Nobody really likes preseason football, but they watch it anyway because it’s been gone so long. This is a guide to making preseason football fun. All you have to do, is scour the games for fantasy football sleepers. This is the time to check out those rookies, backups, and just interesting players that won’t be on top of the depth charts in Week 1. Or maybe they will, based on how they play over the next three weeks.
These are five running backs to watch ahead of the Week 2 games.
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David Cobb, RB, Titans (ADP: 138)
Cobb is a mere fifth-round draft pick, but he might be fantasy relevant real soon. He broke out as a senior at Minnesota and rushed for 13 touchdowns and 1,639 yards. He didn’t figure much in the passing game, but it’s hard not to be more impactful than Bishop Sankey was for the Titans as a rookie. RB is a position where little-known players can make a big impact, and coach Ken Whisenhunt plans on seeing what he’s got this week in Cobb.
David Cobb will get an extended look Sunday night says Whisenhunt
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) August 20, 2015
I predict the Titans will name him their starter ahead of Week 1.
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Karlos Williams, RB, Bills (ADP: N/A)
Williams is another fifth-round pick who seems like nothing now, but might have a role bigger than anticipated. LeSean McCoy is dealing with a bad hamstring, an injury that tends to linger. He won’t be playing again this preseason, and the team has already ruled out signing Ray Rice. That means they like what they have.
There is "zero" chance #Bills will sign Ray Rice, just told by team source. — Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) August 19, 2015
Fred Jackson is the obvious choice if McCoy’s out, but he’s getting up there in age. If McCoy can’t suit up, Williams has a chance to surpass Anthony Dixon on the depth chart; if the 34-year-old Jackson is showing decline, maybe Williams even becomes the no. 2. Who knows? You’ll have to watch the preseason and decide for yourself.
Matt Jones, Redskins (ADP: 257)
Jones is the third rookie on this list. He’s currently behind Alfred Morris, one of the more consistent RBs in the NFL, but already in Week 1 of the preseason he made noise. He picked up 38 yards on five carries in his first preseason action, and reeled in an 11-yard pass. The latter production is what makes him a real threat to bite into Morris’ time on the field. Morris has stone hands, and already used to come out on third downs for Roy Helu.
If Jones can really be impressive in those opportunities, he may get an increasing workload and force the ‘Skins to at least move to a committee.
Travaris Cadet, Patriots, (ADP: 273)
Everything about the Patriots lately has been “Deflategate,” but Cadet is going to be an under-the-radar contributor. He was clearly brought in to fill the shoes of Shane Vereen; that might be a tall order, but then again, Cadet’s never received much of a chance.
He was always part of a crowded Saints backfield, and his skill set seems weighted heavily to the passing game. He got 10 rushing attempts last season as opposed to 51 targets. He caught 38 of those passes for 296 yards and a score. If the small sample size is accurate, he’s in for a HUGE leap in production with the Pats.
Denard Robinson, RB, Jaguars (ADP: 198)
Robinson was capable last year filling in for the disaster that was Toby Gerhart, but he’s been relegated back to reserve status thanks to the team drafting T.J. Yeldon in the second round. All isn’t lost, however, because Robinson is a wonderful, versatile player. He will continue to see action out of the backfield, line up as a wide receiver, and might even chuck the pigskin a few times on trick plays. Remember, he was a quarterback at Michigan.
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