What’s Happening
According to Mike Kaye, Keelan Cole has been getting the majority of reps with the first team offense. Cole was fantastic down the stretch for the Jaguars catching 42 passes for 748 yards and three touchdowns. He was able to gain playing time due to injury and inconsistent performances by the other pass catchers on the team. He has big play ability and is perfect player out of the slot for Blake Bortles. With the talk that Donte Moncrief has not performed well, Cole could be in for a big role and year with a miniscule ADP.
Adrian Peterson signed a one-year deal with the Washington Redskins today. The Redskins have been hit hard with injuries to their backfield after losing rookie Derrius Guice for the year as well as Byron Marshall and Samaje Perine both suffering more minor injuries. Peterson had some good moments last season, but they were also marred by being released by New Orleans and a Cardinals offense that struggled with inconsistent play at quarterback and by the offensive line. The Redskins struggled with massive injuries to the offensive line last season, which really stunted their running game. If the line can stay healthy, it will be one of the better groups in the league and with a healthy Chris Thompson returning, he and “All Day” could be a very nice one-two punch.
According to Kyle Meinke, Kenny Golladay has been the preferred player in two-wide receiver sets over Golden Tate . Golladay has been my favorite sleeper this season as he showed huge playmaking potential last year, but was never given the role to exploit his talents. It seems that the latter may be changing. One would expect the Lions to run mostly three receiver sets and when they run two-receiver sets, they will likely be running more often than not, so this may not overly effect Tate’s value, but it is definitely something to watch in the third preseason game versus the Bucs.
Josh Allen looks to be the favorite to start Week 1 for the Bills after AJ McCarron reportedly broke his collarbone over the weekend. However, it sounds like the report of McCarron’s demise may have been a bit premature. Either way, Allen has already been named the starter for the third preseason game versus the Bengals. Allen is raw, but has a lot of talent, though there are questions about how much talent there is in the receiving corps in Buffalo. Expect the Bills to rely a ton of LeSean McCoy , but this preseason game should be a good indication of Allen’s favorite targets in the passing game. If he performs well, he could easily steal the starters role long term.
Quick Hits
Josh Gordon has officially returned to the Browns and practiced today. Early drafters can breathe a sigh of relief.
Cowboys guard Zack Martin had an MRI on his left knee. The results were negative. This is good news for Cowboys skill position players as the Dallas line should continue to be one of the stronger units in the league.
According to Darren Urban of azcardinals.com, Christian Kirk has impressed coach Steve Wilks. Kirk is competing for a starting role with the Cardinals and is an interesting sleeper in fantasy this year. While he is best suited for the slot, a spot that Larry Fitzgerald typically plays out of, the Cards have a lack of playmakers in the passing game, so they should let Kirk play if he earns the spot.
Joe Williams will miss at least the first week of the season with a broken rib. This may shed a bit more light on the recent signing of Alfred Morris .
Alshon Jeffery , who had offseason shoulder surgery, practiced on the sidelines during the Eagles practice today. This is a good sign that he is progressing and has a shot to play Week 1.
According to reports, there are multiple teams interested in acquiring Teddy Bridgewater . With talk that Sam Darnold could start Week 1, Bridgewater is becoming expendable for the Jets. He should likely be traded soon.