Did we just witness the emergence of a new Fantasy Football star? Saints WR Marquez Callaway is going to be the talk of the industry following his 5-104-2 performance against the Jaguars in Monday’s preseason game, and it sure looks like all of those reports about him emerging as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver with Michael Thomas out are legit.
Callaway is going to be flying up the rankings in the coming days, and that’s for good reason. He’s gone from WR79 in the first week of August to WR60 over the last week in ADP, and I’d bet he’s going to break the top 50 before long
He’s just one player who is rising in the rankings lately, and today’s newsletter is going to focus on some others who are moving up, as well as a handful who are moving in the wrong direction as we get into the final two weeks of preseason action. You’ve always got to exercise caution when it comes to rankings changes at this point in draft season, because it’s easy to overreact to what little we’ve seen so far. Should Callaway go from being completely off most Fantasy radars a month ago to the WR4 range in drafts because of three good quarters? Should Ja’Marr Chase really be falling down boards because he had trouble handling his first three targets in a game since January of 2020?
You have to know when to react, and just as importantly, when not to. There’s a lot of noise in training camp and the preseason, and shifting your position too much about the wrong news can get your season off on the wrong foot immediately. So, based on what I’ve picked up from training camp reports, injuries, and preseason action, I’ve put together a team of rankings risers and fallers here today. And you’ll be able to find my latest PPR rankings for every position at the bottom of this newsletter — right after a quick breakdown of Monday’s preseason game between the Saints and Jaguars that featured some pretty serious news.
But first, while I’ve got you here, a friendly reminder that our charity auctions for St. Jude Children’s Hospital as part of our Draft-A-Thon are still going on, and we’ve added some awesome prizes in the past few days — like a chance to draft with and play against Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard and Heath Cummings in the 2022 Scott Fish Bowl. We’re doing this for a cause we really care about and we’ll be raising money all the way up to Sept. 1, when the Fantasy Football Today Draft-A-Thon goes live on CBS Sports HQ and our FFT YouTube channel until midnight. So, go check it out, help the kids out, and we can help you win your league.
Rankings risers
- Justin Fields/Trey Lance — Of course they’re moving up. How could they not be, with every passing day seemingly bringing them closer to taking their respective starting jobs. I think Fields and Lance have comparable upside, so I’ll take Fields first between the two of them. He’s a top 15 QB for me at this point, and I love pairing him with someone like Cam Newton or Baker Mayfield, who could get off to a strong start until Fields is ready.
- Saquon Barkley — I’m still concerned about Barkley’s chances of staying healthy, but that’s much better than where I was a few weeks ago, when I was concerned about Barkley’s chances of being ready for Week 1. Maybe he’ll be limited early on, but I would still expect something like 15 touches in Week 1. Despite all of the risk, Barkley is back in the discussion for my top six.
- Chase Edmonds — I’ve had trouble figuring out what to expect from Edmonds, who has yet to top 100 carries through three seasons. Did they bring in James Conner to be the Kenyan Drake replacement, or is Edmonds the true lead back? The preseason usage suggests it may be the latter. I’ve moved Edmonds into my top 24 at running back, and there’s upside beyond that.
- Corey Davis — Davis is one of the biggest winners from the first two preseason games, and the connection he has with Zach Wilson is obvious. I’ve moved him inside of my top 30 at wide receiver.
- Jaylen Waddle — If everyone is healthy, Waddle is going to have a lot of competition for targets, and both Will Fuller and DeVante Parker are expected to be healthy by Week 1. However, while some of his rookie peers have lost valuable time to injuries or have otherwise struggles, Waddle has been Miami’s top receiver basically since the start of training camp. He’s getting valuable reps and seems like a good bet for a bigger role than I initially expected. Waddle is still a WR4 for me, but I think he’s a fine target in the middle rounds at this point.
