What Are the Major Fantasy Football Implications in NFL Preseason Week 3?

Fantasy football gets impacted quite a bit throughout the NFL's preseason, and Week 3 won't be any different.

Regardless of whether you've already drafted or not, this weekend will provide us with a better sense of where teams stand as we near the regular season. After all, it's less than three weeks away.

Now, there aren't any concerns regarding fantasy studs like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Calvin Johnson or Arian Foster. The things we look for during the preseason's third week are vital to adjusting before Week 1.

So, let's get to it and see what implications must be followed throughout the weekend.

How Cedric Benson Fits in With Packers

Coming off three straight seasons of 1,000-plus rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, Cedric Benson finds himself back in the NFC North with Green Bay.

Playing in a pass-heavy offense for the first time of his career, Benson is an intriguing fantasy player this season. We can fully expect another dominating season from Rodgers, but the Packers still failed to run the rock consistently when it was needed last year.

That said, Benson compiled 1,067 yards with a rookie quarterback (Andy Dalton) leading the way and another rookie in A.J. Green as the Cincinnati Bengals' No. 1 receiver. Green Bay obviously offers more explosion and efficiency by comparison, so we can expect Benson's production to increase.

Facing his old team on Friday, a decent performance will only add relief leading into September. The NFC North still must prove it can play defense, and having a veteran like Benson in the backfield gives "Titletown" a distinct advantage.

In turn, those with Benson in fantasy football have a sleeping giant despite him being 29 years old.

49ers Defense Will Provide Glimpse About Peyton Manning

On Sunday, the Denver Broncos face a San Francisco 49ers team that boasted the NFL's best defense in 2011.

Through two preseason games, Peyton Manning is 20-of-30 for 221 yards but also has zero touchdowns to three interceptions. Clearly the man is rusty, however, averaging over 11 yards per completion and seven yards per attempt isn't too shabby considering he's been out for so long.

San Francisco, though, will challenge Manning every snap he takes in their preseason duel. The 49ers have a great pass rush both inside and out, and present excellent man and zone coverage schemes capable of totally blanketing the Broncos' receivers.

Manning's ability to audible and read pre-snap will be extremely vital here, because the more he's able to manipulate the Niners, the better prepared we can expect him to be in Week 1. Despite facing a brutal schedule once the regular season kicks off, Manning is still a viable fantasy quarterback.

Nonetheless, we'll get a stronger grasp of how well Manning could potentially produce this year from a brief evaluation against the league's top defense.

Does Seahawks' QB Situation Affect Marshawn Lynch?

This really depends on how much Pete Carroll wants to throw the ball in 2012.

Neither Matt Flynn or Russell Wilson have an extreme amount of NFL experience, so it's reasonable to have the offense revolve around Lynch. Although running to set up the pass is a more traditional philosophy, Seattle's receivers are reliable enough to keep a defense from loading the box.

Also, both Flynn and Wilson have performed nicely thus far, and the Seahawks' offensive line deserves much credit as well. For Friday, though, Wilson has been named the starter. Per Chris Mortensen of ESPN:

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Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson has earned his first start in the team's third preseason game, coach Pete Carroll announced Tuesday, and team sources say a strong performance could elevate him into a starting role for the 2012 regular-season opener.

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Here, we must watch for how the Kansas City Chiefs' defense reacts to Lynch and the amount of respect they give to Wilson.

Expect an overloaded box from the get go, but if Wilson has any success through the air he could get the Chiefs to back off. Flynn is the more established passer after his dominance over the Lions in Week 17 of 2011, so it's now a matter of who gets to feed the beast.

In short, don't anticipate the Seahawks' quarterback situation to affect Lynch. The man rolled to 1,204 yards with Tarvaris Jackson at the helm and this season Seattle presents much more to every opponent.

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