Fantasy Football: Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon provide preseason sparks

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey was one of several rookies to showoff his skills in Saturday's preseason slate.

McCaffrey had 72 yards on five touches in the Panthers' 34-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

His best highlight came in the second quarter on a 17-yard touchdown run. The former Stanford star took a handoff and dashed right, through several tackles and beat defenders are the edge for six.

The No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft now has 105 yards from scrimmage on 12 touches.

Cincinnati Bengals second round pick Joe Mixon didn't fair quite as well on a yards per carry basis, but he did show off his dynamic skillset in the Bengals' 30-12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Mixon finished off the contest with seven touches for 31 yards. He looked fantastic in the open field, breaking several tackles as a receiver and a ball carrier. The Oklahoma product now has 73 yards from scrimmage on 14 touches.

Dalvin Cook also had some run Friday in the Minnesota Vikings' 20-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He had 40 yards on seven carries and also catch a pass for 10 yards. He had a couple runs right up the middle and also showed off his ability to break tackles.

Kareem Hunt and D'Onta Foreman weren't drafted until the third round, but they also had great weekend performances. Hunt, the Chiefs' third round pick, had eight carries for 40 yards and three receptions for 23 yards. He now has 72 yards from scrimmage on 13 touches this preseason. Hunt displayed his talent often in the Chiefs' win. He had one run where he sprinted away from defenders, used a stiff arm and then pulled a pile.

Foreman leads these rookies in rushing yards this preseason. He has 93 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries through two games. He also has 72 yards on four catches. He showed off in the Houston Texans' 27-23 win Saturday against the New England Patriots. Foreman finished the contest with 80 yards and a touchdown on nine touches. His best highlight was a 63-yard catch and run. He broke several tackles on the play before being brought down inside the five yard line. His rushing score came on a short run in the fourth quarter.

For fantasy football sake, Cook is in line to receive the biggest workload immediately. He should be targeted around the third round. McCaffrey has a favorable schedule early on and will be used creatively by the Panthers. Mixon should eventually win the starting job in Cincinnati.

Mixon and Cook should be drafted anytime after the fourth round and are RB2s right away. McCaffrey should also approach that territory.

Foreman and Hunt are currently sleeper picks for later in your draft. They will likely need an injury to takeover the full workload for their respective teams.