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Fantasy: Takeaways from Sunday's preseason games

Reuters

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2016 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.

Every game night during the preseason, theScore's Justin Boone will provide his fantasy observations from around the league.

Flash Gordon

If Melvin Gordon wants to erase the memories of a disappointing rookie campaign, these long touchdowns he keeps scoring in the preseason are a good start.

The Chargers' offensive line opened a massive hole for the former first-round pick Sunday, allowing him to blast down the field 39 yards into the end zone. This comes two weeks after Gordon took a short pass 44 yards to the house.

The big plays are nice, but overall Gordon looks healthy and is running stronger in his second preseason. He finished with four carries for 51 yards and a score against the Vikings, adding another 5 yards on a reception.

With Danny Woodhead still expected to be a big part of the Chargers' backfield, it's tough to project either back as an RB2 in fantasy, especially if Woodhead continues getting the majority of red-zone snaps. But Gordon's preseason performance has him at least flirting with being a fantasy starter.

Can You Dig It?

Stefon Diggs is the receiver to own in Minnesota this season.

Diggs saw the most snaps of any Vikings pass-catcher in the opening half of Sunday's regular-season warmup, and was more often than not the first read for Teddy Bridgewater en route to five catches and 71 yards.

The Vikings' offense is built around the run, which limits the fantasy upside of their receivers, but as the No. 1 option, Diggs could emerge as a WR3.

Laquon Treadwell has a long way to go before unseating Diggs atop the depth chart. This year's first-round pick isn't even in the starting lineup heading into Week 1.

Instant Impressions

  • Carson Palmer hasn't exactly inspired confidence with his preseason play. The veteran quarterback was picked twice in Sunday's game against the Texans on a pair of tipped passes and was mercifully removed from the game by Bruce Arians after getting decked while trying to prevent a pick-6. There's still reason to have high hopes for Palmer in fantasy, but after watching Peyton Manning's sharp decline, it's easy to let doubt creep in.
  • It's been speculated that the Bengals will lean on their running game this season with Tyler Eifert sidelined and an unproven receiving cast behind A.J. Green. Running behind a dominant and mostly homegrown offensive line, Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard have looked excellent in August. Hill accounted for 49 total yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars, while Bernard racked up 52 total yards and a score. It's more than possible both players end the season as RB2s in fantasy.
  • Brock Osweiler is having a quality preseason and proving he should be able to steer the Texans offense towards a fantasy bounty. He was nearly perfect on Sunday, going 11-of-13 for 146 yards and a touchdown. It's good news for DeAndre Hopkins obviously, but also Will Fuller, who has shown chemistry with his new quarterback. The rookie caught Osweiler's lone TD and had three catches for 67 yards. Fuller will be inconsistent, but his talent is already shining through. He's worth a flier in deep leagues, and if he goes undrafted he's someone to put on your watch list.
  • For the first time this year, the Jaguars starting offense stumbled, due to a tough matchup against the Bengals and Geno Atkins, who was absolutely destroying the interior of Jacksonville's line. T.J. Yeldon (5 carries, 34 yards) started hot, but his fumble brought a quick end to the opening drive and things didn't get much better from there. During his sideline interview, Blake Bortles acknowledged how bad the offense looked on the night. No need to sound the alarms, they'll have two weeks to regroup and be ready for a shootout with the Packers in the opener.

Notable Performances

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Vikings
12-of-16, 161 yards, TD; 2 carries, 21 yards
Bridgewater showed impressive touch on his passes Sunday and also froze Adrian Phillips in his cleats with a fantastic juke move during a run. The Vikings won't ask him to carry the offense on his arm, but a step forward would help their chances of a postseason run.

David Johnson, RB, Cardinals
6 carries, 28 yards, TD
Worries about Johnson's workload are quickly being eradicated as he handles the majority of the first-team work. He's a lock to finish as a top-three fantasy back and could occupy the RB throne by season's end.

Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings
8 carries, 56 yards; 2 receptions, 9 yards
The Chargers run defense is atrocious, but McKinnon is seeing the field incredibly well and maximizing every run. If Adrian Peterson gets hurt this season, McKinnon will be a fantasy star.

Tyler Ervin, RB, Texans
2 carries, 13 yards; 1 reception, 20 yards
His numbers don't jump off the screen, but it's notable that he saw time with the first team. Ervin could have a weekly role as a pass-catcher, since the Texans are lacking playmakers in the backfield behind Lamar Miller.

Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings
3 receptions, 56 yards, TD
Rudolph hauled in a nice pass down the middle of the field and trotted into the end zone for what looked like an easy score. With Laquon Treadwell not yet cracking the lineup, Rudolph may still have a steady role in the passing game, especially in the red zone.

Injury Ward

A.J. Green, WR, Bengals
The Bengals had to be worried when Green limped off the field favoring his leg. Turns out he banged his knee while battling a defender, and said he will be fine. Another potentially serious injury avoided.

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