Preseason Movers and Shakers
By: FN Staff
Saturday, Aug 22, 2020 at 11:32 am ET
Drafts are underway and we've been monitoring draft rankings from nearly 40 different fantasy football websites for months. One of the benefits to watching those rankings fluctuate every day is the ability to see which players are moving up and which are moving down. Our Movers and Shakers tool can show you which players have seen the most movement over the course of the last week or even the last month.
Players Moving Up
Adrian Peterson - RB, WAS
When the Washington Football Team released Derrius Guice, the RB situation got murky. There's also some question marks around who will be the #2 back - either Bryce Love or Antonio Gibson. Both are solid late-round fliers for your team, but the top of the depth chart belongs to veteran Adrian Peterson. He's not going to be the All Day that we remember, but he's a known quantity. Peterson will be the Week 1 starter and could hold onto his early-down role for much of the season.
When the Washington Football Team released Derrius Guice, the RB situation got murky. There's also some question marks around who will be the #2 back - either Bryce Love or Antonio Gibson. Both are solid late-round fliers for your team, but the top of the depth chart belongs to veteran Adrian Peterson. He's not going to be the All Day that we remember, but he's a known quantity. Peterson will be the Week 1 starter and could hold onto his early-down role for much of the season.
AJ Dillon - RB, GB
A photo surfaced on social media of AJ Dillon and his "tree-trunk" sized legs, and the post went viral. He's a big, bruising runner - the kind of guy that Packers' GM Brian Gutekunst compared to Eddie Lacy. Dillon is also worth a lottery ticket pick in drafts, but it should be remembered that he currently sits behind both Aaron Jones and potentially Jamaal Williams. Barring injury to either of those guys, his fantasy value will likely come in the form of TD vulture.
A photo surfaced on social media of AJ Dillon and his "tree-trunk" sized legs, and the post went viral. He's a big, bruising runner - the kind of guy that Packers' GM Brian Gutekunst compared to Eddie Lacy. Dillon is also worth a lottery ticket pick in drafts, but it should be remembered that he currently sits behind both Aaron Jones and potentially Jamaal Williams. Barring injury to either of those guys, his fantasy value will likely come in the form of TD vulture.
Ben Roethlisberger - QB, PIT
Early camp reports seem to suggest that Ben Roethlisberger's arm is "more than just fine" and that he's throwing with some "nice velocity". There's risk with Big Ben, both injury-related and playing on the road, but if he's close to being back to his 2018-self, there are a lot of fantasy points to be had by both Roethlisberger and the rest of this team (JuJu, Conner, Johnson, etc).
Early camp reports seem to suggest that Ben Roethlisberger's arm is "more than just fine" and that he's throwing with some "nice velocity". There's risk with Big Ben, both injury-related and playing on the road, but if he's close to being back to his 2018-self, there are a lot of fantasy points to be had by both Roethlisberger and the rest of this team (JuJu, Conner, Johnson, etc).
Ronald Jones - RB, TB
When the Bucs signed veteran LeSean McCoy, the backfield in Tampa Bay got a bit more crowded. Things have calmed down, and by all accounts, it appears that Ronald Jones is still the man in Tampa Bay. Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Dare Ogunbowale, and Shady McCoy are all fighting for roles in this offense, but RoJo is the guy to own, and his current 6th-round ADP is fantastic value.
When the Bucs signed veteran LeSean McCoy, the backfield in Tampa Bay got a bit more crowded. Things have calmed down, and by all accounts, it appears that Ronald Jones is still the man in Tampa Bay. Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Dare Ogunbowale, and Shady McCoy are all fighting for roles in this offense, but RoJo is the guy to own, and his current 6th-round ADP is fantastic value.
Damien Harris - RB, NE
It's always a bit difficult to predict the running back situation in New England, but the absence of Sony Michel and Lamar Miller is certainly not hurting Damien Harris' value. It's early, but Harris could end up being the sleeper that helps you down the stretch. His ADP currently has him going off the boards in the 11th round. It wouldn't be a surprise to see his ADP drop a few rounds between now and the start of the season.
