Good morning. Another week of the preseason is in the books, which means we’re that much closer to the real deal. That also means your fantasy drafts are coming up quick, so we have some juicy content set up to get you ready, including:

• Today: Preseason Week 2 Risers & Fallers

• Wednesday: “Their Guys” —> who are industry experts targeting the most in drafts?

• Friday: 10 Tips to Win Your Draft

It’s crunch time, guys, so fire up your favorite Jameis Winston pregame speech and get after it!

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Minshew Mania

Gardner Minshew has been named the Raiders’ starting QB over Aidan O’Connell. While this is a “lesser of both evils” situation, Minshew did at least support a top-15 season from Michael Pittman last year, so this could be good news for Davante Adams.

Injury Report 🚑

• Steelers RB Jaylen Warren strained his hamstring during Saturday’s game. This could vary from a 2-6 week injury, depending on the severity. His status for Week 1 is up in the air.
  

• 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey looked “spry” running, cutting, and catching passes off to the side of Thursday's practice. That’s good news, as it’s the first time we've heard of McCaffrey running and cutting since his August 4th calf injury.
  

• Chargers QB Justin Herbert is out of his walking boot and looks on track to start Week 1 after dealing with an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot.
  

• Vikings WR Jordan Addison is on crutches and in a walking boot following an ankle injury last week, but HC Kevin O’Connell says he “thinks he’s going to be OK.” We’ll see about that…
  

• Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy is back to practicing after what initially seemed to be a scary leg injury. Going from an aircast to looking “fine” at practice is a strange 180, but we’ll take it.

SPONSOR

RISERS 📈

Raheem Must-Start

• Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert is still the RB1 in Miami. During the Dolphins’ opening drive with the starters on the field, Mostert saw 82% of snaps and 5 carries. De’Von Achane, on the other hand, only saw 18% and 1 carry (per @MichaelFFlorio).
  
  Yes, he’s still 32-years-old and an injury risk, but an ADP of RB25 is way too low if Mostert’s still in the same role that led him to an RB2 finish last season.

• Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams continues to make highlight reel plays, hitting Rome Odunze deep after rolling out and throwing across his body, and then scrambling around for close to 10 seconds before running in a TD.
  
  He did still finish just 6/13 with a passer rating of 64, so let’s not get too excited… but these explosive plays showcase the high ceiling that Bears fans are so excited about.

• Bills rookie WR Keon Coleman looks like Buffalo’s WR1. He’s played every snap with the first team offense in the preseason and could be the safest Bills WR to draft. However, we’ll have to hope he shows some more production in the regular season, as he only has two catches for 20 yards on 32 routes this preseason (per @jagibbs_23).

• Chiefs rookie WR Xavier Worthy continues to shine, connecting with Patrick Mahomes on a 39-yard bomb, and then a 22-yard TD. Worthy’s speed in the Chiefs offense makes him an easy mid-round target in drafts, especially with Hollywood Brown still banged up and the possibility that Rashee Rice could be suspended.

• Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ stock is up, just because he reminded us all he’s still Patrick Mahomes…

FALLERS 📉

Help Out Your Naber

• Giants rookie WR Malik Nabers showed off his skill once again, with a crazy toe-tapping catch along the sideline. But the story of the game was the ineptitude of QB Daniel Jones, who finished 11/18 for 138 yards and 2 INTs. Jones has 64 turnovers in 60 career games while being sacked 179 times. Saturday was a reminder of how much he might limit Nabers’ ceiling.

• Raiders RB Zamir White split with backup Alexander Mattison more than expected (18 and 16 snaps, respectively, on the team’s first 8 drives). He also played into the 3rd quarter of Saturday’s game, which is typically a bad sign…

• Bills WR Khalil Shakir only played in 3WR sets with the starters, as he was replaced by Mack Hollins in 2WR sets (per PFF’s Nathan Jahnke). While he remains an intriguing sleeper, his lack of consistent usage could be concerning.
  

• Broncos RB Javonte Williams was outsnapped by Jaleel McLaughin (11 to 9) per Jahnke — including 3rd and 9 and goal line snaps. McLaughlin is an explosive back that’s definitely worth a late round pick, while Javonte’s low-end RB2 status is in serious doubt.

• Broncos rookie WR Troy Franklin is “unlikely to be a factor at all this year” after battling drops during camp. Reports suggest he could even be as low as WR8 on the depth chart, behind 7th round rookie Devaughn Vele.😳

POLL 📊

ROOKIE SPOTLIGHT 🔦

Ladd McConkey

Chargers rookie WR Ladd McConkey looks to take over Keenan Allen’s valuable slot role in LA after averaging 14.2 yards per reception from the slot at the University of Georgia. McConkey’s an outstanding separator with sure hands, as his 75.3% catch rate in college was 3rd highest since 2017, behind only Cooper Kupp and DeVonta Smith.

QB Justin Herbert likes what he sees from the rookie, saying he understands the game “like a four or five year vet” and noting that he’s “looking forward” to getting him the ball.

Unfortunately for Ladd, an injury early in camp got him off to a slow start. But he’s back healthy now, catching a pass in Saturday’s preseason game. While he may not start the season out hot, his role could grow throughout the year as his rapport with Herbert develops.

QUICK SLANTS 👀

📖 Read FantasyLife’s Dwain McFarland’s BOLD Predictions for 2024. One of his hot takes… Garrett Wilson will finish as the WR1:

Wilson checks ALL the boxes that lead to massive fantasy production – expect a similar leap to the one we saw from CeeDee Lamb last season. It's not too shabby for a player you can target at the end of Round 1 or early Round 2.

📖 Read Matt Okada of NFL.com’s DOs and DON’Ts for your drafts. The most interesting “don’t” from Okada? Don’t overplan. “Be fluid and flexible, let the draft come to you, and then implement your preparation to execute in the moment.”

📖 Read Marvin Elequin of the Fantasy Footballers’ Dynasty Report: An Early Look at the 2025 RB Class. It’s great for any dynasty players out there who already know they aren’t contending this year, and also for those who just want same names to watch during the 2024 college football season.

🎙️Listen to The Fantasy Life Show’s Draft Day Commandments. Ian Hartitz and Dwain “The Rock” McFarland break down the rules to live by in fantasy football drafts.

📺 Watch Joey Mulinaro’s skit, Modern Seinfeld: The Fantasy League 👇

TWEET OF THE DAY

Just 18 days until regular season NFL football! In the meantime, try not to cry while you enjoy these NFL theme songs:

See you Wednesday.

- Marcus