| | | | Monday, August 14, 2023 | | I'm only changing two players in my rankings as a result of the first weekend of preseason, which should tell you a lot about how much you should be taking from the preseason action we saw this weekend. | | Those two players, by the way, are Kenneth Gainwell and Kendre Miller. | | ⬆️Gainwell | | Gainwell gets moved up because it really does seem like he's the Eagles top option at the running back position. I'm not sure how much I buy into the idea that he'll remain the top option all season long, but after reports came out that he has been the top back in practice and then he watched the preseason opener from the sidelines with the rest of the starters, there sure seems to be a lot of smoke there. | | I moved Gainwell up to RB44 in my rankings Sunday night, with much smaller drops for D'Andre Swift (to 29) and Rashaad Penny (to 36). I still think those are the two most talented runners in the Eagles backfield, and I'm betting that at least some of this apparent gap is mostly just an incumbency advantage. But this is suddenly a situation to watch very clearly. | | ⬇️Miller | | As for Miller, I moved him down to RB51, and I'm tempted to move him even further. He didn't play a snap with the Saints starters in the preseason opener, but that's less of a concern seeing as he did at least play relatively early in the game, albeit once Alvin Kamara was done. No, the bigger concern here is that Miller left Sunday's game with a knee sprain, to the same knee he injured during the college football playoffs. | | We're still waiting on details, but seeing as Miller's window to earn a significant role is seemingly open between now and Week 4, when Kamara's suspension ends, any injury that lingers for even a month or so is going to make it very difficult for him to prove himself. He still could, but it's always tough with preseason injuries for rookies, and he's already been a bit behind schedule recovering from the previous injury. | | Other than that, I'm only making tweaks … for now. The point is, while we need to be aware of what's happening during the first week of the preseason, we definitely don't need to overreact. I'm not putting Gainwell as the Eagles' best RB, and I'm not burying Miller … for now. But we're starting to see, potentially, the starts of what could be important shifts in the Fantasy landscape. | | That's what today is about. I wrote about my winners and losers from the first week of preseason action, and we've got some of those for you in today's newsletter, along with some news from the weekend you need to know about. Later in the week, I'll take a look at some of the latest ADP movers and have updates for all of my rankings, too. | | For now, let's look at winners and losers from the first round of preseason action: | | Preseason Week 1: Biggest Winners and Losers | | | | Biggest Winners | | Justin Fields, QB, Bears | | Last season, the Bears didn't have a single play where a receiver picked up more than 35 yards after the catch. On Saturday against the Titans, D.J Moore went for 65 yards after the catch on his long screen touchdown on their very first drive, and then Khalil Herbert closed out their very next drive with 57 yards after catching a dump off for a score. Fields' 3-for-3, 129-yard, two-touchdown box score line doesn't really tell us much about how he played – you could argue it would have been better for research purposes if things had been just a tad more difficult for them – but it might tell us something about how much better this offense is. The theory around Fields' Fantasy appeal this season is largely based around the premise that he'll have significantly improved playmaking around him, and at least for two series in his preseason debut, that's exactly what we saw. Am I moving Fields up in my rankings? No, but this kind of playmaking is exactly what Fields needs to make a leap to elite status. | | Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints | | If the Saints were planning on phasing Kamara out ahead of his season-opening, three-game suspension, they sure didn't tip their hand Sunday. Kamara played 10 of 12 snaps alongside Derek Carr and the first-team offense in this one, with Jamaal Williams logging the other two. Rookie Kendre Miller didn't see the field until Kamara was through, and then he left the game with an injury to the same knee he injured at the end of his college career, which could impact his ability to take advantage of Kamara's absence to open the season. We don't know the extent of Miller's injury, but it sure looks like Kamara is going to come back from that injury with a significant role still waiting for him in what should be an improved offense. | | Ty Chandler, RB, Vikings | | For now, at least, Chandler looks like he has a leg up on the No. 2 spot in Minnesota. Kene Nwangwu missed this one with an injury, but I think Chandler was impressive enough to think he's got the inside track to the backup job, after dominating snaps with the starters and rushing for 41 yards on 11 carries (while facing a loaded box on 91% of his runs ) and catching four passes for 29 yards. The complicating factor here is that the Vikings hosted Kareem Hunt on a free agent visit Friday, and still seem like a pretty good bet to add a veteran running back. Chandler could change that by continuing to play well, though, and it'll be interesting to see if they give