Special to Yahoo Sports
It’s hard to get too excited about preseason football games, especially when they take place on weekend nights during the last days of summer. Week 1 usually offers a number of first-team players, maybe two if we’re lucky. But fantasy football players need some clarity before most of the draft begins, so that’s where I come in. Here’s a position-by-position look at how Week 1 went so managers can plan and adjust accordingly for upcoming draft offenses.
Quarterbacks
Maybe the Falcons weren’t entirely wrong in choosing Michael Penix Jr.: We all laughed as much or probably more about the rookie selection in April, and it’s still a perplexing pick, but he had some incredible plays (and some not so much) in his first NFL contest. The rookie participated in the first five drives of the game against Miami, completing 9 of 16 passes for 106 yards – the highlight being a 41-yard floater down the sideline to Chris Blair.
Jayden Daniels is a company and maybe a franchisee: The rookie appeared in his first NFL game in a throwback Doug Williams jersey, then played like the former great in limited action for just one series. Daniels completed 2 of 3 passes for 45 yards and ran untouched for a three-yard touchdown. This dual-threat QB is leaving draft boards as QB14 in the ninth round of Yahoo’s 12-team draft.
Caleb Williams is still good at football: The No. 1 overall pick orchestrated two drives in his NFL debut, going 4-of-7 for 95 yards with one run for 13 yards. Both drives ended in field goals and there were some drops, but Williams showed poise, especially on his first completion, which came on third-and-long after he worked on his progressions and found DJ Moore for a 12-yard gain. His longest completion was a 42-yarder that looked like a no-look pass over the middle to running back D’Andre Swift. This offense should be fun to watch in 2024.
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Sam Darnold saw early reps, but JJ McCarthy was impressive: Coming in for Darnold on the second possession, McCarthy was 11 of 17 for 188 yards and threw two long touchdown passes. He also scrambled twice on third down for 18 yards. It remains to be seen whether this performance gave the rookie an early start, but he has shown prowess in the NFL. Both Darnold and McCarthy currently have fantasy QB3 ADPs.
The Raiders QB situation is what it is: Aidan O’Connell started the game and played for a series, completing 7 of 9 passes for 76 yards, while Gardner Minshew connected on 6 of 12 passes for 117 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown pass to DJ Turner. Mishew will likely start the next preseason game.
Bo Nix may have taken the lead for Denver’s QB job: He didn’t start the contest, but put up a 15-125-1 line, along with three carries for 17 yards. Nix was the most efficient between himself, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, orchestrating four goals on his five possessions.
Hallways
Don’t rule out Eric Gray as the Giants’ RB2: Saquon Barkley is out and Devin Singletary is in the starting lineup for New York. All the backup hype is on rookie Tyrone Tracy, but Gray has shown he won’t go away quietly. The sophomore carried the ball four times for 52 yards with four additional receptions for 46 yards with two trips to the end zone on Thursday night. Tracy put up a 5-26-0 line and went undrafted in most Yahoo leagues, while the same goes for Gray.
It was a fast and solid start to the NFL for Jaylen Wright: The fourth-round pick was patient behind the line and yielded 55 total yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. The Dolphins’ RB room is crowded and crowded, but Wright should be on your radar as a late-round guy with a current ADP of RB49 at 131.8.
Rookie Braelon Allen wants that RB2 job in New York: With Breece Hall not playing along with nearly every starter, the fourth-round pick showed power and vision on his way to 54 yards on six carries. Allen is an exciting insurance option with early-season upside and is undrafted in most Yahoo leagues.
Wide Receivers
The Packers WR room is deep, but Dontayvion Wicks picked up right where he left off: QB Jordan Love didn’t linger long, but threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Wicks on his third play. Wicks ended his rookie season with success, scoring four touchdowns in three games, which included the wild card game against Dallas. Green Bay has a plethora of WRs to choose from, and Wicks is currently the third undrafted in the 11th round of the 12-team draft.
It appears Tennessee’s new-look offense will be Calvin Ridley-friendly: The Titans threw the ball 29 times, including a Will Levis pass that fell short of the sticks on third-and-10, but Ridley made the defender miss for a 22-yard gain. These two have been working together this offseason and it seems to be paying off. Ridley is being drafted as a fantasy WR3 late in the seventh round.
After a peaceful camp, Brian Thomas Jr. The rookie caught a 41-yard ball from CJ Beathard while fighting contact from CB Joshua Williams. It was the only catch of the night, but it was a good one. Thomas’ ADP is 130.7 as a WR55.
[2024 Fantasy Draft Rankings: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers]
Tight ends
Not surprisingly, Brock Bowers was involved, and in several different ways: The first-round pick out of Las Vegas had two catches for 25 yards in his first contest. In addition to tight end, the Raiders also placed him at quarterback in some experimental formations with fellow tight end Michael Mayer, and he also spent time out and in the slot.
Kicker, yes, kicker
The mix continues for newcomer Jake Bates: After a tough few days of camp where there was a possibility the Lions would bring in some competition, Bates was assured by HC Dan Campbell that they would give him a chance to grow and respond. The former USFL leg hit a 53-yard field goal in the rain to score Detroit’s only points of the night, but also missed the landing zone on the ensuing kickoff, allowing New York to start at the 40-yard line.
Jake Elliott should be happy it’s just preseason: Coming off a K4 performance in fantasy points last season, Elliott stumbled on Friday night. He kicked the game-winning field goal, but missed one early in the game, along with an extra point.
The starting spot for Green Bay is still highly competitive: Anders Carlson hit two field goals (46 and 33 yards) and converted his only extra point attempt. Greg Joseph hit a 35-yarder and also made his extra point.
Injuries in the game
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QB Drew Lock left the Detroit game with a bone bruise and oblique strain and is expected to miss some time, but does not need surgery.
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RB MarShawn Lloyd left with a hamstring injury and had an eight-yard run early.
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WR Hollywood Brown was hospitalized due to a dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint with availability for Week 1 in question.
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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 worked in the sports industry for more than a decade. She had stints at CNN Sports, Atlanta Hawks and 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.
