Fantasy 5: Elliott's appeal could have big impact on his fantasy stock

(The Fantasy 5 is a quick-hit wrap-up of some of the biggest news topics of the day for fantasy football players, giving you advice you need to improve your team.)

We’re nearing Week 2 of the preseason, and NFL news is still coming in hot. The big news of the week remains Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension, and given that he was a top-three draft pick all offseason, it’s definitely the top story for us fantasy footballers, too

Today’s Fantasy 5 goes over Elliott’s suspension, the quarterback battle in Houston, the quarterback woes in Jacksonville, and more.

1. Ezekiel Elliott appeals six-game suspension

Cowboys RB Elliott has officially filed an appeal for his six-game suspension. A date for the hearing must be scheduled by August 25, but that doesn’t mean we’ll know the result of the appeal then.

There are about a dozen different scenarios here, but Elliott is hoping to either have his suspension overturned completed (unlikely) or reduced (possible). Another possibility? The appeal could take longer than everyone wants, pushing Elliott’s suspension to somewhere during the season.

At this stage, you can keep drafting Elliott at the end of the second round or beginning of the third. But he’s only draftable there because he’ll be around for the fantasy playoffs. If he ends up being suspended during the fantasy playoffs, he’s significantly less valuable.

2. Tom Savage losing first-team reps in Houston

Expected start-of-the-year starter Savage is already losing first-team reps to rookie Deshaun Watson in Houston’s training camp. Watson had a strong debut in the preseason, and despite Savage’s claims that “nobody will take the job away” from him, we seem to be making a beeline for Watson starting sooner rather than later.

Watson is worth a look in 2QB leagues toward the end of drafts. He may not be the Week 1 starter, but there’s little doubt he’ll be under center at some point this season. At first it was expected to be by the midway point, but now it looks like that date might be creeping up.

PFF Fantasy collectively has Watson ranked as the No. 28 fantasy quarterback, but he could easily slide into the top 20. The Texans have a strong supporting run game, one of the league’s best defense, and a fantastic weapon in DeAndre Hopkins. Watson might not be asked to do too much given the talent around him, but he’d still be in a spot to succeed.

3. Blake Bortles is still struggling: concerns for Allen Robinson?

We knew Bortles was not magically going to become good in 2017, but he is still dealing with a plethora of issues, including a tired/injured/weary arm that has caused him to lose snaps at training camp.

A video went viral on football Twitter yesterday of Bortles overthrowing Allen Robinson. Robinson was clearly flustered after the play. We don’t want to read too much into the video of just one play, but Robinson was clearly irked at Bortles.

Robinson is poised for a strong WR2 season in fantasy, but inconsistent quarterback play threatens to doom his season once again. He’s risky.

4. IDP news: Jaylon Smith to play versus Colts

On Saturday, linebacker Smith will make his debut for the Dallas Cowboys. The second-round pick from 2016 would have been a first-rounder if not for a torn ACL. Still only 22 years old, Smith is a strong dynasty pick, but you should temper expectations for 2017 in what amounts to his rookie season.

Dallas has IDP stud Sean Lee on its squad, and Anthony Hitchens is a viable linebacker in leagues that start at least three at the position. It’s still unclear whether or not Smith is just “healthy enough to play” or if he’s 100 percent. If he’s limited in snaps, then he most certainly won’t be a viable IDP option.

This is a situation to monitor for sure, but don’t get too wrapped up in the hype.

5. Injury roundup

• Bortles is resting his arm, but he assures everyone it’s fine
• Steelers wideout Sammie Coates has been activated from the PUP list. He’s buried behind Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Le’Veon Bell, and possibly even Eli Rogers and JuJu Smith-Schuster. He’s a DFS tournament dart-throw and shouldn’t be on your redraft radar.
• Saints cornerback Delvin Breaux is out 4-6 weeks with a fracture fibula. The Saints were already a team to target if you’re streaming quarterback or playing DFS, but this news might not make that much of a difference. Breaux had a laughably bad PFF grade of 39.1 last year. It’s hard to imagine his replacement being any worse.
• Ryan Mathews was given a green light in terms of health, but he was immediately released by the Eagles. He isn’t on a team yet, but could find his way onto a roster before the season starts. He doesn’t have any fantasy appeal.