NFL Barometer: Robinson Rising

Allen Robinson, WR, JAC

Robinson showed his ability to dominate physically Thursday against the Jets by making two of his three receptions on balls he had to attack in the air. In limited action, he caught three passes for 80 yards (though the Jets were without Darrelle Revis). Robinson has also reportedly improved his route-running and been more aggressive to the ball in training camp. Even after an exceptional performance in 2015, he has room for improvement this season. And even though he's typically a first-round pick in fantasy drafts, he might have even more upside than some give him credit for.

Bilal Powell, RB, NYJ

With 12 touches per game over the last four games of 2015, Powell averaged 90 combined yards and 0.75 touchdowns, showing he was a good fit for coordinator Chan Gailey's offense. In the first preseason game Thursday, he carried four times for 13 yards and a touchdown as Matt Forte was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Powell continues to show he deserves a significant portion of the backfield work for the Jets this year. With an ADP just outside 150, Powell offers room for profit.

Ryan Mathews, RB, PHI

Plenty of fantasy owners rolled their eyes when Mathews missed time with an ankle injury in the first days of training camp. However, he was well enough to run with the starters in the first preseason game Thursday, carrying twice for 15 yards and a score. Any positive health report on Mathews qualifies as good news. If he can maintain health, he likely will see all the work he can handle in the Eagles' backfield.

Anquan Boldin, WR, DET

Boldin is expected to be the slot receiver for a Lions' team that annually finds itself near the top of the league in pass attempts. Although Boldin only caught one pass in the preseason opener Friday, it was quickly apparent that he can easily find vacant spots in the defensive zone, and Matthew Stafford immediately located his receiver for a quick completion. It was even better to see the veteran take the short pass, run through a defender and then fight with another group of would-be tacklers until finally being stopped after a 30-yard gain. Boldin's likely to see enough targets and red-zone looks to function as a fourth or fifth receiver for fantasy teams.

CHECK STATUS

Quincy Enunwa, WR, NYJ

With only 22 receptions in 12 games in 2015, Enunwa wasn't a factor in his second year in the NFL. However, without a proven receiving tight end on the Jets, his role in the slot could become quite productive, as he looks to earn a significant portion of the team's pass attempts in the middle of the field. In the team's first preseason game Thursday, he worked with the first-team offense and had receptions of 43 and 26 yards on three targets. If he continues to see targets in preseason, he could be a sneaky pick in fantasy drafts.

Virgil Green, TE, DEN

Coach Gary Kubiak's system has usually placed tight ends in a position to post excellent numbers. With former Kubiak favorite Owen Daniels out of the picture, Virgil Green ran with the first-team offense and caught all three of his targets for 26 yards Thursday. He has exceptional athleticism while also functioning as a strong blocker, so he could easily become fantasy relevant this year as a backup option with upside.

Terrance West, RB, BAL

When a player competing for a starting spot scores twice in the first preseason game, it normally merits a spot in the Rising section of this column. However, West's touchdowns came against the Panthers' backups, and two of the teammates (Kenneth Dixon and Javorius Allen) he's competing with had productive games, as well. In addition, Justin Forsett sat this one out, so keep monitoring this backfield closely the next two weeks.

Marqise Lee, WR, JAC

Despite playing with backups, he made a pair of catches that showed big-time NFL skills, reminding fans why the Jaguars spent the 39th overall selection to draft him in 2014. Should he overcome the injury bug that has plagued him during his first two years in the league, it wouldn't be surprising if he emerged as a regular in the passing game. He's not worth a pick in most fantasy drafts yet, but he's worth keeping an eye on.

FALLING

Jordan Howard, RB, CHI

The rookie had an excellent opportunity to showcase his skills by running against the Broncos' deep defensive reserves Thursday, but he was only able to grind out 12 yards on five carries. Perhaps worse than that, Howard did not get a touch until the second half. Ka'Deem Carey and Jacquizz Rodgers both played before Howard. Unless Howard turns things around in the next couple weeks, he could find himself spending quite a bit of time on the bench in the regular season.

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, TEN

Titans coach Mike Mularkey said during OTAs that Green-Beckham isn't a lock to open the season as a starting receiver, and the first preseason game underscored that, as the second-year player took the field with the backups in the second half, catching two passes for 15 yards. He's competing with Tajae Sharpe to be the team's "X" receiver, and Sharpe caught two of Marcus Mariota's five passes for 35 yards, including a team-high 31-yard reception. Not only does Green-Beckham need to improve his consistency in practice, he'll likely need to outplay his rookie counterpart for the job. At an average draft position of 120, he looks more and more like a risky pick.

Laquon Treadwell, WR, MIN

Treadwell is typically being selected about 95 picks into fantasy drafts, which seems to value him as the top receiving option on the run-heavy Vikings. However, according to reports, he's expected to be eased into the offense this season. In addition, he only saw a few snaps with the starting offense Friday while Charles Johnson blew past defenders and caught a long touchdown pass from Teddy Bridgewater in the team's first preseason game. Treadwell has upside, but there are more stable options at that point in drafts.