Brilliant Jacoby Brissett and Sam Darnold

With no clear timetable for Andrew Luck's return, the sadness around Fantasy prospects of the Colts' crucial players is at its highest level. But there is something to be optimistic on many fronts.

Before Indianapolis hosted Cleveland on Saturday, ESPN and NFL Network caught the luck on the ground going through a few warm-up exercises and apparently testing his left ankle / calf wound / whatever. This is a step in the right direction as positive reports about its availability for week 1 have surfaced. We can assume that it is a matter of temporary fantasy after the eighth round, because if he was well, he would be caught alongside Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers in series 4 and 5.

But just in case he was not ready, backup smuggler Jacoby Brissett was well on Saturday. Working against a mix of defensive pitchers and backups of the Browns, Brissett missed a single pass deep (another foul was eliminated) and was otherwise good. His best game? As the Browns collapsed the pocket and even got some hands on Brissett in fourth and third, the veteran freed himself and shot Eric Ebron on his left for 16 yards. This kept the player alive, ending with a touch of Ebron on a magnificent pitch with a perfect touch for Ebron.

If Brissett starts week 1, do not hesitate to use Hilton or Ebron. Yes, Ebron, who was more than a red zone specialist with the starters, will attend an improved match during the first week with Derwin James of the Chargers Safety foot injured. If you have reasonable expectations for him – 700 yards and six touchdowns? – he should satisfy.

The only Colts player with whom I had problems was Marlon Mack, who started and really impressed only with a port of 8 meters. He was seconded by linebacker Mack Wilson, a stiff-armed batting, avoided another tackler and motivated for winning. Two pieces later, he was drunk on a third and a. He ran with some hesitation after a few transfers and did not really burst. He is in a great situation with the Colts and could very well improve at the start of the season. There is therefore no reason to downgrade. Not yet.

Fantastic takeoff with … the Jets ?!

Sam Darnold is quite interested in the attack of Adam Gase. A match that stood out against the Falcons on Thursday was a 21-yard pass for Robby Anderson where Darnold threw before Anderson returned for the ball, hitting him down and down. back of the hip where the defender could not get it. This is the proof of timing between them. Darnold also hit Quincy Enunwa on a 15-yard cross with Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant on his tail. It was even more impressive that Darnold scored 5 out of 7 with four offensive linemen on the field.

Darnold is not really a target in the quarter leagues, but the fact is that he could make all his receivers alive. Gase had already resorted to a slow offensive, but Darnold admitted after the match that this new system was designed to play with a certain tempo and without clutter to let the defenses guess. I feel better taking Robby Anderson (end of the 6th round / start of the 7th round) and trying to play Jamison Crowder as a receiver of the PPR team (9th or 10th round).

Latest news about Lamar

Fantasy people loved the 18-yard touchdown by Lamar Jackson who was recalled. Although his disappearance has improved, there is still something that will prevent some of us from buying totally.

On short passes, Jackson was almost perfect. Six of the seven attempts that crossed the line of scrimmage within 10 meters of the line of scrimmage were completed by a loose throw. This should not be a surprise – any quarterback professional should be able to do it.

But on the throws that lasted more than 10 meters, Jackson was 0 for 3. He was a little behind Hayden Hurst and back for Willie Snead and a side shot for Miles Boykin.

This brings Jackson's pre-season totals, including penalized games, to 2 out of 7 on longer throws and 8 out of 11 on shorter throws with two passes on passes with dubious accuracy.

In the end, it's a second week in a row that we can feel better about Jackson as a contributor to Fantasy. If the design of the offense is to simplify Jackson's passes and use the game action outside of the zone reading, it can work. He has enough talent and speed to the receiver and the size at the tight end to do it. I'm expecting him to improve the 163.5 passing yards per game that he had in eight starts (playoffs included) last year, and his running potential on foot is obviously strong.

If I continue to brag about Kyler Murray as Fantasy quarterback who makes the difference (yes, even after his ugly match against the Raiders), then Lamar Jackson should also be part of the group. I would not hate my year with Jackson as a starter and someone like Philip Rivers on my bench, as the Ravens' early season schedule (in Miami vs. Arizona) should yield big results. It is later in the year that I will be worried about starting Jackson, either because of injury or because the defenses might understand it, as the Chargers did. did last January. There is a group of quarters I would look for in the two-digit tricks, and he's in that mix.

Keep calm on the cardinals

Yes, the Cardinals attack was ugly in their second game against the Raiders. Yes, it seems ridiculous that Murray gets two applause for false start. And, oh boy, was the Cardinals' offensive line (with four beginners) awful?

The interest here is that the five leading Cardinals players were unfortunately unprepared for aggressive calls from the Bliders during a preseason game. You would like to think that this will change as early as their next preseason game and certainly before the first week against the Lions, but that does not in any way wipe out the fact that the Cardinals line is at best a small problem and at worst a huge liability. The Raiders may have developed a master plan to slow Murray & Co.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the offensive style of the Cardinals that we have seen through two matches is nothing like Week 1. They play football in a slow, methodical and basic way. We expect them to play with a faster tempo and more creativity in the regular season, which should help Murray get into the rhythm and complete his passes against the Raiders.

I still consider Murray to be one of Fantasy's top 12 quarterbacks with a ton of improvements, but I decided to get him out of the top 10 because I can not just pick him up at the quarterback position. And everyone I am more comfortable with as the only quarterback in my lineup should be ahead (Jared Goff, Jameis Winston, Russell Wilson).

Johnson had an ugly statistics line, but also had a 16-meter run on the right edge that was being recalled by a penalty of keeping on one of its ends. For now, I prefer James Conner given the two offensive lines, but I am quite able to put a late pick in the first round at Johnson, especially in the PPR leagues. I have much more confidence in the current coaching staff of the Cardinals who use it effectively compared to the crew of last year. If you are writing this weekend and it is slipping in turn 2 because people are afraid to take it to turn 1, catch it!

Recruits at the center

• Josh Jacobs started and played every shot with the first Raiders team offensive, scoring 6, 8 and 6-yard runs against a poor Cardinals defense. His cutting abilities, his vision and his power were as good as those announced. It's only a thin job, but he's about to move to the second level and play a lot. It's not bad to take it with a late pick of the third round.
• Miles Sanders of the Eagles had more explosive runs against the Jaguars. He played six straight times to start the game before giving way to Jordan Howard in the first practice. He made his first big win thanks to his O-line, but during his second long run, he was impressive through the tackles for 12 extra yards. He also made blocking and passing passes. The only thing he did not do was go overboard, but his lateral agility was great. Could Sanders question the Eagles' philosophy of using multiple halves throughout the game? Someone in each league will bet on it with a late pick at the start of turn 6 or at the start of turn 7 on Sanders.
• Tony Pollard showed a good performance as the Cowboys regained their lead this time by winning 15, 9 and 9-yard games (one 8-yard screen pass was recalled by a penalty) before they 39, showing off his balance, brilliance and power a 14-yard touchdown against a tired Rams defense. Of course, you could make believe that playing behind a strong offensive line would give a nice back appearance, but that's exactly the situation that Pollard should be if Ezekiel Elliott's stance continued. He has been the exclusive running back with Dak Prescott until now this preseason. Is the price of Round 10 too juicy for him? I do not think so.
• I'd like to see Darrell Henderson play with the Rams starters. He started battling the Cowboy defensemen on Sunday with a superb 26-yard run on the right. He still had a lot of games for 3 yards or less, but at least we see a glimpse of his potential.

More from preseason 2

• Curtis Samuel is the darling of the preseason, and against Buffalo, you can see shreds of evidence that explain why. It is fast as lightning on its route and creates a separation with not only the threat of its speed but also its speed to change direction. I noticed that he had a little trouble getting a press coverage, but any defensive back who tries to do some exercise with him runs the risk of seeing him leave faster. He misses. It's an interesting player with a lot of potential, worthy of a top 70.
• The second darling of the pre-season could be James Washington, who has been huge in two games. Against the Chiefs, Washington had a bit of play time with the starters and captured dazzling passes from Mason Rudolph and Josh Dobbs (Ben Roethlisberger did not play). While his speed helped him win two long passes, including a 40-meter bomb, it was his fit and Rudolph's bad throwing attempt that caught my eye. How long before joining the Steelers three receiver set? I would not be surprised if it was before week 1. I'm preparing it late.
• And although I do not like that for James Conner's goals in Fantasy, I appreciate the Jaylen Samuels game. He ran hard and impressed in the backup work against the leaders. I understand why the Steelers want to hit him.
• Here is your update of the half flanks of the Buccaneers: Peyton Barber was tough but he has no room for two litters. Ronald Jones was helped by his blockers in a race, carrying the defensemen on a 12-yard run. Then his blockers spoiled him on a left edge and lost three meters when he had defenders in his face. Jones also missed a pass blocking the passes and scored the kickoff for 15 yards. Meanwhile, Dare Ogunbowale totaled 88 yards in the scrum with the reinforcements and was recalled at the 45-yard rate with a penalty. We also saw a lot of Andre Ellington. There is no clear winner of Fantasy in this field, but Barber managed the first six shots of the game, regardless of its value. Draft these guys with caution.
• And here's your Buccaneers update: Jameis Winston's first throw was tentative and far away. His three others were fine, but that included a OJ pass Howard should have turned around, but could not stand after Minkah Fitzpatrick entered the game. Nothing special about Winston here because he continued to play with caution and not to make mistakes. He is one of the 12 best fantasy quarterbacks with a 4,500-yard lead and 30 touchdowns.
• Throughout the camp, we learned how impressive Mark Andrews was, but we do not see him on the field. According to my accounts, he was in the third tries and a handful of other games with the runners against the Packers but never got involved. Zero target. Nick Boyle started and saw more targets. Heck, tight second-year striker Hayden Hurst saw more targets. It's impossible to write Andrews if that's the treatment he's going to receive. And it's not like we can trust Boyle as a close end, or Hurst for the rest. After two pre-season games, the Ravens' close games seem to be deadlocked.
• Matt Ryan suffered two falls in the end zone on the same disc, otherwise he would have been better than 10 out of 14 overruns. Ryan was also involved in many attempts because his offensive line was a disaster. Almost every game, someone on the Jets had in his face. New York sent a series of blitzes, two of which resulted in a bag (Ryan was fired three times in total) and there were many pieces where Falcons linemen were on the ground. This problem was supposed to be solved. Fortunately, it's a very good sign that Ryan overcame the leaky line and posted good numbers – without Julio Jones. He is still in the top 5 Fantasy quarterbacks in my mind.
• Ito Smith finally made some games! His 13-yard catch was nothing special as he won on a missing pass for the 19th and 19th pass, but he shone solidly on a 28-yard catch-and-run and then appeared fluid on a 4-yard touchdown. ride. Unless Brian Hill has a real chance of overthrowing him, I guess he'll be No. 2 Falcons behind Devonta Freeman.
• Calvin Ridley looked fast and promising with his 27-yard scorer. I guess the hamstrings are fine. It is part of round 5.
• Do not look now, but the Texans who started O-line made an almost flawless effort. They ensured the safety of Deshaun Watson and Joe Webb in the first three rounds of the game, with only two pressures. True, they played a Lions defense without four of his starting linemen, but that's a start!
• Joe Mixon looks strong! I loved the steep arm of the 14-meter race that he had at the beginning and who was recalled. The Bengals have organized a series of games in the area, the style that suits Mixon the best. Do not be shy to take it with a second round choice.
• T.J. Hockenson's first shot for the pre-season was a short shot by Josh Johnson that he quickly pulled up the field before bouncing (he looked more like Kofi Kingston's maneuver) on two Texans defenders. Total gain: 22 meters.

Classify for the future

• The Bengals offensive line did not let Andy Dalton get fired once. They were not great at racing, but at least they kept Dalton clean against a young and huge D-line Redskins.
• Bengals quarterback Ryan Finley played well, making all of his first eight shots, including a touchdown. The only time he watched Daltonish, it was during an attempt by Hail Mary, where his throwing of his 46-yard line sank to 3 yards from the end zone. He will be OK if he has time to play this season.