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It's almost time RotoBallers! We are now heading into the NFL regular season, and the first week of fantasy football matchups, with a strong sense of who will play specific roles on offense on every roster.
Following the preseason it is good to review who put themselves in better spots for more possible production. This article will do exactly that, and I will also look at players who may have seen their values drop during the preseason.
Below is my in-depth rundown of notable risers and fallers on NFL depth charts, and players who have also may have seen their values spike or drop based on preseason performances or news. We review risers and fallers at running back, wide receiver and quarterback.
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Running Back Risers
-Gus Edwards is the lead RB for the Ravens because of the loss of J.K. Dobbins. He scored six rushing TDs in a lesser role for Baltimore last season and has averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his career so far. He is now a viable Fantasy RB2 that you should feel comfortable putting in your lineup every week.
-Mark Ingram III appears to be the best possible fantasy producer at RB for the Texans. He goes undrafted in many leagues, yet can still be added as a waiver claim for one of the last RB spots on your team. Pick up Ingram for depth, as he may score a decent amount of TDs and can possibly be used as a bye week filler.
-Tevin Coleman is opening the season as the listed starter for the Jets. New Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has worked with Coleman in their previous stops in San Francisco and Atlanta. The New York backfield is causing fantasy uncertainty right now, but Coleman is/was at least worth a later-round pick because the new Jets regime has an apparent comfort level with him.
-Wayne Gallman was cut by the 49ers and then picked up by the Falcons. He does become the immediate fantasy insurance play behind Mike Davis in Atlanta, but should not be expected to threaten Davis’ starting status. Gallman is in a better situation now to be a No. 2 RB on an NFL team and can be considered for your team if Davis is already rostered.
-Sony Michel saw his value rise when he was traded from the Patriots to the Rams. Now he may share time with Darrell Henderson and could be a frequent goal-line finisher for an improved and potent offense.
-Rhamondre Stevenson’s impressive preseason made Michel expendable. He is the clear No. 2 runner for the Patriots now and it would not be surprising to see him eventually push Damien Harris for some playing time.
Rhamondre Stevenson runs it in for his second TD of the day! pic.twitter.com/VOcEIjeysC
— The Sports Place (@offsportsplace) August 13, 2021
-Alex Collins had a very good finish to the preseason, and if Chris Carson goes down, he could split time with Rashaad Penny and operate as the main inside runner.
Running Back Fallers
-David Johnson was being drafted early in the summer as the possible lead RB for the Texans. As the season looms, he will be part of a committee and may be only relied on for his pass-catching skills. He is strictly a depth piece for PPR purposes.
-Michael Carter seems to be pushed back behind Coleman and Ty Johnson to start the season, but he is the most dynamic and talented of all the Jets RBs and should rise to the surface quickly. If you drafted Carter, be patient and wait for his opportunity to showcase his electric and versatile skills on an offense that needs his sort of dynamic abilities to further challenge defenses.
Michael Carter will be a Top 20 RB.
Jets O line = top 5-10 in Run Blocking.
8th Easiest Projected Run D Schedule.pic.twitter.com/dyL4zDq2q1
— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) July 2, 2021
-There was talk of Latavius Murray being cut recently, but he has held onto his No. 2 spot on the Saints RB depth chart for now. Tony Jones Jr., however, had a very good preseason and may have put Murray on shaky ground.
Wide Receiver Risers
-Tyler Boyd did not do anything specific to elevate his value this preseason, yet he seemed to remain unchallenged as a trustworthy target in the Bengals passing game as Ja’Marr Chase had some struggles and Tee Higgins still has to show he can build on a promising rookie year. Boyd may have been undervalued as he was picked as a WR4 in many fantasy drafts.
-Chris Conley appears to be Houston’s No. 2 WR heading into the season. He could be worthy of an add in deeper leagues, as the Texans will play from behind often.
-With T.Y. Hilton out, Parris Campbell should be in line for more possible targets, and while Zach Pascal remains in the mix among the top three WRs for the Colts right now, Campbell will surpass him in production pretty quickly. If Campbell can stay healthy we will see more of his upside this season.
-Quez Watkins flashed some big-play ability in the preseason and has sleeper potential. He at least can work as the Eagles’ WR3 to start the season.