It's always a bit difficult to predict the running back situation in New England, but the absence of Sony Michel and Lamar Miller is certainly not hurting Damien Harris' value. It's early, but Harris could end up being the sleeper that helps you down the stretch. His ADP currently has him going off the boards in the 11th round. It wouldn't be a surprise to see his ADP drop a few rounds between now and the start of the season.
Players Moving Down
TJ Hockenson - TE, DET
One of the last things we want to hear from a player coming off injury is that things haven't progressed as well as hoped for. T.J. Hockenson recently said that his ankle is "still not quite 100%" after he spent the offseason rehabbing. Lions OC Darrell Bevell confirmed this when he said that Hockeson was out there "running around and trying to push forward", but that the progress was coming along slower than expected. Hockensen has slid down to 15th in our rankings, and while he may be slow to start the season, barring further injury, he could be a steal as your backup TE.
One of the last things we want to hear from a player coming off injury is that things haven't progressed as well as hoped for. T.J. Hockenson recently said that his ankle is "still not quite 100%" after he spent the offseason rehabbing. Lions OC Darrell Bevell confirmed this when he said that Hockeson was out there "running around and trying to push forward", but that the progress was coming along slower than expected. Hockensen has slid down to 15th in our rankings, and while he may be slow to start the season, barring further injury, he could be a steal as your backup TE.
A.J. Green - WR, CIN
After playing the "Will He" or "Won't He" game last year, AJ Green opted not to play at all. For a guy who has had more than a year to recover from an ankle injury, it's concerning that camps have just started and he's already sidelined with a hamstring issue. Now, Green sitting out practice is being considered more of a precautionary step, but it doesn't inspire much confidence in a guy who has missed 29 games over the last three years.
After playing the "Will He" or "Won't He" game last year, AJ Green opted not to play at all. For a guy who has had more than a year to recover from an ankle injury, it's concerning that camps have just started and he's already sidelined with a hamstring issue. Now, Green sitting out practice is being considered more of a precautionary step, but it doesn't inspire much confidence in a guy who has missed 29 games over the last three years.
Todd Gurley - RB, ATL
Sticking with the injury trend, another guy that's raising red flags is Atlanta's Todd Gurley. After reports of him limping during practice, a new report from Wednesday suggests that Gurley may still have some of that bounce left in his step. It's difficult to really gauge his status with limited camp reports, but Gurley has a health history that immediately raises a red flag, so anything that suggests him not in ideal condition is going to be newsworthy. His 3rd-round ADP means that you'll be adding some risk to your RB2/Flex spot this season.
Sticking with the injury trend, another guy that's raising red flags is Atlanta's Todd Gurley. After reports of him limping during practice, a new report from Wednesday suggests that Gurley may still have some of that bounce left in his step. It's difficult to really gauge his status with limited camp reports, but Gurley has a health history that immediately raises a red flag, so anything that suggests him not in ideal condition is going to be newsworthy. His 3rd-round ADP means that you'll be adding some risk to your RB2/Flex spot this season.
Sony Michel - RB, NE
Sony Michel hasn't been able to practice yet, and even though Patriots RB Coach Ivan Fears believes that Michel will be ready to play in Week 1, we're not so confident. In fact, we would anticipate Michel potentially missing a few games. The Pats signed veteran RB Lamar Miller, restructured Rex Burkhead's contract, and have given more reps to Damien Harris. There are a fair amount of things working against Michel right now. His ADP has him going in the 10-round and it is still slipping.
Sony Michel hasn't been able to practice yet, and even though Patriots RB Coach Ivan Fears believes that Michel will be ready to play in Week 1, we're not so confident. In fact, we would anticipate Michel potentially missing a few games. The Pats signed veteran RB Lamar Miller, restructured Rex Burkhead's contract, and have given more reps to Damien Harris. There are a fair amount of things working against Michel right now. His ADP has him going in the 10-round and it is still slipping.
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