resemblance to T.J. Hockenson. The third-year tight end has been the star of Lions training camp. MLive’s Kyle Meinke gave the official signal to fire up the Hockenson hype train:
Hockenson isn’t cheap in Round 6, but he could have a monopoly on Lions targets this season. D’Andre Swift should carve out a significant pass-catching role too, but Detroit’s WR corps is nothing to write home about. Meinke revealed Tyrell Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown have been the two most impressive so far:
Breshad Perriman has the earliest ADP of any Lions wideout right now, so this news comes as a bit of a surprise. While Perriman should handle the other outside spot opposite Williams, it’s interesting that he doesn’t look like the WR1 at this point.
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M-V-Yes
Aaron Rodgers requested that Green Bay trade for Randall Cobb, but another Packers wideout is standing out at training camp. According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling is the frontrunner for the WR2 spot behind Davante Adams after working on his hands during the offseason. Schneidman wrote:
Schneidman also said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Valdes-Scantling top 1,000 yards. That seems far-fetched (read: impossible?), but he doesn’t need that level of production to pay off his ADP, which currently sits at WR81 on Underdog. In fact, he’s at risk of going undrafted in many managed leagues. Green Bay probably won’t have a go-to WR2 – after Adams, WR targets will be split between Valdes-Scantling, Cobb, and Allen Lazard – but the recent smoke is enough to make the Missouri product an intriguing dart throw in the final rounds.
Rookie QB Watch
- We got our first glimpse of Mac Jones on Thursday, as the Patriots gave the rookie extended run after Cam Newton handled the first two drives. Jones’ numbers weren’t anything special – 13-of-19 for 87 yards and no touchdowns or picks – but every indication is that there’s a legitimate battle brewing in New England. Newton didn’t exactly light it up either, although he also only threw the ball seven times. As the veteran, Newton is likely the frontrunner right now, but things could change in an instant if Jones impresses over the next few weeks.
- Jaguars coach Urban Meyer still hasn’t named Trevor Lawrence the starter. Gardner Minshew is still getting his share of first-team reps. With that being said, it would be a massive surprise if anyone except Lawrence lines up under center in Week 1. The first overall pick being the Jaguars’ best option – both short-term and long-term – is evident to everyone except their head coach.
- 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Jimmy Garoppolo will play one series in San Francisco’s first preseason game on Saturday. After that, he hopes Trey Lance will play the rest of the first half. Reports out of the Bay Area suggest Lance is putting on a show in practice, so his preseason debut will be must-watch television. Like Jones, Lance is live to start Week 1 if he dazzles over the next few weeks.
- Justin Fields was the star of the Bears’ joint practice with the Dolphins. His most notable accomplishment came at the end of practice when he completed all three of his passes for touchdowns in a red-zone drill and added another score on the ground. Andy Dalton is supposedly playing well too and Bears coach Matt Nagy seems adamant the veteran will start Week 1, so Fields may have to wait to get his shot. However, he seems likely to run with the opportunity once he gets it. The 22-year-old was electric at Ohio State, and camp buzz has only reinforced that the Bears got a steal with the 11th overall pick.
- Zach Wilson has been up-and-down at Jets camp, but it’s too early to sound the alarm. Unlike Lawrence, Wilson’s status as QB1 has been unquestioned since the day he arrived at camp. We’ll have a better idea of his ability soon.
Quick Hitters
- Will Fuller hasn’t practiced since July 29 due to a foot injury. That would be worth monitoring for any player, but it’s especially ominous for someone with Fuller’s injury history. The speedster does have an extra week to recover because he is suspended for Week 1.
- The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia said Zack Moss looked like he was taking the lead in the Bills’ RB battle before he suffered a hamstring injury earlier this week. That’s obviously noteworthy because of the injury, but it also means Moss is a value if we get positive news on the hammy.
- Antonio Gibson saw three targets in Washington’s preseason game, but he still ceded third-down snaps to J.D. McKissic. The targets are nice, but his Round 2 ADP becomes dangerous if McKissic is the main passing-down back.
- Najee Harris is a workhorse. For the second straight week, the rookie dominated Steelers RB snaps with the first-team offense.
