🖥 CYBER WEEK - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE CYBER
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Preseason Depth Chart Risers and Fallers

Over the course of the offseason, training camp, and the preseason, many names will be floated around as potentially having fantasy value. The preseason is typically when all that gets cleared up as depth charts are finalized, roster cuts are made, and we get some clarity on who is positioned where on each team.

The roller coast ride that we refer to as average draft position, or ADP, can fluctuate wildly over the course of a few weeks. Now that the regular season is almost upon us, it's time to see where some notable names have landed come September.

Here are a few fantasy-relevant players that were either far more or far less valuable about a month ago.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

NFL Preseason Risers - 2017

Carlos Hyde (RB, SF)

This one is kind of cheating. I only put Hyde here because early in the offseason, there were talks that the absolutely horrendous Joe Williams was somehow a threat to Carlos Hyde's job. I dismissed this quite publicly on various forums, but nevertheless, there were reputable sites actually reporting this information as plausible. It was never plausible. It was never possible. It was never something you should have ever considered. Hyde has more talent in one foot than Joe Williams has in his entire body. Words cannot express how really not close this is. Hyde was never losing his job. Hyde was never losing his roster spot. He is the best player on the 49ers and has all the makings of a three-down workhorse back. He was even spotted catching passes in his third preseason game. Hyde is undervalued yet again this year and is someone to target in the third/fourth round under Kyle Shanahan's dynamic offense.

Kareem Hunt (RB, KC)

Kareem Hunt was never overtaking Spencer Ware. The third preseason game was the final indicator of this fact. Ware dominated first team snaps until he unfortunately tore his PCL and LCL, which I believe are potentially career-ending injuries for a guy who is not a mega talent and may end up missing two seasons. He will come back to the NFL, but he will never have a prominent role again. Hunt immediately steps in as the lead back and while I don't foresee him seeing any bigger of a workload than Ware was going to see, the fact remains that Hunt is in an RB-friendly system with Andy Reid and should safely return at least fourth round value.

Jamaal Charles (RB, DEN)

The reports on Jamaal Charles not a lock to make the roster were true. We really hadn't seen Charles be Charles in almost two years. He had to prove that he's still got it. It took all of one touch for me to conclude that yes, Jamaal Charles can still do the damn thing. With Devontae Booker's injury and De'angelo Henderson's fumbling problems (and also he's a rookie), Charles is going to enter the season second on the depth chart. And let's be honest here, if Charles is still Charles, he's going to take snaps away from the very average CJ Anderson. All Charles needs are 10-12 touches per game to be an RB2. I think he will get it.

Tarik Cohen (RB, CHI)

Tarik Cohen has had an excellent preseason playing behind Jordan Howard and has even gotten work with the starters. He quickly surpassed Ka'Deem Carey and the awful Jeremy Langford to assume the number two role in Chicago. Given Howard's inability to catch passes, Cohen could find his way into standalone RB3 value in PPR leagues as the pass catching/satellite back.

Chris Hogan (WR, NE)

This is another unfortunate one. Chris Hogan is now the de facto number two WR behind Brandin Cooks as a result of Julian Edelman's ACL tear. Hogan lit it up in the third preseason game and has flashed explosiveness before. He is the most likely beneficiary from the Edelman injury, but these are the Patriots, so watch out of any of Danny Amendola, Rex Burkhead, or James White to benefit as well.

Kendall Wright (WR, CHI)

More unfortunate injuries resulting in lesser players climbing the depth chart. Kendall Wright projects to start alongside Kevin White due to Cameron Meredith's gruesome ACL and MCL tear that, apparently, he is lucky was only that bad as it could've been career threatening. Wright has been a WR3 before, but has spent the last couple seasons mired in obscurity due largely to injury. Now, Wright gets another chance and could be a surprise WR3 on volume alone. Victor Cruz is simply done - you just can't return from a patellar injury when you're a guy who relies on agility and quick cuts - and Markus Wheaton is always injured/not good at football. Wright is a great last player on your bench type pick.

 

NFL Preseason Fallers - 2017

Joe Mixon (RB, CIN)

When the Bengals drafted Joe Mixon, it was presumed he would become the starter because Giovani Bernard is not built to be a feature back and Jeremy Hill is terrible. Through three preseason games, Hill has started every one of them and played clearly ahead of Mixon. After Hill, Bernard was the next man in. Marvin Lewis has sent a clear message that Mixon is third on the depth chart. I would still bank on Mixon as the back to own here and the one with the most fantasy value when it is all said and done, but you're probably going to have to wait a few weeks to realize it. Mixon is overvalued anywhere before round five.