- Marquez Callaway — Through two preseason games, Callaway is up to eight catches for 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns while working exclusively with the first-team offense. Maybe things will be different when Tre’Quan Smith comes back from his injury, but Callaway sure looks like the clear top option in Michael Thomas‘ absence. I’ve moved him into the Waddle/Mike Williams/DeVonta Smith range, just outside of my top 50.
- Jonnu Smith — Smith returned Monday from an ankle injury, while Hunter Henry remains sidelined by a shoulder injury. Henry may be available for Week 1, but at this point that is no guarantee, and we should probably expect Smith to have a larger role than Henry at this point.
- Rondale Moore — Moore has now played 45 snaps through two preseason games, 40 of which have come out of the slot, and he’s received nine targets and three carries. Obviously, that kind of usage probably won’t happen when DeAndre Hopkins is active, but it’s clear the Cardinals want to find ways to get the ball into Moore’s hands, and it seems like he might have locked up the starting slot role. Moore is inside of my top 48 at this point, actually slightly ahead of Waddle and Callaway.
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Rankings fallers
- Ben Roethlisberger — We won’t know what to fully make of any of the new-look offenses until the season actually starts, but I have to be honest, I wasn’t particularly impressed with Ben Roethlisberger in his preseason debut this week. He was 8 for 10 for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns, so it’s hard to knock his play too much, but there was still too much of last season’s conservative play there — only four of his 10 attempts traveled more than 5 yards down the field, and his two chunk plays came on a short catch and run by Najee Harris and a pretty badly underthrown ball to Diontae Johnson. He has the weapons — Pat Freiermuth especially impressed in hauling in both of Roethlisberger’s touchdowns — and should have the volume, but I still think Roethlisberger is just a No. 2 QB at this point in his career.
- Zack Moss — By all accounts, Moss was working as the No.1 back through most of camp, so maybe Saturday’s weird usage — Devin Singletary played the first 18 snaps — was just a result of Moss coming back from an injury. However, given that this isn’t a particularly valuable backfield, if it’s anything close to an even split, neither player is likely to be much more than a fringe bench option.
- Michael Carter — Carter is still the back to target for the Jets, but after watching him mostly play as the No. 3 back behind Tevin Coleman and Ty Johnson so far, it’s clear you’re going to have to be patient with him. If I can get him in the seventh or eighth round, there’s still a lot to like about Carter, but you can’t go into Week 1 expecting him to be a starter at this point.
- JuJu Smith-Schuster — Tied to Roethlisberger, I wanted to see Smith-Schuster in a more valuable role this season after he was relegated to just a short-area target in 2020, but five of his six targets in Week 2 of the preseason traveled less than 5 yards in the air. I think he can still be a bit more effective in that role than he was in 2020 if the offense as a whole is better.
- Ja’Marr Chase — I haven’t moved Chase down much — from WR23 to WR25 — so I don’t think I’m overreacting to his bad preseason or reports about struggles in camp. I still think he’s a very high upside player with a big opportunity as a rookie, but I’m a bit more worried about his chances of hitting the ground running in Week 1. If you can draft him as your WR3, you should still feel really good about that.
- Kenny Golladay — It looks like Golladay will be ready for Week 1, but I’ve had to move him down after seeing his training camp mostly get wiped out as he recovers from his hamstring injury. I have little to no faith in Daniel Jones at this point, so Golladay heading into the season with limited reps really doesn’t make me feel great. I’ll still pull the trigger on Golladay as a No. 3 WR, but I’ve moved him down to WR30.
- Dallas Goedert — If the Eagles are still looking for a trade partner for Zach Ertz, then all of the hand-wringing about Goedert will look mighty silly. But right now, it sure looks like Ertz still has a significant role in the Eagles offense, and that’s bad news for Goedert, obviously. We’ve seen both finish as top-12 tight ends together once before, but that was in a very different context, with Carson Wentz throwing 600-plus passes and even less WR talent than the Eagles currently have. Goedert is still in my top 12 at TE, but that’s almost by default.
