Just as with yesterday's post, here are some thoughts on last night's games, going beyond some of the obvious stats to gauge where player values might have shifted--or could shift in the next few weeks.
Lions -- The starters looked fairly crisp, if that's a thing. I remain bullish about Jared Goff. Devin Funchess has caught only three passes since the end of the 2018 season, back when he was a promising 24-year-old wideout. Now he's a 28-year-old converted tight end fighting for a back-end roster spot. Based on talent alone, he's worth keeping tabs on, particularly with T.J. Hockenson's durability issues. Also, the formerly trendy Jermar Jefferson collected only 22 total yards on nine carries and two targets. With Justin Jackson looking like a No. 3 or No. 4 option, Jefferson could be on the roster bubble.
Falcons -- Marcus Mariota and, to a slightly lesser extent, Desmond Ridder made it look easy. But beyond the fun DFS production, Ridder played pretty poorly, though we can forgive him for being a rookie in his NFL debut. Still, when Qadree Ollison averaged 6.6 YPC and Tyler Allgeier hits 8.3, we need to take a step back. In real life, Atlanta's season begins with the Saints and Rams, followed closely by the Bucs and 49ers. In a preseason that features games against the Lions, Jets, and Jaguars, there are serious questions about whether this team will be sufficiently battle-tested by Week 1.
Jaguars -- Despite the low scoring, Trevor Lawrence and and Travis Etienne moved the ball very well. In the future they'll convert on more goal-line opportunities. For now, it's important that Etienne looks healthy, while Lawrence continues developing into a top-10 fantasy QB, likely no later than 2024.
Browns -- I consciously chose Chris Evans over Jerome Ford in my DFS lineup. Ugh. Ford completely outplayed D'Ernest Johnson. While I'm not ready to push Ford ahead of Johnson, the rookie could become a must-draft RB in deep leagues with another impressive outing next week.
Bengals -- Remember when I mentioned Chris Evans? It was a few sentences ago. He won the Jermar Jefferson award for "it's just not his night?" With Samaje Perine out, Evans could have made a case for backing up Joe Mixon. Instead, this critically important depth-chart battle could be decided by next week. And when I say "critically important," I mean "critically important." Because I strongly believe Joe Mixon is a significant injury/regression risk.
Cardinals -- It's hard to know what to make of Arizona's impressive win, since they rested their starting playmakers. Neither Keontay Ingram nor Eno Benjamin looked exceptional, though Ingram clearly had the upper hand with a score and more efficient running, along with a couple receptions. While Darrel Williams appears to be the No. 2 RB behind James Conner, this No. 3 role is an important one to track.
Eagles -- Miles Sanders caught both of his targets. That's huge. His per-game receptions have dropped steadily each year since 2019. Although he'll need to overcome the presence of Kenneth Gainwell, Sanders has a narrow path to matching 2019's 50 receptions. While I'm not yet buying it, last night was a step in the right direction.
Jets -- Most notably, Zach Wilson was knocked out with a knee injury. We'll know soon whether it's a short-term nuisance or a season-ender. One of my colleagues believes the Jets will trade for Jimmy G. if Wilson's out for the year. I see it differently, as the Jets likely aren't playoff-bound this year, and assuredly won't give up on Wilson for 2023 if he's forced out for this season. So they'd have little incentive to pay Jimmy, unless they want the best available QB to help mentor/develop the team's young offensive corps. In the meantime, Wilson's prognosis will be a huge story today and in the coming days until we know what happened.
49ers -- Trey Lance to Danny Gray. That's all there is to it. Gray took another step forward as the team's potential #4 WR, while Lance continued to quiet doubters.
Packers -- Romeo Doubs is the real deal. When everyone's healthy, will he still be the real deal? He's as high up on my draft board as I can put him (WR66) knowing Allen Lazard will start, and rookie Christian Watson will return eventually.
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Lions -- The starters looked fairly crisp, if that's a thing. I remain bullish about Jared Goff. Devin Funchess has caught only three passes since the end of the 2018 season, back when he was a promising 24-year-old wideout. Now he's a 28-year-old converted tight end fighting for a back-end roster spot. Based on talent alone, he's worth keeping tabs on, particularly with T.J. Hockenson's durability issues. Also, the formerly trendy Jermar Jefferson collected only 22 total yards on nine carries and two targets. With Justin Jackson looking like a No. 3 or No. 4 option, Jefferson could be on the roster bubble.
Falcons -- Marcus Mariota and, to a slightly lesser extent, Desmond Ridder made it look easy. But beyond the fun DFS production, Ridder played pretty poorly, though we can forgive him for being a rookie in his NFL debut. Still, when Qadree Ollison averaged 6.6 YPC and Tyler Allgeier hits 8.3, we need to take a step back. In real life, Atlanta's season begins with the Saints and Rams, followed closely by the Bucs and 49ers. In a preseason that features games against the Lions, Jets, and Jaguars, there are serious questions about whether this team will be sufficiently battle-tested by Week 1.
Jaguars -- Despite the low scoring, Trevor Lawrence and and Travis Etienne moved the ball very well. In the future they'll convert on more goal-line opportunities. For now, it's important that Etienne looks healthy, while Lawrence continues developing into a top-10 fantasy QB, likely no later than 2024.
Browns -- I consciously chose Chris Evans over Jerome Ford in my DFS lineup. Ugh. Ford completely outplayed D'Ernest Johnson. While I'm not ready to push Ford ahead of Johnson, the rookie could become a must-draft RB in deep leagues with another impressive outing next week.
Bengals -- Remember when I mentioned Chris Evans? It was a few sentences ago. He won the Jermar Jefferson award for "it's just not his night?" With Samaje Perine out, Evans could have made a case for backing up Joe Mixon. Instead, this critically important depth-chart battle could be decided by next week. And when I say "critically important," I mean "critically important." Because I strongly believe Joe Mixon is a significant injury/regression risk.
Cardinals -- It's hard to know what to make of Arizona's impressive win, since they rested their starting playmakers. Neither Keontay Ingram nor Eno Benjamin looked exceptional, though Ingram clearly had the upper hand with a score and more efficient running, along with a couple receptions. While Darrel Williams appears to be the No. 2 RB behind James Conner, this No. 3 role is an important one to track.
Eagles -- Miles Sanders caught both of his targets. That's huge. His per-game receptions have dropped steadily each year since 2019. Although he'll need to overcome the presence of Kenneth Gainwell, Sanders has a narrow path to matching 2019's 50 receptions. While I'm not yet buying it, last night was a step in the right direction.
Jets -- Most notably, Zach Wilson was knocked out with a knee injury. We'll know soon whether it's a short-term nuisance or a season-ender. One of my colleagues believes the Jets will trade for Jimmy G. if Wilson's out for the year. I see it differently, as the Jets likely aren't playoff-bound this year, and assuredly won't give up on Wilson for 2023 if he's forced out for this season. So they'd have little incentive to pay Jimmy, unless they want the best available QB to help mentor/develop the team's young offensive corps. In the meantime, Wilson's prognosis will be a huge story today and in the coming days until we know what happened.
49ers -- Trey Lance to Danny Gray. That's all there is to it. Gray took another step forward as the team's potential #4 WR, while Lance continued to quiet doubters.
Packers -- Romeo Doubs is the real deal. When everyone's healthy, will he still be the real deal? He's as high up on my draft board as I can put him (WR66) knowing Allen Lazard will start, and rookie Christian Watson will return eventually.
---
Sign up for my 2022 Top 400 Fantasy Draft Rankings ("PFN Pass") or 1:1 Advisory Services ("Touchdown Pass"):
https://pass.profootballnetwork.com/