I know, I know - they call it PRE-season for a reason: It doesn't count. And to a degree, that's true. My wife asks me the score of a preseason game and I only roll my eyes. But just because the games don't count doesn't mean they don't matter. Fantasy owners are looking at usage of players, how the jell with their teammates (a point even more important this year), and how players look as overall athletes. Terms like "pad-level", "explosiveness", "wow-factor" - these are all things we look for. And these are traits we look for from quarter 1 to quarter 4; fantasy studs Peyton Hillis and Brandon Lloyd played deep into a couple preseason games last year. Here are a few guys to keep an eye on based on their preseason performances:
- Colt McCoy, QB, Cle: Colt has looked sharp this preseason, moving the offense and throwing with pinpoint accuracy. He seems to have taken to the West Coast offense nearly immediately - not a surprise as it suits his skills perfectly. His receiving corps does not have a lot of star power, but when a QB like this takes off, he makes receivers good, not the other way around.
- Matthew Stafford, QB, Det: A "sleeper" everyone knows about is not a sleeper. But Stafford has hype for a reason, showcasing his cannon arm while throwing to a very talented set of receivers and backs. His line stood up for him through a few meaningless quarters - if it continues to do so, Stafford legitimately could be a top-5 fantasy QB.
- Tim Hightower, RB, Wash: Hightower, like McCoy, benefited this preseason from entering a system built for him. His one-cut style suits Shanahan to a tee (if it's possible to fit Fantasy Satan to a tee). Hightower undoubtedly will be removed from the starting role inexplicably by his demonic head coach, but for a 6th-round pick as a 2nd RB (if you went heavy at QB/WR/TE early), Timmy should provide a great start to the season.
- James Starks, RB, GB: I thought Starks was mediocre at best in his "breakout" playoff run last year. He thrived on carries when the Packers were ahead, amassing stats based more on quantity than quality. In fact, I drafted Ryan Grant in a draft early this offseason. Watching Starks this preseason has caused an about-face. He runs with more speed and power than last year - he reminds me of how Ahmad Bradshaw looked before he became a fantasy factor. In that offense with that running style, the sky is the limit.
- Ben Tate, RB, Hou: The new hot handcuff, Tate could be a factor this season even if Foster is healthy. He fits the scheme and has flashed some excellent skills. I loved this guy last year before he broke his leg, like many people (Football Outsiders, the inventors of the SPEED score, rated him the highest of any rookie RB last year). Now going inside the first dozen rounds, Tate seems a logical pick for any Arian owner.
- Kendall Hunter, RB, SF: Hunter has flashed tons of potential, showing good burst and vision. He was productive in college and is the only RB on the roster that new coach Jim Harbaugh hand-picked. He has an excellent YPC in the preseason and most important: he plays behind Fragile Frank Gore.
- Dion Lewis, RB, Phil: It's hard to imagine the Eagles drafted Lewis for any reason other than he's a clone of LeSean McCoy (which, for the record, is a hefty compliment). Ronnie Brown is certainly entrenched as the starter, but considering his injury history and the impressive shiftiness Lewis has shown, don't be surprised if an injury to McCoy means significant opportunity for his doppelganger Lewis.
- Julio Jones, WR, Atl: In his second touch as an NFL player, Jones took a short screen pass and showed the burst that made him a top-10 pick. He also served notice to the NFC South that the bounty his team gave up to move up and draft him may just have been worth it. I don't see a Randy Moss or Anquan Boldin kind of rookie year, but the Falcons could definitely pass a lot more this year - Ryan is one year more experienced and Turner is one year more used-up. If that's the case, 60 catches and 8 TD's is well within reach for Julio.
- Nate Burleson, WR, Det: He has caught 3 TD's this preseason and more importantly, he looks like the same athlete he was a few years ago when he had over 1,200 yards and was a top-20 WR. With Megatron on the other side and the Lions' secondary still looking a little shaky, he will have plenty of opportunities. 80 catches is not out of reach.
- Eric Decker, WR, Den: He may start as strictly a red zone target, but Decker has the hands and route-running ability to hold off Eddie Royal for the #2 WR job. Here's my take: John Fox has gotten great seasons, multiple times, from two different guys: Steve Smith and Mushin Muhammad. From how he's looked in the past few games, I would be willing to say Decker is closer to the mold of Moose than Lloyd is to Smith. Upside aplenty here from a guy being drafted in very few leagues.
- Aaron Hernandez, TE, NE: At times last year, Hernandez flashed as the best pass-catcher on the Patriots. He has natural run-after-catch ability and is a difficult cover for nearly anyone guarding him. The Patriots, more than any team, put their players in positions to do what they do best. Regardless of Gronkowski's contribution this year, Hernandez will be given the opportunity to get several catches per game based on mismatches.
- Lance Kendricks, TE, StL: Bradford loved tight ends, despite not having one that could start on many teams' rosters. Kendricks, a big kid from a program that makes excellent tight ends (Wisconsin), could take over as "the guy" in the red zone for the Rams. If Bradford takes the leap many people expect him to, double-digit TD's for Kendricks could be in the offing.
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