1. Sterling Shepard, Wide Receiver, New York Giants
Shepard will surely get a ton of play for the Giants in their preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins on Friday night. The rookie second-round pick has looked stellar thus far during camp, pretty much catching everything thrown in his direction. At this point, it seems that Shepard is going to play a huge role in the Giants' offense, potentially as the team's starting slot receiver.
Veteran Victor Cruz has missed the past year and a half to a multitude of injuries and was recently sidelined from practice due to tightness in his groin. Even if the injury-plagued Cruz finds a way to full health prior to the start of the regular season, there's very little reason to believe he'll see much action during the preseason. Meanwhile, the Giants are not going to risk injury to top receiver Odell Beckham Jr during the exhibition slate.
This all means that Shepard should see a ton of action over the next four games. If so, it's going to be extremely interesting to see how he performs against other teams' starting defenses.
2. Michael Thomas, Wide Receiver, New Orleans Saints
Thomas has apparently been super impressive in Saints camp thus far this summer. The physical wide receiver has even seen time with the first-team offense. That definitely bodes well for his ability to make an immediate impact as a rookie with Drew Brees under center.
Though, there's a lot of question marks here. Thomas is currently below Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and Brandon Coleman on the Saints depth chart. He's also going to have to contend with PPR stud Mark Ingram and free-agent tight end Coby Fleener for targets this season. Should Thomas find himself as the fourth receiver when the season starts, he likely won't have much re-draft value.
That's where the Ohio State product's preseason performance comes into play. Should Thomas perform well enough to jump Coleman on the depth chart, he immediately becomes a rosterable option in 12-team leagues and a potential FLEX play during the year.
3. Alex Collins, Running Back, Seattle Seahawks
With C.J. Prosise banged up and Thomas Rawls yet to see action after suffering a serious leg injury late last season, this rookie fifth-round pick should see ample playing time during the preseason. And in reality, that's going to tell us alot about Seattle's plans for the Arkansas product.
While Collins' tape doesn't necessarily stand out, he performed at an extremely high level in college, recording over 3,800 yards and 36 scores in three seasons.
Considering how much success Rawls had running behind Seattle's makeshift offensive line in Tom Cable's blocking scheme last season, whoever lands the starting job will be a fantasy relevant running back. If Collins performs well, he could very well be that guy.
4. Carson Wentz, Quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles
Wentz likely won't see any regular season action as a rookie unless something serious were to happen to both Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel. That's the Eagles' plan for the rookie No. 2 overall pick. Question it if you will, but the team is smart to sit him if he's not ready.
With all that said, those of you who took a chance on Wentz in devy or dynasty contests are definitely going to want to see what he brings to the table during the preseason.
Wentz will get his first opportunity at home against Tampa Bay on Thursday, where he's reportedly expected to see the bulk of the second half action. He'll then likely see some action against first-team defenses moving forward during the preseason. That's where it's going to get extremely interesting.
5. Will Fuller, Wide Receiver, Houston Texans
One might conclude that Fuller has the upper hand for extensive snaps this season, but he's going to have to show more consistency with his hands after struggling in that area at Notre Dame. The good news here is that Fuller has apparently been performing well in camp, even to the point where he's running with the first team.
In need of finding a second wide receiver to step up behind DeAndre Hopkins, Fuller could very well prove his worth in that area — potentially finding a way to be a solid bench option in 12 teams.