Fantasy Football 2013: What Did We Learn from Thursday's Preseason Games?

The 2013 NFL preseason is underway in earnest, as a dozen teams saw their first game action of the year Thursday night.

Those contests included both of last year's Super Bowl contestants, the top playoff seeds from both conferences, and a handful of squads looking for bigger and better things this season after a disappointing 2012.

The beginning of the 2013 preseason also means that fantasy draft season is fully underway. Many leagues have already drafted, but every bit of information that can be gleaned from these matchups is a valuable tool during draft preparation for owners in those that haven't.

Granted, with the starters playing very sparingly this week there weren't a ton of huge developments, but here's what we learned from the first full day of preseason action.

Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Baltimore Ravens rode a magical postseason run from quarterback Joe Flacco to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII, and preseason preparation for defense of that championship began Thursday evening in Florida against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their revamped secondary.

Baltimore Ravens

The first-team offense for the defending champs didn't do a whole lot, with running back Ray Rice gaining only seven yards on three carries and quarterback Joe Flacco throwing an interception.

However, backup running back Bernard Pierce reminded folks that he has more than a little fantasy value in his own right, scoring Baltimore's first touchdown of the game from 20 yards out.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It's the first game of the preseason, and that makes it important not to read too much into Thursday's anemic performances from quarterback Josh Freeman and running back Doug Martin. Still a long way to go.

Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons rode a 13-win regular season to the top seed in the NFC, but their Super Bowl aspirations were dashed by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

The Cincinnati Bengals, on the other hand, are in the same position that the Falcons were entering last year's playoffs. Quarterback Andy Dalton and Co. have advanced to the postseason each of the past two years, but the franchise hasn't won a playoff game since 1990.

Cincinnati Bengals

Fantasy owners will be anxiously watching Cincinnati's preseason contests, in the hopes of getting a feel for how the distribution of touches in the backfield will shake out between BenJarvus Green-Ellis and rookie Giovani Bernard.

The veteran Green Ellis drew the start against the Falcons. However, it was the youngster who was the more effective player, with Bernard outgaining Green-Ellis 44 yards to 14. Sixteen of Bernard's yards came on three receptions, and it's that dual-threat ability that makes Bernard the better fantasy option.

Atlanta Falcons

Many fantasy pundits are expecting big things of running back Steven Jackson in his first year with the Falcons, and the NFL's active rushing leader has drifted into the back of the first round in some drafts.

Fantasy owners who spent that first- or early-second-round pick on Jackson have to be at least a bit nervous. First came the season-ending injury to right tackle Mike Johnson earlier this week, and that was followed by Jackson managing only eight yards on five carries in his Atlanta debut.

There were no such problems for the Atlanta passing game, however. Matt Ryan was in midseason form, with 89 yards on 6-of-9 passing.

St. Louis Rams at Cleveland Browns

The St. Louis Rams made significant strides last year under new head coach Jeff Fisher, and after another active offseason there's a great deal of pressure on quarterback Sam Bradford to finally perform at the same level as his paycheck.

For the Cleveland Browns, it's another reboot for the struggling franchise. New head coach Rob Chudzinski and offensive coordinator Norv Turner will try to take the talents of youngsters such as

running back Trent Richardson and wide receiver Josh Gordon and turn potential into production.

St. Louis Rams

By far the biggest storyline surrounding the St. Louis Rams in the preseason from a fantasy perspective is undoubtedly the three-way battle at running back between Daryl Richardson, Isaiah Pead and rookie Zac Stacy.

The first round of that battle was won in emphatic fashion by Richardson. While Pead fumbled on his first carry of the game Richardson was effective as both a runner and receiver, picking up 44 total yards on six touches.

Rookie Tavon Austin has been garnering the most fantasy attention in the Rams' passing game this summer. However, it was Chris Givens, who led the Rams in receiving in 2012, who shined against the Browns, reeling in three passes for 82 yards and a score. Keep Givens on your radar as an upside WR4.

Cleveland Browns

Quarterback Brandon Weeden hasn't been getting much love, even in deeper fantasy football leagues after an uneven rookie season. Weeden certainly turned some heads Thursday night, however, with a very sharp 10-of-13 performance for 112 yards and a touchdown.

That may not translate to a lot of fantasy value for Weeden himself, but it bodes well for the prospects of wide receivers Josh Gordon and Greg Little.

