With the initial NFL preseason games in the books comes the full-on hype. Sometimes it’s hard to filter through all the noise. Here are some players trending up or down for reasons that hold the most water.

Players Trending Up

Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
No one is flying up draft boards more than Courtland Sutton. He has soared from a 6th to a 3rd round average draft position (ADP) – a considerable jump of about 40 spots. The season-ending knee injury to Tim Patrick means less competition for targets, plus Sutton will benefit from the Broncos’ QB upgrade in Russell Wilson. I’ve been team Sutton > Jerry Jeudy since Denver drafted Jeudy, especially after the team acquired Wilson. Sutton’s skill-set is a better fit with Wilson’s strengths. While Sutton’s 16.5-yard average depth of target was second highest among WRs that saw at least 50 targets last season, 30% of those balls were deemed uncatchable per Graham Barfield of Fantasy Points via Sports Info Solutions. Meanwhile, Wilson was a top-10 QB in on-target deep ball rate four of the previous five seasons. Wilson has also shown in practices and joint workouts with the Dallas Cowboys that his go-to target is Sutton in pressure situations.

Dameon Pierce (RB – HOU)
Even before his impressive season debut, Dameon Pierce looked like the Houston Texans’ best running back. Coming off of a strong camp, Pierce rushed for 49 yards on five attempts against the Saints on Saturday, averaging a whopping 9.8 yards per clip. The Texans did sign veteran Marlon Mack, but he has been off the grid since tearing his Achilles at the start of 2020. If the youngster keeps outplaying the former Indianapolis Colt, Pierce could take over the starting reins within the first month.

Isaiah McKenzie (WR – BUF)
Keep an eye on Isaiah McKenzie late in drafts, as he appears to be winning the slot receiver role in Buffalo. He rested with the starters in the Bills’ first exhibition game while oft-injured Jamison Crowder played with the backups. QB Josh Allen’s slot target rate is a sky-high 41.1%. Cole Beasley averaged 100+ targets each year as Buffalo’s slot receiver, and he and Emmanuel Sanders are no longer in the picture.

Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC)
See below under Ronald Jones.

Players Trending Down

Antonio Gibson (RB – WAS)
With some fumbilitis flaring up, miscues on the ground, and an impressive showing by rookie Brian Robinson, Gibson could be losing his grip on the RB1 spot. After fumbling six times during his 2021 campaign, Gibson again put the ball on the ground during the Washington Commanders’ preseason opener versus the Carolina Panthers. Following the fumble, Gibson has been running with the twos, working with the punting unit, and giving up third down work. Coach Ron Rivera could be sending a message, but Gibson needs to make adjustments before he serves up more slices of the pie to Robinson and J.D. McKissic.

Ronald Jones (RB – KC)
The rise of Isiah Pacheco in Kansas City could be the fall of Ronald Jones. Jones is coming off a lackluster season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers behind starter Leonard Fournette, only putting up double-digit points once, with a season-high rushing of just 65 yards. Meanwhile, Pacheco has been turning heads at camp and took the RB2 snaps with the starters during the Chiefs preseason opener behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire. According to Nate Taylor of The Athletic, Jones could fall off the 53-man roster.

Mike Gesicki (TE – MIA)
According to reports, Mike Gesicki will be used as a blocker more often this season, as evidenced in Miami’s first preseason game, where he was used as an in-line TE instead of in the slot. He also hasn’t seen many targets in 11-on-11 drills in practices. That doesn’t bode well for him despite coming off a career season as receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle will soak up a ton of the targets in the passing game.