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I generally don't pay much attention to preseason football games because (A) the starters tend to not play very much; (B) most of the rookies who see a lot of time won't be relevant when the games really count, and (C) the game plan that the coaches use might bear little resemblance to what happens in September. To me, the preseason is all about the injuries. Players get hurt every week, and that's a big reason why rumors of a shortened preseason schedule run rampant every August.

There are a number of injuries affecting the decisions fantasy footballers will be making this week, and I'll leave those repercussions to our expert in the field, Stephania Bell. But when I saw Eagles wide receiver Reggie Brown limp off the field Thursday night -- for the second consecutive week, by the way -- with a leg injury, I started to think speedy rookie DeSean Jackson really could matter this season.

Jackson was regarded as one of the recent draft's fastest wide receivers, if not the fastest, but attitude and size issues pushed him out of the first round, and Philadelphia was excited to get him with the 49th pick. While there is meaningful debate about whether any Eagles wide receiver could matter other than Kevin Curtis, since Brian Westbrook is such a major part of this offense, it seems to me Jackson is in a fine position to steal playing time and run with it.

Brown has had a lingering Achilles' tendon problem, and Thursday it was his hamstring that forced him out. Seeing how disappointing he was in 2007, one would think Eagles coach Andy Reid wasn't just showcasing his rookie in the rain for the game against the Panthers; Reid wanted to see if Jackson could form a nice tandem with starting quarterback Donovan McNabb. Consider this mission accomplished, as Jackson was very active with both McNabb and Kevin Kolb under center.

Barring injuries to other key Eagles like Westbrook and Curtis, Jackson could be an interesting No. 4 wide receiver in fantasy this season. We need to remember rookie wide receivers rarely are relied upon and come through for NFL teams, and they don't often produce big numbers right away. Dwayne Bowe in Kansas City was the exception last season. Jackson is more likely to make an impact on punt returns, but keep an eye on Brown's health because the other Philly wideouts are Hank Baskett and Greg Lewis. Opportunity could be knocking.

I noticed a few other things from this lightning-interrupted affair, which the Eagles ended up winning with 24 fourth-quarter points. First, fantasy owners have been selecting Correll Buckhalter late in drafts, ostensibly as the handcuff to Westbrook. I don't often handcuff my first-round picks, but if I were to do this, I don't think Buckhalter is that guy. I think it's Lorenzo Booker, the second-year running back acquired on draft day from the Miami Dolphins. Booker is built like Westbrook and has a similar style. Of course, he's not Westbrook, but I think the Eagles finally realized the complement to Westbrook need not be a bruiser, but someone who could fit into the game plan the same way. Maybe Booker will end up going the way of Ryan Moats, but I think he's a better player. Fellow second-year man Tony Hunt broke off a 51-yard touchdown late, but Booker is ahead of him on the depth chart.

On the Carolina side, Jake Delhomme looks fine to me, albeit a bit rusty. He did pass for a touchdown that was overturned. I wouldn't worry too much about his numbers, since it's unlikely you'll be counting on him as your starting quarterback in fantasy anyway. On Thursday he didn't have Steve Smith -- whom, of course, he'll need to get used to in September -- or D.J. Hackett, and there seemed little upside to risking anyone in a poor weather game. I'm surprised Muhsin Muhammad was out there. The running back situation remains problematic, and DeAngelo Williams generally struggled to find and burst through holes. Jonathan Stewart received four carries and did nothing with them, but he's still battling a toe problem. We learned nothing about the Panthers in this game.

In the other Thursday night game, the Bills beat the Steelers, with each starting quarterback completing 9 of 11 passes. The difference is, Ben Roethlisberger is regarded as a top-five quarterback by many, while Trent Edwards will not be drafted at all. We rank him No. 26 at the position, after JaMarcus Russell, Jeff Garcia and two Arizona Cardinals, among others. It's premature to call Edwards a sleeper, but I do think he won't be hurting the running game or Marshawn Lynch. Bills coach Dick Jauron won't be taking chances with the passing game, but I do think Edwards will surprise people.

Bills rookie James Hardy, like Philly's Jackson, might also be in a nice spot to pick up playing time because nominal starter Josh Reed has missed two weeks with back problems, but Hardy was not targeted by Edwards. Don't read into that. We know Hardy can catch the ball and has the size to really matter in the red zone.

For Pittsburgh, rookie Rashard Mendenhall received a long look, earning 11 carries, quite a few of which came inside the 10-yard line. Fantasy owners shouldn't be concerned about Willie Parker -- his broken leg has healed and he's prepared to run for 1,200 yards -- but with this team, it's about the touchdowns. It's not clear yet that Mendenhall is being groomed for goal-line carries, but it is something to consider if you make Parker a top-20 pick.

Other items of interest around fantasy football since last week's Preseason Notebook:

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• Brett Favre is a New York Jet! Oh wait, you already knew that. Favre is going to constantly be in the news, and the big scoop this week was his admitting to battling arm fatigue. You know what, I bet half the quarterbacks around the league are in a similar situation, but nobody cares. With Favre, everything will be dissected. In this case, it's just not the same as when Carlos Zambrano is seen resting his arm for the Chicago Cubs. Favre will be fine. I rank him as a top-10 quarterback with room to spare and think the Jets will win 10 games.

• The quarterback dilemma for the San Francisco 49ers hasn't been solved yet, but there seems to be a groundswell of support for J.T. O'Sullivan, who is scheduled to start Saturday against the Packers. That in itself is not overly significant, although it is his second straight start and he's performed well in training camp. Shaun Hill had some nice moments late in 2007, before back problems truncated his season, but for now he appears a distant third in the race behind O'Sullivan and Alex Smith. Fantasy owners should pay attention here, because Mike Martz is leading the offense. Check out our 32 Questions article on Martz's impact.

• Those who consider Rudi Johnson to again be the safe 12-touchdown fella he was from 2004 through 2006 might want to let someone else take the chance in Round 5. Kenny Watson is obviously in the mix, and Chris Perry is drawing raves from camp. While everyone was watching Aaron Rodgers in the team's preseason opener, Perry ran for 42 yards and a touchdown, and caught two passes. Johnson didn't play, as he is dealing with more hamstring problems, which also derailed him in 2007. It wouldn't be a shock to see any of these running backs start Week 1.

Eric Karabell is a senior writer for ESPN.com who covers fantasy baseball, football and basketball. He has twice been honored as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. You can e-mail him here.