Guest of the League
Throw A Flag Est. 2022
Dynasty $125 - FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

The Weekly Bender: You Can Always Come Home

Fri Jul 5 6:00pm ET
By HOWARD BENDER
Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below


There is nothing better than winning your fantasy football league. Whether you’re playing against your friends in a home league or gearing up to take down the $500,000 grand prize in The Fantasy Championship, that euphoric feeling hits you in such a way that sometimes words can’t even describe. But it takes work. It takes tenacity. You don’t just stumble into a championship. You earn it. And that starts with your research here in July. Scouting talent is a top priority for you right now and it’s not just about the NFL players on the field. It’s also about which fantasy analysts you choose to trust each season.

Back in 2011, the folks here at RealTime Fantasy Sports led the way in premier scouting. During a raucous after-party following the FSTA Conference (currently the FSGA) in San Francisco, two of RTSports’ finest made their way to the bar and struck up a conversation with the guy slinging drinks. As it turned out, he also happened to be an aspiring fantasy analyst, freelancing for a couple of sites and looking for more work.

The conversation was light and friendly but intensified when opinions on players and teams came into play. The Giants had just won the World Series and baseball talk was buzzing in the Bay Area. The Green Bay Packers were in mini-camp looking to defend their Super Bowl championship and as we witness every year, the football frenzy was already taking over. With every lager and IPA that hit the bar, the men of RTSports also received formidable opinions, spicy hot takes, boatloads of sarcasm and some pretty entertaining jokes. By the end of the evening, a business card was handed across the bar with a firm demand: “We need a fantasy article written every week with these thoughts, these opinions and this kind of attitude.” With smiles all around and firm handshakes given, “The Weekly Bender” was born.

Yes, all of this, just to re-introduce myself to the community here at RealTime Fantasy Sports. What’s going on, everyone? I am over-the-moon with excitement about being back. In some ways, I never left. Though I was soon offered a full-time position at Fantasy Alarm and the Weekly Bender came to a close, I have remained very active on this website. For years, I hosted the Mock Draft Army here on RTSports and provided fantasy owners an opportunity to mock draft alongside dedicated fantasy players and industry analysts from all over. I’ve hosted numerous best ball drafts here for my audience at SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio and until my return today, have been logging plenty of time turning a profit in the RTSports DFS Pick ‘Em contests.

Yes, I am still over at Fantasy Alarm and you can find all of my fantasy football player rankings, cheat sheets (coming this Monday, July 8), draft strategies and my coaching scheme breakdowns in our Fantasy Football Draft Guide. The community over there is spectacular and I am sure that some of you reading this right now may already be over there. But RTSports has always been a home for me and now that I am back, I cannot wait to jump in.

In addition to the Weekly Bender, an article dedicated to providing winning strategies and picks with a hefty serving of snark, I will also be joining Jeff Paur on his weekly podcast/livestream, sharing videos with DFS Pick ‘Em contest picks, hosting mock drafts to get everyone ready for the 2024 NFL season and even setting up some “Beat Howard Bender” contests so that we can not only play against each other but also give you the opportunity to serve some of that smack-talk back to me.

When Thomas Wolfe wrote “You Can’t Go Home Again,” he was referring to the way nostalgia has us viewing the past in an overly-positive light. For those of you who remember the original Weekly Bender, you know we don’t look back at those pieces with rose-colored glasses. We crushed the research together, we ruled the waiver wire together and we shared championships together. It all comes full circle today and if Wolfe was sitting with me here right now, I’d let him know that you truly can go home again.

Here's to a spectacular 2024 season!

Bender, out!

Top Headlines
The Paur Report

Top 3 Mid-Round Targets

Player Notes
Ainias Smith Aug 24 8:50pm CT
Ainias Smith

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Ainias Smith caught six of nine targets for 36 yards during the team's 3-26 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The fifth-round rookie finishes the preseason on a high note, leading the Eagles receiving corps in targets by a four-target gap from the next closest receiver. Smith only caught eight balls in total this preseason and failed to reach 50 yards total in receiving. With Jahan Dotson recently being acquired this past week and names like veteran John Ross having strong preseason performances, it will be tough for the 23-year-old to make the final roster. Smith will likely land on the practice squad after the team makes their final cuts.

From RotoBaller

Parris Campbell Aug 24 8:50pm CT
Parris Campbell

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell caught both of his targets for 34 yards during the team's 3-26 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The former Indianapolis Colt finished a quiet preseason as a starter on Saturday but faces the chance of not making the final roster heading into the regular season. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson are locks to make the final roster, but Campbell, rookie Ainias Smith, John Ross, and Kendall Minton are all fighting for the final few spots with none making a strong case for themselves over the others. The 27-year-old will likely latch on to the practice squad or be scooped up by a wide receiver-needy squad heading into Week 1 of the regular season.

