Fantasy Football Takeaways from Preseason Week 1

What can we reasonably glean from the first week of the preseason? After all, teams generally avoid playing their starters past the first quarter—if they even get that far—and who in fantasy football really cares what the eighth receiver on the depth chart does against the third-team defense?

We still caught glimpses of what may come, though, and those nibbles are worth feasting on as we hurtle toward the regular season. Let's look at some of the fantasy takeaways after the first week of the preseason based on what we saw on the field.

Rookie Quarterbacks Will Be a Mixed Bag

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This shouldn't be a big surprise, but anyone expecting big things from rookie quarterbacks should have gotten a dose of reality this week.

Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston made their preseason debuts with the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively, and both struggled. You would think Winston was abjectly terrible in comparison given the reactions, but both had similar experiences.

The good news folks are glossing over is the fact Mariota and Winston bounced back from those bad starts and turnovers to lead their teams on touchdown drives. Though those may have come against second-team defenses, it was good to see them display some mental toughness and showcase their talents a bit.

From a fantasy standpoint, these sorts of downs and ups are going to be commonplace for Mariota and Winston. It's inevitable, and there is no reason to invest in them outside of daily fantasy and dynasty leagues.

Amari Cooper Is Going to Be a Stud

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We caught a glimpse of fantasy greatness in Amari Cooper's brief stint this week.

The No. 4 pick was a heavy part of the Raiders offense early on, showcasing his rapport with second-year quarterback Derek Carr. His stat line wasn't gaudy by any stretch of the imagination—three receptions for 22 yards to go along with a three-yard rush—but four targets including an ill-fated one in the end zone in just a couple of offensive series is a great sign.

Unlike the Chicago Bears—who may not have their 2015 first-round receiver, Kevin White, all year thanks to surgery to an injured shin, per ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson—Oakland is going to get big things from its top pick. So are fantasy owners who choose to invest in Cooper.

Few players will ever come close to matching Odell Beckham Jr.'s torrid rookie season from a year ago, but Cooper is going to put up some great numbers if he gets targeted as often as we saw this week.

Jimmy Garoppolo May Not Be the Hero We Deserve

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The New England Patriots had better hope Tom Brady is exonerated before the season begins, at least if this week is any indication. Anyone getting cute in fantasy leagues by selecting Jimmy Garoppolo may be having second thoughts too.

The second-year quarterback was mauled in Green Bay, taking seven sacks and throwing an interception against the Packers' second- and third-team defenses. While he certainly didn't get help from his teammates, we didn't see much of anything from Garoppolo.

Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News noted that Garoppolo struggled throwing the deep ball and forcing the ball into coverage.

Perhaps the pressure of knowing he will start the first four games of the regular season got to him. Maybe he's just not that good.

Or maybe this was just the first week of the preseason, and we shouldn't be putting any stock into this. But it was certainly not encouraging. At this stage, it's probably best to avoid him, save for some daily fantasy Hail Marys.

Jacquizz Rodgers Is a Handcuff Again

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Among camp battles being waged, the backup to Matt Forte doesn't seem particularly fantasy-relevant. But it's still a data point for us to dissect. You never know when injury could strike.

The Chicago Bears took Ka'Deem Carey just a year ago, and he figured to be the primary handcuff for Forte for years to come. Jacquizz Rodgers came over from the Atlanta Falcons, however, and it appears he has the upper hand for the understudy role.

Rodgers had a decent outing against the Miami Dolphins after Forte left the game, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. He stiff-armed Carey for any playing time off the bench, which was a bit eye-opening.

Carey one-upped his competition in the box score, but that was well after Rodgers and the second team got off the field. 

Not that we think anything is going to happen to 29-year-old Matt Forte, right? 

Could Michael Campanaro Be a Factor This Year?

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All the talk about wide receiver in Baltimore—outside the fact Steve Smith says this is his last year in the league, per the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec—revolves around Kamar Aiken, Marlon Brown and rookie Breshad Perriman. Whoever wins that role as the No. 2 is going to be a fantasy commodity to be sure.

But what about Michael Campanaro?

The second-year receiver made waves this week with an impressive 45-yard touchdown from quarterback Matt Schaub soon after the first team made its exit. That may not mean much in the grand scheme of the depth chart, but it gives pause to potential fantasy owners.

