Many will argue that information and statistics generated from preseason games are useless, and in the past, that was probably true. But now that we have access to in-depth player participation data and never-before-available statistical categories, that is no longer the case. We can actually learn a lot about a team's offensive game plan from the preseason.
I took a long, hard look at the participation logs and advanced metrics of each team during the 2014 preseason. My focus was on first-team offenses, but I was sure to examine each and every fantasy-relevant player who saw the field over the past month.
Below are 32 notes covering each of the league's 32 teams. We're calling this Fantasy 32, and we'll have a version for you every week during the NFL season to help you set your lineup. Use these preseason tidbits to dominate your draft or grab that sleeper off waivers before Thursday's opener.
1. Julian Edelman is a popular regression candidate, but consider this: He was on the field during 95 percent of the 74 preseason snaps run by the New England Patriots' first-team offense. That's well ahead of Kenbrell Thompkins (74 percent), Danny Amendola (59 percent) and Brandon LaFell (53 percent). Edelman is undervalued as a WR2 option in PPR leagues.
2. The Vikings' first-team offense worked 92 plays during the preseason. Cordarrelle Patterson was in on 90. Draft him in all of your leagues; the time to get him on the cheap is running short.