Tue Aug 13th 2024

Preseason Week One

It was a great weekend of preseason football, giving dynasty managers another meaningful data point for valuing players. The highlight was seeing so many rookie quarterbacks get their first NFL action. Most of them did not disappoint. I watched all of the meaningful snaps of all 16 games, and here are my takeaways from a dynasty perspective.

Caleb Williams

• Williams looked great in his first preseason action. He led the team on two field-goal-scoring drives. He completed 4 of his 7 passes, but two of the incompletions were drops by D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet, and two were passes he intentionally threw away. He looked like the same guy we saw in college, with great movement in the pocket and the ability to extend plays. He has a rifle for an arm and completed one incredible pass while on the run and throwing off one leg. He completed passes to D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, and DeAndre Swift but did not connect with Keenan Allen or Rome Odunze. Still, it was only two drives. Bears fans have reason to feel hopeful for the first time in years. They have their franchise quarterback, who looked the part in his first NFL preseason game.

Jayden Daniels

• Daniels did just what dynasty managers hoped. He led the team on a touchdown-scoring opening drive and was then pulled from the game. He was 2/3 passing and scored a touchdown on a three-yard run. On third and long, he dropped a ball right in a bucket to Dyami Brown for 42 yards to keep the drive alive. His other completion was a quick pass to Terry McLaurin behind the line of scrimmage that went for three yards. Dynasty managers would have loved to see him for a few more drives, but they'll have to wait for preseason weeks two and three. Still, a scoring drive in his first preseason games gives his managers confidence in his future. It was one drive for Daniels, but he looked great.

Bo Nix

• Nix needed just one preseason game to prove he will be the Broncos' starter this year. Jarrett Stidham started this game, but Nix took over and played into the third quarter. He finished the day 15 of 21 for 125 yards and one touchdown. He was calm in the pocket and read the whole field. They didn't give him simple plays with one read but let him scan the field and find open men. He contributed on the ground with three carries for 17 yards, including one long scramble for a first down on third down. The Broncos scored points on four of Nix's five drives, including the third quarter's first drive when Coach Payton wanted him to experience leading the team on a drive after making halftime adjustments. The last first-round quarterback drafted in rookie drafts this year will be a starter immediately, much to the joy of its dynasty managers.  He was my most drafted quarterback this year, so I'm thrilled to have found a starting quarterback later than usual in superflex leagues.  

Michael Penix

• Penix got the start for Atlanta and played most of the first half. He looked very comfortable with the offense. He was only 9 for 16 passing, but his receivers dropped passes, too. Plus, he was playing with his fellow second-stringers. The Penix pick was the most criticized pick of the draft, but if he becomes the Falcons' future starter, their fans won't complain. He looked pretty good in his first NFL action, giving dynasty managers hope if their roster size will allow them to wait a few years.

Drew Lock

• Lock looked terrible in his first preseason game. If there was a window in the preseason to prove himself capable of beating Daniel Jones, this was not it. He had happy feet, was slow to read the field, and had to escape the pocket a lot. He could not even give Malik Nabors a target in his first preseason game. He got dinged up on one play and was soon after pulled from the game. Daniel Jones's managers have nothing to fear based on preseason game one.

Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew

• AOC and Mishhew were scheduled to share drives and compete for the starting position, but to my surprise, AOC handled the first drive, and Minshew handled the rest through the first half. Does that mean they have already decided that AOC is their starter?  I don't know.  AOC led the team down the field and was 7 of 9 on his first drive.  He looked competent and in control of the offense and led the team to a field goal, but that was it for him. Minshew played the rest of the half, leading the team to two touchdowns and a field goal. He laid an excellent touchdown pass to D.J. Turner, a drop-in-the-bucket type of throw. After that, Minshew was more inconsistent. He had some great throws but also displayed happy feet in the pocket and indecision on throws. I wanted to compare the two, but AOC only had one series. The Raiders may have decided already, but I haven't and would like to see the two back-to-back like they said we would. All of my dynasty bets are on AOC winning the job, but I know it's close. This game did not help me decide because we did not get enough time to see AOC unless that's reason enough to believe he is the starter.

Sam Darold and J.J. McCarthy

• Sam Darnold looked calm and in control on his first drive as the starter, but McCarthy came in through the rest of the first half and the first drive of the second half to prove himself. He had one bad interception on his first drive, but besides that, he played pretty great, throwing two touchdown passes. His early performance and the support of his teammates and fan base make me think he will be starting sooner rather than later, though Darnold looked good, too. Darnold should get more playing time in the next two preseason games and give coaches and dynasty managers a better chance to compare the two; then, we will know. Darnold looked great, but we only saw him on one drive compared to all the time McCarthy played.

