Risers and Fallers going into preseason wk2 2019

By Michael Valverde
Michael Valverde


Preseason week one is over, and even though these games can be handy in trying to pluck some diamonds from the rough, but for the most part the NFL use it to roster trim. Enjoy the games for what it's worth, but don't get swept up in the hype or the magical athletic moves of a guy who will be changing your oil next week. Here is week 2 of risers and fallers.

 

 

Risers

Kerryon Johnson
Johnson is going to continue to climb the ADP charts. The release of Theo Riddick put a rocket under his keister, and it probably won't run out of gas for a while. He didn't get any touches in the preseason, but that was already in the plans. Get him at a discount while you can.

Deshaun Watson
The Houston Texans are going to pass the ball, a lot and that means good news for fantasy owners of Deshaun Watson. The offensive line needs help, but Watson has great weapons around him. Wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, Keke Coutee, and more. As if that wasn't enough, after the release of , Houston went and acquired one of the best running back pass catchers in Duke Johnson. It is difficult to jump in ADP when you're the second if not the third quarterback off the board, but this just solidifies his placement even more.

Lamar Miller
The acquisition of Duke Johnson will help and hurt Lamar Miller. When Foreman was released, the Texans did not have much depth in the running back department. Many are castoffs from former teams. Honestly, it looks like an expansion team first season. Players such as Karan Higdon, Taiwan Jones, and Josh Ferguson. Miller's help will come in the form of a running back that can actually give him some breathing room; it will hurt him because he won't be a bell-cow. Miller is an adequate receiver but is no match for Johnson. His ADP still gets a bump.

Duke Johnson
Johnson was not going to survive very well in Cleveland. Browns just have too many weapons, and he was going to languish on the bench. Now, the curtains have spread, and Johnson is on a team in need of his services. He will take the field much more and will probably line-up at several positions as he did with the Browns. Johnson has made a massive jump from a late 14th rounder to a middle 11th rounder since the trade.

Jarvis Landry
The trade of Johnson affects Landry the most in a positive direction. Landry and Johnson are intermediate and short-range pass catchers. Johnson's vacancy now leaves 62 targets unaccounted for. A good 80 percent of these should go to Landry. In result, his last season's totals of 81-976-4 are more attainable than they were with the Beckham acquisition.

Carlos Hyde
Hyde has gone from rumors of being cut from the team to now being in an RBBC with Damien Williams. Hyde will be the primary ball carrier while Williams will spell him and be the third-down back. Hyde is an average pass-catching back. He caught 59 passes in 2017 while with San Francisco. Hyde's pass-catching will keep him on the field in hurry-up situations or when the team is moving the ball quickly down-the-field.

 

 

 

 

Fallers

Baker Mayfield
Johnson's departure isn't a massive hit to Mayfield as he will just spread those opportunities elsewhere. It does affect a safety net for him, and it takes a player off the field that is difficult to account for defensively. Mayfield ADP may drop one or two points but should not be a difference-maker in where you have him on your quarterback rankings.

Antonio Callaway
Callaway's suspension in violation of the league's substance-abuse policy will be four games. Throw in a week seven bye-week and two-weeks to get back into football shape, and owners will have him for up to eight games. Browns offense is heavy with the pass, and there is room for Callaway to do damage, but at this point, he is nearly a waiver wire target or late dart throw with upside.

Damien Williams
Williams was a beast when he finally got the opportunity to be the "man" in the offense. Rushing for 256-yards and four touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Williams also added his skills to the passing game catching 23 balls on 24 targets and scoring twice. However, there is a reason Williams was never drafted, and the Dolphins let him slide over to Kansas City as a free agent. Andy Reid feels that Williams serves the team best in an RBBC capacity, especially with the other running backs the Chiefs support.

DeAndre Hopkins
Hopkins volume will take a hit with the Johnson acquisition. He is still worthy of a WR2 but is no longer a surefire number one as the Texans have too many mouths to feed. Hopkins can finish number one, but it will take injuries to either Johnson, Fuller, or Coutee. Not out of the realm of possibility as Fuller has not played a full season in his three-season, Coutee missed ten his rookie year. Johnson has played 16 games all four seasons.

Keke Coutee
Johnson will reduce Coutee's volume the most. Both are intermediate to short-range targets. It will be difficult for Coutee to get the 14 or 15 target games he did last season with Johnson around. Coutee caught two passes for 13-yards before going down with an ankle injury. The injury looked gruesome, but it appears Coutee will recover in time before at least week one of the regular season. No timetable or extent of how bad his ankle is has been stated.