The preseason is close to being over as the all-important third week arrives, but we still have a lot of questions about who is going to be worth drafting in fantasy over the next guy. Some outlooks are clearer than others, but all of them bear scrutiny. These are the latest AFC position battles worth monitoring:

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Markus Wheaton v. Martavis Bryant: Bryant’s hype train has been going strong all offseason, but recent preseason play has him taking a backseat to the smaller, quicker Wheaton. Apparently ,Wheaton hadn’t gained Ben Roethlisberger‘s trust until this year – but he’s got it in spades now. Bryant will no doubt be an effective fantasy big play receiver, but at his 5th rd ADP he is losing the value battle to Wheaton who can currently be had in the 11th rd. Wheaton isn’t a sexy pick, but he’s going to help your fantasy teams, especially in PPR leagues.

 

Cecil Shorts v. Jaelen Strong v. Nate Washington: This is important for the fact that Houston projects to be a fairly low-volume passing team, so there really isn’t any value past the No.2. Washington has that distinction by label, but Shorts has been the de facto 2nd in the preseason thus far. Strong has lost some of the shine he came into camp with as a talented rookie due to his poor conditioning, but coach O’Brien has actually been Strong’s his efforts as of late. He’s still well behind the others for the time being. For fantasy purposes, Shorts is your best bet as his big-play potential and relative youth give him the edge over Washington. He’s only one soft-tissue injury away from irrelevancy though.

 

Ronnie Hillman v. Montee Ball: RB Ronnie Hillman has been going gangbusters in the past few weeks, rocketing from a potential roster cut to the darkhorse for backup – and perhaps passing-back – duties in Denver. Ball is still by all means capable of the task, but Hillman offers a shiftiness out of the backfield that he can’t match. Ball is also pretty much a carbon-copy of C.J. Anderson. Hillman is the pick here, as the potential for him to play on passing downs is too strong to ignore. Grab what pieces of Peyton Manning’s offense you can gather if they can be had at value.

 

Bishop Sankey v. David Cobb: The prognosticators’ consensus has Cobb getting more carries on the season, but Sankey has been running with the ones in the preseason in front of Cobb, and he’s arguably been doing a better job in his time on field. Cobb has been in the system a shorter time, and that probably has much to do with his usage, but Sankey is playing too well to not get the benefit of the doubt as a “veteran” of this offense. There really isn’t a clear-cut victor here, as both will get starter’s minutes it seems. Cobb does get the nod in dynasty leagues as he’s a better overall prospect, but it might be prudent to avoid this potential game-day headache in redrafts.

 

Tyrod Taylor v. Matt Cassel v. E.J. Manuel: I’ll be honest. Manuel is only here because we have affinity for him at RW, but he’s not really in this contest as far as anyone can see. Coach Ryan said he won’t name a starter until Week 1, which should have the AFC East scrambling to game plan for them. In all seriousness, though, Taylor is vaguely intriguing due to his running capability, but he hasn’t thrown a single touchdown in four NFL seasons. Cassel is the more proven commodity, but if you can’t clearly beat out such weak competition, why would I buy what you’re selling? My money (and there isn’t much of it) is on Taylor to get the start in Week 1, but that could give way at literally any minute. I’m staying away from Bills skill players that don’t run the ball, outside of maybe Sammy Watkins who can turn a busted play into fantasy magic.

 

Phillip Dorsett v. Donte Moncrief: Dorsett’s bruised knee is the only thing keeping him from running away with the No.3 spot in Indy’s WR corps right now, as he’s been doing work in his preseason outings. Check out my rookie spotlight on him  or Byron’s Senior Bowl spotlight to see what the fuss is. That being said, Moncrief hasn’t necessarily done anything wrong to lose his role. He didn’t play in the opener, and though he only gained 20 yards in the second game, his play throughout camp hasn’t done him harm. The edge here goes to Dorsett who is too much of a potential DeSean Jackson-esqe game-breaker to keep off of the field for long.