Here are a few take-aways from the preseason match-ups that took place over the last several days. Round two comes tomorrow. The RosterWatch Fantasy Draft Cheat Sheet is AVAILABLE NOW. Download it here. 

 

Jets at Lions

• WR Quincy Enunwa played ahead of Jeremy Kerley in the Jets preseason opener on Friday. Big and fast, Enunwa presents a physicality Kerley can’t match. The bad news for both players is that the third WR in a Fitzpatrick-led offense is going to be negligible.

 

• TE Jace Amaro, who led all rookie tight ends in receiving last season, suffered a sprained shoulder in the opener. He’s week to week, and that’s a situation worth monitoring as he could have a considerable role on the end of Fitzpatrick’s aging arm.

 

• Ameer Abdullah’s ADP continues to soar after his impressive 67 yd night on 7 carries against the Jets. The cat’s about a mile out of the bag at this point, and you’re going to have a hard time getting Abdullah at value in any format.  Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE Abdullah, but the shrewd move here is to sneak away with Joique Bell – who seems to be completely forgotten these days.

 

• Should either Bell or Abdullah get hurt, Theo Riddick is a fine pickup. He played well in their opener, but is unlikely to see much time barring injury to one of them.

 

• Golden Tate was electrifying on a 35-yard scamper Friday. A true playmaker,  he’s going to be a WR2 with upside – even if Megatron stays healthy all season.

 

Packers at Patriots

• It was business as usual for the Packers in their preseason opener against the Pats. QB Scott Tolzien was surprisingly capable, which should bring a sigh of relief from Pack WR owners should Rodgers go down at any point this season.

 

• QB Jimmy Garoppolo finished 20 of 30 with an interception in his opener against the Pats. Underwhelming outside the pocket, he’s got quite a ways to go before opening weekend. One thing you have to figure is that he will target Rob Gronkowski heavily as a safety valve once real bullets start flying. 

 

• RB James White is staking his claim to 3rd-down back duties for the Pats, catching 4 balls for 52 yds. It’s hard to rely on anything involving the Pats backfield, though, until you see it with your own two eyes.

 

• RB Jonas Gray started the night as New England’s two-down back, amassing 74 yds and a TD. It seems likely that he’ll start in Blount’s stead to begin the season and is likely to be a sneaky DFS play in a great matchup at minimum salary Week 1.

 

Saints at Ravens

• The biggest news for the Saints coming away is WR Brandon Coleman continues playing with the ones. If he moves ahead of Nick Toon, Coleman makes for a nice fantasy sleeper in drafts.

 

• Don’t overestimate TE Josh Hill’s role in the Big Easy. He’s playing behind Ben Watson, and has nary seen a first team rep. Make sure you grab another starting TE if you take a chance on him in fantasy.

 

• As for Watson, it’s difficult to take the plunge on him in redrafts, but he could offer considerable value if he hits as he’s widely going undrafted.

 

• TE Maxx Williams caught 2 passes for 36 yds in the opener but appears to be far behind Crockett Gillmore in the pecking order. He’s only viable in dynasty leagues until further notice.

 

• WR Michael Campanaro caught 2 passes for 58 yds and a TD against the Saints. Keep an eye on this one. The receiving corps in Baltimore is wide open behind Steve Smith Sr.

 

• RB Buck Allen is still working behind Lorenzo Taliaferro as the No.3. 

 

Dolphins at Bears

• RB Damien Williams is the clear-cut no.2 behind Lamar Miller, and things are looking dicey for Jay Ayayi as he continues to miss time. Don’t say we didn’t warn you about Ajayi.

 

• WR Kevin White is in danger of missing the entire 2015 season with a stress fracture in his shin. This opens the door wide open for Eddie Royal who has done nothing but impress as a Bear. He could be the steal of the draft in fantasy at his 12th-round ADP.

 

• Another beneficiary of White’s absence is Marquess Wilson, who’ll man the outside when Royal plays from the slot. He makes for an intriguing flyer in deep leagues.

 

Redskins at Browns

• The ‘Skins lost TE Niles Paul for the season to a fractured ankle in their opener. It’s a bummer for Paul, but at least we don’t have to deal with the headache of wondering whether to start him or Jordan Reed from week to week.

 

• RGIII has improved according to the organization, after a 4 of 8, 60 yd preseason outing that included a 60 yd bomb that went through Pierre Garcon’s fingers. This comes after reports that he hadn’t been making the adjustments needed to improve through OTAs. I don’t know what to believe, but the ‘Skins are doing one thing right in getting behind their beleaguered QB for once.

 

• We had hopes for Jamison Crowder taking Andre Roberts’ job as third receiver in Washington, but his hamstring troubles – and Roberts’ adroit preseason work – have made that more unlikely, for now. Crowder is going to push Roberts, but we may not see a change for some time now. Crowder should still be owned in dynasty.

 

• I had high hopes for Rob Housler in Cleveland, but it looks like he may give way to Gary Barnbridge. Either way, the Browns are going to get use out of their TE, as they need all the capable pass catchers they can get.

 

• Johnny Manziel had a decent outing against Washington going 7 of 11 for 42 yds, but Josh McCown performed even better going 5 of 5 for 33yds and a TD. The job is McCown’s to lose.

 

Cowboys at Chargers

• TE Gavin Escobar led the Cowboys with 5 grabs for 47 yds in the opener. We’ve always liked his size and hands, but Jason Witten has kept him off the field for the most part. As Witten declines in ability, Escobar could start to see more action this year.

 

• Jerry Jones seems content with his three headed monster of Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, and Lance Dunbar. He’s signed a few warm bodies otherwise, but they don’t have realistic chances of unseating any of these three.

 

• RB Melvin Gordon came off the field in favor of Danny Woodhead on 3rd downs against the Cowboys, including an 8 yd TD scamper. Woodhead is a PPR steal at his late-round ADP.

 

• WR Stevie Johnson is the Chargers receiver I want to own this season. He can be had much later than Keenan Allen in drafts, and he could easily outscore him if early indications from camp ring true during the season.

 

Panthers at Bills

• If there were any worries that Devin Funchess would unseat Kelvin Benjamin as Cam Newton‘s go-to, they were alleviated in the preseason opener. Benjamin was targeted on 5 of Newton’s 10 attempts, and came out with 36 yds and a TD. Funchess played with the second team, and though he should move into a starting role, KB is firmly entrenched as the No.1.

 

• Bills GM Doug Whaley came out strong for QB Tyrod Taylor after his first preseason game, saying that he had “everything you’re looking for.” Taylor will start the second preseason game this week, and should he perform serviceably, he could very well take the job.

 

• Rookie RB Karlos Williams is angling at the No.2 RB spot in Buffalo, but he has been recently hospitalized with a mystery illness. Whether it’s Williams or Fred Jackson, the no.2 in Buffalo is worth owning, as they are going to be the most run heavy team in the league.

 

• WR Sammy Watkins has been playing out of his mind in camp, and could pay dividends in FFL this year. Yes, his QB situation is sticky, but he’s arguably the most talented WR in football. He presents solid value this year.