No one in their right mind plays fantasy football during the preseason. In fact, please show me a site that actually offers this type of pure idiocy and I will gladly buy a bridge in Africa from you.
That being said, there are still things to watch as teams prepare for these meaningless slate of games over the course of a five-day span from tomorrow to Monday.
Let's take a gander of a few of them:
Can Anyone Step up For Baltimore in Passing Game?
With Anquan Boldin now wearing the red and gold, Baltimore's wide receiver group is nowhere near as experienced or as talented as it was last year. Couple that with a season-ending hip injury for tight end Dennis Pitta and a more minor hamstring injury to his primary backup Ed Dickson and there are opportunities for others to step up here.
Can Tandon Doss, Deonte Thompson or even rookie Aaron Mellette prove that their capable of filling the void? Considering that Jacoby Jones, who is slated to start opposite Torrey Smith this season, isn't in the mix this week; one of these youngsters might prove that they're worth a late-round pick in deeper leagues. Of course, we'll want to see a larger sample size than the initial preseason game before drawing a conclusion.
Baltimore's tight end situation is about as unsettled. Matt Furstenburg and h-back Kyle Juszczyk# may be two players to watch here.
San Francisco 49ers Also Looking for Receivers to Step Up
Don't expect a lot to happen here on Thursday against the Denver Broncos. New addition Austin Collie will not be suiting up, while Lavelle Hawkins provides zero upside in terms of fantasy football. Outside of Kyle Williams, who will may not play, most of San Francisco's receiver options are more of the dynasty variety.
Quinton Patton has been slowed down to injury during training camp and will also be on the sideline for this one. The players to watch are wide receiver A.J. Jenkins and tight end Vance McDonald, both of whom are intriguing dynasty options. Jenkins has had his ups and downs during training camp, but has surprised over the past couple days. Meanwhile, McDonald promises to be San Francisco's No. 2 tight end behind Vernon Davis. Speaking of Davis, he's been a dynamo all training camp long and is primed for a huge season. Check out how his connection with Colin Kaepernick looks early on Thursday.
Has Golden Tate Picked His Game Up That Much?
Tate is back in his original position after new addition Percy Harvin injured his hip in July. This seems to indicate that Tate, who recorded over 700 receiving yards and caught nearly 70 percent of the passes thrown in his direction last year, could be a solid under-the-radar fantasy option. Reports from camp indicate that Tate has been Seattle's most impressive player, which really makes him an interesting stroryline during preseason action.
Who Will be Catching Passes from Tom Brady, Ryan Mallett and Tim Tebow Friday?
Danny Amendola, Danny Amendola and a bit more Danny Amendola. That's your short-form answer right there. Thus far in camp, Aaron Dobson has struggled and doesn't necessarily seem ready to make an impact at this point. Fellow rookie Josh Boyce has been more impressive, but he's more of a slot guy; a role that should be filled by Amendola. Michael Jenkins hasn't caught more than 53 passes in any of his first nine NFL season. Some expect Julian Edelman to step up with both Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd gone, but he's been hampered by injury thus far in camp. In addition, Rob Gronkowski is still on the preseason PUP list and some reports indicate he'll miss the first month of the season.
See a pattern here?
The Patriots are without any real viable receiving options for Tom Brady at this point.
As it is, Brady has a way of getting the most out of marginal receivers. It'll be interesting to see exactly who might step up in a go-to rule during the preseason. Special teamer Matthew Slater is a two-time Pro Bowl performer, but he has caught just one pass in five NFL seasons. Though, it is important to note that Brady and Slater do have a built-in relationship from training camp/practice reps over those five seasons. Outside of Slater and Boyce, New England's training camp depth chart at wide receiver is filled with unknowns.