Final Notes From Preseason

More often than not, the final game of the preseason is pointless, and useless to the fantasy world. While skimming across the box scores this morning however, I noticed several intriguing situations that could end up being very beneficial to fantasy nerds down the road. I made a quick list of players (most of whom are fantasy irrelevant right now), who I think are worthy of roster spots or atleast worthy of keeping tabs on through the first couples weeks of the season.


Javon Walker (Vikings): I assume almost all of us know that the Vikings signed Walker when Sidney Rice went down with his hip injury. And out of everyone that knows about this signing, probably just wrote him off like me. But when you look at how thin/even the rest of the Vikings recieving core, I'm starting to think it's entirely possible for him to get significant playing time, as long as he is in shape. Combine this with his 6 rec./119 yd/2 td performance in his 2 preseason games, and it looks like he may have regained his old step. How do we know he's lost everything from seasons past? He's still young, and if he can stay healthy, I think he gets playing time and could be end up wr3 this year.

Eric Decker (Denver): There isn't a ton of information on this guy. He was almost a stud in college, and scouts always said he had NFL skills, but injuries just kept derailing him. Denver is extremely thin this year at wideout, and Decker is finally healthy. He put together a decent preseason, and he's going to atleast be on the field due to injuries and no one else who has stepped up. No denver receiver is going to be that valuable this year, but he has all the potential to be their go to guy in the redzone, and could also end up being a wr3 this year.

Jared Cook (Tennessee): I'm 100% that when Cook starts getting regular playing time, he's going to be a very talented TE with a lot of value. But, regular playing time is probably going to be a problem with Bo Scaife number 1 on the depth chart, and Craig Stevens their best blocking TE. We know Vince Young loves throwing to his tight ends, and Cook is the most polished offensively. Look for him to slowly get more playing time as the season goes on, and I think he will have a lot of value at the end of the year, and in drafts next year.

Cincy's WR's: This is an interesting situation. There are loads of talent between 4 guys who could get regular playing time as the 3rd and 4th option in this offense. Andre Caldwell, Jordan Shipley, Dezmon Briscoe, and Jerome Simpson are all vying for basically two playing spots. I think the 3rd spot is gonna go to a combination of Caldwell and Shipley, but the latter 2 guys have BIG play potential if they ever get on the field. Shipley has the most upside in my opinion, and I actually expect him to be fantasy relevant for week to week plug-ins.

Darren Mcfadden: We all know the story with him. He's underachieved immensely. He's always hurt. He already lost his job this season. Luckily for him, Michael Bush may be out 4-6 weeks, so he's the clear cut starter and he has time to prove he's worthy. There's nothing else to say about run-DMC.

Deon Butler: I don't know about you, but I've been hearing more and more about Butler becoming Seattle's go to guy for the future, and his last preseason game backed up that hype. He put up 101 yds/1 td last night, and is easily the Seahawks #1/2 wr this year. With Seattle having a weak receiving group as well and TJ Housh on the trading block, there is no doubt Butler will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself. He is quite a speedster, so look for him to make big plays. The only thing holding him back as wr2, is the Seahawks passing game.

Anthony Dixon: Talk about having a good preseason and making a name for yourself. Dixon ended up leading everyone this preseason with 300 yds/3 td. We all know he's stuck behind Frank Gore, but this performance makes him a must handcuff. It's not out of the question either that he actually steals a few carries from Gore to keep him fresh. If Gore goes down with an injury, Dixon is going to become one hot commodity.

Jerome Harrison: The Cleveland Browns suck, and Cleveland just sucks in general as a city. The best thing going for them, is that suddenly Jerome Harrison's value has skyrocketed as a rb2, so more fantasy owners will follow more of their games now. Montario Hardesty probably tore his acl/mcl/pcl, one of those ligaments, so now Harrison is the go to guy - for sure. He had Hardesty in his rear view, but now needs not to worry anymore. With a strong finish last season, and a favorable schedule early on, he is going to provide nice production. We will find out if he can be valuable for a whole season, and if the forgotten James Davis steals any carries from him.