I'm not convinced Brian Robinson is really a big winner in Fantasy Football terms when looking at Week 2 of the preseason, but it's clear Antonio Gibson is one of the biggest losers of the preseason so far.
Gibson was behind Robinson on the depth chart in Saturday's game, and he actually kind of served in J.D. McKissic's role more than anything with McKissic inactive – Gibson ran seven routes compared to just one carry while Carson Wentz was on the field. If McKissic weren't around, that might make me like Gibson more, but are they really just going to hand him a valuable pass-catching role after not trusting him with it in his first two seasons?
I would guess not, which is why seeing Robinson serve as the team's primary rusher is such a bad thing for Gibson's value. Even if Gibson is ultimately the lead back come Week 1, it's clear Robinson has a role, and if this is a three-way split at RB, it's hard to get excited about anyone here. I think Gibson, Robinson, and McKissic should all go around pick 100 in PPR leagues, but I think I'd rather have someone like Rashaad Penny than any of them.
Here are some players whose stock is certainly pointing down after the second week of preseason games.
Skyy Moore
JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman weren't active in this one and Moore was still a clear third in the Chiefs WR hierarchy, behind both Marquez Valdes-Scantling (understandably) and Justin Watson (less so). Moore played 12 of 25 snaps with Patrick Mahomes on the field, and while there's still time for the rookie to work his way into a bigger role, it looks like playing time is likely to be hard to come by early in the season. It's fine to roll the dice on him as a late-round sleeper, but understand you'll need to be patient with the second-round pick, and it's possible he just doesn't emerge as the contributor we're hoping to see this season.
Kenneth Gainwell
With Miles Sanders out with a hamstring injury, there's an opportunity in the Eagles backfield, but Gainwell didn't get the first crack at it Sunday. Boston Scott played the first drive, with Gainwell splitting time with him from that point on. Gainwell was probably a bit more impressive than Scott, outrushing him 46 to 33 on one more carry (both scored a touchdown), and he's going to have a role no matter what – Gainwell figures to see more third-down snaps than anyone else, at least. But at this point, it doesn't look like Gainwell is in line to be a featured back even if Sanders is out. There's plenty of upside there in spite of that, but don't draft Gainwell expecting him to be an immediate star even if Sanders is out.
James Cook
Cook was the third back to come into the game for the Bills, as reports of Zack Moss' increased role appear to have some legs. Of course, Singletary took every snap with the BIlls starters, with PFF noting he didn't leave the game until the offensive line starters did. He had four carries and ran six routes and generally looked pretty good – just like he did when he got the chance to be the No. 1 back late last season. Singletary is, at this point, the clear lead back for the Bills, so the question is whether they're likely to lean on him heavily as they did late last season or if this is going to be a three-way split. Either way, it doesn't bode well for Cook, the team's second-round pick, to make much of a Fantasy impact early on. He's just a late-round dart throw for me, especially in an offense that has been one of the worst for running backs in Fantasy over the past three seasons.
Sleeper tight ends: Albert Okwuegbunam, Noah Fant, and Mike Gesicki
All three have sleeper appeal in the later rounds on Draft Day, but their preseason usage hasn't been ideal. Fant was splitting snaps with Will Dissly Thursday, while both Okwuegbunam and Gesicki were still seeing snaps well after the rest of their team's starters were out. Gesicki has talked about how he is effectively learning a new position, having played nearly all of his snaps out of the slot last season while playing primarily in-line so far, while Okwuegbunam has received praise during camp for his play, so it's not like any of these guys are buried. But each of them looks to be in a timeshare at the tight end position, and that's never ideal. You definitely can't draft any of this trio as your only option in the later rounds.
Treylon Burks
The Titans rotated five receivers over the first three drives Saturday, with Burks splitting time pretty much evenly with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Racey McMath, Cody Hollister, and Kyle Philips. That is not the most impressive list of names, so the fact that Burks still isn't standing out does not bode well for his chances of making an early-season impact. I still like the blend of size and speed Burks brings to the table, but he's going off the board within a round of Robert Woods, and I just can't justify it. If you're going to draft Burks, you need to know it might take a while and you'll have to be patient. Drafting him only to drop him after a quiet Week 1 won't make any sense.
Isaiah Spiller
We've been hoping to see some sign that Spiller is moving up the depth chart, but he watched Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree split reps in the first quarter before coming on in the second. With starter Easton Stick in, Kelley led with seven carries while Rountree ran a team-high eight routes; Spiller played just two snaps in that time, so he's a pretty clear distant third in the hierarchy here – which means he's fourth when Austin Ekeler is considered. Spiller still has some upside, but you'd rather draft Kelley at this point. For what it's worth, Spiller left the game with a minor ankle injury, though it isn't expected to be a serious issue at this point.
