Here we are at the halfway point of the preseason, and the fantasy football landscape is changing with each new day. It's time to take a quick look at all the latest fantasy developments around the league. Next up is the AFC West.
BRONCOS: With the suspension to star WR Brandon Marshall to begin the season looming large, the Broncos have been searching for a playmaker at wideout, and they may have found one in rookie Eddie Royal. The Virginia Tech product has stood out in training camp, and he caught two passes for 67 yards in Saturday's contest. Even when Marshall's suspension is up, Royal should stick in the starting lineup ahead of Darrell Jackson and Keary Colbert. Denver's backfield remains in a state of flux as well, with projected starter Selvin Young being outplayed through two games by Andre Hall (15 carries for 67 yards and a TD). It's still Young's job to lose, but he's not going to be the workhorse back that fantasy owners are hoping for.
CHARGERS: With many of the Chargers' offensive weapons seeing little or no preseason action thus far, rookie RB Jacob Hester has had a chance to shine. Through two contests, the third-round pick has 25 carries for 108 yards and two TDs, likely playing his way into a nice-sized role in '08. QB Philip Rivers, coming off of knee surgery, looked sharp in his limited time, as did WR Chris Chambers. Maybe the team's best news of the preseason came Tuesday, though, when TE Antonio Gates (toe) passed a physical and was cleared to practice.
CHIEFS: Any fears that Larry Johnson was not recovered from his broken foot should be quelled after watching him run Saturday, when he had 14 attempts for 61 yards. The same cannot be said about the Chiefs' passing attack, however, which has been lackluster through two contests. None of the wideouts competing for the No. 2 job has done anything to separate from the pack, and Devard Darling appears likely to earn the spot based solely on experience. Outside of WR Dwayne Bowe and TE Tony Gonzalez, no K.C. pass catcher looks to be worth owning, anyway.
RAIDERS: QB JaMarcus Russell made a marked improvement from the first preseason game to the second, but the inexperienced signalcaller still has a long way to go. It hasn't helped that WR Javon Walker has been held without a catch through two contests, and now it appears the enigmatic wideout could be in danger of losing his starting job. On the other side of the coin, Oakland has to be happy with the play of its young RB tandem, Michael Bush and Darren McFadden. In exhibition action, Bush has 22 carries for 86 yards and a TD and two catches for 29 yards, while the explosive McFadden has 18 attempts for 92 yards. Throw in Justin Fargas, and the Raiders could have one of the league's most productive backfields.
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