NFL Preseason: Week 3 fantasy football thoughts

The third week of NFL preseason action has been put to bed.

This past week of preseason play is always the most important because starters see far more playing time than they do in any of the other weeks. It gives us an opportunity to see if the players are who we thought they were. If you're like me, the eyeball test means more than anything else when preparing for my fantasy football league drafts. I want to see the passes, runs and throws in real game action. The third week of the preseason did not disappoint.

For the third consecutive year, each week I'll be sharing random fantasy football thoughts and tidbits based off of the preseason games. I break it down in a variety of categories based on what I'm seeing on the field and how it is making me feel about their value in fantasy football this year. This series won the Best Fantasy Football Series last year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association in 2010.

Drinking the Kool Aid

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is poised to push for the No. 1 fantasy football quarterback this year. He had another strong outing, hitting 19 of his 23 attempts for 204 yards and a touchdown. If I have my choice of all of the quarterbacks this year, Rodgers is my pick. Tight end Jermichael Finley was a target of plenty of those passes, hauling in four balls for 41 yards and a touchdown. I still feel Finley is overvalued, but he is going to have a fine season if he can stay healthy.

Tim Hightower has looked awesome in the preseason. He beat up the Baltimore "D" to the tune of 56 yards and a touchdown on just nine rushing attempts. I'm still really high on Roy Helu Jr. (13-44-0), but Hightower has played so well in the preseason it cannot be ignored. I'd handcuff Helu to him later, but as long as Hightower doesn't revert to his fumbling ways it should be a very productive season for him. While I'm buying the hype right now, I would still have a hard time taking him higher than my No. 3 fantasy back.

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson had 14 carries for 81 yards rushing against the Dallas Cowboys. Despite the offensive line being less than solid, he found holes to run - and made his own when they were small. With Texans running back Arian Foster suffering another hamstring injury, Peterson solidified himself as the No. 1 back to take this year due to consistency, durability and talent.

My man crush on Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is way beyond infatuation after another strong outing. He carved up the New England Patriots "D" by hitting 12 of 14 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. During the preseason, Stafford has a quarterback rating of 154.0. He has hit 24 of 31 passes for 356 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He took a couple big shots in this game and his shoulder held up. I said earlier I wouldn't draft him as my No. 1 quarterback this year, but I've recently changed my tune on that and have no problem doing such -- just make sure you snag another dependable option as your backup for insurance against Stafford's pesky shoulder.

Detroit receiver Nate Burleson, by the way, caught a touchdown for a third consecutive week. You can draft him late this year and I highly recommend you do.

San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson had five catches for 78 yards against the Arizona Cardinals. He and quarterback Philip Rivers are very much on the same page on almost every route and throw. Look for a big, big year out of V-Jax if he can stay healthy.

Speaking of the Chargers, I'm warming up to Ryan Mathews more and more. After a poor start of training camp with injury issues and not having his football legs, Mathews is looking sharp. He had 10 carries for 69 yards, including a 48-yard scamper. Mike Tolbert will see his touches and may see the touchdown carries, but Mathews is the superior athlete by leaps and bounds. I'm very comfortable snagging Mathews as my No. 3 back; he has the potential to be a low-end No. 1 if he can get his act together consistently and stay healthy. That is asking a lot, but he has game-changing talent when he is on his game.

Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has a huge new contract and a quarterback in Kevin Kolb capable of getting him the football. Life is good again, and fantasy football teams that count on Fitz will be rewarded handsomely this year. He had three catches for 108 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown reception.

I'm starting to think New Orleans Saints rookie running back Mark Ingram might score 15 touchdowns this season. The Saints are going to be at the goal line often, and Ingram continues to see looks in that situation. For full disclosure, Pierre Thomas also was given a goal-line touchdown opportunity in the first quarter, which he scored on, too.

New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs is running angry again. I like seeing that. He'll still share carries with Ahmad Bradshaw, but Jacobs looks really sharp right now. He was disqualified for fighting against the Jets, so he is still prone to losing his cool on the field. Will that put him back in the doghouse? Time will tell.

Keep a close eye on

I do just not like what I'm seeing out of Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. He had a better outing, hitting 10 of 18 passes for 98 yards while rushing four times for 24 yards and a touchdown against the Browns. Vick had a tremendous year a season ago, but seeing him live up to the high billing he is receiving in fantasy circles this year just doesn't jive with me. Vick looks closer to the Atlanta Falcons' version of himself than he has last year's version. In his defense, receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin aren't where they need to be yet. Either way, let the drafter beware -- the $100 million new deal causes more concern.

