ESPN Fantasy Football Blog

Posted by Tristan H. Cockcroft and Eric Karabell

The game result -- a 7-6 loss -- might have been disappointing, but it's the preseason, so who cares? What really mattered for the Patriots was that Tom Brady passed yet another important test, with flying colors, no less.

Brady absorbed two big hits in his 13 snaps during Thursday's preseason game, the first when he was thrown to the ground by Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers on a blitz, the second when he was sacked by defensive end Robert Geathers, who forced him to the ground on his surgically repaired left knee. Brady quickly got up unscathed from each, helping fulfill his request the previous week, when he said after his preseason debut, "I wish somebody would blast me."

You got your wish, Tom.

Brady's game stats -- 4-for-8 passing for 57 yards -- can be discarded (par for the preseason), but the appearance was a critical one as he continues down the comeback trail. Now that he has thus far participated in every practice and endured no limitations during exhibition action, Brady's only remaining hurdle is to make it through the rest of the exhibition season unscathed. And the chances of that, with three weeks and three days left, now appear remarkably high.

A few of us have been eternal pessimists regarding Brady throughout the offseason, but even those people have to be quite encouraged. You can read everywhere on our pages how he's the game's greatest risk/reward candidate of 2009, but every step he takes, he further reduces the risk. The reward remains huge, and more realistic by the day, and while we probably wouldn't spend that 11.8 average draft position (No. 11 overall) to get him, we wouldn't advise waiting much longer if owning Brady is a priority for you this season.

• Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was carted off the field late in Thursday's practice with what appeared to be a right ankle or foot injury, and the team isn't sure how serious this problem might be. For all we know, Roethlisberger, the No. 12 quarterback off the board in ESPN average live drafts, might be just fine for the first week of the regular season and not hampered at all.

Roethlisberger is being drafted as a starter in 12-team leagues, but if you're drafting this weekend, it would be wise to secure a backup you wouldn't mind using on a regular basis, just in case. Then again, wouldn't we be saying this even if Roethlisberger were the picture of health? He was a huge fantasy disappointment last season, even as he led the Steelers to another Super Bowl championship, as his touchdowns dropped from 32 to 17 and his interceptions rose. The thing is, fantasy owners are still looking at Roethlisberger from his terrific 2007; look at his other seasons and you might wonder whether fewer than 20 touchdowns per season is his normal output.

The Steelers lost backup quarterback Byron Leftwich in the offseason, as he chased a starting job (and might actually get it) in Tampa Bay. For now, the man with the clipboard for the defending champs is Charlie Batch, but it's premature to start downgrading Hines Ward or other Steelers. Roethlisberger has a history of being hurt and playing through the problems, so don't let this injury -- unless something is broken and we're sure he'll miss real games -- affect his draft position. You might want to take this opportunity, however, to review whether you think he's worthy of starter status in fantasy in the first place.

• Brady's performance wasn't the only nugget to extract from Thursday's preseason action; we were also introduced to "Esteban Ochocinco," substitute kicker extraordinaire. That's right, the man who already changed his name once, to Chad Ochocinco, channeled his inner Ronaldinho, kicking an extra point in place of the injured Shayne Graham. That's right, Ochocinco got some place-kicking action.

"'Esteban' Ochocinco is back, the most interesting footballer in the world," Ochocinco said. "Everyone has to remember, I've always said that soccer is my No. 1 sport. I think Ronaldinho would be proud of me right now."

Ah, sounds like the Ochocinco of old, the colorful character once known for 92-catch, 1,374-yard, nine-touchdown campaigns (his average season from 2003 to 2007). So far this preseason he's playing like the former Chad Johnson, including three receptions for 69 yards Thursday despite the absence of Carson Palmer, who is nursing an ankle injury. Palmer's health does tie into Ochocinco's regular-season upside, so keep tabs on the quarterback the next couple of weeks, but with Laveranues Coles struggling to adapt to the playbook, Ochocinco might be an even more appealing No. 1 target on a team with a better passing game than people realize.

As for the placekicking contribution, don't count on it during the regular season … outside of an unexpected Graham injury in-game. The Bengals don't list a backup kicker on their roster, but in the event Graham's tender groin costs him a full regular-season contest, the team would surely sign a free-agent stand-in.

• One final "fantasy sleeper" tidbit from that contest: No. 3 receiver Chris Henry caught four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown as he continues to make life in Cincinnati difficult for the slow-to-adjust Coles. Henry might not be a candidate to overtake the veteran for a starting job by Week 1, but with back-to-back solid games, he's not a receiver to overlook in the late rounds of your draft.

• Though Justin Fargas started the Raiders' first preseason game, the next two contests might offer a hint as to who will start come Week 1. Coach Tom Cable told the Contra Costa Times that Darren McFadden and Michael Bush would each get a start, though he didn't reveal which one would start Saturday. "I have a pretty good idea who the starter is going to be, and we're going to lean on him from here on out a little bit more," Cable said. Since Bush entered camp the least likely winner of this preseason battle, McFadden might be the starter of the third game as well as at the beginning of the regular season. If you're drafting before that, do so accounting for the most likely scenario.

• Anthony Gonzalez, who had been dealing with a hamstring injury recently, caught two passes, including a 3-yard touchdown in the red zone, and didn't show any adverse effects of the injury. It's a promising sign that he's ready to step into the vacant Marvin Harrison role in Indianapolis, and while Reggie Wayne remains Peyton Manning's most trusted target, Gonzalez does make an excellent case for a breakout, possibly top-20 campaign.

• Stunner! Reggie Bush is hurt! The Saints running back strained a calf muscle in practice Thursday, and his availability for Saturday's game against the Texans is in question. If you draft Bush, make sure it's not in the top 50 -- unless it's a PPR league -- and that you have other options for the weeks he misses because of an injury. And move Pierre Thomas into the third round of all drafts, regardless of Bush's status.

• Ahman Green has had a better career than most people realize: He's made four Pro Bowls and rushed for more than 1,000 yards six times, including his 1,883-yard campaign in 2003, when he scored a total of 20 touchdowns. Green had his moments. He hasn't had many recently, failing with the Houston Texans, but he tried out for the St. Louis Rams this week and a deal could be imminent. Green doesn't have much fantasy value, but then again, Steven Jackson hasn't been the healthiest player the past two seasons and there's no obvious No. 2 running back with secured playing time there.

• Brian Westbrook (ankle) sat out the Eagles' preseason game Thursday but told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he's on schedule to play in Week 1 of the regular season. "I think I'm right on time, right where I wanted to be," he said. "I definitely feel good about how my rehab has come. I definitely feel good about how I am right now and the place I am right now." Westbrook's owners would probably like to see him appear in a preseason game, and the most logical one would be the one next week, as by Week 1 he'll be a 30-year-old running back with 1,647 career touches and a checkered injury past. He'd be a first-round pick without the health concerns, so even a hint of better health in the coming weeks might make him a relative bargain at his current ADP (21.8, 21st overall).