August 8 NFL Preseason Wrap-up: Fantasy Implications for Eric Gray, Ja'Lynn Polk, Devin Singletary and More

I’ll start with this: I hate the preseason. Not just in the NFL but in every sport. It’s a very important time, as players get into shape and prepare for real games, but these games don’t mean anything, and I can’t get excited.

That said, we can sometimes mine nuggets out of what we do see, be it a big performance from an unknown or a rookie struggling to adapt to the NFL. As much as it pained me, I watched and followed the two preseason games on Thursday night to see if anything stood out and/or if we could answer any lingering questions.

We can only glean so much out of one game, so I’m not going to overreact; the first preseason game probably feels kind of like a scrimmage for any veteran who has at least a few years of experience. I will stretch the term “fantasy relevant,” though, so that we can investigate numbers that might matter from a fantasy perspective.

Carolina Panthers vs. New England Patriots

The Panthers didn’t play any offensive starters, so we can only gain insight into the backup situations and who might make the roster. That’s not too helpful; two guys fighting for the third quarterback spot, Jack Plummer (he’s not related to Jake, sadly) and Jake Luton, took all the snaps at quarterback.

Bryce Young isn’t on the fantasy radar, but a big preseason could change that. Though he has two chances left to show something, the second-year passer might not play at all, leaving us with the current perception.

The Carolina backfield is one of the biggest question marks for any team, and we didn’t get any clarity. No back listed on the depth chart appeared in the game. Rookie Jonathon Brooks won’t play in the preseason, and his status for the beginning of the season is in serious doubt.

People are split on Brooks: He could take over as the top back as soon as he gets on the field and show why he was the first running back drafted despite a major knee injury late in the 2023 season. He could also start the season on the IR and miss at least the first four games then be eased into work without a chance to really carry the load until next year.

The risk is enough to keep some people away; Raheem Mostert, Devin Singletary and Tony Pollard are all starting backs being drafted in the same range who are safer but have less upside (aside from Mostert, who I love at his value). Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders will fight for carries if Brooks is out; I don’t have much confidence there.

Jonathan Mingo was the most notable receiver to take the field for Carolina. His opportunity for targets was severely affected by the additions of Diontae Johnson (trade) and Xavier Legette (32nd overall pick). Mingo isn’t on the fantasy radar, nor is any other Panther who played on Thursday.

The Patriots showed a little more, letting both Jacoby Brissett and rookie Drake Maye throw three passes before Bailey Zappe did most of the mop-up duty. It’s not nearly enough to make any true conclusions, but Brissett went 0-for-3 while Maye completed two passes for 19 yards.

Rookie Joe Milton III showed his dual-threat ability, completing four of six passes for 54 yards and a touchdown while running five times for 22 yards. Milton was a sixth-round pick and is far away from NFL starter level, but he has the athletic ability to be able to make an impact eventually (though not this year).

Two backs expected to rotate, Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, both played early in the game. Stevenson had just one carry for 11 yards, and Gibson touched the ball five times for 17 yards (one reception for 13 yards).

It could be discouraging for Stevenson believers. Though the preseason touches don’t reflect real game situation, Gibson is likely to cut into Stevenson’s carries and take most of the receiving duty. Gibson might be the better option in PPR leagues.

There is no clear-cut top receiver in New England, but rookie Ja'Lynn Polk is a popular pick to break out. Polk caught three passes for 14 yards; it’s encouraging that he was included, but he was outshone by Kayshon Boutte, who gained 53 yards on his three grabs.

There are a ton of names at wide receiver: Kendrick Bourne and Demario Douglas at the top (neither of whom played), joined by JuJu Smith-Schuster, Javon Baker, K.J. Osborn and more. JaQuae Jackson caught a 38-yard touchdown pass, but he’s far down the depth chart and unlikely to make an impact this season.

Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, the top two tight ends for the Pats, didn’t play. New England won the game 17-3, maybe a product of the Patriots playing their starters a bit while Carolina went strictly backups.

Detroit Lions vs. New York Giants

If you didn’t like the lack of starters in the previous game, you’re...going to be disappointed here. Neither team played their starters, though one player is about to see his draft stock soar.

Eric Gray, a fifth-round pick last season, ran the ball four times for 52 yards and two touchdowns and caught four passes for 46 yards. Gray had a little buzz last season playing behind the injury-prone Saquon Barkley, but he gained less than 100 total yards in 13 games and didn’t score.

The Giants signed Devin Singletary to take over the starting role, but he’s a middling back. He has never run for 900 yards and topped out at seven touchdowns with Buffalo in 2021. He catches around 35 passes per year and scores a touchdown through the air, showing competence if not explosiveness.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. was a fifth-round pick this season and could fight for backup carries; Dante Miller did the bulk of the work in this game and gained 5.3 yards per carry (12 carries for 63 yards), something that could stick out in an unsettled backfield.

Gray will get the biggest headlines, but no one who played is more than a late-round lottery ticket. Singletary is a low-ceiling flex type you will consider on the right weeks. New York is a low-ceiling offense all around.

The one possible exception is rookie receiver Malik Nabers. He was the sixth overall pick this year, and some teams reportedly had him ranked higher than uber-prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison is ranked 13th among receivers in PPR leagues by ESPN while Nabers is 25th.

Harrison has a better quarterback situation with Kyler Murray now a year-plus removed from a major knee injury. Big things are rightly expected, but it’s always impossible to know how a player will work out in the NFL until he shows it; even the best prospects fail.

Nabers will be catching passes from Daniel Jones, another player returning from a knee injury. Jones had his best year in 2022 and earned a big contract, but the Giants can feasibly get out of the deal after this season.

Jones has injury guarantees, so if New York decides they are going to move on, they might bench him like we’ve seen with players like Jimmy Garoppolo and the Raiders last season, and Derek Carr with the Raiders in 2022. (Does Gardner Minshew have any injury guarantees?)

If the team eventually benches Jones for Drew Lock, it will lower Nabers’ ceiling. Jones isn’t great, but he was an early first-round pick for a reason: He has skill. Lock is a fine backup who hasn’t shown anything more.

Nabers seems like a boom/bust guy. His overwhelming talent could immediately make him a WR1 like we’ve seen with guys like Justin Jefferson recently. If the passing game is a mess and there’s quarterback swapping, Nabers could struggle to make a consistent impact.

No other receiver on the team inspires confidence. Allen Robinson’s one catch for nine yards topped the wide receiver production in this one. Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton are deep sleepers for deep leagues, unlikely to make an impact in most situations. Neither of those guys played in this game, joined by Nabers (edit: Nabers did play 12 snaps, but he didn't record any stats).

Detroit has a lot of relevant fantasy players. Jared Goff was in the top 10 among fantasy quarterbacks in each of the past two seasons. Both David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs were inside the top 20 running backs in both scoring formats last year. Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in football. Sam LaPorta might be the top tight end in fantasy football (he’s battling with Travis Kelce; I give the veteran the edge).

None of these fantasy stars appeared in this game. None of the backups who did play are near the fantasy radar, and no one stood out anyway. Quarterback Hendon Hooker is an interesting guy to watch, as he missed all last season recovering from an injury sustained at the end of his college career. He’s a project but also an athlete, leading the team with 34 rushing yards on four attempts. He was five of nine throwing for 36 yards.

New York won this game 14-3, a product of Gray’s two scores. Some will grab Gray late in drafts after the big performance, and the team has no reason to hold him back behind Singletary, who has a modest contract.

We can’t expect consistent production right away, but Gray is a fine lottery ticket.