Fantasy: Biggest takeaways from Week 3 of NFL preseason

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Dobbins suffers torn ACL

Even in a shortened NFL preseason, injuries remain an unfortunate reality. While some teams rested any player with even a faint chance of starting, others rolled the dice and let their most valued talents play in relatively meaningless exhibition finales.

The result was a handful of injuries to key starters, including Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins, who is now out for the season with a torn ACL.

The 22-year-old sophomore shined in offseason practices, and though a lack of pass-catching volume created questions about his fantasy ceiling, he was certainly poised to make an impact in one of the league's best rushing attacks.

Now Gus Edwards goes from a top-five backup with weekly flex appeal to a full-blown lead runner - a role he's excelled in before.

When Lamar Jackson took over as Baltimore's quarterback down the stretch in 2018, Edwards also stepped into the starting lineup. Edwards posted the 18th-most fantasy points among ball carriers from Week 11 onward, turning in rushing stat lines of 17-115-1, 23-118-0, 21-82-0, 16-67-0, 19-104-1, 14-92-0, and 12-76-0.

That said, any concerns about Dobbins' pass-game involvement are heightened with Edwards, who's never caught more than two passes in an NFL game and has just 18 career receptions over three seasons.

Edwards will provide steady RB2 fantasy numbers, with Ty'Son Williams serving as his primary backup and Justice Hill working in as a change-of-pace option.

Williams and Hill should both be rostered in deeper leagues until managers see how this depth chart plays out - and whether the Ravens elect to add a veteran free agent like Todd Gurley. Though he doesn't have much left in the tank due to knee issues, it's worth noting Baltimore worked Gurley out in June.

Invest in the Bills' passing attack

Another organization that decided to risk its stars' health in the last week of preseason action was the Bills, who sent their franchise quarterback and his recent $258-million extension against a live pass rush.

Luckily for Buffalo, Josh Allen avoided injury and was nearly flawless in the process - completing 20 of 26 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He kept his running to a minimum with just one 4-yard gain, and he conceded the sack before the Packers could lay a hit on him the one time Green Bay's defense closed in.

There weren't many doubting Allen as a top fantasy quarterback, so this performance was hardly surprising. But with Stefon Diggs still working his way back from a knee injury, it was promising to see the rest of the Bills' wideouts deliver in the first half. Veterans Cole Beasley (four catches, 52 yards) and Emmanuel Sanders (four catches, 27 yards) looked comfortable as Allen effortlessly moved the offense down the field. Sophomore Gabriel Davis, meanwhile, led the group with five receptions, 75 yards, and a touchdown on a beautiful 31-yard strike.

Each of the Bills' pass-catchers can return fantasy value even after Diggs returns - as long as offensive coordinator Brian Daboll maintains this aerial assault.

The outlook for Buffalo's backfield is less enticing. Devin Singletary played the opening quarter unchallenged before giving way to Zack Moss, but the Bills' pass-happy approach meant neither player did much on the ground; Singletary's key contribution was a pair of grabs, while Moss had a 3-yard touchdown catch.

With Allen likely to be a factor around the goal line once again, it's hard to recommend Singletary or Moss as anything more than a fantasy flex play unless one of them misses time. Based on their respective ADPs, Singletary is the cheaper and more intriguing selection.

Smith undergoes surgery

All signs were pointing to Irv Smith making the leap in his third NFL season with Kyle Rudolph gone. We even featured Smith as our favorite breakout tight end for 2021, and he flashed that potential by catching two passes for 39 yards in the Vikings' final preseason contest against the Chiefs.

But any talk of breakouts must be shelved now that a meniscus surgery will see Smith miss the start of the season. It's hard to speculate on his fantasy value without a clear recovery timetable, but Smith is currently an end-of-the-bench, final-round stash. Ideally, managers have an IR spot for him until he can return to the field.

In the meantime, Tyler Conklin - who's been dealing with a hamstring injury - will see increased targets and could provide TE2 fantasy production. Conklin had at least 40 yards in three of the Vikings' last four outings without Rudolph last season.

Smith's surgery also gives slight boosts to fantasy projections for Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and Dalvin Cook since Minnesota doesn't have an established third receiver.

