Fantasy Injury Updates: Jimmy Garoppolo struggles, Emmanuel Sanders looks sharp in return

Billy Heyen

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Fantasy Injury Updates: Jimmy Garoppolo struggles, Emmanuel Sanders looks sharp in return image

Each day of the NFL preseason brings more ammo for overreaction. Jimmy Garoppolo provided the latest on Monday night, being greatly outplayed by Joe Flacco in a game that doesn't count. Fantasy football owners surely were hoping to see a better return from injury -- more like the one Emmanuel Sanders had. With more fantasy drafts coming up soon, you need to catch up on all the latest developments and what they mean for your rankings and cheat sheets.

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DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2019 Fantasy Cheat Sheet

Jimmy Garoppolo fantasy outlook

Garoppolo was on the field Monday night for his first game action since Week 3, but after throwing five-straight interceptions at a practice last week, he looked jittery in the pocket and rushed his throws. His first throw was batted at the line. His second was intercepted. His third was hit at the line again, and his fourth hit a defensive back in the chest en route to what would've been a pick-six (but it was dropped). Garoppolo finished 1-for-6, with his completion going for no yards. 

We already were tentative in our ranking of Garoppolo, valuing him as backup in standard 12-team leagues. The preseason shouldn't mean much, but for a player coming off injury, it might matter a bit more, and there were no encouraging signs from Garoppolo on Monday night. He's the seventh-highest paid QB in football, but he shouldn't be valued nearly as highly in your fantasy drafts.

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

Emmanuel Sanders injury update

Sanders' return from a ruptured Achilles' was much more positive Monday night. The first play Denver ran was a five-yard completion to Sanders, and later in the opening drive, he took an end-around for a 19-yard run. After the game, he told ESPN he felt "amazing."

Sanders has been a relevant fantasy WR for a long time, especially in PPR leagues. Joe Flacco isn't flashy, but if he forms a connection with Sanders as his No. 1 option, there should be numbers to be had. Sanders is going outside the top-40 WRs in current ADP. Expect that to rise (and justifiably so) after Sanders made it through this first game looking healthy.

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

Deebo Samuel emerges as a fantasy sleeper

Samuel gave a glimpse of how the 49ers might use him in the early going of the 2019 season. Samuel didn't start -- those spots went to Marquise Goodwin and Dante Pettis -- but he worked his way onto the field in various spots over the first few quarters. He only had one touch, but it was a big one, taking an end-around 45 yards down the left sideline and nearly scoring. 

That Samuel end-around wasn't the only trick play San Francisco tried on Monday. Teams often try to hide those during the preseason, but the 49ers obviously want to be in sync even on their more unique playcalls. If Samuel shows he's a big-play threat, expect the 49ers to give him more opportunities on those types of plays. He might only be a stash for now, but there's serious upside if Samuel can work his way into a bigger role.

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

Julian Edelman injury update

Edelman had been dealing with a thumb injury for all of training camp, allowing Jakobi Meyers to get a ton of first-team run. Edelman was activated from the active/NFI list on Monday, meaning he should be on track to play for the Patriots in Week 1.

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

Edelman will be a PPR weapon, as usual. The biggest loser in the Edelman and recent Josh Gordon news might by the rookies, Meyers and N'Keal Harry, who were hoping to get big roles right from the outset of their NFL careers. They'll both have to settle for secondary contributions for the time being, it seems.

Billy Heyen