The third preseason game is commonly known as the "dress rehearsal," when teams play their starters for an entire half or more and run with their regular season playbooks. That won't be quite the case on Saturday when the Washington Redskins host the Buffalo Bills. Both teams have a promising young quarterback recovering from knee surgery but should be ready for the regular season.
Bills vs. Redskins preseason 2013: Fantasy football preview
The Bills and Redskins won’t be playing their starting quarterbacks in Saturday’s preseason game, but there are plenty of fantasy storylines to watch in this one.
Rick Stewart
Complete game coverage | Bills: Buffalo Rumblings Redskins: Hogs Haven
E.J. Manuel is out for preseason following a minor knee scope, so Kevin Kolb could put himself back in the discussion for the starting job. The team hasn't officially announced its starter yet, but many believe they will go with Manuel in Week 1 if healthy. Kolb performed poorly in last week's game, completing 13 of 21 passes for 111 yards and an interception. Manuel has intriguing upside in Dynasty leagues, but the raw rookie doesn't offer much fantasy appeal in 2013.
The new coaching staff is finally unleashing C.J. Spiller. He's a versatile weapon that's deadly with the ball in his hands, and the Bills intend on getting the ball in his hands more often. He's locked in as a Top 5 fantasy back and his increased workload should make Fred Jackson irrelevant.
The receiver position is more unsettled. Rookie Robert Woods appears to have won a starting job opposite Stevie Johnson, but he doesn't have much upside in a run-first offense that could be on training wheels with Manuel. Marquise Goodwin is the rookie to watch--he's tearing up training camp and the team loves his game-breaking ability.
The Redskins already have their starter decided, but we won't be seeing him until Week 1. Robert Griffin III's knee recovery continues to go well and there have been no credible reports of a setback. He's a Top 10 fantasy QB if healthy. Kirk Cousins is losing valuable preseason reps after spraining his foot last week.
Alfred Morris is the entrenched starter at RB, and Roy Helu can win the main backup job with a solid performance Saturday. He's worth a late-round flier in PPR leagues.
The receiving corps is probably better in real life than fantasy, but Pierre Garcon is set to take off after a toe injury derailed his 2012 season. He's a high-end WR2 who could flirt with WR1 value. Santana Moss and Josh Morgan are just guys and don't really merit using draft picks on, though Aldrick Robinson has some long-term Dynasty intrigue.
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