Will Shipley

• Camp hype for Shipley has been building, and he showed why in his first preseason game. Kenny Gainwell got the first touches of the game, but Shipley came in quickly and played more than Gainwell for the rest of the half. He scored a short red-zone touchdown on a quick flare route on a bootleg. He had a modest 3.3 yards per carry on these 7 running plays, but his pass protection impressed me most. Several times, he stepped up to take on blitzing linebackers and help chip defensive linemen. He looks like he can do it all and could become the RB-2 behind Saquon Barkley by the end of the preseason. Dynasty managers know well that the Eagles like to rotate their backs, so Shipley's sure to see some action in his rookie season, and he could really help dynasty managers if Barkley gets injured.

Tyrone Tracy and Eric Gray

• Devin Singletary did not play in the first preseason game, so most of the work in the first half was spent on Tracy and Gray. Tracy was the first man up, which is a good indication that he's already earned the RB-2 roles behind Singletary. Tracy looked great and averaged 5.2 yards per carry on his limited touches. He was decisive with his runs and powered through tacklers on third down a few times to pick up first downs. As good as he looked early in the game, Gray looked even better later in the game. He had a 48-yard touchdown run and a 1-yard touchdown run. What was more impressive, though, was how effective he was in the passing game. He had a few very difficult catches and some great runs after the catch, totaling 46 yards on four catches in the passing game. This competition is one I will watch more closely this preseason because Gray showed something for the first time in his young NFL career.

Braelon Allen

• Reporters from training camp said that Allen had locked up the RB-2 role behind Breece Hall in practice. After his first preseason season game, we all see why. Allen looks powerful and explosive, averaging nine yards per carry in his first preseason action. He read his blocks well, was quick on his feet, and had two explosive plays of 20 yards or more. He caught a pass, but the play was called back on a penalty, so he can catch the ball even though he was not asked to do so often at Wisconsin. He had a stellar outing in his first NFL action. It's a shame that Allen got drafted by a team with a top-tier running back on the roster, but after playing as well as he did in this game, he will demand a share of the workload.      

Trey Benson

• Reports from training camp indicated that Benson was falling behind the veterans on the team. It appears true since the Cardinals' starters rested this game, and Benson saw a lot of action. He didn't look terrible, but he didn't have any impressive plays either. He tried to bounce the ball outside too many times and got tackled behind the line a lot. He averaged 2.6 yards per carry as a result. It's not a great start for the first running back drafted in many rookie drafts. He needs to show some improvement quickly to get dynasty managers excited about his future.

Bucky Irving

• Irving got a ton of work in his first preseason game and played well. He had 6 carries for 28 yards and a touchdown. He showed burst and quickness as he maneuvered through traffic on his runs and did not come out of the game in short-yardage situations, even though he's a smaller back. If he can play like this, he will undoubtedly cut into Rachaad White's workload. Surprisingly, Sean Tucker looked good in the run and pass game after Irving left the game. He played well enough to get me curious about him again. He was one of my favorite sleepers and most drafted players two years ago, but I've since dropped him from all but one roster. I'll consider adding him to the backend of my rosters again after he played so well, even though Irving is clearly the Buccaneers RB-2.

Audric Estime

• Estime was used just as I expected. He was the Broncos'short-yardage back. They inserted him in the lineup near the goal line twice, and he scored on one of those possessions. His yards per carry (3.1) look bad since he had several goal-line carries, but he had an 8-yard carry and 3 catches in the passing game, proving he can also be used in other ways. The Broncos gave Javonte Williams the first-team role and mixed Jaleel McLaughlin and Estime in a lot throughout the rest of the first half. That's how they will start the season, but by midseason, as I hope, Estime will overtake Williams for the starting role.

Khalil Shakir

• Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky distributed the ball to Buffalo's very unsettled group of receivers. The player that stood out the most to me was Shakir. Other receivers rotated with the first team, but Shakir seemed to be the one in on every play and situation. If the first preseason game reflects what to expect this year, Shakir will be the most involved receiver ahead of Curtis Samuel and Keon Coleman. I would have thought Dalton Kincaid would have been more involved when the first and second-team players were playing, but he was only targeted once for a short 7-yard pass from Trubisky. He should be targeted more than that. The starters were pulled early in the game, so we can't learn much from this game, but Shakir looked the best.

Brock Bowers

• I was especially pleased to see how Bowers was used with the first-team offense. As a manager of Michael Mayer in many leagues, I was pleased to see they had both of them on the field together most of the time. Bowers was used more as an H-back player who lined up all over the place. He lined up at fullback several times, and on one play, he slipped out for a quick route completed for a first down. His first preseason game confirmed my hopes that he will be an offensive weapon for the team and keep him and Mayer involved in the offense, though Bowers will dominate targets and the focus of the offense.

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