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Fantasy Stock Watch: Week 3
Week 3 of the preseason! These are the games that have meaning. At least they have less meaninglessness than the games that came before -- or the ones that come after. Alas, not all is hopeless. We got our longest look at some of the stars that could make or break your fantasy season. That + the latest big headlines = The Fantasy Stock Watch!

Le'Veon Bell is good at football. We all know that. Now we (hopefully) know when he'll get back to playing football again. Thanks to a semi-cryptic tweet, it appears that the Steelers running back is just planning to miss all of the preseason and get back to work on September 1. Steelers fans and fantasy enthusiasts alike can exhale and happily spend one of the first two overall picks on arguably the league's most dynamic running back.

Lately the news had been all bad for Matthews. He lost his gig in Philly to Nelson Agholor. He was promptly shipped to Buffalo in a trade. Then he suffered an injury that kept him off the field. He's not expected to play in the third preseason game but it is looking like he'll be ready for Week 1. That's definitely a positive. Now we just need to figure out how exactly he'll fit in the Buffalo offense.

Right now, it's all bad in Indy. The offensive line continues to be a liability and the star quarterback doesn't have any sort of timeline as to when he'll return. That's already a huge red flag for any of the pass-catchers. To make matters worse, Moncrief is having AC joint issues that will keep him off the field for the foreseeable future. A make-or-break season is getting off to a bad start.

We saw a lot of Osweiler on the field for Cleveland in the preseason, which led to some idea that he could end up as the team's starter in Week 1. PSYCH! DeShone Kizer was named the PW3 starter and looks to be battling for the gig with Cody Kessler. Meanwhile there's talk that the Browns could be shopping Osweiler. Life. You. Fast.

Trying to be the backup that takes down Ka'Deem Carey has been like trying to climb Mount Everest in flip flops. But Cohen has a leg up in the competition with Carey undergoing wrist surgery that will keep him out for the next six weeks. Cohen could end up with some of the passing game work and could have some late round standalone value. If nothing else, the rookie will be worth a flier at the tail end of drafts.

Bortles could remain as the team's starter. Or he could end up getting the RG3 treatment and left on the sideline all season long. That's a pretty wide range of outcomes. Either way, it look apparent that Bortles is on a very short leash this season. He might have posted back-to-back top 10 fantasy finishes but it'll be a surprise if he gets enough of a shot to repeat the feat again in 2017.

Sims hasn't been a big part of the conversation when it comes to Bucs running backs this preseason. But the veteran has hung around and worked his way into a passing down role. His value will mostly be limited to PPR formats ... but it's something. It also adds more intrigue to the competition between Doug Martin and Jacquizz Rodgers. Things in Tampa's backfield could get very murky once Martin's suspension is over.

There's not much to be excited about when it comes to the Jets offense and Bilal Powell still looks like the back to draft here. But it's encouraging that Forte is getting back on the field after being absent for nearly a month while nursing a hamstring injury. Between his age and heavy usage rates in previous seasons, it's a mystery to how much he has left in the tank but his return adds one more draftable option in Gotham.

Few things inspire less confidence than a player or coach getting a public vote of confidence from his superiors. That's where we are with Blount. Doug Pederson has remained positive about Blount's potential with the offense despite numerous reports to the contrary. There's no one else on the Eagles roster with Blount's same skill set so his job appears safe. Whether he's truly a big part of the offense still is up for debate.

Not so as you'd notice but Eric Ebron hasn't practiced since the end of July and is still not working out with the team. That's unsettling for a player who has perennially underperformed but is facing elevated expectations. Because you can afford to wait on tight ends, Ebron should still be around in the later rounds and comes with minimal draft value. This is just a disconcerting reminder of what could be in 2017.