(The Fantasy 5 is a quick-hit wrap-up of some of the biggest news topics of the day for fantasy football players, giving you advice you need to improve your team.)
Odell Beckham Jr.’s scary-looking injury Monday night has been the top story in the fantasy football community ever since it happened — but it’s not the only thing going on that you need to know about.
With Week 3 of the preseason just days away – and with it the unofficial “dress rehearsal” games for each team — you need to be on top of the news now more than ever.
Here’s what’s happening.
1. Giants being vague with Odell Beckham Jr.’s ankle injury
We usually save the injury news roundup for No. 5 (See below), but considering Beckham often goes in the first half of the first round of fantasy drafts, his injury deserves a bit more attention.
Beckham hurt his ankle Monday night. It initially looked like it could have been a season-ending knee injury, but thankfully he seems to have dodged that bullet. Still, it’s still an issue that could linger well into the regular season — especially if it’s a high ankle sprain.
Unfortunately, we don’t know the severity of the injury. New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo simply shared than an MRI confirmed an ankle injury. He didn’t even rule out Beckham for the team’s Week 3 preseason game, but it seem laughable to think the star wideout will suit up.
It’s good to know Beckham won’t be out for months. But it’s also tricky to not know anything beyond “it’s an ankle injury.” It leaves the door open that this is a serious injury that could hamper Beckham all year, even if he’s still able to play.
As of now, Beckham’s redraft stock doesn’t take a hit as a result of this injury, but it’s fair to use it as a tie-breaker if you were having a hard time deciding between Beckham and one of his peers.
2. LeGarrette Blount to be a “big part” of Philadelphia’s offense
Blount was rumored to be a potential cut for the Eagles prior to the season. But now coach Doug Pederson is saying Blount will “be a big part of [Philadelphia’s] offense.”
Blount has underwhelmed this preseason, but he also has a lengthy career with plenty of productive work on his resume, so maybe we shouldn’t read too much into two preseason games.
The praise from Pederson should quell concerns that Blount will be cut, but Blount being a “big part” of the offense could just be coachspeak. Philadelphia still has Wendell Smallwood for early downs and Darren Sproles through the air.
Blount is currently going in the fifth round of fantasy drafts, as the No. 25 running back in standard leagues. That’s a bit rich; Blount is more like an eighth-rounder.
3. Texans coach Bill O’Brien: Tom Savage is the starter
Things change fast. One week ago, I wrote about how Savage was losing first-team reps to preseason rising Deshaun Watson. Now, Savage is being named the starter — and that’s that.
To be fair, Savage always has been the starter. But no matter how much coachspeak O’Brien pours forth, the veil remains thin: Watson will be this team’s starter at some point this season. The question is not if, but when.
For the time being, Savage being named the starter is a downer for fantasy purposes. Watson has impressive upside, thanks to his rushing abilities.
Savage, meanwhile, is undraftable and should be avoided in most league formats.
Bill O'Brien is weirdly confident in Tom Savage, a guy that has played in 5 games but never thrown a TD in the league.
— Tyler Loechner (@LoechnerNFL) August 23, 2017
4. HBO plays up Doug Martin’s progress
A big theme in HBO’s Hard Knocks episode on Tuesday night was Martin’s progress. Martin, like Blount, is exceedingly risky as a fifth-round fantasy draft pick (the No. 24 overall running back), but his hype train is picking up some steam.
Martin looked strong in the team’s second preseason game. He displayed some serious burst on a two-yard touchdown run in which he bounced it to the outside and scored standing up.
Touchdown Doug Martin, capping an 83-yard drive!
Offense back out there! Who's next? pic.twitter.com/aIZwDsDcDn
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@TBBuccaneers) August 18, 2017
Martin is suspended to begin the year, but there’s nobody on the roster who should really challenge him as the feature back once he returns. One of the biggest things holding him back will be Tampa Bay’s pass-run balance. The team appears set to be a pass-first team all year — even in the red zone.
Martin’s inconsistency is painful (two years with 1,400-plus yards, but three years with fewer than 500 yards), but the upside is undeniable. I still don’t think he’s worth a fifth-round pick, but the well-produced hype piece from HBO did get me to at least consider the possibility.
5. Injury roundup
- Cam Newton is expected to make his preseason debut Thursday. His injured shoulder shouldn’t keep him out of any regular-season games.
- Mike Gillislee returned to practice in full on Tuesday. New England’s backfield is loaded with running backs. Prepare for a full season of Bill Belichickery.
- Matt Forte also returned to practice and is confident he’ll be ready for Week 1. Most people are expecting Bilal Powell to handle most of the duties in New York, but Forte will still be a factor.
- The Bills are expecting their new wideout, Jordan Matthews, to be ready for Week 1. Matthews is a borderline flex option.
- Emmanuel Sanders didn’t practice for nearly a week and missed the team’s second preseason game with a shoulder injury, but he was back on the field
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