Washington vs. Buccaneers: Fantasy football implications

Robert Herron (#14) vs Chris Owusu (#80)

Neither of these players is going to be a viable fantasy option going forward -- until Vincent Jackson or Mike Evans goes down. Then they'll suddenly be useful. The question is which one of those two will be a useful replacement? Or will Louis Murphy suddenly find his way onto the field?

Herron hasn't gotten on the field much this preseason. He got a number of snaps with the starting offense last game, but so did Owusu, and neither player was productive. Herron's more explosive and a good fit for this scheme, but he has looked a little lost throughout the preseason: running poor routes, dropping passes in training camp, stumbling out of breaks. He looks frenetic, which is not good. He'll have to acclimate to the higher tempo in the NFL, and right now I'm skeptical that he can do it.

But Owusu didn't get much play with the first team last game, either. He does look better than he did in the past: fast, under control, no drops. He looks like a contributor, but he hasn't been used that way. In fact, the Bucs seem to run an offense focused on the tight ends and even fullback over the slot receiver. Still, Owusu is probably better suited to stepping onto the lineup to replace either Jackson or Evans.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins (#87)

Seferian-Jenkins looks like the Bucs' starting tight end. He needs to get better as a blocker, but the Bucs are happy with his contirbutions and he's getting on the field. A lot. Throughout all preseason games. We're not entirely certain he'll play tonight, but some production in the passing game will be very good for him. And with Tim Wright out, he has a solid chance to turn into a solid number two/flex tight end in fantasy.

Mike Glennon (#8)

Not because Mike Glennon is going to start ahead of Josh McCown: he's not. But if McCown goes down, Glennon may immediately turn into an okay starter in fantasy. He's not actually better than McCown, so far, but with the weapons the Bucs have he has a shot to be a productive QB2.

Jeff Demps (#32)

Jeff Demps actually needs to earn a roster spot at this point. He's gotten more carries than usual in the preseason because of injuries to Mike James and Charles Sims, but he hasn't shown the explosiveness the Bucs expect out of him. Now there's a decent chance the team's limiting his special plays to unveil them in the regular season, but he may need a good final game to even get on the field or the roster. Solomon Patton already has the kick and punt return jobs locked up, so Demps won't even be a factor on special teams.

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a $100,000 Fantasy Football Contest for Week 1's NFL games. It's only $10 to join and first prize is $10,000. Starts Sunday, September 7th at 1pm ET. Here's the link.