him another audition in their next preseason game to prove himself. He would be worth a late-round pick if he enters the season as the clear No. 2 here. | | Michael Thomas, WR, Saints | | Derek Carr played 12 snaps in his first game with the Saints , and Thomas was right there alongside him. Given how much time Thomas has missed over the previous three seasons, anytime he sees the field and leaves it under his own volition, you've gotta take it as a win; the fact that the Saints weren't easing him in here is just a bonus. I have no idea how much of Thomas' formerly-elite level he can rediscover after being held to 10 games in three seasons due to recurring lower body injuries, but if he can be even 80% of what he was at his peak, that's a starting-caliber Fantasy option going off the board around the 90th pick in most drafts. | | Sam LaPorta, TE, Lions | | LaPorta didn't catch his only target in this one, but I'm still calling him a winner because of his usage. Despite incumbents James Mitchell and Brock Wright being active, LaPorta was the clear top option in both the running and passing game, playing 16 of 18 offensive snaps alongside starting QB Nate Sudfeld. He ran nine routes and played every snap in 11 and 12 personnel , according to PFF, a great sign for his chances of playing a big role. I like LaPorta as a sleeper despite the pretty poor track record of rookie tight ends in Fantasy, and the fact that he has seemingly already assumed the top spot on the depth chart in an offense that needs pass-catchers makes him one of my go-to late-round TE targets if I'm passing on the must-start guys early on. | | Biggest Losers | | De'Von Achane, RB, Dolphins | | Even with Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson getting the night off, Achane didn't play at all with the first-team offense. Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed split reps in the first quarter, and Achane didn't really do much until the second half of the game, when it was all backups on both sides. It's Achane's first NFL game after being a third-round pick, so there's not really much surprising about him being relatively buried on the depth chart – Tyler Allgeier had similar usage in the Falcons first preseason game a year ago, but it didn't take him long to emerge as one of the team's top options. I would be pretty surprised if Gaskin and Ahmed were playing ahead of Achane by Week 1 – Achane racking up 41 yards on four catches probably helped his case too – but it's just a bit of a reality check that Achane isn't challenging for a starting spot just yet. | | Patriots Backup RBs | | With the starters sitting out, the Patriots went through three different backs with the first-team offense. And none of Kevin Harris, J.J. Taylor , or Pierre Strong showed much to suggest they deserve a significant role – that trio combined for 35 yards on 20 carries with five catches for 23 yards. . The Patriots have been linked to several veteran running backs in free agency recently, and I would not be at all surprised if they brought in a Leonard Fournette type to complement Rhamondre Stevenson , who looks like the clear lead back right now. I have questions about how the Patriots offense will utilize him, but right now, there really isn't much standing in his way, seemingly. | | Christian Kirk, WR, Jaguars | | It's too early to panic much, but Kirk played just seven of 13 snaps with Trevor Lawrence in the game Saturday. That's because it was Zay Jones, not Kirk, who was in the game alongside Calvin Ridley in two-receiver sets, with Kirk playing exclusively out of the slot. That could just be the Jaguars trying something out in a game that didn't matter, but if Kirk is coming off the field regularly, that certainly wouldn't be a great thing. The Jaguars had two or fewer WRs on the field for 380 snaps last season, 126 of which were pass plays. That means the vast majority of their pass snaps came with three or more (522, total), but after Kirk played 94% of the team's passing snaps last season, that would still be a downgrade. I haven't been too aggressive about drafting Kirk this season, so maybe this will help push his price down enough to make him a WR4 target for me. | | Pat Freiermuth, TE, Steelers | | When Darnell Washington slipped to the 93rd pick for the Steelers, we didn't really think it was going to impact Freiermuth much, but the team's first preseason game has me rethinking that just a bit. Freiermuth played five of 10 snaps with Kenny Pickett and the first-team offense, the same number as Washington. Of course, all five of Freiermuth's came in passing situations, while Washington blocked on three, so it's not like Washington is coming for Freiermuth's job. But Washington got on the field ahead of Freiermuth on three of eight snaps when the Steelers were in 11 personnel , per PFF, and while that could be chalked up as just giving the young guy an early opportunity, Freiermuth probably can't afford to be sacrificing even a few snaps per game. There's breakout potential here for Freiermuth if this offense takes a step forward, but Washington's presence could complicate that. | | Greg Dulcich, TE, Broncos | | Dulcich also has some breakout potential in an offense we hope will take a step forward, but his first game under new coach Sean Payton was not promising. Of 20 snaps Russell Wilson played with the first-team offense, Dulcich was on the field