From RotoBaller

Tyrion Davis-Price Aug 24 8:40pm CT
Tyrion Davis-Price

Philadelphia Eagles running back Tyrion Davis-Price took 12 carries for 56 yards and lost a fumble during the team's 3-26 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The 23-year-old was given the start on Saturday but has an uphill battle to make the roster with Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell, and rookie Will Shipley getting a rest to end the preseason. Davis-Price committing a turnover in his lone start likely didn't help his chances of making the final roster. The former San Francisco 49er will likely land on the practice squad if he is cut in the coming weeks leaving the trio of Barkley, Gainwell, and Shipley as locks to make the Week 1 roster.

From RotoBaller

Ihmir Smith-Marsette Aug 24 8:40pm CT
Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (ankle) left the team's preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills early on Saturday after landing awkwardly completing a catch in the second quarter. The 24-year-old hauled in 2-of-3 targets for 11 yards while contributing 27 yards on two punt returns and a field-flipping 46 yards on his lone kick return. Smith-Marsette was productive before he picked up the injury and is expected to be the team's returner this upcoming season. Barring the severity of his ankle issue, that could still be the case. It's a bit early to tell how impactful the NFL's new kickoff rules will be come the start of the regular season. However, fantasy managers may want to keep the Iowa product on their radar as a sneaky option, depending on how your league values return yards. His Yahoo! ADP is far down enough that he'd be best suited as a prospective waiver-wire add.

From RotoBaller

Kenny Pickett Aug 24 8:30pm CT
Kenny Pickett

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett completed six of nine passes for 58 yards during the team's 3-26 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The former first-round pick played the entire first half and ended the preseason with his third-straight underwhelming performance. While Pickett has started all three preseason games and has not played with any of the starting receiving corps, he has done little to nothing. While third-string quarterback Tanner McKee had a poor performance as well Saturday, he has looked much better this preseason and has made a strong case to be the No. 2 option behind starter Jalen Hurts. Because the Eagles made a trade for him this offseason, the 26-year-old will likely be the backup come Week 1. With that said, McKee is a name to watch this upcoming week.

From RotoBaller

Tanner McKee Aug 24 8:30pm CT
Tanner McKee

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee completed 13 of 21 passes for 115 yards, threw one interception, and lost a fumble during the team's 3-26 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The 24-year-old had been making a strong case to challenge Kenny Pickett for the No. 2 spot but ended the preseason on a low note with two turnovers. With that said, McKee still looked better as a passer than Pickett Saturday proving that he can push the ball downfield while the offense was inept with Pickett. The former Steelers starter will likely end up as the top backup to starter Jalen Hurts come Week 1. Still, McKee should have safely secured himself the emergency quarterback role with his overall strong preseason totals.

From RotoBaller

Justin Shorter Aug 24 7:00pm CT
Justin Shorter

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Justin Shorter caught two of his three targets for 15 yards in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium. Shorter's long gain of the day came on a 10-yard reception in Saturday's defeat to the Panthers. The 24-year-old wideout was a fifth-round pick out of Florida by the Bills in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he didn't see the field in any capacity during his rookie season in Orchard Park a year ago. Shorter still has a chance to make Buffalo's final 53-man roster as depth for the receiving corps, but he'll probably end up being a healthy inactive on gamedays more often than not while the team is healthy.

From RotoBaller

Royce Freeman Aug 24 7:00pm CT
Royce Freeman

Dallas Cowboys running back Royce Freeman ran the ball eight times in the Cowboys preseason finale, gaining 35 yards. He was targeted once in the passing game, making a catch for a seven yard gain. Freeman's usage in the preseason essentially locked up his role as the third running back on the depth chart, behind Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle. Freeman would need injuries ahead of him in order to develop real fantasy relevance, but he's worth keeping an eye on just in case.

From RotoBaller

Ryan Flournoy Aug 24 7:00pm CT
Ryan Flournoy

Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Ryan Flournoy scored another preseason touchdown in the Cowboys preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers. Flournoy was targeted three times, making all three catches for 30 yards. He also added four yards on the ground with his lone rushing attempt. The sixth-round rookie's touchdown came in the second quarter on an 11-yard pass from Trey Lance. Flournoy had a fairly impressive preseason, but he's likely still not in a starting role once the regular season begins.

From RotoBaller

Jaret Patterson Aug 24 6:50pm CT
Jaret Patterson

Los Angeles Chargers running back Jaret Patterson led the team in carries for the third straight preseason game. In the finale, Patterson carried the ball six times, gaining 27 yards. He added one catch on two targets for an additional 12 yards. Patterson is third at best on the Chargers depth chart behind Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, but his usage in the preseason shows that he may indeed be part of the team's plans on offense, at least as a depth piece.

