As much as we all will be complaining about the preseason a few weeks from now when we can smell the arrival of that first Thursday night game, we do love Week 1 of the preseason. So many games! Replayed so many times! It's overwhelming to the senses and can make it hard to focus as game after game and highlight after highlight come at us. What is a person to do? Well, I like to jot down notes as I watch every replay and then spend the next few hours after the game trying to figure out what exactly it was I had scribbled down. I should actually peek down from time to time as I write to make sure things are legible and not written on top of each other. I'm thinking my note pad must resemble what is going on in Bernie Kosar's mind as he babbles incoherently during Cleveland Browns preseason games. He shouldn't quit his day job! Wait, he does have a day job, right? Gosh, I hope so. What stood out to me from Week 1 one of the preseason, you ask? Why, you don't even need to ask as I was intending to let you know anyway. Here are some names and what came to mind regarding them after countless hours of ruminating and a lot of Red Bull. Marcus Easley, WR, Buffalo: After posting 94 yards on seven receptions catching passes from Jeff Tuel in the Bills preseason opener, keep an eye on Easley. Injuries have hampered him from making any impact in his first three seasons and this could be his final kick at the can. He is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and has the speed to make an impact if he can stay healthy as a receiver and return man. Monitor the snaps he receives moving forward in the preseason to see if he gets on the field with E.J. Manuel. The wide receiver depth chart in Buffalo is littered with rookies (Robert Woods, Da'Rick Rogers, Marquise Goodwin) and injury concerns (Stevie Johnson's hamstring) so Easley could sneak on to the roster even though he wasn't selected by this regime. Kenjon Barner, RB, Carolina: After fumbling the ball on his first touch Barner settled down and flashed the moves that have impressed coaches and teammates during the preseason. He finished his first pro game with 54 total yards and a touchdown. With Jonathan Stewart's foot problems and father time knocking on DeAngelo Williams' door, Barner is an excellent dynasty pick with a chance to offer some limited immediate value. He's a shifty back with above-average receiving skills that could see the Panthers utilize him in the passing game sooner rather than later. Worth a late round flyer in deeper (14- or 16-team formats) leagues as running back depth and a bye week fill in. Steven Jackson, RB, Atlanta: Don't fret the 8-total yards he amassed on six touches in the preseason opener. The Falcons trotted out their prized new possession for the fans to see and not for the defense to touch (very often). Much as Rocky Balboa eschewed sparring when preparing to face Drago in Rocky IV (and remember how that worked out), Jackson doesn't need any preseason action heading into his 10th season. Jackson has looked explosive in training camp by all reports and the offense will scheme to get him the ball often and in as many ways as possible. What Atlanta fans and Jackson owners may want to worry about is the state of the offensive line. There are three more games to work out the brutal run blocking breakdowns that were there against Cincinnati, and if that doesn't get fixed Jackson's fantasy value could become very tenuous. Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee: Don't look now but Johnson may be back in action! OK, so I'm showing my flare for the dramatic a bit there but the 58-yard touchdown scamper he posted against the Washington Redskins was a nice trip down memory lane. Washington safety Bacarri Rambo is still looking for a vital piece of his equipment that he was juked out of. The Titans made a concerted effort to improve their offensive line with the additions of free agent Andy Levitre and rookie Chance Warmack. Johnson will reap the benefits. Do not be afraid to take Johnson early in the second round of fantasy drafts as a high-end RB2 that could return to RB1 status if the Titans continue to show the same commitment to improving the running game that they have so far. And, let's face it: Jake Locker is not going to beat anyone through the air. That said, Tennessee will pound the rock in 2013. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis: Hilton represents the polar opposite of the first wide receiver mentioned in my musings. The aforementioned Easley is obviously a player that needs the stars to align for his fantasy value to reach even that of ‘sleeper.' Hilton is arriving now as a WR2 prospect and people need to take notice. Forget that he didn't start the first preseason game and is behind Darrius Heyward-Bey (we've all seen that movie and it doesn't end well) on the depth chart. Hilton is going to produce and produce this season. Hilton flashed his versatile skill set in catching two underneath balls and then laying out for a 45-yard touchdown pass after burning the corner deep. He was targeted three times and brought down each pass looking poised to improve on the 861 yards and seven touchdowns he amassed as a rookie. Andrew Luck and Hilton came into the league together and have developed a chemistry already that will continue to pay off in 2013. Hilton is currently being drafted after such names as Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith, St. Louis wide receiver Tavon Austin and Minnesota tight end Kyle Rudolph in the ninth round or so. That is flat out crazy. Go ahead and jump on him late seventh round or at the latest mid-eighth round and reap the benefits, folks. Hilton is learning from the best in veteran Reggie Wayne and will soon step into the role as WR1 for Indianapolis when Wayne decides to hang up his cleats. Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, RB, New England: Yes, it is indeed a two-for-one offering here. The Patriots put up 248 rushing yards during their 31-22 drubbing of the Philadelphia Eagles, who seemed to replace the ineffective ‘Wide-Nine" defense with the even more ineffective "Wide Open Rushing Lanes" defense. Forget how bad the Eagles looked and focus on how the Patriots chose to move the ball offensively. They came out and established the run with the power back Ridley and then created mismatches by lining up Vereen out wide in the passing game. It all worked exactly how the Patriots hoped it would and gives fantasy owners the confirmation they were looking for as to their respective roles and value. Ridley should amass close to 1,100 yards on the ground and 11-13 touchdowns, making him an excellent high second round draft selection. Look for Vereen to haul in 45-50 passes for 500 yards and at least 3-4 touchdowns. This Patriots duo will have all the bases covered as both standard and points per reception format producers. While other owners try and predict who Tom Brady will favor from his collection of rookie wide receivers or the Wes Welker wannabees Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman, go ahead and take either running back (or for that matter both). So to sum up, what do we need to know from Week 1 of the preseason? First off I had seven names not six as promised in the articles title. Hey, blame the public school system. What can I say? OK, this is the skinny in a nutshell. Marcus Easley could be a deep sleeper while Kenjon Barner is a sneaky good points per reception late-round selection. Steven Jackson is healthy and ready to roll but may have his fantasy ceiling capped by an iffy offensive line while Johnson will have an above-average fantasy season because of his offensive line. It's time to pull the trigger on T.Y. Hilton, Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen before their stock climbs through the roof and owners end up having to reach too high for them. Oh yeah, speaking of high ... we learned that Bernie Kosar (for those folks who had never heard him before) is a lousy analyst. I will be back with some water cooler type musings after Week 2 of the preseason and until then ... have fun!