- James Conner — If Edmonds is moving up, it only makes sense that his backfield mate is moving down. Conner still has some appeal as a potential Kenyan Drake replacement, but my assumption now is they are going to let Edmonds get the first crack at being a lead back, with Conner around as a complementary piece and insurance policy. In the second preseason game, Conner played just three snaps in the three drives with the first-team offense, all of which came on the third drive, and he actually shared the field with Edmonds for one of those snaps. That’s too small a sample size to say anything definitive, but given that Conner is a sort of low-upside player — he needs an injury to Edmonds to really be a must-start Fantasy option — I’m OK moving the more dynamic pass-catching back up at Conner’s expense.
Injuries, news and notes
- Travis Etienne has a mid-foot sprain — Etienne left Monday’s game with the injury, and while he will require more testing to determine the severity of the injury, Adam Schefter reported Etienne is out “indefinitely” while they wait for more news. That’s a huge bummer, because Etienne has superstar potential for Fantasy. Maybe not in this offense this season — the Jaguars continued to look horrible in this game — but his abilities as a pass catcher make him an excellent prospect. Now, however, it sounds like there’s a decent chance he’ll be delayed in making his regular season debut, and we already know James Robinson is a dynamic playmaker in his own right. You were always going to have to be patient as Etienne worked his way into a significant role, but with this injury, now it’s possible that gets pushed back more toward the middle of the season. We’ll wait for more information to lock in rankings, but for now, I’m viewing Robinson as a must-start back to open the season and for however long Etienne is out, and I would take him as a top-25 back now. As for Etienne, he’s still in the RB3 discussion for me because of his upside, but now you know you won’t be able to count on him to start the season.
- Jameis Winston looked like the Saints No. 1 QB — It really wasn’t close. Winston started the game against the Jaguars after Taysom Hill started last week’s, and Winston was tremendous, going 9 for 10 for 123 yards and two touchdowns — both to Callaway, and both on balls that traveled more than 40 yards in the air. That’s the element Winston can bring to this offense that Hill can’t, and I’m betting this game was enough to earn Winston the job, even if Sean Payton wouldn’t admit it after the game. Winston is a nice upside play in a 2QB league as a potential starter you won’t have to pay much for, and I think you could reasonably consider him a top-20 QB once he is confirmed as the starter.
- Adam Trautman also left with a foot injury — Trautman had to be carted off after his injury, but we don’t know any more about his status at this point. It’s a disappointment for the Fantasy sleeper, though it’s worth noting that Juwan Johnson was pushing Trautman for playing time already, and he might be the deep-league sleeper worth keeping an eye on now.
- The Bears are sticking with Andy Dalton as the starter for Week 1 — Fields continues to look much, much more effective than Dalton, though Dalton was at least a little better in this one than he was in the preseason opener. At this point, Dalton’s job security has to be pretty limited, so even a bad first half in the opener might open the door. I’m drafting Fields everywhere I can, because he has the look of a potential Fantasy superstar, and I’m expecting him to be starting sooner rather than later.
- Dak Prescott threw 45-50 passes before Saturday’s game — Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters if it was Week 1, Prescott would have been out there. Of course, that’s the same thing we heard from everyone when he first suffered the injury weeks ago, but at least this time it looks like it might not just be hot air. With a little more than two weeks until the opener, Prescott looks firmly on schedule.
- Carson Wentz (foot) practiced Monday — By all accounts, Wentz has been on the short end of the 5-12 week timetable, and this is his latest positive step. There’s no guarantee he’ll be back for Week 1, but it’s starting to look as likely as not. It’ll be hard to trust anyone in this offense except for Jonathan Taylor until we see them in action, but if Wentz can rediscover his pre-2020 form, there’s room for upside here.
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire left with an ankle sprain — Andy Reid said after the game it was minor, and obviously teams will pull players from preseason games with injuries they might otherwise play through, so I’m not too concerned here. Edwards-Helaire played the first five snaps before the injury, and continues to look like the clear No. 1 RB in Kansas City, making him a borderline No. 1 RB for Fantasy.