From RotoBaller

KJ Hamler Aug 24 6:50pm CT
KJ Hamler

Buffalo Bills wide receiver KJ Hamler saw a variety of usage in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium, catching each of his three passes for 11 yards and rushing three times for 21 yards and a touchdown in the defeat. Hamler, a wideout by trade, lined up as a running back before plowing his way past the end zone for a short Bills score in fourth quarter on Saturday against Carolina. After Hamler missed all of 2023 as he stepped away from football altogether for treatment of a heart issue, it was nice to see the 25-year-old former second-round pick make a significant impact in the preseason finale. There's a chance Buffalo keeps him on the 53-man roster as depth for the receiving corps following this solid performance, but Hamler is unlikely to see many opportunities in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Deuce Vaughn Aug 24 6:50pm CT
Deuce Vaughn

Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn ran the ball nine times in the Cowboys preseason finale, gaining 53 yards. He was targeted twice in the passing game but was unable to come up with either catch. Vaughn ended up with the most carries among Cowboys running backs, although quarterback Trey Lance led the team with 11. Vaughn is buried on the depth chart and likely ticketed for a special teams role, but he's shown some rushing ability in case injuries strike the top Cowboys runners.

From RotoBaller

Trey Lance Aug 24 6:40pm CT
Trey Lance

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance struggled in a preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. Lance attempted 49 passes, completing 33 of them for 323 yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions. He added 11 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown, leading the team in both carries and rushing yards. It was a strong game on the ground for Lance, but the passing game wasn't clicking, as the Chargers defense was all over Lance for the five picks and also two fumbles. If Lance makes the team as the third quarterback, he'll be behind starter Dak Prescott and backup Cooper Rush.

From RotoBaller

Darrynton Evans Aug 24 6:40pm CT
Darrynton Evans

Buffalo Bills running back Darrynton Evans made his case to make the final roster in Saturday afternoon's preseason defeat to the visiting Carolina Panthers in Orchard Park, tying for the team lead in receiving with three catches for 28 yards and a touchdown while adding 15 rushing yards on three carries. Evans certainly put together a nice day on Saturday against the Panthers, shedding a tackle and high-stepping his way across the end zone to give the Bills a lead in the second quarter, but his performance was overshadowed by undrafted rookie Frank Gore Jr., who also scored but produced a whopping 101 yards. Evans, 26, is not as likely to make Buffalo's 53-man roster following Gore's standout showing, and he probably wouldn't be any greater than the No. 4 back on the depth chart even if he does stick around.

From RotoBaller

Derius Davis Aug 24 6:40pm CT
Derius Davis

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Derius Davis touched the ball once in the Chargers preseason finale, but he made it count. Davis took the ball up the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown run, breaking tackles and avoiding defenders along the way. It was an impressive run for the former fourth round pick, but he appears to be headed for a special teams role as a returner who may occasionally fill in on offense.

From RotoBaller

Simi Fehoko Aug 24 6:40pm CT
Simi Fehoko

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Simi Fehoko scored a long touchdown in a preseason win against the Dallas Cowboys. Fehoko was targeted twice, making two catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. His score came on a huge throw from Easton Stick that ended up as a 78-yard touchdown pass. Fehoko dominated the Chargers passing game in preseason play, but he's not expected to see much time on offense once the regular season begins.

From RotoBaller

Frank Gore Jr. Aug 24 6:30pm CT
Frank Gore Jr.

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. made a statement in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium, rumbling for 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He caught one of his two targets for no gain. It was one chunk pickup after another on Saturday against Carolina for Gore, who plowed his way into the end zone for a Bills score in the third quarter. None of James Cook, Ray Davis, or Ty Johnson made an appearance in the preseason finale, so it was left to Gore and Darrynton Evans to compete for a spot on Buffalo's roster, with the former passing his final test with flying colors. While Evans hit paydirt through the air, Gore outproduced him in the yardage department in a big way, likely giving the 2024 undrafted rookie a leg up in the competition over the incumbent veteran.

From RotoBaller

Easton Stick Aug 24 6:30pm CT
Easton Stick

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Easton Stick played all of Saturday's preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys, leading the Bolts to a 26-19 win. Stick attempted 29 passes, completing 12 for 187 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He added 17 yards on the ground on four carries and took two sacks. Most of Stick's production came on a 78-yard touchdown pass to Simi Fehoko in the second quarter. Stick is the likely QB2 for the Chargers, a position that could be critical this season with starter Justin Herbert dealing with a foot injury that could linger into the season.

From RotoBaller

George Pickens Aug 24 6:20pm CT
George Pickens

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in both of his targets for 26 yards in the team's 24-17 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Although he lost six yards on his first reception, the third-year pro made up for it on the very next play with a 32-yard gain on a perfect deep pass from quarterback Russell Wilson. The pair was pulled from the contest immediately following the opening drive, which resulted in a touchdown. Barring any last-minute surprises, Pickens appears primed to enter the regular season as Pittsburgh's undisputed WR1. He offers plenty of upside in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts with the Steelers' offense expected to improve in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Frank Gore Jr. Aug 24 6:10pm CT
Frank Gore Jr.

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. (knee) is scheduled to undergo X-rays after suffering an injury during Saturday's preseason finale. This is a shame considering how well Gore has been playing in the preseason. He rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries with one touchdown before exiting on Saturday. He's competing with Ray Davis and Ty Johnson for the backup role behind James Cook. Gore doesn't have a great fantasy outlook right away with Cook being the workhorse back in Buffalo. However, he has decent potential and is a solid hold in deep or dynasty formats, assuming the results from his testing come back negative for any significant damage.

From RotoBaller