Fantasy Football 2015: Players Whose Stock Will Rise After Preseason Week 1

Preseason football is about establishing expectations for fans, which makes it the perfect evaluation tool for fantasy players. Preseason games on their own are irrelevant, but there are always key takeaways from the final result that can impact a player's presence in the system during real games.

The first two preseason games are an opportune evaluation time, because most starters will only play one or two series, if they suit up at all. Having so many new and/or unknown faces on the field makes it easy for them to show how far their skills have come since training camp started. 

There will be a lot of overreaction coming out of the first week of preseason games, so don't set your fantasy draft in stone. The key is finding the right balance between eventual playing time and performance. 

With that thought, here are the names to keep an eye on whose fantasy stock will rise over the weekend.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions

This is something of a cheat since Ameer Abdullah has already played, but his performance for the Detroit Lions was everything they could have hoped for against a good and deep New York Jets defense. 

The former Nebraska star had 67 yards on seven carries, including a 45-yard scamper in the first quarter that illustrated the vision and explosiveness he can add to Detroit's offense, via NFL on Twitter:

Running back has been a wasteland for the Lions. They have had just one 1,000-yard rusher since 2005—Reggie Bush, 1,006 yards in 2013—but the offense has remained solid thanks to quarterback Matthew Stafford's big arm, Calvin Johnson's ability to dominate when healthy and the addition of Golden Tate last year. 

Adding a legitimate running component to the mix would help the Lions by taking pressure off Stafford. It would also give opposing defenses more to game plan for other than Stafford throwing the ball up for Johnson. 

Incumbent starter Joique Bell is currently on the PUP list, recovering from Achilles surgery, so the door is wide open for Abdullah or Theo Riddick to take control of the job. 

Abdullah made a lasting impression in the first preseason game against the Jets, though Riddick wasn't bad with 35 yards on eight carries. It's a close competition, but Abduallah has the potential to explode based on his effort Thursday. 

Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Fantasy wide receivers are a tricky proposition, because their success can depend more on who is throwing the ball than their natural ability. 

In the case of Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson, the development of quarterback Blake Bortles will determine if he's able to build off last year's solid 548-yard performance in 10 games. 

Staying healthy will be another key point of emphasis, as Robinson missed the last six games of 2014. The early word out of Jaguars' camp is the former second-round pick has been impressive in training camp, via Mike Kaye of FirstCoastNews.com:

The Jaguars have fully embraced their rebuild on offense, settling in with a second-year starting quarterback and second-year wideouts like Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee. 

Mike Clay of ProFootballFocus.com has Robinson listed in the fifth tier of wide receivers when his preliminary list came out in April:

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Robinson and (Pittsburgh's Martavis) Bryant both began to emerge last season, but neither had enough time to complete the breakout. A broken foot ended Robinson’s rookie campaign after 10 games. He was fantasy’s No. 27 wide receiver when the injury occurred. Only 21, there is tremendous upside here, but Blake Bortles will need to take a step forward in Year 2.

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Even if things remain problematic for the Jaguars overall, someone has to step up and become a focal point of the offense. Robinson was a budding star for them before he got hurt, so expect him to move into a more prominent role this season. 

A favorable matchup on Saturday against a Pittsburgh defense that tied for the fourth-most passing touchdowns allowed and sixth-most pass yards allowed in 2014 will help Robinson's talent shine, increasing his draft stock among fantasy players. 

Alfred Blue, RB, Houston Texans

David Richard/Associated Press

Even if Arian Foster was healthy, one of Houston's running backs would have been worth looking at late in the draft or on the waiver wire, because it's been two years since he played in all 16 games. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Foster's groin surgery left "some hope" he can recover quicker than the recommended three-month period. 

In an optimistic scenario, let's say Foster will be back at the end of October. That still leaves at least six games for someone else to take the reins, with Alfred Blue being the most-likely candidate. 

Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle noted Blue will get the start in Houston's preseason opener on Saturday against San Francisco:

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Blue, who started three games in place of the injured Foster in 2014 and ran for 528 yards with a pair of touchdowns, is one of four healthy backs on the roster going into the preseason.

With Foster certain to miss multiple regular-season games, he said they need to 'show the coaches that we can handle the load and go out there and play comfortable in the situations and just take the best of each opportunity we all get in the backfield.'

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While the 528 yards Blue put up in 2014 sound solid for a backup, he only averaged 3.1 yards per carry. One of the problems may have been the quarterback situation, which Evan Silva of Rotoworld.com highlighted:

The Texans' current quarterback situation with Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer isn't better than it was last season, though that does ensure a lot of running plays will be called when the games count. 

Blue had six games with at least 10 carries last season, so head coach Bill O'Brien has at least some level of trust in the former LSU star. 

The 49ers are the perfect opponent for Blue to get his feet wet. That defense has undergone drastic changes this offseason, losing stars like Patrick Willis, Justin Smith and Chris Borland to retirement. In addition, Aldon Smith was released after another off-field incident. 

With San Francisco's defense up front looking considerably weaker than it has in years, whoever the Texans have running the ball should be able to post solid numbers and take control of the starting job. 

Since Blue will have the first crack, his fantasy stock will be the one that is helped the most.