While he’ll miss the first four weeks of the season, Martavis Bryant has been impressive this preseason
With NFL preseason action wrapping up this week, several on field (and off field) performances have happened that may have you looking at your roster (or prepping for your late draft) in a different light. Let’s highlight a few of those performances from Week 3 and 4 of the preseason and their fantasy impacts as we approach the start of the regular season.
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Sam Bradford impressive
Following the trade that sent Bradford to Philadelphia this offseason, many fans were curious to see how the former Heisman winner would recover from his second ACL tear in as many years and perform in Chip Kelly’s high-flying offense. Bradford made those fans wait, as he didn’t play in the Eagles’ first preseason game and only attempted five passes in the second (he finished 3-of-5 for 35 yards). However, in the Eagles’ third preseason game at Green Bay, Bradford picked the Packers defense apart and showed fans that he is comfortable in his new system. The Eagles’ QB was perfect on Saturday, going 10-of-10 for 121 yards and 3 TD, leading his team to a decisive 39-26 victory.
While this is only one preseason game (Bradford did not play in the final contest), he is still being undervalued as a fantasy option. Currently, Bradford’s ADP is 116 and he is ranked as the 15th QB off the board. Even though Bradford doesn’t offer the rushing ability that Kelly seems to prefer, he has all the skills to make the quick, accurate throws necessary in the wide-open scheme. With the perfect performance last Saturday, Bradford’s fantasy value is rising. If he happened to go undrafted in your league, it might be worth the waiver claim to add another solid QB option to your roster. Otherwise, if you haven’t had your draft yet, look for Bradford as a solid late-round addition, especially in 2 QB leagues or if the other big-name guys are already off the board.
Blake Bortles (once again) looks good in preseason
Bortles has been great this preseason, but his performances may have flown under the radar due to the Jaguars not getting much national coverage. Even with a very young roster around him, the Jags QB has looked much more conformable and poised in Jacksonville’s offense, especially compared to his rookie season. Through three games this preseason, Bortles has gone 39-of-60 for 461 yards and 1 TD plus five rushes for 42 yards (Bortles also didn’t play in the fourth preseason game). Although he’s been great, one critique on Bortles is that he also looked good last preseason before struggling through a rough rookie campaign. However, if he can continue his current level of play in the regular season, Bortles may have some fantasy value as a solid bye week fill-in. Currently, the Jag’s QB is going undrafted in most leagues (ADP of 221) so, if you’re unhappy with your current QBs, Bortles may be worth keeping an eye on as the regular season progresses.
Big preseason for Martavis Bryant
Bryant has been in the NFL headlines lately due to his four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, but he was still on the field for all of Pittsburgh’s preseason games. Bryant showed what the Steelers will miss in the third preseason game versus Buffalo. In just one half of play, Bryant finished with three catches for 138 yards and 1 TD. Throughout the preseason, Bryant is third among all wide receivers with 215 receiving yards and 96 yards after the catch. Building off his strong finish last season, Bryant is quietly developing into one of the game’s top deep threats and fits perfectly into the Steelers offense alongside Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.
All this makes it more frustrating for Bryant fantasy owners, as he’ll now sit out a quarter of the regular season. However, even with his suspension, Bryant is a must-own in all leagues. The Steelers’ receiver has a current ADP of 73, but that may fall now that his suspension is official. So, if your fantasy draft is coming up or someone in your league either drops him or is looking to trade him, look to grab Bryant on the cheap as he’ll likely see the ball as soon as he returns.
Amari Cooper living up to the hype
After the loaded class of rookie receivers that came into the NFL last season, there was a lot of hype that this year’s class would keep that trend going. However, injuries have put a halt to that as hyped rookies Kevin White and DeVante Parker have yet to take the field. Thankfully, the top-rated receiver in the draft, Oakland’s Amari Cooper, may keep that trend going all by himself. Cooper has looked great this preseason, especially with the ball in his hands. In limited action so far, Cooper has amassed eight catches for 124 yards on 14 targets. While those don’t look like overly impressive numbers, Cooper has shown the skills necessary to beat NFL cornerbacks on a regular basis. This will greatly help second-year QB Derek Carr, and he’ll likely target Cooper early and often once the regular season begins.
Cooper’s impressive preseason has been reflected in his fantasy value as well. Currently, Cooper is the highest ranking rookie receiver with an ADP of 45. If you were lucky enough to draft him before his stock rose too much, you’ll have a weekly contributor on your roster. For those of you with late drafts, Cooper would be a solid choice, especially in PPR leagues, in the fourth or fifth round.
NaVorro Bowman back on the field
One of the best sights of this preseason was just seeing NaVorro Bowman back on the field. Following the horrific knee injury he suffered in the 2014 NFC Championship Game, Bowman missed the entire 2014-15 season while recovering. In his first action in over a year, Bowman played only three snaps in the 49ers second preseason game versus Dallas. In those three snaps, Bowman recorded three tackles, including two for loss. Then last Saturday, versus Denver, Bowman played most of the first half and finished with an unreal nine tackles and two sacks. It’s always a great sight when someone recovers from a devastating injury and returns to the same level of play they were before being injured.
From a fantasy perspective, Bowman makes the 49ers defense a ton better (especially after all the other losses they suffered this offseason). The 49ers’ linebacker is currently ranked as the 8th overall pick for IDP players and the 5th best linebacker. If you happen to play in an IDP league, look to lock up Bowman early as he’ll be back to his tackling best this season.
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Brad Behrens is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Brad, check out his archive or follow him @_BradBehrens.
