The NFL preseason provides an opportunity for young players — and even veterans trying to re-establish themselves — to prove they belong in the league and fight for a roster spot.
For fantasy football managers, though, it provides the chance to monitor team situations and figure out who could be relevant in 2024 or the future. Here’s a fantasy option for each team in the NFC North to keep an eye on this preseason.
Who Are the Top Fantasy Players To Watch in the NFC North This Preseason?
Chicago Bears: QB Caleb Williams
It remains to be seen if veterans like DJ Moore or Keenan Allen see any preseason action. But one guy who definitely will play is the Bears’ starting QB, as he’s never played in the NFL before.
The Bears have a lot of fantasy weapons. In addition to Moore and Allen, they have Rome Odunze, D’Andre Swift, and Cole Kmet. If there is any hope for all of them to be impactful fantasy assets, Caleb Williams has to be as good as advertised.
Of course, a quality preseason showing doesn’t automatically mean Williams will pan out. But we’d much rather see him play well than play poorly. Williams is undoubtedly the one to watch on the Bears this preseason.
Detroit Lions: WR Jameson Williams
There’s not much uncertainty regarding the Lions’ top fantasy weapons. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta are elite options at their respective positions. David Montgomery is a solid RB2. Jared Goff is a solid QB2/streamer. The only other player on this offense that might be fantasy-relevant is third-year WR Jameson Williams.
The Lions typically hold all of their key players out of preseason games. We’re not likely to see any of the aforementioned players … except Williams. The former first-round pick has gotten a lot of buzz during training camp. What he does in the preseason can certainly help fantasy managers determine whether they want to take a chance on the breakout this season.
Green Bay Packers: RB MarShawn Lloyd
To be candid, I could’ve listed any of the wide receivers here as well. The Packers have a lot of potentially impactful fantasy weapons but few guaranteed ones.
While the WR situation is interesting, fantasy managers should be more focused on the performance of rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd. We know Josh Jacobs is the starter, but whether this is a 70/30 split or more of a 55/45 split will be heavily dependent on how much Lloyd can impress his coaches.
Head coach Matt LaFleur is known for utilizing a committee. Lloyd could end up more valuable than fantasy managers are projecting. Be sure to keep tabs on how he looks in the preseason.
Minnesota Vikings: QBs Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy
For the Vikings, we want to see both of these guys. Justin Jefferson’s price in fantasy drafts went from consensus overall WR1 to the second half of the first round due entirely to the team downgrading at QB from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold/J.J. McCarthy.
Preseason is obviously not necessarily indicative of how quarterbacks will perform in real games. Look no further than how incredible Kenny Pickett looked last August as an example. But we certainly want to see Darnold and McCarthy playing well as opposed to the alternative. If they look good, that could help ease concerns fantasy managers may have when deciding whether to push the button on Jefferson.