Fantasy: Takeaways from Sunday's preseason action
Get ready for your season with theScore's 2017 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.
Every game night during the preseason, theScore gets you caught up on the most important fantasy performances from around the league.
Should Bell be handcuffed?
Fantasy owners who spend a top-two draft pick on Le'Veon Bell this season may be wise to forego adding a handcuff to serve as insurance for their investment.
Making his preseason debut Sunday, James Conner was mildly impressive but also uneven in the Steelers' backfield, handling 20 carries and taking them for 98 yards but also dropping two passes. The Steelers' third-rounder was tabbed to serve as Bell's backup this season, but the rookie had been limited by injuries this summer and is only now showing what he's capable of.
But should fantasy owners care?
If Bell were to get hurt, it's unlikely Conner could replicate his production. It's also unlikely Pittsburgh would ask a rookie to step into such a crucial job. In the event of a long-term Bell injury, it's entirely possible the Steelers would look outside their roster to add a stabilizing veteran. DeAngelo Williams remains a free agent and is plenty familiar with the team, making him an obvious candidate.
And if Bell stays healthy, it's unlikely the Steelers will take him off the field for more than a few snaps per game, which would completely kill any possible fantasy value for Conner.
Perhaps the smart move for Bell's fantasy owners is not to bother trying to handcuff him at all and instead target high-upside running backs on other teams in the late rounds.
Lights, Kamara, action
Alvin Kamara raced for a 50-yard touchdown on the Saints' first offensive play Sunday, setting Twitter alight with excitement and fantasy analysts scrambling for takes about a player who was considered the third wheel in the Saints' backfield.
Now, with two highly impressive preseason games under his belt, the rookie is making the case that he - not Mark Ingram or Adrian Peterson - is not only the most valuable Saints tailback to own with respect to ADP, but could potentially end up being the most valuable of the trio outright.
The receiving-back role in the Saints' offense has produced fantasy-relevant names like Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, and Darren Sproles over the years, among others, and Kamara isn't necessarily just a third-down scatback - he's also shown an ability to break tackles and pick up tough yards.
Ingram and Peterson will probably split early-down work in the Bayou, but the former seems to have fallen out of favor with his coaches and the latter has never been much of a receiver - a skill that's essential in this offense.
Kamara looks like a slam dunk to pay off his late-round ADP in PPR leagues and has a shot to become fantasy-viable in standard leagues, too. Mark him down as a target near the end of your draft.
Instant Impressions
- He's technically still under conditional suspension, but Martavis Bryant made his long-awaited return to the field Sunday and the Steelers made a point of getting him involved early. Bryant caught two-of-three targets and generally looked like his usual self, which is to say a player whose combination of size, speed, and physicality will be a problem for any defense - especially since playing opposite Antonio Brown means Bryant never faces double coverage. Assuming Bryant is fully cleared to return from suspension, he could be one of fantasy football's biggest values this season.
- Don't overlook Falcons tight end Austin Hooper as a potential deep sleeper. Atlanta lacks red-zone receiving weapons to complement Julio Jones, and Hooper showed improvement late in his rookie season last year, including a touchdown catch in the Super Bowl. Still very raw, Hooper has the athletic upside to develop into something of a Tyler Eifert to Jones' A.J. Green.