Second-year tight end Jordan Cameron is a trendy sleeper pick in many fantasy leagues this year. Cameron only caught one pass on the night, but he made the most of it, rumbling 30 yards to help set up Cleveland's first touchdown of the game.

Washington Redskins at Tennessee Titans

The Washington Redskins were one of the bigger surprises in the NFL last year, riding a phenomenal season from rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III to the NFC East title. Griffin's recovery from an ACL tear has been one of the offseason's dominant storylines, but RG3 watched Thursday's game from the sidelines.

The Tennessee Titans took a step backward in 2012, and it's make-or-break time for a number of people in Nashville, including quarterback Jake Locker and head coach Mike Munchak.

Washington Redskins

All indications are that Griffin will be ready for Week 1, but if RG3 were to miss any time this year the Washington offense would not be dead in the water.

Despite the fact that running back Alfred Morris and wide receiver Pierre Garcon were spectators on Thursday night backup quarterback Kirk Cousins was sharp, completing six out of seven attempts for 57 yards and a score.

Tennessee Titans

Running back Chris Johnson is being drafted as a high-end fantasy RB2 in many leagues this year. However, Johnson certainly looked like an RB1 on his second carry of the game, exploding through the middle of the defense for a 58-yard touchdown.

That wasn't the last of the good news for Johnson's fantasy prospects. The rebuilt interior of the Tennessee offensive line was just as dominant on the Titans' next possession, a drive that culminated in a 19-yard scoring run by Shonn Greene.

Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers

For the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers, 2012 was a season of both great success and crushing disappointment. Quarterback Peyton Manning led the Broncos to the AFC's best record only to come up short in a crushing double-overtime playoff loss to the Ravens, while Colin Kaepernick's magical first season with the Niners ended with the franchise's first Super Bowl loss.

Denver Broncos

To the surprise of absolutely no one Peyton Manning played very sparingly, completing two passes for 13 yards. That left the Denver running backs as the biggest story to watch for fantasy football enthusiasts in the contest.

However, the question of which Mile High City to own isn't any more clearer. In the first half of Thursday's contest, Ronnie Hillman, Montee Ball and Knowshon Moreno carried the ball 12 times.

They gained 30 yards, with Moreno the most effective back of the three.

San Francisco 49ers

Like Manning, Kaepernick's night was over quickly. However, Kaepernick was sharp while on the field, completing all four of his pass attempts and scrambling for a first down that led to a field goal.

Two of those passes went to Anquan Boldin, including a nifty grab with a linebacker draped all over him in coverage. Boldin currently has an average draft position of WR43 at My Fantasy League. Given his resume and the fact that he's the top wideout for the 49ers, Boldin is a very interesting target as a fantasy WR3 for teams that load up on running backs early.

Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers

The Seattle Seahawks were a trendy Super Bowl pick just a few weeks ago after a playoff trip last year and a very active offseason, but some of the luster was knocked off by the hip injury suffered by star wide receiver Percy Harvin.

The San Diego Chargers don't have such lofty aspirations in 2013 after a second straight disappointing campaign a year ago. New head coach Mike McCoy will try to restore San Diego respectability—a team that was a perennial contender in the AFC not so long ago.

Seattle Seahawks

With Marshawn Lynch sitting the game out and Robert Turbin still working his way back from a foot injury, rookie Christine Michael started at tailback for Seattle, affording the youngster an opportunity to stake his claim to the backup spot (and Lynch's fantasy handcuff).

Michael put up fantastic numbers, gaining 89 yards on 16 rushes, but much of his damage was done in the second half against third- and fourth-stringers. This is a competition that's far from over, and we'll see more of Turbin as the preseason progresses.

Quarterback Russell Wilson struggled throwing the ball without Harvin or Sidney Rice, completing only two of six passes. However, the second-year pro's mobility was on full display on back-to-back scrambles in the first quarter.

San Diego Chargers

It's important not to read too much into one series in the first preseason game, but Chargers fans have to be happy with what they saw from the team's first-team offense Thursday night.

Granted, it happened with several defensive starters for Seattle on the sidelines, but Philip Rivers looked good in his one series, connecting on five of six attempts for 45 yards.

Running back Ryan Mathews was equally impressive, running with authority while picking up 19 yards on three carries. Durability is a huge concern with Mathews, but if the 25-year-old can stay healthy and runs in the regular season like he did in this game, he'll represent an excellent value in fantasy this year.