Fantasy Football 2021: 9 Most Important Takeaways from Preseason Action

Fantasy football managers shouldn't overreact to the preseason, but they need to draft accordingly.

We don't learn much from exhibition games with vanilla defenses and backups on the field. However, a team's actions (or lack thereof) following an injury gives us an idea of how the coaching staff will fill a void on the roster. Coaches may also tip off how they plan to use certain running backs based on rotations and personnel groupings. 

Most importantly, a handful of teams made decisions on quarterback battles, which carry obvious fantasy ramifications for passing offenses. 

With final rosters coming together, let's take a look at nine of the most important fantasy football takeaways from the preseason. Who should move up on your draft board? Which backfields have too many question marks? What's the latest on a few top-five 2021 draft picks?

Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards has largely flown under the radar, but he has eclipsed 710 rushing yards in each of his three NFL seasons. As a rookie, the Rutgers product led Baltimore with 718 rushing yards.

J.K. Dobbins tore his ACL in the Ravens' preseason finale, which opens the door for Edwards to lead the backfield in 2021. The Ravens "currently like" the makeup of their running back stable, per NFL insider Josina Anderson, so free agent Todd Gurley isn't a fill-in option at the moment. 

Edwards' average draft position (ADP) will continue to rise as we inch closer to Week 1. Despite his limited receiving numbers (18 career receptions for 194 yards), he should be a fifth- or sixth-rounder even in PPR leagues. 

Keep an eye on Ty'Son Williams, too. He had a strong showing through the preseason, rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown. ESPN's Jamison Hensley believes the BYU product leapfrogged Justice Hill on the depth chart as the Ravens' primary backup running back. 

Fantasy managers have slightly favored Zack Moss (7.12 ADP) over Devin Singletary (8.10), but the latter saw a bulk of the preseason work and stood out as the better ball-carrier.

Singletary recorded 10 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown while Moss logged eight rushing attempts for 31 yards on the ground. Matt Breida also might have carved out a role for himself, racking up 104 yards from scrimmage.

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll told The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn that Breida has "some juice" and that the team will try to find a way to utilize it. If that's the case, the Bills might feature a three-man running back rotation. Even so, Singletary and Moss will likely see the bulk of the work.

Singletary projects as the starting running back, but Moss could eventually steal the job. He underwent a procedure on his ankle and battled a hamstring injury during the offseason, which may have impacted his preseason performances.

For now, stay away from Bills running backs early in drafts. Singletary and Moss have appropriate ADPs in the middle rounds.

Ja'Marr Chase struggled through the preseason. According to Pro Football Focus, he saw five targets and dropped four of them.

While managers shouldn't completely fade Chase on draft day, he looks like the third-best fantasy option among the Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers based on their respective ADPs.

Chase already has a rapport with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whom he played with at LSU. However, he opted out of the 2020 season, so he might have to knock off a lot of rust before he finds his way in the NFL.

Meanwhile, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd could pick up right where they left off with Burrow last season.

In 2020, Burrow threw four touchdown passes to Higgins and three to Boyd. Chase might have the most upside among the Bengals' receiving trio, but we don't know when he'll get into a groove.

Higgins, a big-bodied 6'4", 216-pound target, and Boyd, a reliable veteran with two 1,000-plus-yard receiving seasons, are better values than Chase in drafts.

When the Denver Broncos named Teddy Bridgewater their starting quarterback over Drew Lock, they sacrificed big plays for efficiency in the passing game.

Last season, Lock averaged 8.8 intended air yards per pass attempt (average depth of target), while Bridgewater averaged 7.1. Though Bridgewater had two wideouts who eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in Robby Anderson and DJ Moore, they ranked eighth and 28th in yards after the catch, respectively.

While Bridgewater deserves credit for hitting his receivers in stride, his speedy pass-catchers can turn a short pass into a big play because of what they can do after the catch. Even if Courtland Sutton leads the Broncos in targets, Jerry Jeudy will likely rack up the most yards because of his ability to extend plays.

Jeudy can separate and beat defenders with his quickness and cover ground quickly. Sutton has a more physical approach to his game. He may lack some explosiveness as he returns from an ACL tear, too.

Bridgewater's short precision passes should boost Jeudy's fantasy value. Target the second-year wideout in the fifth or sixth round and consider Sutton after the seventh round with some caution.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has a bottom-tier pass-catching group. Tight end T.J. Hockenson could finish among the top five at his position in fantasy scoring because he won't have much competition for targets.

The Lions cut Breshad Perriman on Monday, which leaves Tyrell Williams, rookie fourth-rounder Amon-Ra St. Brown, Quintez Cephus and Kalif Raymond as the top four wideouts on the depth chart. Don't expect any Pro Bowlers to emerge from this group. 

However, managers should take a look at Williams in late rounds.

