Fantasy football 2017: Performance of sleeper, bust running back candidates from preseason Week 2

The NFL preseason is halfway done with two weeks of games in the books. Many teams have their depth charts close to settled, and we’ll see their starting lineups rolled out later this week in the third preseason game, the unofficial “dress rehearsal” of the NFL calendar.

But before we get to that point, let’s go over a few performances from the second week of preseason and gauge the fantasy value of a select few players. It’s still early to be making stone-cold predictions, but here are some sleeper and bust candidates at the running back position based on two preseason games.

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs — The last preseason game was a coming-out party for Hunt, who got work with the first team and had 11 touches for 63 yards. Hunt looked like he belonged with the starters and should push Spencer Ware, who faded badly down the stretch as a workhorse back last season. The only concern is a minor ankle injury Hunt picked up in the game, but he’s expected to be fine. Hunt is a serious candidate to unseat Ware sooner rather than later.

Rex Burkhead, New England Patriots — Mike Gillislee has been getting all the fantasy love this offseason, but let’s not forget about Burkhead, who was signed first before the Patriots sniped Gillislee away from the Buffalo Bills as a restricted free agent. With Gillislee rehabbing a hamstring injury, Burkhead got the start against the Houston Texans and delivered 70 total yards on 10 touches. The Patriots still have a crowded backfield, but it’s clear that Burkhead will have a prominent role. He’s being severely underdrafted in the 12th round.

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints — The rookie had another impressive outing with 83 total yards and a touchdown on seven touches. We still don’t know how much he’ll play when Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram are on the field (both men sat out the first two games), but Kamara is making the most of his opportunities and carries PPR appeal as a talented pass catcher. If he goes undrafted, keep him on your waiver wire watch lists.

LeGarrette Blount, Philadelphia Eagles — After a career year with the Patriots, Blount is faceplanting pretty badly in Philadelphia. He had just eight yards on five carries in the Eagles’ win over the Bills, losing a fumble in the process. Now there’s a report that Blount might not even make the final team, given his awkward fit in the offense and poor preseason performances. Even if Blount makes the roster, his fifth-round ADP is a gross overpay. Let someone else jump on that grenade.

Eddie Lacy, Seattle Seahawks — Lacy got the start with Thomas Rawls having a sore ankle, but he didn’t do much to stand out, getting just 20 yards on six carries. Meanwhile, Chris Carson took his six carries for 27 yards and had a 17-yard reception, showing more aggression and fight than Lacy on the field. The Seahawks have a lot of mouths to feed in their backfield, and at this rate it wouldn’t be surprising if Lacy was the odd man out.

Bilal Powell, New York Jets — Powell still has some fantasy potential as an every-down back and the Jets’ only decent offensive weapon. That might be the problem, though — this is shaping up to be a historically bad offense, with Christian Hackenberg stinking up the joint and Josh McCown a perpetual injury risk. They also lost their WR1 when Quincy Enunwa suffered a season-ending neck injury. Powell is a talented back, but he faces the real risk of eight-man boxes and brick walls all year. Volume alone might get him to RB2 level, but I don’t feel comfortable touching anybody on this Jets team.