NFL Preseason Risers: Cam Akers, Jerome Ford, Gardner Minshew (Fantasy Football)

The NFL preseason is now in the rear-view mirror and the regular season is but a few short days away. Before jumping into Week 1, fantasy managers should take a moment to reflect upon the last three weeks to judge if some of the stars (or duds) of the preseason are real or just figments of our imagination.

Ascertaining meaningful data is difficult since most NFL teams will opt to rest their high-profile players for the vast majority of snaps, not wishing to risk injury on games that don’t count. This also provides players on the bubble a chance to prove themselves in live action. Whittling down the roster to the final 53 is a tricky process, and each snap is precious for those fighting for one of the last few spots.

Here are a few players who caught my eye during the preseason and performed well when given the opportunity.

NFL Preseason Risers

Gardner Minshew (QB – LV)

Minshew’s battle with Aidan O’Connell for the starting role in Las Vegas was something many fantasy players were keeping a close eye on, especially those who happened to have Davante Adams or Brock Bowers on their squads. Head coach Antonio Pierce declared Minshew the starter in mid-August. His veteran leadership (and slightly better accuracy) ended up vaulting him over the top. He tends to be reckless with the ball under duress but will take more shots downfield when given the opportunity.

Jerome Ford (RB – CLE)

Jerome Ford’s inclusion on this list wasn’t due to the statistics he totaled during the preseason but rather the injury situation with incumbent option Nick Chubb. Chubb was recently placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after the conclusion of the third preseason game, meaning he will miss a minimum of four games to start the regular season. Entering the year at age 28 and having already experienced significant knee surgery back in college at Georgia, it stands to reason Chubb will be eased into action upon returning. Even once Chubb returns, Ford will still have Fantasy relevance as the third-down back in explicit passing-down situations. Our expert consensus rankings (ECR) have Ford currently ranked as the RB37, with Chubb barely trailing him as the RB39 in the fantasy football rankings.

Cam Akers (RB – HOU)

Cam Akers finished with 112 rushing yards on 24 carries this preseason and looked much more explosive than Dameon Pierce on the field. Fresh off a disappointing 2023 campaign when he totaled just 60 rushing attempts over seven games, one had to seriously wonder if Akers’ career in the league was over. The former 2020 second-round selection exhibited plenty of burst with the ball in his hands in the receiving game and looked no worse for the wear following recovery from his second Achilles tear. Houston beat reporters have been universal in their opinion that Akers will push Pierce for the RB2 job with the Texans — a valuable role on an ascending team behind an aging veteran in Joe Mixon, who has an average draft position (ADP) of 42 overall.