for just 10 of them, while Adam Trautman got the start and played 15 snaps. Trautman has experience with Paytong going back to their time in New Orleans, and Dulcich may just need some time to develop that level of trust with Payton. But it's not a great sign that he was related to two-TE situations and third downs. I don't think many took it seriously when the Broncos listed Trautman as the starting TE on their first depth chart, but it looks like a real thing here. | | Injuries, News, and Notes | | | | Davante Adams left practice with a leg injury | | We had one of those, "Okay everyone, stop what you're doing" moments when Adams left Friday's practice session with an apparent leg injury after being hit by a 49ers linebacker during joint practices. Adams went to the sidelines with trainers and didn't finish the practice session, but the good news is, Raiders coach Josh McDaniels told reporters he isn't too concerned about the injury. With a new QB and Josh Jacobs' status very much in the air due to his holdout, the Raiders cannot afford to lose Adams, even after adding Jakobi Meyers . For now, it looks like he'll be fine for Week 1, but obviously we'll continue to monitor this one closely. | | The Colts expect Jonathan Taylor back at camp this week | | Colts coach Shane Steichen told ESPN's Stephen Holder he expects Taylor to return to camp sometime this week, after he left the team to continue his rehab from offseason ankle surgery at an out-of-state facility. What it actually means that the Colts expect Taylor back soon isn't actually clear, of course, because there's still that whole bit about Taylor's trade demand hanging over this whole situation. Taylor demanded a trade after the Colts refused to negotiate a contract extension with him, and he reportedly is standing by it, though he has also reportedly told the team he will return to the field when his ankle is 100% healthy. The Colts don't seem interested in trading Taylor, but they also don't seem interested in engaging on contract talks, so his frustration is understandable. However, there just aren't many levers available to Taylor or his agent to get either deal done, so the likeliest outcome here is he reports to Colts camp, however begrudgingly, and is the team's starting RB in Week 1. And he still has top-five upside for Fantasy if he's healthy. | | Kareem Hunt still looking for a home | | Hunt visited with the Vikings this weekend and left without a contract, something that's gotta be starting to feel pretty familiar for him. Hunt visited with the Colts and Saints earlier this week, and reports indicated he was expected to sign with the Saints before that fell through. It's not clear exactly what the hold up is with Hunt, but he's been linked to several teams now without signing. He took a step back last season, posting a career-worst 3.8 yards per carry and 4.8 yards per target, but at just 28, could still be a useful player for someone here. | | Part of the problem might be that guys like Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook, and Leonard Fournette are also out there on the market, looking for the right landing spot. There are a handful of teams -- the Cowboys , Jets, Dolphins, Patriots, Saints and Colts, among others, have been linked to at least a few of those guys in addition to the Vikings -- who could use some running back help, but there doesn't appear to be much urgency at this point. An injury between now and Week 1 could certainly change that. | | Kenneth Walker (groin) returned to practice | | Walker was back at practice Saturday, taking part in individual drills at less than full speed. He'll have to avoid setbacks while working his way back to team drills, but this is a good start. Zach Charbonnet played in the team's preseason opener, but it was DeeJay Dallas who got the start, so Walker's starting job still seems safe. If he's healthy, he's a fringe RB1, though Charbonnet could prove to be more competition than Walker had for much of his rookie season, so there's at least some non-health related bust potential here. | | George Kittle dealing with an adductor strain | | Kittle is expected to be out for another week or so, but shouldn't be at risk of missing Week 1 at this point. The 49ers didn't get such good news about WR/return man Ray-Ray McCloud, who broke his wrist at practice last week. He's expected to miss about eight weeks and could be a candidate for the IR. | | Garrett Wilson (ankle) is back at practice | | Wilson didn't play in either of the Jets first two preseason games, but this injury was never considered a serious one, and the fact that he's back out there is proof of that. You don't love to see him missing time during training camp with a new QB, but he's back with about three weeks of time to prepare for Week 1, which should be plenty. There's some bust potential with Wilson just because we don't know exactly how the fit is going to be with a 39-year-old (and, occasionally curmudgeonly) Aaron Rodgers , but he also has top-five upside after he had over 1,100 yards with some of the worst QB play in the league as a rookie. | | | | | | | | CBS Sports Golazo Network | | The First Cut | CBS Sports Golazo Network, the first-of-its-kind, free, 24/7 channel dedicated exclusively to global soccer coverage is NOW STREAMING on the CBS Sports App, Pluto TV and Paramount+!
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