Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and other NFL preseason Week 1 takeaways

Welcome to the season of overreaction. Every pass, every catch, every juke and every mistake is magnified. Hey, fantasy football draft interests are top of mind. Whose stock is rising? Whose stock is falling? Attempting to decipher the meaningful from the meaningless, Brad Evans examines his top standout performances from NFL preseason Week 1.

• Position rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Cheat Sheet

Caleb Williams, Bears, QB (ADP: 110.33, QB16)

Billed as a multidimensional passer, the No. 1 overall pick from USC delivered on ALL the hype in his preseason debut against the Bills. Whether via designed rollouts or standard drop-backs, Williams ripped high-velocity throws precisely and accurately. Arguably his most impressive toss was an on-the-move, 26-yard strike into thick coverage to tight end Cole Kmet.

Overall, Williams completed four of seven attempts for 95 passing yards. He also rushed once for 13 yards.

That’s right, Bears fans. Pants will not be required once the regular season gets underway.

The ballyhooed Williams has the look of a passer set to exceed unremarkable fantasy expectations. On target lasers were a college calling card for the former Trojan, as evidenced by a No. 15 finish last year in adjusted completion percentage. He’s cool, confident and comfortable in his reads and progressions.

Yes, Williams will make the occasional mistake, but with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Kmet and D’Andre Swift as weapons along with the ninth-easiest projected strength of schedule for fantasy QBs, he is a likely borderline QB1 in 12-team settings who’s capable of producing around 3,800 passing yards, 23-25 passing touchdowns, 350 rushing yards and 3-5 rush TDs.

Braelon Allen, Jets, RB (ADP: 178.40, RB57)

The phrase “league winner” is often overused this time of year. It revolves around the idea that if you draft Player X, bragging rights are sure to follow. Though a tired line mostly misappropriated, it undeniably applies to the rookie from Wisconsin.

In his first preseason performance — largely against Washington backups — Allen irrevocably was the best player on the field. On his six carries, he rushed for 54 yards, broke multiple tackles and posted a mouthwatering 3.50 YAC per attempt. Additionally, he was tremendous on pass-down snaps, whether operating as a protector or receiver safety valve.

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Breece Hall is the Jets’ indisputable No. 1 running back and a warranted top-five overall fantasy pick, but, as Aaron Rodgers 2023 backers don’t want to remember, devastating injuries can and do occur. Robert Saleh’s club, which features arguably the NFL’s best offensive line and a superb defense, is constructed to pulverize opponents on the ground.

Allen is a perfect fit. Last season with the Badgers, he totaled an attractive 3.77 YAC per attempt and 49 missed tackles. Both outputs finished top-40 nationally.

WIth a 15th-round ADP in 12-team drafts conducted since August 1, Allen is a must-grab Hail Mary chuck. Even with Hall on the field, the rookie could carve out a 5-8 carry per game role with a few opportunities at the goal line.

And if Hall were at all sidelined, Allen would promptly catapult into the RB top 10 conversation. He’s undoubtedly one of the sexiest handcuffs in the virtual game.

Jayden Daniels, Commanders, QB (ADP: 98.01, QB13)

Who is 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, balding, a rudimentary suburban father of two and someone who’ll invest an obscene amount of stock into a certain dual-threat rookie QB? This guy. Compared to the industry aggregate, this rosy ranker is slightly aggressive, slotting Daniels inside the top 10.

In his preseason opening act, the confirmation bias was fully backed. Daniels’ first completion was a 42-yard dime down the right sideline to Dyami Brown.

The deep connection was totally appropriate to be Daniels’ first. His greatest strength at LSU was blitzing defenses with endless chunk-gain bombardments.

Last year, Daniels finished top-10 nationally in completed deep yards and big-time throw percentage, according to Pro Football Focus. Even with the high number of generally inefficient attempts, he also impressively finished QB8 in adjusted completion percentage.

What was most appealing for fantasy audiences on Daniels’ 11 snaps against the Jets? He called his own number on a designed RPO and scurried into the end zone for a 3-yard rushing TD. And that’s where his league-obliterating value could come — eating yards on the ground.

Daniels’ slight build (6-4, 210 pounds) is a concern, but if the injury imp finds a hobby, he could rush well north of 550 yards. The QB1 vibes he’s giving off are quite strong. Get seduced.

QUICK SLANTS: After a rough early interception, J.J. McCarthy calmed down, found a groove and piled up outstanding production against Raiders backups. He completed 11 of 17 attempts for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Granted it was a meek opponent, but the first test earned an easy passing grade. Another strong effort or three and Sam Darnold is likely to be usurped before Minnesota’s Week 6 bye. … Jordan Mason gained momentum in the running mate race for Christian McCaffrey, blasting his way to 34 yards and a TD on six carries. With Elijah Mitchell banged up, Mason is gaining steam to be the 49ers’ CMC crutch. … Michael Penix Jr. had his moments in his first exhibition action (9 for 16, 104 yards), occasionally showcasing his tantalizing arm talent. Given the Falcons’ expected three-WR set usage and the reservations about Kirk Cousins’ recovery from an Achilles injury, Penix is a recommended SuperFlex stash. … Malik Nabers may lure 140 targets this season, but approximately 10 could be catchable throws. As witnessed in his preseason debut against Detroit, Nabers owns stellar shank-and-bake skills but wasn’t targeted once. Giants QBs are a weighty deterrent, whether it’s Daniel Jones or Drew Lock behind center. There aren’t enough pain-numbing adult beverages in East Rutherford. … Hollywood Brown suffered an almost unpronounceable sternoclavicular joint dislocation, a setback that could cost him games. A pet player of yours truly, please let him slip even further in drafts (ADP: 75.53, WR38). If Brown misses time, it might only be a regular-season game or two. … Bo Nix wasn't perfect against the Colts, but he showed visible signs he's the QB1 in the Mile High City. He finished 15-for-21 for 125 yards and a TD. The Oregon product also rushed three times for 17 yards. His no-huddle command to end the first half was especially impressive. Because of his active legs, Nix is bound to profit with his ADP of QB32 (224.65 overall). Still need convincing? Read this.