Mike Gillislee (RB, NE)

Mike Gillislee was presumed to be the starter and the between the tackles/goal line back. The Patriots instead have elected to not release a depth chart at RB. That's a downgrade for Gillislee. Rex Burkhead is the better all around player and James White is the better pass catcher. Gillislee will still be involved, but this has all the looks of a weekly guessing game at what Bill Belichick is going to do. Gillislee is overvalued for no other reason than he's going multiple rounds ahead of Burkhead and White. They should all be going around the same area because they all have the same shot at being useful.

Eddie Lacy (RB, SEA)

When the Seahawks signed Eddie Lacy, it was presumed he was to be the starter. Nothing the Seahawks have done indicates that to be true. Thomas Rawls ran ahead of Lacy back when Rawls was healthy and CJ Prosise operated as the passing down back. With both of them nursing injuries in the third preseason game, Chris Carson outsnapped Lacy with the starters. It's pretty obvious that the Seahawks do not intend to feature Lacy. He could still be the goal line back, but the involvement of Carson and the desire to push Rawls indicates that Lacy is far lower on the totem pole than previously thought. Lacy is a big avoid for me.

LeGarrette Blount (RB, PHI)

LeGarrette Blount has no talent. He is awful at football. He was purely a product of the Patriots' prolific offense. All offseason, I have been telling anyone I can that Blount is legitimately not worth a pick in any round - not even the last round - not even for $1 in an auction. I wouldn't even allow you to pay me to roster him. Then he shows up in the preseason and looks even worse than even I could've imagined. He's been outplayed by Wendell Smallwood and was already likely to be outsnapped by Darren Sproles. Multiple times we've heard reports of the Eagles possibly cutting Blount or looking for something else at RB. Blount should not even be on your draft board. Do not rank him. He's 31 years old and has never done anything productive in his career outside of New England, save for a few games in Tampa back when he was young.

 

More 2017 Fantasy Football & ADP Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

CFB

Notre Dame, Miami, Alabama on College Football Playoff Bubble
Garrett Wilson

Still Expected to Return and Contribute in 2025
CFB

Brent Pry Could Return to Virginia Tech as Defensive Coordinator
Mike Evans

Could Return in Week 15
Trey Benson

Might Not Return This Season
Darcy Kuemper

Ends Losing Streak With Shutout Performance
Nikolaj Ehlers

Collects Three Points in Saturday's Win
Ilya Sorokin

Ties Franchise Record With 25th Shutout
Sam Bennett

Bags Season-High Four Points Saturday
Jordan Kyrou

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Saturday
Dominic James

Hurt on Saturday
Maxx Crosby

Trending Toward Playing Against Broncos
Chris Olave

Set to Play Vs. Bucs
LaMelo Ball

Won't Suit Up Against Denver
Immanuel Quickley

Questionable for Sunday Afternoon
Deshaun Watson

Expected to Stay With Browns Next Year
Klay Thompson

Downgraded Versus Houston
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Out Again on Saturday Evening
Tyler Herro

Will Miss Another Game on Saturday
Jimmy Butler III

Out Again on Saturday Night
Draymond Green

Ruled Out Versus Cleveland
Jose A. Ferrer

Mariners Acquire Jose A. Ferrer from the Nationals
Mason Marchment

Expected to Return Saturday
Danila Yurov

Returns From Two-Game Absence Saturday
Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Available Saturday
Harry Ford

Traded to the Nationals
Shane Pinto

to Miss Two Weeks
David Pastrnak

Misses Fifth Consecutive Game Saturday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Remains Out Saturday
Nikita Kucherov

Out on Saturday
Jayden Reed

Activated Off Injured Reserve, Will Play in Week 14
Omarion Hampton

Activated From IR, Faces Uncertain Workload Monday Night
Cody Bellinger

Drawing Interest From the Phillies
MacKenzie Gore

Will the Nationals Trade MacKenzie Gore?
Justin Herbert

Officially Listed as Questionable for Monday Night Football
Justin Herbert

Chargers "Expecting" Justin Herbert to Play in Week 14
Yves Missi

Trending Toward Game-Time Decision
Khris Middleton

Questionable With Knee Soreness Against Hawks
Noah Clowney

On Track To Suit Up Against Pelicans
De'Anthony Melton

Questionable With Knee Management
Draymond Green

Questionable With Mid-Foot Sprain
Jimmy Butler III

Day-To-Day As Warriors Prepare For Cleveland
Mikko Rantanen

Picks Up Three Points Against Sharks
Kyle Connor

Scores in Fourth Consecutive Game
Beckett Sennecke

Notches Two Points in Friday's Win
Ryan Leonard

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Friday
Carter Hart

Day-to-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Brayden Point

Questionable for Saturday
Victor Hedman

Expected to Return Saturday
Byron Buxton

Twins Not Planning to Trade Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton
Patrick Williams