Quez Watkins 79 yard TD
💨 Remember Quez Watkins last year had the second fastest 40 time at the combine 4.35 behind Henry Ruggs
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 13, 2021
-After a forgettable rookie year, Bryan Edwards will open the season as one of the top two WRs for the Raiders. He will be expected to complement Henry Ruggs III as a big target with TD potential in contrast to Ruggs’ downfield playmaking style. Edwards is a fantasy WR5 type who has some intriguing promise.
-Kalif Raymond is a speedy type who seemed to impress the Lions braintrust in the preseason. There are wide open opportunities in Detroit at WR, so at least keep his name in mind, and at the very least, he could be a deep league or DFS play at times.
-Marquez Valdes-Scantling received some glowing reports this preseason regarding his improved techniques and fundamentals. He looks to be the No. 2 WR for the Packers as the season opens and has an opportunity to tighten his grip on the job if he finally shows he is more than just a deep-ball specialist.
-Marquez Callaway was a preseason star and now can be the Saints’ No. 1 WR in the first half of the season while Michael Thomas is out. He must show he can build on his exhibition highlights but there is certainly some promise based on his early returns working with Jameis Winston.
SLING DAT THING @Jaboowins! 💪
29-yard TD strike to @CallawayMarquez 🙌
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/SPBZczDB1b
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 24, 2021
Wide Receiver Fallers
-Rashod Bateman (core muscle surgery) will begin the season on IR and it will now be harder to push past Marquise Brown on the Ravens' depth chart when he returns.
-Chase was a rookie darling when the preseason started, but has dropped from top 25-30 fantasy WR territory in early summer drafts. He is going to have to prove himself more during the regular season to earn a consistent spot in fantasy lineups.
-Jaylen Waddle has a lot of upside as a rookie and has certainly pushed Preston Williams off the fantasy radar.
-A quadriceps injury contributed to Elijah Moore not being able to rise on the Jets depth chart in the preseason, but it should just be a matter of time before he rises. Like Carter, he is the type of player who can add needed and significant playmaking abilities to the New York offense.
-Quintez Cephus flashed down the stretch last year but was not even guaranteed a roster spot with the Lions late in the preseason.
-Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Amari Rodgers appear to be behind Valdes-Scantling in the Green Bay WR order of preference to start the season.
- Kadarius Toney and Nico Collins are not as prominent on their respective team’s depth charts as we may have projected or hoped, but they can still rise over time.
Quarterback Risers
-Teddy Bridgewater completed 22 of 30 attempts and had three TD passes this preseason. He will never be a highly-rated Fantasy QB, but he does improve the outlooks of his playmakers to be more consistent and productive overall. He is developing an apparently strong rapport with Jerry Jeudy.
-Mac Jones clearly outplayed Cam Newton, but I see him as more of a solid NFL player than a quality fantasy choice. The Patriots' pass-catching crew is a bit better than last year but is still not too impressive overall. Jakobi Meyers is a fantasy WR4 and James White is not getting a big boost working with Jones. He is poised and heady, but is not going to be a major passing threat. Look for Jones to be a distributor rather than a difference-maker.
-Jameis Winston was 16 of 22 for three TDs and one INT in two preseason games, and he threw TD passes of 43 and 29 yards to Callaway in one game. He still has the apparent abilities to make explosive plays and showed some promise in terms of improved decision-making. He enters the new season as a mid-range fantasy QB2, with more possible upside when Michael Thomas returns. If he is more conservative overall, though, Winston may be outstanding at times and occasionally only adequate.
Quarterback Fallers
-Justin Fields did not win the starting job for Chicago yet, but most are assuming it won’t be too long before he takes over for Andy Dalton after the rookie looked like a star in the preseason. Fields did not “fall” on the depth chart, but he did not rise because the Bears are not seeing what the rest of us are for some reason. Fields looked like 2021 Russell Wilson to Andy Dalton’s Matt Flynn this preseason.
-Taysom Hill is the backup to Winston in New Orleans now, yet can still get a starting nod if Winston’s old turnover issues resurface.
-Trey Lance’s path to becoming a clear-cut starter is still blocked by Jimmy Garoppolo, but the veteran QB is unfortunately a well-known injury risk and Lance could tap into the starting lineup at any time this season. Like Fields, he is not a true faller in the spirit of this article, but he also did not win the starting job in the preseason and we must wait to see him make a true fantasy impact.
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