To all you naysayers who claim the preseason means nothing -- shame on you! It's a vital time to key in on players who you'll need to look at when your fantasy draft gets a little bit harder in the mid to late rounds. Week 2 of the preseason wraps up tonight as the Browns take on the Redskins. Keep your eyes peeled for breakout performances in every preseason game because you never know – one of these players just might lead you to a fantasy championship this season.
MONDAY 8/18
In Cleveland, there are position battles going on at almost every fantasy-relevant position on the team. The most important of which for fantasy purposes is at running back. Ben Tate and rookie Terrance West have been competing all summer, and while Tate has the experience he does have some ball-security issues and fumbled once in the team's preseason opener. West got in a few reps with the first-team squad last week and is currently listed as the No. 2 guy. Keep an eye on him throughout the preseason as he could easily surpass Tate early in the regular season.
Both DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon sat out the Redskins first preseason game, but are set to make their debuts on Monday night against the Browns. Quarterback Robert Griffin III's success hinges on how well he connects with his stud receivers in Jay Gruden's new offensive scheme in Washington so we'll be looking to see what kind of chemistry the trio has built up over the summer. Also keep an eye on Washington's backfield as coach Jay Grudenrecently confirmed that Roy Helu is the favorite to earn the third-down back job which could put a dent in Alfred Morris' fantasy value. Morris' current ADP carries some risk in Round 3, especially if he's not going to be an every-down featured back.
Matt Franciscovich is an associate fantasy editor at NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter _**@mfranciscovich** and yes, he will answer your questions. One at a time folks, one at a time._