What if Campanaro surpasses those other guys for a bigger role?

He only played in four games as a rookie because of a hamstring injury, but he sure looked healthy streaking downfield for the Ravens last week. Campanaro could be streaking into the fantasy football picture if he keeps it up. 

Is Ameer Abdullah the Next Barry Sanders?

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With one cut, Ameer Abdullah exploded for 45 yards and into the collective psyche of the fantasy football community. The hype and hyperbole followed, as Jets head coach Todd Bowles put him in lofty company, per Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News:

"He looked like he did in college. He’s quick as a cat," Bowles said. "He’s about as quick as Barry Sanders. I’m not saying he is Barry, but he’s a good running back. ... We have to go take our shot, and we have to attack the inside out. And (Abdullah) made us miss today."

We had been hearing some hype out of training camp about the rookie from Nebraska, but his burst through the hole in the offensive line on Thursday lit up the fantasy football world. 

The question is whether Joique Bell will make a mess of things for the rookie. He has been held out because of injury, allowing Abdullah to shine in the process. But head coaches tend to favor veterans with seasoned pass-blocking skills, and Bell is that stereotypical goal-line back.

A few more performances like this from Abdullah, though, and head coach Jim Caldwell may not have a choice.

All Martavis Bryant Does Is Score Touchdowns

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There was a bit of a hullabaloo earlier in training camp when word spread that Martavis Bryant was listed with the second-team offense in Pittsburgh. This was exacerbated when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, in an interview with Sirus XM Radio, pegged Markus Wheaton as the team's breakout player.

Judging from what we saw against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bryant and his fantasy owners don't have much to worry about.

The big (6'4", 211 lbs), athletic wideout ran with the first team and scored on a 44-yard touchdown. He was targeted five times overall, including a second one in the end zone.

While he might not have Antonio Brown's technical skill as a receiver, his ability to get behind and above defenses to score points is huge from a fantasy perspective. Wheaton might indeed be in for a breakout season, but Bryant isn't sitting quietly on the second team.

Maybe Alfred Blue Won't Be so Bad; Maybe He's Still Fool's Gold

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When Arian Foster went down with an injury during training camp, it jolted Alfred Blue's draft stock to life. But an abysmal average of 3.1 yards per carry in 2014 combined with the likelihood the Texans will sign some help should have tempered expectations for fantasy football fans.

His strong showing as the starter this week might remove some of those inhibitions, but take his performance with a grain of salt. A 32-yard scamper buoyed his average to 6.6 yards per carry, but he plodded his way to 3.4 yards per carry outside that big gain.

The Texans had trouble punching the ball in from the goal line with and without Blue to boot.

Ryan Tannehill Will Be All Right

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Ryan Tannehill is one of the more polarizing players in football, both real and imaginary. 

Despite improving each year since coming into the league, some can't give the former No. 8 pick any credit. He has lacked a quality deep ball and perhaps a killer instinct to lead his team to more victories. But that is a discussion for another time.

What about fantasy football?

Tannehill sneaked into the top 10 in fantasy scoring last season, and he is poised for more in 2015. Yet again, however, Miami's quarterback was faced with an overhauled arsenal heading into the preseason, and questions lingered about whether that would affect Tannehill's progression.

This week, many of those concerns should have melted away.

The Dolphins were sharp on offense when Tannehill was on the field, although we only saw them with him for one series against a Bears team that was hapless on defense last season. He didn't showcase a deep ball, but he displayed great accuracy—completing six of seven passes for 56 yards and a score—and rapport with receivers, despite the absence of Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker.

Andre Ellington Is the Droid You Were Looking For

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Despite finishing 20th in fantasy scoring in just 12 games last season, Andre Ellington isn't getting a ton of love in the fantasy community this offseason.

His durability has understandably come into question, but the fact he averaged just 3.3 yards per carry was a huge red flag too. Never mind that he was playing on a bum foot for most of the season.

If you manage to snag him in leagues that award points per reception, congratulations—you've got yourself a good one. Ellington smoked the Kansas City Chiefs' starting defense on a 57-yard catch-and-run, capping the drive three plays later with a touchdown plunge.

With David Johnson—the rookie who is supposed to steal touches from the third-year back—out with an injury, Ellington planted one foot firmly in the ground as the lead back in Arizona with that performance. He just needs to stay healthy.

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