After nearly six months without NFL football, the Hall of Fame Game provided a brief oasis to help quench our thirsts. Was it as good as regular season football? Of course not. Was it better than no football, though? Absolutely.
The preseason will start in earnest next week, but the Hall of Fame Game finally gave us some new information to sink our teeth into. It’s worth noting that this game featured virtually no important fantasy players on either side. Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson didn’t play, and neither did any of their top skill-position teammates.
Is that going to stop us from overreacting? Of course not.
For the players that did see the field, there were a few pieces of information that could prove useful in one way or another. Let’s dive in.
Zach Wilson remains a deep dynasty stash
I want to preface this by saying that we’re talking about deep dynasty leagues, preferably 2QB or superflex formats. That means rosters of 30-plus players where the waiver wire is absolutely barren. In these types of leagues, I think Wilson is worth a stash.
When Wilson was benched last season in favor of Mike White, I thought his career was officially over. Very rarely do QBs get a second chance in this league.
Aug 3, 2023; Canton, Ohio, USA; New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
But it does happen occasionally.
Case in point: Geno Smith. He lost his starting job with the Jets in 2015 and didn’t get another chance as a starter for seven years. He served as the backup for four different franchises, and Smith still probably wouldn’t have gotten another opportunity if not for the Russell Wilson trade. That gave him a chance, and Smith ultimately ran with it.
I’m not sure when Wilson’s second chance will be, but all the reports out of Jets training camp have been glowing for the former No. 2 overall pick. He is reportedly getting a “PhD in quarterbacking” from Rodgers, who seems determined to win his breakup with the Packers. Rodgers has already given back $35 million and vociferously defended Nathaniel Hackett, his offensive coordinator, which is his version of showing the Packers his “revenge bod.”
Wilson has always had the arm talent to be a successful NFL QB. He put that on display during the preseason, launching a perfect deep ball to Malik Taylor:
If Rodgers can help him with all of the other things that come with being an NFL QB – being a leader, watching film, breaking down defenses, etc. – it could pay dividends for the Jets in the long run.
Rodgers is not going to be in New York forever. He could retire after this season if the team wins a Super Bowl, but another two or three seasons feels like the maximum. After that, there's a tiny sliver of hope that Wilson could still be the future for the Jets after a rollercoaster ride.
That’s a long time to keep someone stashed on your roster, so feel free to cut Wilson if you need the roster space. But if you’re in a super deep league, particularly 2QB or superflex, Wilson could be worth the wait.
Israel Abanikanda has work to do
Abanikanda was one of the “stars” for the Jets on Thursday, turning nine carries into 27 yards and a TD while securing his only target. The Jets only managed 188 yards of total offense, so Abanikanda was responsible for a solid chunk of them.
Abanikanda also put his athleticism on display during his TD run, taking the corner from 10 yards out:
Unfortunately, the fact that he was on the field at all suggests that he has plenty of work to do if he plans on making an impact during the regular season.
The team opted to give Breece Hall, Michael Carter, and Zonovan Knight the night off, suggesting that all three players are ahead of Abanikanda on the depth chart. That’s ultimately not all that surprising – rookies tend to start the season at the bottom of the pecking order – but it doesn’t change the fact that Abanikanda is going to have to navigate a crowded RB room.
Aug 3, 2023; Canton, Ohio, USA; New York Jets running back Israel Abanikanda (25) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Hall currently projects as the team’s top option, and he was dynamic before suffering an injury last season. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry in his seven contests despite having played in a pretty anemic offense. To put that in perspective, Carter and Knight both averaged 3.5 yards per carry in the same offense. Hall also has outstanding pass-catching chops, so he’s going to be nearly impossible to supplant at the top of the depth chart.
However, if Hall were to miss time with his ACL recovery or another injury in 2023, Abanikanda still might not factor into the equation. Carter was a fourth-round selection not too long ago, and Knight provided solid production when forced into the starting lineup last season.
Abanikanda was only a fifth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, so there isn’t a ton of hype surrounding him at the moment. Don’t let his TD on Thursday change that fact.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson could be a preseason superstar
The best part about the preseason is that it allows us to scratch our NFL itch a month early. That means DFS contests and betting are both available.
Some people may be skeptical of wagering money on preseason games because they feel “random,” and there is an element of truth to that. The preseason often comes down to which coaches want to win the most and which teams have the best backups.
It’s only been one game, but Thompson-Robinson could be the type of player we want to hitch our wagon to in the preseason.
His game is perfect for fantasy purposes. He blazed a 4.56 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which puts him in the 95th percentile for the QB position. Thompson-Robinson also displayed his rushing upside against the Jets on Thursday, tallying 36 yards on six carries.
What was more surprising was his passing proficiency. He completed eight of 11 pass attempts for 82 yards and a TD and ultimately led the Browns to two TD drives in the second half, which allowed them to erase a 16-7 halftime deficit.
It’s a real longshot that DTR will ever play meaningful regular season football in the NFL barring injury. He was a fifth-round pick after spending five years in college, and guys like that rarely get a chance to prove themselves in the NFL.
That said, he’s the perfect candidate to see plenty of opportunities in the preseason. If he continues to impress like he did against the Jets, who knows what could happen?
Worst comes to worst, he might have a future as a fullback:
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