Texans running back Ben Tate (11-52-0) looked good again, but he is still running as the team's third back. It's tough picking a handcuff for Foster because the Texans are deep and talented at running back, and I have a hard time handcuffing two backups. Derrick Ward (6-13-1) still has the first shot at coming off of the bench, at least for now....

The backfield for the Packers is confusing. I thought we would see a healthy dose of carries by running back James Starks in the third preseason game, but he rushed just once. Starks was, however, on the field a lot in passing situations and caught five passes for 38 yards in the first half. Running back Ryan Grant, who was speculated to possibly on his way out of Green Bay in the last week, had six carries for 16 yards, looking less than spectacular against the Indianapolis Colts. This is a volatile situation for fantasy players; if you have one, you almost have to have the other in a handcuff situation. I have taken Starks in two leagues in the past week, finding strong value around the ninth round.

If Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno wants any touchdowns this year, he better be ready to break some long runs. Willis McGahee was once again used at the goal, where he scored a 2-yard run. Moreno had 10 carries for 47 yards rushing; McGahee toted the rock 10 times for 25 yards.

Did you know Bernard Berrian is still alive? He is; really, I swear. He still plays for the Minnesota Vikings, too. You may not been aware of it because (for now) retired quarterback Brett Favre didn't ever look his way. Berrian is building a rapport with quarterback Donovan McNabb and showed he still has some wheels on a 49-yard touchdown catch (it was a perfect pass from McNabb, too). He finished the game with two receptions for 64 yards and the score. He almost had another touchdown reception, but wasn't able to win a jump ball near the end zone. I have yet to see anyone draft Berrian this year; if you're hurting for a receiver late, he might be worth the gamble.

I'm still not getting the warm fuzzy with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman. He hit 12 of 23 passes against the Dolphins, good for 149 yards. He doesn't look as comfortable at the helm as he did a year ago. Last year's strong season has raised expectations; don't be shocked if he doesn't live up to them. He is, after all, just a third-year quarterback.

For as much abuse as Miami quarterback Chad Henne received during the Kyle Orton trade talks, he is quietly putting together a nice preseason. He hit 10 of 13 attempts for 175 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown to receiver Brandon Marshall. The two have improved their relationship, and it is yielding returns on the field. Now that doesn't mean Henne is ready to lead your fantasy team, but I'm OK with him as a No. 2 in larger leagues.

If the Lions don't trade for a running back or pick up someone off waivers, it wouldn't be a bad idea to spend a late-round draft choice on running back Jerome Harrison. Jahvid Best (concussion) didn't play in the third game and I'm not convinced he can make it a full season healthy. Harrison had eight carries for 24 yards and three receptions for 51 yards.

Cowboys rookie running back DeMarco Murray finally saw time in the preseason, rushing seven times for 32 yards and catching one 7-yard pass. If you take Felix Jones, Murray should be handcuffed to him later. Speaking of Jones, I was impressed with how well he has run the ball.

Tennessee Titans rookie running back Jamie Harper saw the bulk of the carries for the Titans with Chris Johnson holding out and Javon Ringer (hip pointer) on the sideline. Harper rushed 13 times for 36 yards and a touchdown. If Ringer can't heal soon, all of us may have been drafted the wrong handcuff. It's a shame on Ringer, too, as he was having a strong training camp.

So, I don't care

Don't worry about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady having a bad day at the office against the Lions. If you devalue him because he hit 12 of 22 passes for 145 yards with a touchdown and a pick, I want you in my leagues. He'll be fine; it was just an off night.

It looks like Cam Newton is going to be the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. While the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL Draft has a lot of athletic ability, it's going to be another rough year for the Carolina passing game. Tight end Greg Olsen may be the only one of this mess that has weekly fantasy potential.

Quarterback Colt McCoy, of the Browns, regressed a bit in the third week of preseason play, hitting just 50 percent of his passes for 89 yards and an interception. It was against an upgraded Philadelphia defense, so I'm cutting him some slack. I like McCoy in the team's West Coast system; I wouldn't be shocked if he's within the top-20 fantasy quarterbacks by season's end.

New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham (5-73-0) is so damn talented. He saw a lot of looks from quarterback Drew Brees, but this team is so deep there are not enough balls to go around for consistency purposes. Graham has an incredibly high ceiling, but I fear lots of peaks and valleys in his week-to-week stat line.

Don't buy into Antonio Brown's big game for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Atlanta Falcons and start spending draft picks on him. He saw more time due to injuries above him on the depth chart, which helped him haul in four catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He showed talent, but I don't see him having regular chances.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith had another horrible showing. He attempted just six passes, completing two of them ... well, three if you include his completion to the defense. I hope Andrew Luck is a fan of the Bay Area and I hope you don't have to count on many 49ers' players on your fantasy teams.

