Saints @ Chargers
Final Score: Saints 22, Chargers 17
Writer: Chad Simpson (@CaoChadTTV on Twitter)
Rookies shine on Sunday night. Kendre Miller dazzled, Quentin Johnston, wowed, and Stone Smartt made his case for a job. However, the vets struggled immensely with Darrel Williams and Joshua Kelley putting in forgettable nights.
Three Up
- Kendre Miller – Solid game to help soothe fantasy owners and Saints brass alike amidst Kareem Hunt rumors.
- Quentin Johnston – My number 1 rookie bust candidate did what was needed of him tonight, hauling in each of his targets.
- Stone Smartt – While others failed to haul in target after target, the UDFA out of Old Dominion made the most of his, going 4-32. While not fantasy relevant, it does help him to be the bright spot of all of the Chargers backups when it comes to securing a roster spot.
Three Down
- Darrel Williams -Averaging a putrid 2 yards on 8 carries, Williams looks to be at the end of the road.
- Lucas Krull – A game high 8 targets but had to settle for just 3-30
- Joshua Kelley– 4 carries for 9 yards is not good enough when the competition averaged over 5 yards per carry.
New Orleans Saints
| Preseason Week 1 |
Quarterback
Jameis Winston: 13/21, 169 Yards
Winston didn’t do much of note outside of a great connection with Kendre Miller. Winston could be thrust into fantasy value if an injury elsewhere leads to a trade for Winston.
Notes
- Fantastic throw on wheel route to Miller
Missed Opportunities
- Couldn’t convert goal to go in relief of Haener.
Jake Haener: 11/17, 118 Yards | 2 Carries, -2 Yards
Haener looked like a quality prospect for the Saints. Flashed athleticism, speed and accuracy during his time at QB. His existence should make it easier for the Saints to trade Winston should a needy team come calling. Good dartboard 3rd rd pick in rookie drafts.
Notes
- First play was a beautiful deep ball to Kirklin on a play extended by Haener’s legs
Missed Opportunities
- Immediately had a TD dropped by Krull after the Kirklin play.
- Promising drive derailed by concussion protocols
Running Back
Kendre Miller: 10 Carries, 23 Yards, TD | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 36 Yards
Miller was the shining star of the 1st drive of the 2nd quarter for the Saints. Miller showcased game changing speed out of the backfield, which will go a long way to assuage owners and drafters who are concerned about a potential Hunt signing or Miller’s standing in the existing offense with Kamara’s suspension.
Notes
- Does a great job of beating the defender to the outside on a wheel route for a big gain.
- Follows it up by blasting into the endzone for a TD
Darrel Williams: 8 Carries, 17 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Ellis Merriweather: 5 Carries, 15 Yards | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 26 Yards
Notes
- Does a good job of capitalizing on bad coverage to convert 4th down.
Jontre Kirklin: 1 Carry, 8 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 59 Yards
Notes
- Had a huge gain on a play extended by Haener
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Bryan Edwards: 4 Targets
A forgettable night for the former Raider and fantasy darling. Long removed from fantasy relevance, Edwards can be ignored come draft time.
Missed Opportunities
- Multiple TD negating penalties on illegal blocks.
Shaquan Davis: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 63 Yards
Notes
- Huge catch in traffic for 40 yards with time winding down in the 2nd half to put the Saints in the red zone with 9 seconds left.
Missed Opportunities
- TD negated by penalty
Lynn Bowden: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 37 Yards
Missed Opportunities
- Blew an easy TD by misreading the ball on a great throw from Winston.
Lucas Krull: 8 Targets, 3 Receptions, 30 Yards
Although leading the Saints in targets, Krull only managed to catch 3 passes.
Notes
- One of his three catches was an awesome 15 yard gain where he practically jumped over the defender to make the grab.
- One of his non-catches was a great job by the defender to rip the ball out of his hands.
A.T. Perry: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 22 Yards
Los Angeles Chargers
| Preseason Week 1 |
Quarterback
Easton Stick: 21/41, 233 Yards 2 INT | 7 Carries, 63 Yards, 2 TD, 1 Fumble (Lost)
It was an uneven night from the Chargers backup. Stick flashed his legs often in this one, including engineering a successful 2 minute drill capped off by his first rushing TD of the night. Unfortunately, these positives were bookended by multiple bad turnovers. Stick has no fantasy value while working behind elite QB Justin Herbert.
Notes
- Bad fumble to start the 2nd quarter hands Saints ball in Chargers territory
- First INT was bad throw where he didn’t read the defense properly.
- Good 20 yard run during to put team in scoring range during 2 minute drill.
- Follows up with a well blocked run for a 6 yard TD.
Missed Opportunities
- Parham ruins a great job by Stick of setting up a walk-in TD with an atrocious drop.
- Just can’t quite drop in TD to Doss on blown play but was impressive that he kept the play alive long enough to have a chance.
Running Back
Isaiah Spiller: 5 Carries, 27 Yards
Once thought of in the same breath as Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III, Spiller is just an afterthought in fantasy now. While he has done a good job of securing his backup role in the preseason there is little to no value as long as the fantasy RB1 Austin Ekeler is still in town.
Notes
- Good run to get team into red zone during 2 minute drill.
Joshua Kelley: 4 Carries, 9 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
Fantasy irrelevant as long as the other RBs are healthy.
Elijah Dotson: 6 Carries, 21 Yards | 3 Targets
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Quentin Johnston: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 37 Yards
Johnston quieted the doubter(s) and shined in his limited outing. By shined, I mean he went from being my #1 bust from this draft to being a guy who can get separation at this level. Also shined in the sense that nobody else really did anything spectacular in this game.
Notes
- Showcasing an ability to get separation rarely seen at the college level.
Keelan Doss: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 42 Yards
Stone Smartt: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 32 Yards
Terrell Bynum: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 39 Yards
Donald Parham Jr.: 3 Targets
Former fantasy fan favorite Parham Jr. sees three targets and zero catches. Parham might pop up with the occasional game but is mostly irrelevant behind Gerald Everett.
Missed Opportunities
- Couldn’t capitalize on Everett having the night off or on being targeted.
- Hideous drop on walk-in TD
John Hightower: 6 Targets, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
That is simply not going to get it done on a deep Chargers roster.