Fantasy Football Rookie Stock Watch: Ryquell Armstead, Deebo Samuel, more

Billy Heyen

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Fantasy Football Rookie Stock Watch: Ryquell Armstead, Deebo Samuel, more image

Rookies had one final chance to make a statement on Thursday night in their final preseason games. Fantasy football owners have already latched on to their favorite, shiny first-year players, but it's worth taking note of a few takeaways from Thursday night. Preston Williams, Parris Campbell, Ryquell Armstead, and Deebo Samuel all seem to be trending up. On the other side, Jalen Hurd's injury is worse than initially thought. If you still have dynasty drafts coming up or are already scouring the waiver wire, these five players could matter to your fantasy season.

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DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2019 Fantasy Cheat Sheet

Parris Campbell fantasy outlook

Campbell made his Colts' debut in the final week of the preseason after missing much of training camp with a hamstring injury. The rookie from Ohio State caught three passes for 42 yards, including a 31-yard gain.

Campbell's health issues probably has him on the outside looking in for third WR duties in Indianpolis, but he should have a chance to break through sooner rather than later. It's just a less exciting gig with Jacoby Brissett under center instead of Andrew Luck. Campbell was being drafted in most leagues throughout the preseason, but he's probably more of a keeper/dynasty-league stash at this point.

2019 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back  | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker | Top 200

Ryquell Armstead: Leonard Fournette handcuff

Armstead closed the preseason with six rushes for 40 yards on Thursday night. He's taken on an increased role throughout the preseason as Jacksonville's No. 2 back, Alfred Blue, has missed time with injury. Armstead finished the preseason with 22 rushes for 80 yards.

Fournette missed time in 2018 with injury, so his backup could take on fantasy relevance at some point. Blue is a journeyman, while the Jaguars picked Armstead this year out of Temple for a reason. Armstead's not worth drafting as a direct handcuff, but you should know his name.

2019 PPR RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Top 200

Deebo Samuel fantasy outlook

Big-play rookie Samuel closed the preseason on a quiet note, with two catches for 16 yards for the 49ers. His overall preseason stats, though -- six catches for 104 yards and two runs for 59 yards -- display the type of ability he brings to the field on every play. He could open the year as San Francisco's No. 3 WR at worse, as both Jalen Hurd and Trent Taylor are at risk of missing Week 1.

Samuel is the type of player who eventually could be talked about as one of the best big-play threats in the NFL. The 49ers willingness to utilize him in various ways this preseason has shown they want the ball in his hands. If you're desperate early in the season, you could throw Samuel into a FLEX spot and hope for a home run.

DRAFT STRATEGY AND RANKINGS TIERS:  
Quarterback  |  Running back  |  Wide receiver  |  Tight end  | D/ST

Jalen Hurd injury update

Thursday night, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Hurd is likely to miss Week 1. Hurd had made noise in the preseason, including two touchdowns in the first week, but the rookie missed the last two preseason contests due to injury and apparently isn't healthy yet.

Hurd's value at the moment comes only in keeper and dynasty formats, but San Francisco is a receiving corps in flux. There's a half chance Hurd becomes a name you'll want on the waiver wire partway through the season, and if that's the case, just know that he is talented enough to be worth grabbing.

FANTASY SLEEPERS: 
8 QBs | 14 RBs | 11 WRs | 11 TEs | 6 D/STs | One from each team

Preston Williams fantasy outlook

Williams sat out the Dolphins' final preseason game, meaning he's seemingly made Miami's roster. The undrafted rookie from Colorado shined in the preseason whether it was Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh Rosen throwing him the ball.

Analysts elsewhere have speculated Williams is still buried on Miami's depth chart, but that doesn't seem to be the case after Williams operated with the first-team offense in the Dolphins second and third preseason games. He's as good a bet to return fantasy value in the Dolphins' receiver group as anyone, and he's totally worth a late-round flier in drafts because Williams oozes talent.

Billy Heyen