Hopefully, this will merely be a delayed launch rather than a complete cancellation.

Instant Impressions

49ers getting frisky - Some teams used the preseason finale to test out what's coming in the regular season. For the 49ers, that appears to be a quarterback rotation leveraging the strengths of rookie Trey Lance and incumbent Jimmy Garoppolo. This could be a frustrating situation for fantasy managers early on, but the dual-threat Lance will be worth the wait once he gets the job to himself. That should happen no later than Week 7 after the 49ers' bye.

Rookie QBs will be a factor - Lance isn't the only rookie quarterback to get excited about. Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson continued to look good in this week's preseason tuneups, and all three make for intriguing (and cheap) late-round selections. Managers who wait to see how they handle the regular season may be too late.

What if Mostert stays healthy? - Anyone asking this question is not alone. The 49ers have kept Raheem Mostert in Bubble Wrap during the preseason, but by all accounts, he's displayed his game-breaking speed often in practice. He also turned in a seven-carry, 53-yard performance against the Raiders this week. Mostert likely will end up on the trainer's table at some point, opening the door for rookie Trey Sermon. Until that happens, though, Mostert is an extremely interesting fantasy option as an RB2 with an RB1 ceiling.

Broncos showcasing Gordon? - The Broncos held out second-rounder Javonte Williams this week, but Melvin Gordon didn't get time off. The veteran turned six touches into 39 yards against the Rams, and head coach Vic Fangio chalked it up to Gordon getting back in the flow after missing time with an injury. Denver is clearly high on Williams, and its easy schedule could mean a late-season breakout for the rookie.

Unicorn sighting - Falcons rookie tight end pass-catcher Kyle Pitts finally made his debut, and it was glorious. Short-lived, sure. But impressive nonetheless, with Pitts turning a short pass up the sideline and breaking tackles for a 27-yard gain against the Browns. It's still not entirely clear how Atlanta plans to use him, but reports have consistently suggested the Falcons will move him all around the formation and target him heavily. An outlier season is definitely in play.

Don't forget Godwin - Mike Evans and his 1,000-yard streak are coming off a 13-touchdown campaign. Antonio Brown has his career back on track and has regained his old form after offseason knee surgery. Chris Godwin hasn't generated many headlines in recent months, but that doesn't mean he's not poised for a massive season. Godwin is just one year removed from being the WR2 overall in fantasy. He also continued to produce while playing hurt alongside Evans and Brown in the second half of the year. His 3-84-1 stat line from the Buccaneers' last preseason game against the Texans is a sign of things to come.

Darnold settling in - It's still just the preseason, but it's promising to see Sam Darnold slinging it with his new team. The former first-rounder completed 19 of 25 passes for 162 yards with two scores and no turnovers in the Panthers' game against the Steelers. He's also showing good chemistry with D.J. Moore (6-48-0), Robby Anderson (2-15-1), and rookie standout Terrace Marshall (3-43-1). This could be the start of something special for the 24-year-old, who's been gifted one of the best receiving corps in the league.

Engram suffers calf injury - The early reports suggest it's not a major issue, but Evan Engram's practice participation should be monitored heading into the season. Kyle Rudolph is the next man up for the Giants if Engram misses time, with Kaden Smith stepping into two-tight end sets.

Battle in Seahawks' backfield - Rashaad Penny remains the most likely candidate to emerge as Chris Carson's immediate backup, but don't count out Alex Collins just yet. Collins has been the far more effective runner in the preseason, including this week when he led the Seahawks in rushing (10 carries, 37 yards, TD) and receiving (seven catches, 52 yards) against the Chargers. Fantasy managers should keep Collins on their radar.

Other preseason standouts who caught my eye this week - Texans WR Nico Collins, Packers RB Kylin Hill, Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell, 49ers RB JaMycal Hasty, Bengals RB Chris Evans, Colts WR Mike Strachan, Buccaneers WR Jaelon Darden, Jets TE Kenny Yeboah, Patriots RB J.J. Taylor

Previous takeaways

• Biggest takeaways from Week 2 of NFL preseason
• Biggest takeaways from Week 1 of NFL preseason