Week 3 Preseason Stockwatch
By Jamey Eisenberg | Senior Fantasy Writer Follow JameyFollow CBS Fantasy Football
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.
 | Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona  Matt Leinart's sloppy preseason outing against Oakland has opened the door for Warner to return as the starting quarterback for the Cardinals. He immediately becomes a low-end No. 1 option since last year Warner passed for 3,417 yards, 27 touchdowns and 17 interceptions and plays with dynamic receiving options in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. The Cardinals should have one of the best passing attacks in the NFL, and Warner could definitely start for your Fantasy team if he plays as well as he did last year. |
 | Jason Campbell, QB, Washington  After a great offseason and a good start to the preseason, Campbell has looked awful in the last two preseason games. He is a combined 10-of-20 passing for 67 yards against the Jets and Carolina, and coach Jim Zorn is concerned. Fantasy owners should be as well since Campbell has the potential to be a solid No. 2 Fantasy option and a decent sleeper. He's still worth drafting with a late-round pick in all Fantasy leagues, but his play has to improve if you're going to trust him to start for at least a week this year. |
 | J.T. O'Sullivan, QB, San Francisco In an unexpected move prior to the season, the 49ers named O'Sullivan the starter ahead of Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. O'Sullivan has played for seven other teams and thrown just 26 passes in his NFL career, but he spent last year in Detroit and knows offensive coordinator Mike Martz's system. That has helped him perform well in training camp, and he's been efficient without Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson, who have been limited with injuries. Since it's a Martz offense, O'Sullivan is worth drafting with a late-round flier in all Fantasy leagues. |
 | Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City Johnson should be fine this year coming back from the broken foot, and his stock being down really isn't a testament to his play. But quarterback Brodie Croyle and the Chiefs offensive line looked bad against Miami in the third preseason game, and Johnson will find it hard to run. He's still a candidate for 1,200 yards rushing and double digits in touchdowns and is worth drafting in Round 2 in all leagues. But don't reach for him in Round 1 at this time. The days of Johnson leading your Fantasy team are over as long as his quarterback and blockers continue to struggle. |
 | Kevin Jones, RB, Chicago Jones got on the field for the third preseason game against San Francisco, and that's a good sign since he's coming off a torn ACL last year. Jones has a chance to be a solid Fantasy reserve and is worth handcuffing with rookie Matt Forte. When Jones is 100 percent, he could start for the Bears because he is a talented running back who is injury prone. Hopefully he can stay on the field and is worth drafting with a late-round pick. The Bears want to return to a tandem like they had with Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson, so they are counting on Jones to play alongside Forte this year. |
 | Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh Mendenhall lost two fumbles in the third preseason game at Minnesota, and that's never a good thing for a rookie trying to gain confidence in his coach. "It's something we were concerned about. It's something we made him aware of," Mike Tomlin said of Mendenhall hanging onto the ball. "It's part of being a ball toter in the National Football League. He's got the skill set to be successful. But the prerequisite is ball security, and he's got to shore up that element of his game." Mendenhall will share carries with Willie Parker and is worth drafting as a No. 3 Fantasy option, but if he loses more fumbles he will find himself on the bench and not helping your Fantasy team. |
 | Brandon Marshall, WR, Denver It's too bad Marshall will be suspended for the first three games of the season because we're seeing in the preseason what he's capable of doing. Through three games, Marshall has 10 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns in limited action. There's still a chance the suspension can be reduced, but Marshall is showing even in less games he could still post dominant stats. He's worth drafting as a No. 2 Fantasy option and taking a chance on the weeks he's out with a reserve receiver. When he returns, he will reward you with tremendous production in 13 games. |
 | T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Cincinnati Housh expects to be ready for the season opener, but his hamstring injury has kept him out of the first three preseason games, which is obviously a bad sign. Along with that, Housh might not have his usual protection of playing alongside Chad Johnson, who is out with a separated shoulder that could last into the regular season. And Carson Palmer broke his nose in the third preseason game against New Orleans. The Bengals should be fine once the season starts, but it's worth keeping an eye on their progress. When healthy, Housh is a No. 1 Fantasy receiver, but his stock could be falling to a No. 2 option unless he gets on the field soon. |
 | Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Drafting Jackson is still a risk because he missed most of training camp due to his holdout. But since he signed his deal prior to the start of the season and will get some reps, his value is back on the rise. He will likely continue to slide in the first round because of health concerns over his groin injury last year and the offensive line problems in St. Louis. But if Jackson is still on the board starting at No. 6 overall, draft him and consider him your No. 1 option. He might struggle this year, but if he stays healthy he could also have a dominant season. |
 | Bernard Berrian, WR, Minnesota Berrian is dealing with a toe problem that kept him from playing in the third preseason game against Pittsburgh, but that's not the main reason for his stock dropping. He's also gotten limited time with quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who hurt his knee in the second preseason game against Baltimore. The two have yet to develop a rapport, and Jackson isn't a stellar quarterback to begin with. Berrian should be considered a No. 3 Fantasy option at best in all leagues. And if his toe injury lingers, his value will continue to decline. |
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.
