Fantasy Football: What you need to know from Week 2 of the preseason
By Jennifer Eakins, 4for4
Special to Yahoo Sports
Are we done with the preseason yet? Getting through a whole game at this juncture isn’t the easiest of tasks, as most of the fantasy-relevant guys are barely on the field, but at least we saw more than we did in Week 1. As fantasy managers, we do need some clarity before the bulk of drafting starts, so that's where I come in.
Here's a look at how Week 2 went down, so you can plan and adjust accordingly for the onslaught of upcoming drafts.
Quarterbacks
Drake Maye sparks hope for the Pats' future: Sure, he battled the Eagles' backup defense, but the rookie’s performance should calm some nerves for New England fans and fantasy managers investing in him. Maye played four series and finished 6 of 11 for 47 yards with a four-yard rushing touchdown. While those numbers don’t look impressive on paper, he was poised and calm going through his progressions. It’s also worth mentioning that Jacoby Brissett was underwhelming in his one quarter, going three-and-out and then throwing an interception.
Caleb Williams appears as advertised: The rookie completed 6 of 13 passes for 75 yards which included a 45-yarder to fellow newbie Rome Odunze. That play set up a 7-yard TD scramble for Williams late in the second quarter. Right now he’s being drafted as the QB15 in the 10th round of 12-team Yahoo leagues.
It was an ugly return for Daniel Jones: In his first action since a season-ending knee injury last year, Jones threw two picks, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Those two interceptions were part of five total turnovers for the Giants.
Bo Nix has earned himself an NFL starting gig: Denver HC Sean Payton has yet to name the rookie as the Week 1 starter, but the announcement should be imminent. Nix was 8-of-9 passing for 80 yards and a touchdown on Sunday night, putting his scoring drives led at six out of seven possessions this preseason so far.
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Running Backs
Who’s in for Tank Bigsby, Part 2: Last year, Bigsby had a productive camp and preseason, propelling his ADP up to RB47 in the 12th round. The rookie ended 2023 as the RB87 in total half-PPR scoring, RB109 on a per-game basis. Bigsby still figures to be the RB2 behind Travis Etienne and is showing he’s up for task, notching 13 touches for 56 yards in the Jags' 20-7 win over Tampa Bay. The sophomore is going undrafted the majority of Yahoo leagues and his aggregate ADP is currently RB70.
The Buffalo RB room showed signs of life: After struggling the first week with only 73 total yards between five players, James Cook and presumed backup Ray Davis were both productive, as Cook saw seven touches for 31 yards, and Davis carried the ball eight times for 58 yards. Cook is a solid fantasy RB2 with an ADP of 42.2, while Davis is going coming off the board after pick 200, meaning he's going undrafted in the majority of Yahoo leagues.
A learning curve is in effect for Trey Benson: The rookie did a much better job finding holes and busting through them than last week’s outing. Benson ended with nine carries for 43 yards, with the longest going for 19. His ADP has been 123.7 (11th round of 12-team leagues) over the past week on Yahoo.
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Wide Receivers
The Jags WR room is crowded, but Parker Washington wants in: Washington dealt with a knee injury and inexperience last year but is back and making a case for himself this offseason. The sophomore had three catches for 38 yards and a touchdown on Saturday, a week after returning a kickoff 73 yards against the Chiefs.
Jonathan Mingo bounced back with a catch: After dropping his one target last week, Mingo was on the board with a reception for four yards. He’s been working with the first team ahead of rookie Xavier Legette so far and could be Bryce Young’s WR3.
We saw dual-threat action from Rome Odunze: On top of the 45-yard catch discussed earlier, Odunze also had a 16-yard run on an end-around to help set up a field goal to put the Bears up 3-0 in the second quarter. He’s the third Chicago WR being selected across all sites, with an ADP of 101.4 on Yahoo.
Malik Nabers’ hype train is still on the tracks: Nabers had four catches for 54 yards, and the rookie was targeted six times with one carry on 17 routes. It is the preseason so that 35% target per route run is likely unsustainable but not surprisingly he’s looking like the alpha in the New York WR room. As a fantasy WR2, Nabors is leaving Yahoo draft boards at 65.5 overall, but 58.1 over the past week. His multi-site ADP is currently 47.
In-Game Injuries
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling exited during the first half on Saturday with a reported neck sprain. He’s competing for looks in the Bills offense.
RB Jaylen Warren tweaked a hamstring in the first half and did not return to the game.
TE Jelani Woods left the game with a toe injury in the first half and never hit the field again Saturday night.
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This article was originally published on 4for4.com
A proud alumna of the UGA Grady College of Journalism, Jennifer Eakins has been working in the sports industry for well over a decade. She has had stints with CNN Sports, the Atlanta Hawks and the Colorado Rockies. Her first fantasy football draft took place in 1996 where she selected Ricky Watters with the first overall pick, and she has been a fantasy degenerate ever since.
