Fantasy Football 2023: 3 Sleepers Generating Buzz After Preseason Week 2
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Week 2 of the 2023 NFL preseason is nearly complete, and already we've seen a few fantasy football sleepers start to wake up.
This only matters to folks paying attention, of course, and even then, you might have to study the stat sheet to find subtle sources of encouragement. Still, this game-time data can be valuable if you put it to proper use, so don't automatically dismiss what you seen in the preseason.
The following three players already had sleeper appeal, but their buzz is building.
James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
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While gaudy numbers and highlight plays can be fun to see, the one thing worth tracking more than anything in the preseason is usage.
With many teams treating the second preseason tilt as a regular-season dress rehearsal, Week 2 opportunities can be a sign of what's to come moving forward. For Bills running back James Cook, the runway seems clear for his takeoff.
While Cook technically had a quiet game in Week 2 (three carries for three yards), his role in that game spoke volumes. He only played with the first-team offense, signaling Buffalo's apparent comfort with him being the team's lead back this season.
A second-round pick in 2022, he didn't get a ton of work as a rookie, but the touches he received typically delivered encouraging results. His 89 carries yielded 507 yards (5.7 per carry), and his 32 targets became 21 catches for 180 yards. In other words, his average touch was a 6.2 yard gain. No wonder what the Bills want to let him loose in a larger role.
Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Denver Broncos
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Marvin Mims Jr., this year's No. 63 pick, made his preseason debut over the weekend.
Statistically speaking, it wasn't a needle-moving effort (one catch on two targets for eight yards), but again, his role was the top takeaway.
As Nathan Janke noted for PFF, Mims was one of three Broncos receivers (along with Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy) to play on the club's first two drives. Mims also played primarily on the outside, hinting as his chances of becoming a big-play threat in this passing game, which could take a big step forward with the offseason arrival of head coach Sean Payton.
Mims, who ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the combine, was a home-run-waiting-to-happen in college. In three seasons at Oklahoma, he tallied 123 receptions for 2,398 yards and 20 touchdowns. That means, his average catch spanned 19.5 yards, and more than 16 percent of his catches reached the end zone.
Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
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With so many first-round quarterbacks taking big leaps in their second season—Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow among the more recent examples—Kenny Pickett has been a popular sleeper pick for is second NFL go-round.
Even still, his hype train his picked up speed this preseason.
Despite throwing just 11 passes in two games, he has skyrocketed his stock even amid the limited workload. He has connected on nine of those 11 attempts for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
"It's good to see all the hard work kind of (pay off) in games," Pickett told reporters. "Obviously it's preseason. But you know we put a lot of time together so you want to come out here and put points up and that's what we're doing."
Pickett has taken advantage of the playmakers around him, which could be a smart, simple formula for fantasy success. But he could take things a step further when the games really count by adding value as a rusher. He (wisely) hasn't attempted a rush this preseason, but as a rookie, he had 55 carries for 237 yards and three scores.
Fantasy Football 2023: 3 Sleepers Generating Buzz After Preseason Week 2 - Bleacher Report
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