- Saquon Barkley (knee) will participate in joint practices with the Patriots this week — Barkley continues to methodically work his way back to full strength in his recovery from ACL surgery, but at this point, he looks well on track to play in Week 1. The expectation is his reps may be limited early on, but he should continue to be viewed as a top-12 RB with top-two upside.
- Jalen Hurts (illness) was back at practice Sunday — Hurts missed the team’s preseason game Friday with a stomach illness that briefly required a trip to the hospital, so it’s good to see him back at it.
- Curtis Samuel (groin) still hasn’t participated in team drills — Samuel is making progress, and the team would still like him to make it into the final preseason game this weekend, but that seems unlikely if he can’t get into team drills. The good news is, Samuel knows the offense from his time with Ron Rivera in Carolina, and there’s still nearly three weeks until the opener, which is plenty of time for him to get up to speed. But Samuel is switching teams for the first time, so you’d really love to see him get some competitive reps soon.
- The Dolphins expect Will Fuller to be ready for the start of the season — We haven’t gotten many details on Fuller’s injury so far, just that it’s a lower body injury that has kept him out of practice. That’s concerning for a guy with a history of injuries like Fuller, but remember, he’s got an extra week to get healthy because he is suspended for Week 1, which could be a blessing in disguise. I love Fuller’s potential this season and he’s one of my favorite targets in the WR4 range. He has top-20 potential.
- Trey Sermon missed Sunday’s game with an ankle injury — There’s no sign the injury is an especially serious one, but it’s worth noting here. Sermon figures to play a 1b role to Raheem Mostert’s 1a, and is a solid RB3 target with upside.
- Courtland Sutton (knee) didn’t end up playing in the preseason game as expected — He’s still planning on playing in the preseason finale, it sounds like, but either way, this shouldn’t be seen as a setback of any kind. He’s fully cleared and figures to be right there in Week 1 alongside Jerry Jeudy on the outside for the Broncos, and he has WR2 potential at a currently discounted price, making him a solid pickup in drafts.
- Quez Watkins has likely worked his way into a starting spot — That would likely be in the slot, with Jalen Reagor and DeVonta Smith starting on the outside, though you should expect to see all three of them cycling through each spot from time to time. That’s a lot of speed on the field with Jalen Hurts, and while I’m not sure I would trust any of them to be starters at first, Watkins certainly belongs on your late-round radar, especially in deeper leagues.
- N’Keal Harry (shoulder) is expected to miss four weeks — You have to wonder if this puts Harry’s chances of making the roster for Week 1 in doubt. He’s apparently had his best training camp to date, but he was looking like the No. 4 WR for the Patriots before this injury at best. Now, it might not make sense for the Patriots to hang on to him.
- Rashod Bateman (core) was cleared to run routes — Bateman is recovering from core muscle surgery and is still hoping to be clear for Week 1, though that seems like a pretty long shot at this point. Bateman remains worth drafting in the later rounds, but you’ll likely have to be patient with him after his training camp was derailed.
- Jonnu Smith returned to practice Monday — Smith had missed a few days as a result of an ankle injury, but he’s back at it now, and still a ways ahead of Henry, which bodes well for his chances of emerging as possibly the No. 1 option in this passing game.
