The NFL preseason is in full swing, and how certain players perform in these games could have significant impact on the upcoming Fantasy season. The arrows indicate which way a player's stock is heading, but you'll have to read what we have to say to know whether a player's preseason performance will impact his draft status in Fantasy leagues.
Brett Favre, QB, N.Y. Jets The old 'Brett Favre Watch' was on his status with the Packers. The new 'Brett Favre Watch' is how he's doing with the Jets. In his first preseason game vs. the Redskins, he completed 5-of-6 passes (the incompletion was a drop) for 48 yards with a touchdown dart to rookie tight end Dustin Keller. Favre is still learning the Jets' playbook, but the combination of his talent with the personnel around him is making Fantasy owners believe in the 18-year veteran. Still a startable Fantasy quarterback, quality play this preseason will only make him look more desirable. Right now, he's a middle-round pick.
Marc Bulger, QB, St. Louis Bulger got knocked around in the Rams' second preseason game vs. San Diego and left after getting hit on his throwing shoulder. True, Bulger will be fine in the long run, but he has been sacked three times (fumbling twice) in eight offensive series. That offensive line is still a liability, and it lost two reserve tackles to season-ending injuries already. What's more, Bulger has completed just 10-of-23 passes for 85 yards with three interceptions (again, in eight offensive series). With Torry Holt and little else to throw to and with no Steven Jackson behind him (for now), Bulger's Fantasy stock is really low. He's bordering on No. 2 quarterback territory.
DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina We got an eyeful of Williams up close in Philadelphia and loved what we saw: A speedy rusher playing in every possible scenario with the first-team offense. With rookie Jonathan Stewart slowed by a sore toe and admitting that he's waiting for the game to come to him, Williams has a golden path to not only Carolina's starting job, but also posting plenty of stats each week. Carolina's offensive line is massive, and their passing game will be formidable enough that Williams won't be corraled by eight defenders in the box. At worst, Williams will begin the year getting the majority of the work for Carolina, and he won't give up the job if he performs well. We like him as a low-end No. 2/top-end No. 3 Fantasy running back worth a pick between Rounds 7 and 8.
Jamal Lewis, RB, Cleveland Lewis hasn't played much this preseason, but there's cause for concern when he's totaled 24 rush yards on nine carries (2.7 avg.) with a 4-yard reception. Lewis was strong at the start of the preseason last year (11 carries, 48 yards), and it was a sign of things to come. Even with a good offensive line, Lewis hasn't gotten it done so far. Lewis has a lot of skeptics out there following his solid contract year and subsequent extension. We still think he can charge his way to 1,000 yards on the ground with some nice touchdowns, but don't be surprised to see him slip in drafts. He's fine as a No. 2 running back.
Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Remember how much hype Johnson had when he came out of Georgia Tech? The Lions (and everyone else) fawned over his athleticism, size, speed and hands. Fantasy owners wound up drafting him with a relatively high pick as a rookie, and they watched him begin to meet expectations until a back injury hampered him. This preseason, Johnson is at it again, averaging 22.0 yards per catch (154 yards on seven grabs) and has the full faith and backing of quarterback Jon Kitna. Yes, the Lions want to run the ball more, and yes, the Lions have Roy Williams playing on the opposite side. But it's clear that Johnson's potential has no ceiling so long as he's healthy. He's creeping past Williams in Fantasy drafts and might inch close to being a low-end No. 1 wideout if he continues this torrid pace.
Chad Johnson, WR, Cincinnati The outspoken wide receiver got a taste of karma when he hurt his shoulder going up for a pass in the second week of the preseason, separating it and costing him some preseason reps. The Bengals may say they are not worried about Johnson's health, but the club did run out and re-sign former headache Chris Henry. Whether it was done to support a depleted unit or not, speculation is that Johnson's shoulder might not be ready to go for the start of the season. When you tack on the Bengals' slow start out of the gate this preseason and the likelihood that Johnson won't put up consistent production (150 yards one week, 35 the next), he's more appealing as a No. 2 receiving option.
Jay Cutler, QB, Denver The reviews have been very positive for Cutler out of Denver, including glowing reviews from several Cowboys defenders following their practices and their most recent preseason game. Cutler has completed 24-of-30 passes this preseason for 237 yards and a touchdown. Denver's young gunslinger has not only connected with massive wideout Brandon Marshall but has also made use of rookie Eddie Royal, who has the makings of a sleeper pick. Cutler's stats may come out of the gate slow because of Marshall's suspension, but he's got a shot at leapfrogging several low-end Fantasy No. 1 quarterbacks en route to several 250-yard performances. He's a pretty solid "consolation prize" with a mid-round pick in drafts for those owners who miss on a stud passer.
Vince Young, QB, Tennessee Young has all sorts of potential when you consider his new short-area targets in tight end Alge Crumpler, running back Chris Johnson and wide receiver Justin McCareins. But so far he's looked lost and tenative early on, totaling just 54 yards on 7-of-19 passing. Young was nothing more than a No. 2 Fantasy passer to begin with, but anyone with visions of him turning the corner and becoming a huge stat machine in 2008 needs to reconsider. And if Young is expected to post minimal numbers, then what does that mean for his receiving corps?
Michael Turner, RB, Atlanta Turner only had four carries against the Colts in his second preseason game. Two went for zero yards, two totaled 113 yards (50, 63). While it's a little disconcerning that he was caught from behind on both of his long runs, it's got to be a positive both for him and for his offensive line that they were able to open holes for him against the Colts' Bob Sanders-less first-string defense. Turner's 22 yards on five carries in his first preseason game is nothing to sneeze at, either. Perhaps he'll wind up being a useful No. 2 rushing option after all.
Rudi Johnson, RB, Cincinnati Two preseason games down and zero reps for Johnson, who is back to nursing a hamstring injury. When have we seen this before? Johnson struggled for much of 2007 with a hamstring problem and is back to being an injury-marred rusher. This time, the Bengals are prepared with Kenny Watson (100 total yards) and Chris Perry (69 total yards, TD) ready to take over for Johnson if his leg can't hold up (or at least take some carries off his plate). Johnson is creeping up on 29 years of age, and while the club says Johnson is running fine in practice, we want to see it on the field, especially behind the Bengals' suspect offensive line. He's falling as a low-end No. 3 option, though he'd be more than that if his leg would get healthy already.
Do you have a player you're interested in finding out about from this preseason, or feel that we're missing someone from our Stockwatch? You can e-mail us at DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Stockwatch in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware we do not guarantee personal responses to all questions.