Buccaneers running back LeGarrette Blount had three receptions for 62 yards. Don't look for him to start seeing passes come his direction often. Of those 62 yards, 52 came on one play. Don't get me wrong, I still like Blount in fantasy circles this year, but he's not going to add an aerial assault to his stat line.

Random thoughts

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel struggled again. He completed just six of his 13 passes against the Rams, throwing for a paltry 59 yards. He simply has not looked comfortable in the preseason. The team has unproven options behind him, so don't anticipate a quarterback controversy at any point, but Cassel needs to elevate his game quickly. I'd shy away from him on draft day.

Typically I don't like going all in on players that have strong injury history (thus my big concerns with Stafford), but, like Stafford, I'm really digging what Beanie Wells is doing with the Cardinals' running game. For a third consecutive game, he ran hard, picks his holes quickly and has deceptive speed. He rushed 10 times for 63 yards against the Chargers' first-string defense, including a long of 24 yards.

I was shocked the Falcons let quarterback Matt Ryan put up 42 passing attempts against the Steelers. I've had a hard time buying into Ryan and rookie receiver Julio Jones (5-59-0) this year because I anticipate the offense remaining somewhat conservative, but the Falcons may be ready to open things up a little bit.

Bengals running back Bernard Scott returned from injury and, while not 100 percent healthy, looked good against the Panthers. He piled up 63 yards rushing and a touchdown on just six carries. With news coming down on Cedric Benson having to spend some time in the slammer (he may not miss any game action - but the NFL could still hand him their own suspension), Scott is a nice value later in drafts with potential. Consider him no better than a weak No. 4 fantasy back.

It's tough to get a read on what the Packers are thinking with their running backs. It appears Ryan Grant will stick on roster despite some recent speculation and James Starks hasn't really carried the ball much in the preseason. Starks had just one rushing attempt compared to Grant's six in the third game, but Starks was on the field a lot in passing situations -- a good sign the team is trusting him more in such a role -- and caught five balls for 38 yards. You're safest handcuffing the two, but I'm fine taking a flier on Starks later as a fourth back even if I don't own Grant.

Raiders receiver Derek Hagan may have played himself into a roster spot on the receiver-hungry roster, but he shouldn't be considered for your fantasy team. He had six catches for 121 yards against the Saints. I still like rookie Denarius Moore the most amongst the Oakland receivers, and that's no better than a No. 5 fantasy wideout.

I'll be shocked if David Garrard is the starting quarterback for the Jaguars all season long. He hit 11 of 21 passes for 106 yards, but hasn't done anything during the preseason to clearly show he deserves to hold onto the starting job. I'm not saying Blaine Gabbert, a rookie, will be any better, but Garrard looks like a guy who is just keeping a seat warm.

Speaking of the Jaguars, receiver Mike Thomas (5-40-0) is going to catch a lot of short passes this year. Keep him in mind late in your PPR-style drafts.

New York Jets third-year quarterback Mark Sanchez is still way too erratic with his passing. I wouldn't look for a big jump in his completion percentage this year or his fantasy production. He's a low-end backup with a low ceiling.

The Seahawks seem determined to have Leon Washington part of the mix at running back. How much that will hurt Justin Forsett and Marshawn Lynch has yet to be seen, but his potential third-down role should chip away at Forsett's playing time.

The Falcons' run "D" looked pretty solid against the Steelers. They limited running back Rashard Mendenhall to just eight yards rushing on seven carries.

Receiver Santana Moss had another solid preseason game, catching three passes for 51 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown. He continues to be available cheap in drafts. Take him as your No. 3 fantasy wideout and you won't be disappointed.

Denver wide receiver Eric Decker had four catches for 45 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown. Remember his name late in drafts if you're hungry for a receiver with upside.

I talked about Joique Bell in this space previously, and the New Orleans back didn't disappoint against the Raiders Sunday night. He had six rushes for 50 yards and a touchdown, while also chipping in two receptions for 90 yards. This kid is a player. He just needs a chance. New Orleans is too deep at running back for him to get one, so the only hope is he is traded somewhere he can contribute.

It was encouraging seeing Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick hit 11 of 12 passes for 165 yards and two scores. After previous preseason struggles, he needed a statement game and he delivered. Stevie Johnson hauled in four of them for 76 yards and a score, but the Bills need to find someone to step up opposite Johnson to help keep defenses honest. Could Marcus Easley (5-51-1) be that guy? After a decent game, he might have the first crack at impressing in the regular season. He's not draft worthy.

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