Updated rankings
Quarterback
- Patrick Mahomes
- Kyler Murray
- Lamar Jackson
- Josh Allen
- Russell Wilson
- Dak Prescott
- Aaron Rodgers
- Jalen Hurts
- Ryan Tannehill
- Tom Brady
- Justin Herbert
- Joe Burrow
- Matthew Stafford
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Justin Fields
- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Trevor Lawrence
- Kirk Cousins
- Cam Newton
- Tyrod Taylor
- Trey Lance
- Jameis Winston
- Carson Wentz
- Daniel Jones
- Ben Roethlisberger
- Matt Ryan
- Derek Carr
- Baker Mayfield
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Jared Goff
- Zach Wilson
- Taysom Hill
- Sam Darnold
- Drew Lock
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Andy Dalton
- Mac Jones
Running back
- Christian McCaffrey
- Alvin Kamara
- Dalvin Cook
- Austin Ekeler
- Ezekiel Elliott
- Joe Mixon
- Aaron Jones
- Saquon Barkley
- Najee Harris
- Derrick Henry
- Jonathan Taylor
- Nick Chubb
- David Montgomery
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Antonio Gibson
- D’Andre Swift
- Chris Carson
- Darrell Henderson
- Miles Sanders
- J.K. Dobbins
- Josh Jacobs
- Chase Edmonds
- Mike Davis
- Myles Gaskin
- James Robinson
- Kareem Hunt
- Raheem Mostert
- Kenyan Drake
- Javonte Williams
- Melvin Gordon
- James Conner
- Jamaal Williams
- Travis Etienne
- A.J. Dillon
- Michael Carter
- Trey Sermon
- Devin Singletary
- Malcolm Brown
- Tevin Coleman
- James White
- Nyheim Hines
- J.D. McKissic
- Ronald Jones
- Leonard Fournette
- Damien Harris
- Zack Moss
- Tony Pollard
- Gus Edwards
- Giovani Bernard
- Phillip Lindsay
- David Johnson
- Rashaad Penny
- Darrynton Evans
- Xavier Jones
- Darrel Williams
- Kenneth Gainwell
- Mark Ingram
- Alexander Mattison
- Sony Michel
- Latavius Murray
Wide receiver
- Davante Adams
- Stefon Diggs
- DeAndre Hopkins
- Tyreek Hill
- Calvin Ridley
- Allen Robinson
- A.J. Brown
- Justin Jefferson
- Keenan Allen
- Robert Woods
- D.K. Metcalf
- Terry McLaurin
- Amari Cooper
- CeeDee Lamb
- Julio Jones
- Tyler Lockett
- Cooper Kupp
- D.J. Moore
- Mike Evans
- Chris Godwin
- Diontae Johnson
- Tee Higgins
- Adam Thielen
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Michael Thomas
- Brandon Aiyuk
- Corey Davis
- Will Fuller
- Kenny Golladay
- Chase Claypool
- Jerry Jeudy
- Curtis Samuel
- Deebo Samuel
- Robby Anderson
- Brandin Cooks
- Courtland Sutton
- Odell Beckham
- JuJu Smith-Schuster
- D.J. Chark
- Laviska Shenault
- Tyler Boyd
- Antonio Brown
- Emmanuel Sanders
- Rondale Moore
- Jaylen Waddle
- Sterling Shepard
- Mike Williams
- Jarvis Landry
- T.Y. Hilton
- Marvin Jones
- DeVonta Smith
- Marquise Brown
- Elijah Moore
- Mecole Hardman
- Marques Callaway
- Michael Pittman
- DeVante Parker
- Michael Gallup
- Darnell Mooney
- Jalen Reagor
- Rashod Bateman
- Jakobi Meyers
- Bryan Edwards
- Russell Gage
- Tyrell Williams
Tight end
- Travis Kelce
- George Kittle
- Darren Waller
- Mark Andrews
- T.J. Hockenson
- Kyle Pitts
- Logan Thomas
- Noah Fant
- Jonnu Smith
- Irv Smith
- Hunter Henry
- Dallas Goedert
- Tyler Higbee
- Blake Jarwin
- Jared Cook
- Mike Gesicki
- Austin Hooper
- Rob Gronkowski
- Zach Ertz
- Gerald Everett
- Evan Engram
- Robert Tonyan
- Eric Ebron
- Anthony Firkser
- Cole Kmet
- Dalton Schultz
- Dawson Knox
- C.J. Uzomah
- Adam Trautman
- Dan Arnold
- Mo Alie-Cox
- Will Dissly
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