With a pair of dominant performances in the books this preseason, Dez Bryant won't be on the field for the Cowboys third preseason game after suffering a concussion during Monday's practice. It's never wise to speculate about a player returning from a head injury, but the superstar has almost three weeks to recover in order to be on the field in Week 1. Unless additional negative news arises in the near future, he's a great value at his current ADP of 12.
As we near the preseason dress rehearsal weekend, there are plenty of news items relating to players trying to return from various injuries:
• Head coach Jason Garrett expects rookie Ezekiel Elliott to make his highly-anticipated debut Thursday against the Seahawks after being sidelined since August 2 with a hamstring injury. He's now practiced in full for three straight days, though it's unclear how much action he'll see if he sees the field. Although his current ADP is 11, if he somehow puts together a big game, there'll likely be a market reaction that'll push his draft position even higher. Regardless of how he performs this week, it's seems quite probable that he'll be well worth such a high draft choice due to his talent and the fantastic offensive line the Cowboys have.
• Sammy Watkins (foot) will make his preseason debut Friday, but he's only expected to play a limited amount of time. The Bills have eased their top receiver into action after starting training camp on the PUP list. Some of the concerns that fantasy owners have will be eased if he gets through the game without any setbacks. If he can put together a season of consistent health, he could be an absolute steal at his current ADP of 33.
• Acclimating to a new offense isn't always easy, and Matt Forte seems unlikely to participate in the Jets third preseason game as he tries to recover from a hamstring that has kept him from seeing action in either of the two previous practice games. Despite a desire to see his free agent running back suit up, Todd Bowles is expected to keep the veteran out until he's 100 percent. The 30-year-old has an ADP of 48, but his risk factor continues to grow as he misses time.
• Despite being spotted at Sunday's practice without the walking boot he was wearing Saturday, Jeremy Langford (foot) missed Tuesday's practice and his status for the Bears third preseason game is unclear. Fantasy owners willing to draft the second-year running back at his ADP of 64 will be excited after his performance against the Patriots last week, but until there's clarity regarding the nature of his injury, a little extra risk must be factored in as well.
• Eric Ebron suffered an ankle injury in early August, and he finally returned to practice Tuesday, but he was taking it easy during the practice session. Although it's unclear as to whether he'll play in the team's third preseason game, this news is reassuring in terms of his potential availability for Week 1. The third-year tight end is currently well worth a pick at his current ADP of 140 as a fantasy backup with starter potential.
• Although not unexpected, Joe Flacco is expected to see his first game action since tearing his ACL late last season. The good news is that he's been a full participant in every practice during camp, so he should be getting work to simply knock off some rust. The Ravens' receivers are starting to get healthy, so drafting Flacco as a fantasy backup at his ADP of 162 could end up being a move that rewards fantasy owners.
Aside from today's injury items, there are a few players trying to establish roles on their respective teams:
• After playing just nine snaps in the second preseason game, Dolphins head coach Adam Gase is planning on giving Arian Foster a long look in the team's dress rehearsal Thursday against the Falcons. In his brief time on the active roster for the Texans last year, he was still quite effective as a receiver, but struggled when running the ball. Fantasy owners will be anxious to see how he looks in comparison to last year while also knowing he'll be 30-years-old and recovering from an Achilles injury. There's quite a bit of mystery surrounding a player whose current ADP is at 80. Hopefully he gets enough work to provide a bit of clarity as to how he may look this season.
• Those playing in leagues that start two quarterbacks will be sure to keep a close eye on Trevor Siemian (shoulder), who ESPNs Jeff Legwold is reporting that the second-year signal caller is likely one more quality half of football from being the Broncos' Week 1 starter. He'll be starting the third preseason game against the Rams Saturday, but despite Legwold's words of encouragement, the starting job is still up for grabs as he battles with Mark Sanchez, and to a lesser degree, Paxton Lynch.
• Bills head coach Rex Ryan called Mike Gillislee (concussion) LeSean McCoy's backup while he plans on "being smart" in his use of Reggie Bush. Ryan also was sure to mention that Bush will be involved in the offense, so basically, this seems to imply that the backup situation is most likely going to be handled by both players. At this point, neither player seems worth a pick in fantasy drafts.