Dalen Terry Available Versus Pacers
Coby White

Returns With Minutes Restriction Friday
Ayo Dosunmu

Out Friday Against Pacers
Zach Collins

Available for Season Debut Friday
Robert Williams III

Donovan Clingan Out, Robert Williams III in for Portland Friday
Evan Mobley

Ready to Play Friday
Kristaps Porzingis

Coming Off the Bench Friday
Spencer Jones

Available Against Hawks
Ozzy Wiesblatt

to Miss 8-10 Weeks With Upper-Body Injury
Rome Odunze

has Fractured Foot, Labeled Week-to-Week
Sauce Gardner

Ruled Out for Sunday
Petr Yan

Looks To Reclaim Bantamweight Belt
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Fourth Title Defense
Joshua Van

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Aaron Jones Sr.

Cleared to Play in Week 14
Chris Olave

Listed as Questionable for Week 14
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fifth Title Defense At UFC 323
Tatsuro Taira

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Alvin Kamara

Ruled Out for Sunday
Brandon Moreno

Searches For His Third Win In A Row
Rome Odunze

Ruled Out for Week 14
Payton Talbott

A Favorite At UFC 323
Henry Cejudo

Set For His Retirement Fight
Drake London

Ruled Out vs Seattle
Jan Blachowicz

Set To Open Up UFC 323 Main Card
Lamar Jackson

Will Play on Sunday
Bogdan Guskov

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
CFB

Emmett Johnson Leaving Nebraska for 2026 NFL Draft
Dalton Kincaid

to be Questionable for Week 14
Tee Higgins

Clears Concussion Protocol, is a Full-Go for Sunday
CFB

Jam Miller Unlikely to Play in SEC Title Game
CFB

Penn State Expected to Hire Matt Campbell from Iowa State
Mike Evans

Not Quite Ready to Return This Week
CFB

Arkansas Targeting Ron Roberts for Defensive Coordinator Job
Jhostynxon Garcia

Pirates Acquire Jhostynxon Garcia From Red Sox
Cody Bellinger

Yankees Pushing Hard to Re-Sign Cody Bellinger
CFB

Penn State Eyeing Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell For Coaching Vacancy
Alex Bregman

Cubs Have Renewed Interest in Alex Bregman
CFB

Billy Napier Finalizing Deal to Become James Madison's New Head Coach
CFB

Buster Faulkner Set to Become Florida's New Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Joe Sloan Expected to be Kentucky's New Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Lane Kiffin Working to Keep Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker at LSU
CFB

Brian Daboll a Candidate for Penn State Head-Coaching Job?
Kyle Tucker

Visits With Blue Jays
Emilio Pagán

Reds Bring Back Closer Emilio Pagan on Two-Year Deal
Cedric Mullins

Rays Agree on One-Year Deal
Freddy Peralta

Brewers Considering Trading Freddy Peralta
Kyle Schwarber

Reds Serious About Adding Kyle Schwarber in Free Agency?
CFB

Brent Key Signing Five-Year Deal to Remain at Georgia Tech
CFB

Brian Hartline Expected to Land USF Head-Coaching Job
CFB

Collin Klein Expected to be Top Target for Kansas State if Head-Coach Job Opens
CFB

Chris Klieman Considering Stepping Down at Kansas State
CFB

D.J. Durkin Staying at Auburn Under Alex Golesh
CFB

Charlie Weis Jr. Permitted to Coach Ole Miss Offense in College Football Playoff
CFB

Five-Star Quarterback Jared Curtis Flips Commitment From Georgia to Vanderbilt
CFB

Florida Hiring Brad White as Defensive Coordinator
Kyle Schwarber

Giants Have Checked in on Kyle Schwarber
Willson Contreras

Willing to Waive his Full No-Trade Clause?
Edwin Díaz

Mets Still Interested in Re-Signing Edwin Diaz
Devin Williams

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Mets
Cole Ragans

Red Sox Targeting Cole Ragans in a Trade?
CFB

Kentucky Hires Oregon Offensive Coordinator Will Stein As Head Coach

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP