NFL Preseason Week 2 Fantasy Takeaways: Sorting Out Some Running Back Questions

As the regular season approaches, Matt De Lima is starting to get a clearer picture of what to expect.

We are inching toward fantasy freedom. Like Red said of Andy Dufresne when he escaped from Shawshank Prison, we're crawling through a river of preseason $#!% and hopefully coming out clean on the other side. There have been no major catastrophic injuries to the best players in the game. *knock on wood* There haven't been any major depth chart shakeups beyond what we've anticipated. Yet. 

Just a little over two weeks before the regular season begins with the Rams hosting the Bills on Thursday Night Football on Sept. 8. So we're about halfway through the preseason with nary a scratch to show for it. Let's hope the fantasy gods aren't sandbagging for an avalanche of bad news. Until then, let's sift through the preseason noise for anything notable and newsworthy.

Dameon Pierce rested and it was good
And on the seventh day, the rookie running back sat out the Texans preseason game against the Rams while Marlon Mack started with Rex Burkhead mixed in with the starting unit. The rookie isn't out of the woods, as I imagine this will be something like a 50-25-25 split (Pierce-Mack-Burkhead) when the games count. 

For those tracking the Texans' offense beyond Pierce, Brandin Cooks and Davis Mills, WR Nico Collins seems to be the WR2 and TE Brevin Jordan will be the starter. 

It'll be interesting to see what happens here if, and it's a big ol' if, Mills exceeds expectations and/or lives up to some of the seemingly hyperbolic hype cast upon him. We're all sort of expecting some iteration of tepid mediocrity, but you just never know. The offensive line is closer to average than bad and maybe Lovie Smith can reinvigorate this franchise... Maybe.

Brian Robinson starts for Washington
Antonio Gibson is returning kickoffs and played behind Robinson. This is looking more and more like a split backfield between Gibson and Robinson. The odd man out being J.D. McKissic, who seems to be losing his scatback role to Gibson.

Rookie Jahan Dotson has the clear edge to be the WR2 behind Terry McLaurin. Curtis Samuel does make sense out of the slot. I don't believe this offense has enough firepower to sustain more than two fantasy players—Robinson and McLaurin are the best bets. I'm also keeping a deep sleeper eye on TE Logan Thomas. A 31-year-old fantasy afterthought who, to his credit, finished as a top-five TE in 2020. He's still on the PUP list so we'll see if he plays to start the season.

Zamir White firmly the No. 2 back in Vegas
Really, the competition isn't that fierce. Kenyan Drake wasn't good back when people thought he was good. Brandon Bolden is a special-teamer and well-worn comfort blanket for head coach Josh McDaniels. Ameer Abdullah hasn't done much with his career and is a better fit to be a third-down pass-catcher.

White probably won't push Josh Jacobs too hard for playing time or snaps. The rookie isn't very explosive as a runner, but he gets downhill reasonably quickly. Young, no-nonsense runners who get north-south still have a place in the league.

Ty Montgomery outplays Rhamondre Stevenson
I'm not buying what I would consider a smoke screen here. Damien Harris started Friday night against Carolina. Stevenson played three snaps on the second drive and then Montgomery played all the snaps on the third drive, including a two-yard punch-in touchdown at the goal line.

Montgomery is a vexing player. New England is the fifth team he's played for since being drafted by the Green Bay Packers as a wide receiver in 2015. He's played on special teams and returns kicks. He has 1,100-plus receiving yards, 1,100-plus rushing yards and 1,200 return yards in his NFL career. I think that's pretty damn cool. However, it makes sense that he might, and I am using a light touch here, just might be Bill Belichick's new favorite toy. Montgomery can do a little of this, a little of that. Harris and Stevenson? You could argue until you're blue in the face about who's better, but they have similar running styles.

Am I going to discount Harris or Stevenson on draft day or recommend Montgomery? Nope. It's important to remember it's Week 2 of the preseason. We just want to be aware of how the chess pieces could move. It's all hypotheticals.

Final thoughts
Stick a fork in Ronald Jones.  He didn't play a snap in the first half of the Chiefs’ win over the Commanders Saturday while Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco split time behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Chargers rookie RB Isaiah Spiller suffered an ankle injury but early reports suggest it isn't serious. He should be considered day-to-day. I wouldn't dismiss Spiller, but I believe the edge on the depth chart goes to Joshua Kelley to be lead backup to Austin Ekeler.

Ravens rookie TE Isaiah Likely had a big game Sunday with eight catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Normally I wouldn't bat an eye at a rookie tight end's preseason success, but I think very little of Baltimore receivers Devin Duvernay and James Proche. Someone's got to step up behind Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews.

The Romeo Doubs hype train rolls on with another touchdown reception. Can he really start over Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and perennial underachiever Sammy Watkins? I don't know, the Packers didn't rest him so I'm not sure what to make of it yet.

I still believe Jeff Wilson, not Trey Sermon or rookie Tyrion Davis-Price, is securely the No. 2 back in San Francisco.

I'm way down on Titans rookie QB Malik Willis. I could ramble about this—I'll spare you—but I just don't believe he's close to ready.

Devin Singletary will cede snaps Zack Moss and rookie James Cook. However, I'm betting the Bills take a big step forward offensively and that all-boat-lifting rising tide will more than offset the hesitation stifling Singletary's ADP (RB30, pick 80).

Albert Okwuegbunam played more than I anticipated Saturday while the Broncos sat most of their guys. I do believe he's still green so maybe it's just about getting in reps? A little concerning for a player being drafted pretty reliably as a borderline fantasy starter.

Colts rookie WR Alec Pierce played a few more snaps than Parris Campbell on Saturday. I believe Campbell is a better fit in the slot but I wonder how often this team will use 11 personnel (3WR-1RB-1TE) to keep Michael Pittman Jr., Pierce and Campbell on the field.

I'm mildly worried about the Rams offense. Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson Jr., Van Jefferson, Matthew Stafford, Tyler Higbee and rookie RB Kyren Williams are all some level of injured. Just a Taco Bell packet of mild sauce level of concern. I will report back if my anxiety increases to a spicier packet of Taco Bell sauce.

Khalil Herbert should be starting over David Montgomery for the Bears. Don't @ me. O.K., you can @ me @mattkdelima.