Preseason Fantasy Risers and Fallers

August 25, 2018

Who has seen their stock rise and fall most during the 2018 NFL Preseason? Taylor Maxston examines players to consider moving up or down your fantasy football draft board.

NFL preseason action is a great opportunity to catch glimpses of what to expect from players come Week 1. Several names can boom or bust their fantasy stocks based on how well they perform in that span, making it especially important for fantasy owners to be aware of how each player has been doing.

While you never want to overreact to exhibition games and/or practices, there are certainly some situations you should pay attention to before making your final draft list.

Here are some preseason risers and fallers worth mentioning.

Risers

Tyrod Taylor (QB, CLE)

Despite the immense pressure to get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft into action as soon as possible, Cleveland Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor has put together two solid preseason performances that all but cement his Week 1 status as the man under center. His Week 1 preseason game against the New York Giants was especially noteworthy, as he completed all five of his pass attempts for 99 yards and a touchdown including two deep throws for over 30 yards each. Taylor was well-renowned for his streamer appeal while in Buffalo, but he could be a solid sleeper candidate now that he has a bevy of weapons in Cleveland.

Christian McCaffrey (RB, CAR)

The Carolina Panthers decision to sign C.J. Anderson surely inspired fear in the hearts of Christian McCaffrey truthers, but McCaffrey's usage to date has been incredibly promising for his fantasy prospects this upcoming season. He has received the majority of the work with the first-team offense in the Panthers two preseason games and been incredibly productive, rushing nine times for 103 yards and two touchdowns while catching six passes for 57 yards. McCaffrey is passing the eye test with flying colors and could push his ADP even further up if he continues his streak of stellar performances.

Royce Freeman (RB, DEN)

The Denver Broncos might have found a gem in running back Royce Freeman, who has been living up to his reputation as a between-the-tackles bruiser since debuting against the Minnesota Vikings in the preseason. Although Devontae Booker has been splitting time with him, Freeman appears to be the clear-cut goal-line back and has scored a touchdown in both of his preseason matchups. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is craving a rusher to fit his power scheme and although Booker may hold the starting job in Week 1, it is only a matter of time before Freeman works his way to the top.

Mike Williams (WR, LAC)

The injury to Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry took away a huge red zone threat for the team, with tight ends having accounted for 32-percent of the team's targets inside the 20-yard line last season. At 6'4, 220 lbs, former first-round pick Mike Williams has been developing into the perfect player to fill that void. With reports coming out of training camp that he is being heavily used in scoring situations, and an impressive touchdown in Week 2 of the preseason that saw him high-point a jump ball in the end zone, Williams should be a name on every fantasy owner's radar.

Trey Burton (TE, CHI)

Chicago Bears tight end Trey Burton has received plenty of hype as the next Travis Kelce after former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy became his head coach. His third preseason performance did nothing short of fuel the praise, as he caught four of his five targets for 45 yards and a touchdown while showing great rapport with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Add in the fact that tight end Adam Shaheen was carted off the field with an ankle injury and it looks quite possible that Burton could return significant value for fantasy owners.

Fallers

Ronald Jones II (RB, TB)

You know something is wrong when you still aren't being talked about as the workhorse for your team after losing your presumed starter to free agency and your fellow backfield-mates dealing with injuries. Such is the case with Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II, who appeared to have a clear path to fantasy relevance when Doug Martin left for Oakland and Charles Sims went down with a knee injury. Unfortunately, Jones' total carries have outnumbered his yards gained on the ground through two preseason games and Peyton Barber looks to be shining as the team's top option. With a below-average offensive line and quarterback Jameis Winston suspended to open the year, fantasy owners should take a hard pass on Jones until he can show glimpses of promise.

Jerick McKinnon (RB, SF)

Expectations are at an all-time high for San Francisco 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon, who is in line to be featured in a prolific Kyle Shanahan offense with a promising young quarterback under center. Those lofty goals might need to be tempered a bit, as McKinnon will reportedly miss the entire rest of the preseason with a knee issue and could have injury problems that resurface throughout 2018. Although the threat of fellow backfield-mate Matt Breida will also be stalled given how he will also miss the rest of the preseason with a banged up shoulder, McKinnon's second/third round ADP should almost certainly take a hit.

Case Keenum (QB, DEN)

Denver Broncos quarterback Case Keenum is coming off of one of his best seasons where he threw for career-highs in passing yards and touchdowns with Minnesota. While Keenum isn't necessarily expected to be as prolific as he was last year, he really hasn't shown too well for the Broncos with nine of his 17 passes going for 83 yards and no touchdowns in two preseason contests. It may be too soon to say Keenum will bust, but many were hoping he could enable bounce-back years from wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. At this point, that dream is slowly fading.

Devante Parker (WR, MIA)

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Devante Parker couldn't have asked for a better situation to break onto the scene in fantasy, as target-hound wideout Jarvis Landry is now a Cleveland Brown. Unfortunately, most of the news from the Dolphins organization was negative for Parker getting more targets even before he injured his finger and become questionable for Week 1 of the regular season. Most fantasy owners are likely avoiding Miami pass-catchers outside of deep leagues and Parker's name should undoubtedly be at the top of that list.

George Kittle (TE, SF)

While San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle showed plenty of promise over the final three weeks of the 2017 season with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, it looks like fantasy owners won't get a chance to see how that connection will look until the 2018 regular season. Kittle was rushed to the locker room in the team's first preseason game after injuring his shoulder and isn't likely to see much more, if any, preseason action. Although Kittle has avoided structural damage, it won't be possible to get any more insights for making a clear projection for the upcoming fantasy season before September.

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