With Week 2 of the NFL Preseason wrapped up, there were some players who surprised with their performances and should be noticed for their accomplishments last week, particularly when it comes to assessing them for their 2014 fantasy football potential.
Sam Bradford, Quarterback, St. Louis Rams
Bradford hadn’t touched NFL soil officially for nearly a year, while mending from a torn ACL he suffered last season. In returning to the field, Bradford looked quite polished in the two series in which he played completing 101 yards on nine of his 12 attempts and scoring one touchdown.
With no interceptions to record, Bradford completed his day with a 127.4 passer rating. By no means should you run out and draft Bradford as you starter, however, should he continue to play this solidly for the remainder of the preseason, he certainly deems worthy of a backup fantasy quarterback. With wide receiver, Kenny Britt now in the mix, and second-year year receiver Tavon Austin showing promise, Bradford could surprise later in the season.
Justin Hunter, Wide Receiver, Tennessee Titans
Hunter, in his second preseason game was nearly unstoppable by the New Orleans Saints’ defense. When the 6’-4” Hunter jumps, he is a mighty tall weapon to defend, proving it with 111 yards on four catches, including two touchdowns.
The second-year receiver should be on your fantasy radar come draft time. Hunter is not the Titans’ top wide receiver, however with seven inches of height on fellow receiver Kendall Wright, he won’t be ignored in the passing game. If you draft Hunter as your fourth or fifth wide receiver, he might just reward flex fantasy points as the regular NFL season unfolds.
Brandon LaFell, Wide Receiver New England Patriots
LaFell, new to the Patriots since his 2010 draft by the Carolina Panthers, stepped up his game Friday night by scoring his first touchdown for New England. Catching a four-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo earned LaFell this stat.
Finishing the night with two catches on three targets, for a total of 29 yards, LaFell looked sharp on the field and is wide receiver worth watching for the remainder of the preseason just to see if he can keep up this level of production on the field.
The Patriots have a wide range of receiving options at quarterback Tom Brady’s disposal, such as Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and tight end, Rob Gronkowski. However with these guys drawing heavier coverage, LaFell makes a handy late-round receiver to draft with the hope that he’ll surprise with some extravagant plays in 2014.
Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings
Bridgewater showed up this week with flying colors, playing the whole second half in a 30-28 victory against the Arizona Cardinals. Responsible for 17 points in the fourth quarter, Bridgewater threw a last-minute, game-winning touchdown to boot.
Causing everyone second-guess the Cardinals’ defense, Bridgewater had two consecutive scoring drives, including a two-point conversion. At the conclusion of the nail-biting game, Bridgewater ended up with 16 completed passes on 20 attempts, totaling 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Showing glimmers of starting quality, Bridgewater played impressively, which increases his draft stock back into the scale of a potential backup fantasy drafters may want to consider for their rosters.
Mark Ingram, Running Back New Orleans Saints
Ingram, the Saints first-round draft pick from 2011 is beginning to show signs that he can be that versatile back the team can depend upon in 2014. Now listed as the top running back on the team’s depth chart, Ingram appears to be poised for a larger role on the Saints’ offense.
Showcasing his pass-catching ability, Ingram caught a 23-yard touchdown pass along with racking up 19 rush yards on five touches in Friday’s winning matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
With former running back Darren Sproles off in Philly and Pierre Thomas taking downgrade as the third back on the Saints roster, the team must have some special plans in order for Ingram. Continue watching him in the next two preseason games as he has shined quite brightly thus far. With Khiry Robinson, the second-year running back in the picture, Ingram surely is not RB1 draft material, but he may be hedging on RB2 fantasy draft status as the preseason winds down.
Hakeem Nicks, Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts
With the Colts’ veteran wide receiver, Reggie Wayne sitting this game out, Nicks stepped into action against his former New York Giants’ team showing he had a thing or two to prove as he caught all five passes thrown his direction.
Ending the evening with 53 yards, Nicks, who only played in four series, certainly stands to advance his numbers from last season due to the major improvement at quarterback in Andrew Luck.
As far as Nicks’ potential fantasy value for the 2014 season, he sits behind both Wayne and T.Y. Hilton in depth, so at this time, drafting him as a handcuff is about all that is warranted. However, if Nicks keeps putting up decent numbers in the remainder of the preseason games, the team may find a way to use him in three-receiver sets, or as a plug and play to keep Wayne fresh.
Jonathan Stewart, Running Back, Carolina Panthers
Stewart single-handedly and surprisingly scored more rushing touchdowns with two against the Kansas City Chiefs, than his zero of last year in six games. After participating in five series, Stewart tallied up 26 rush yards on four touches for an average of 6.5 yards per carry.
If Stewart had been on your fantasy roster, he would have rewarded two-fold. The key to Stewart’s success, however, is whether he can remain healthy come the regular season. Keep monitoring him throughout the rest of his preseason as we are well aware that Stewart is one of a trio of running backs the Panthers rely upon.
Should Stewart turn out solid numbers once again next week, and outplay his primary running back competition, DeAngelo Williams, he certainly deserves a second thought come fantasy football draft day.
Russell Wilson, Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
Was Wilson not the most surprising and impressive player in the Seahawks’ matchup against the San Diego Chargers last week? It’s a given that Wilson makes a worthy fantasy football quarterback most weeks during the fantasy football season, however, he took his performance to a whole other level in a home victory against the Chargers.
Running in two of his own touchdowns, which blows his one total rushing touchdown from 2013 away, Wilson absolutely wowed fans. In addition to that, he completed 11 of 13 passing attempts for 121 yards.
Coming off of this stellar performance, Wilson certainly got the attention of those who are considering the third-year quarterback to head their team. Next Wilson and the Seahawks host the Chicago Bears, so all eyes will be on Wilson as potential drafters of the mobile quarterback will be salivating to see more.