The 29-year-old battled plantar fasciitis through most of the 2019 campaign and missed all of last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, but his career average of 16.1 yards per reception speaks to his big-play ability. He also eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards as the then-San Diego Chargers' lead wideout in 2016. 

Although Williams' breakout season with the Chargers happened a half-decade ago, he's shown the ability to produce if he's healthy and in a featured role. If he avoids the injury bug, he should easily finish second on the team in targets behind Hockenson.

From a fantasy perspective, opportunity and volume can lead to gaudy numbers. Williams is a potential league-winning late-round pick.

The New England Patriots cut Cam Newton on Tuesday, which paves the way for rookie Mac Jones to start. While Jones isn't a strong fantasy play, his pass-catchers could benefit, particularly Jakobi Meyers.

According to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, Meyers built a rapport with Newton and Jones during training camp and stood out as the Patriots' "most consistent" receiver. NBC Sports' Tom Curran also seems confident that Meyers will have a big role in the upcoming season.

"Even with the additions of Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor, I’d still put my cash on Meyers being the most reliable and productive Patriots wideout in 2021," Curran wrote.  

In 2020, Meyers led the team in targets (81), receptions (59) and receiving yards (729). Despite the switch at quarterback and the addition of Agholor, Bourne, Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, he'll likely remain a primary target because of his familiarity with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' system.

Meyers has played two seasons with the Patriots. He eclipsed 110 receiving yards twice last year, which is notable for a player in an offense that ranked 30th in passing yardage.

An accurate passer coming out of Alabama with a 74.3 percent completion rate, Jones connected on 69.2 percent of his attempts during the preseason. If he continues to deliver pinpoint passes, Meyers could become a solid WR2 or flex option in starting lineups. 

Fantasy managers might as well write the names of all the New York Jets running backs on pieces of paper and pick one out of a hat. Good luck with your guess as to who leads this backfield and for how long.

The Jets have a new coaching staff, and first-time play-caller Mike LaFleur will run the show. They had four running backs log at least 14 carries during the preseason, which suggests they used those games to thoroughly evaluate the position.

Ty Johnson had the most impressive preseason among the Jets tailbacks, rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown. Rookie fourth-rounder Michael Carter logged 24 carries for 86 yards. La'Mical Perine finished with 18 carries for 46 yards and a score. Josh Adams made the most of his opportunities, averaging 5.4 yards per carry on 14 attempts, which earned him a spot on the practice squad.

Running back Tevin Coleman ran the ball only four times, but he's familiar with LaFleur, who served as his passing game coordinator for two seasons (2019 and 2020) with the San Francisco 49ers. 

Don't be surprised if none of the Jets running backs average more than 10 touches per game. They're all late-round fliers.

Perhaps no one's fantasy stock has skyrocketed more than Marquez Callaway's this preseason.

With Michael Thomas set to miss six weeks on the physically unable to perform list, the New Orleans Saints need a go-to target on the perimeter. Callaway answered the challenge in his preseason action, hauling in eight catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

More importantly, Callaway caught both touchdown passes from Jameis Winston, who beat Taysom Hill for the Saints' starting job. The quarterback-wideout tandem hooked up on 43- and 29-yard plays for scores.

As a strong-armed passer, Winston will allow the Saints to attack defenses over the top more often they did with Drew Brees, whose arm strength waned toward the end of his career.

Callaway played sparingly last season and caught only 21 passes for 213 yards, but he averaged 17.9 yards per reception during his four seasons at Tennessee in college. With an expanded role, he could put up big numbers early in the season. 

If Winston and Callaway sustain their rapport, the latter could hold on to a solid role once Thomas returns to action. Wideout-needy managers will likely take him a little earlier than his ADP (8.06).

Fantasy managers can capitalize off head coach Kyle Shanahan's creativity at quarterback.

The San Francisco 49ers rotated snaps between Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance under center in their preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. Neither quarterback had a standout passing performance, but they both scored a rushing touchdown. 

After the game, Shanahan suggested he may use a two-quarterback system in the regular season.

"…we've got two guys who can play," Shanahan said. "And we've been doing it in practice a little bit, wanted to do it out there in the game. And I think it's always going to be an option.”

We rarely see dual-quarterback systems in the NFL. While Shanahan's comments seem like a red flag from a fantasy perspective, Lance offers intriguing upside if he eventually claims the starting role. 

The No. 3 overall pick finished 19-of-41 for 276 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the preseason, which suggests he needs more grooming before he supplants Jimmy Garoppolo. However, the Niners traded up for him for a reason.

During his 2019 sophomore season at North Dakota State, Lance ran for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns. Shanahan may continue to use him as a ball-carrier in some packages until he's ready to take over for Garoppolo.

In a lead role, Lance could give fantasy managers a late-season push because of his rushing potential. Stash him at the end of your bench.

Preseason statistics courtesy of ESPN and CBS Sports

Average draft position (ADP) for point-per-reception leagues are current as of Friday and courtesy of Fantasy Football Calculator