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I’m still going to stay with my advice on week one and even week two of preseason football. Stay away. There is no reason to lay solid money on a side this early in the preseason. If you want a solid play keep dialed in to baseball.

That doesn’t mean there is not solid value in the first few weeks of preseason. There will be opportunities for fantasy football owners to seek out hidden gems. From a handicapping standpoint you need to know the depth on the field. Starters still will only play a half or an extended series or two into the third quarter.

Covering the spread will still depend on the reserves on the field.

One theme to pick up from the Giants versus the Bills is young talent with a chip on their shoulder. As I mentioned in my write up of that game, Ryan Nassib, was facing his old college coach in Doug Marrone. There was speculation that Nassib would be the Bills pick in the first round. The Bills passed and Nassib slipped all the way to the fourth round.

His preseason play was not stellar last year and the Giants need to see what he is capable of. Nassib’s bomb in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference.

Seek out young talent on rosters that need to step up. Quarterbacks should rank the highest in your research, but don’t be afraid to seek defensive specialists, wide receivers, and running backs. Who can forget New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz a few preseasons ago?

In 2010 he scored four touchdowns in the preseason. Though he didn’t do much in the regular season, the Giants downgraded their former starters and went with the likes of Cruz in 2011. There are all types of candidates that are ready to shine over these weeks of August.

During the regular season the NFL game is a complete reversal of what you’ll see now. Now, a player or two can dominate. You have basic schemes being run defensively and a scaled down talent level.

Monitor this first week and pounce on value as it develops over the course of the preseason.