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Welcome back to the Rookie Report! Week 1 was a surprising one from the rookie crop, especially for the pass catchers. Terry McLaurin, Hollywood Brown, and AJ Brown all cleared 100 receiving yards. DK Metcalf finished with 89 yards. Miles Boykin and Preston Williams each found the end zone, and KeeSean Johnson was targeted 10(!) times. TJ Hockenson set an NFL rookie record for a tight end debut with 131 receiving yards. Among the running backs Josh Jacobs lived up to his workhorse hype, but David Montgomery and Miles Sanders were week 1 disappointments. Perhaps the most anticipated rookie storyline, the Kyler Murray revolution, got off to a slow start on Sunday but finished with a flourish. There’s a lot to unpack as we look to week 2. Despite all the breakout week one games there is only one rookie that I would say to start with confidence this week. You don’t want to overreact to a small sample size. There are however a few that are really close to that level. Let’s dive in and take a look at who they are…

Rookies to Start:

RB Josh Jacobs, OAK (Wk. 2: vs. KC): One thing was clear in Oakland’s impressive season opener – the backfield belongs to Josh Jacobs. He played 73% of the offensive snaps, handled 82% of the team’s rushing attempts, and got the only two carries inside the 5-yard line (both of which he converted into TDs). This week he’ll square off with a Kansas City defense that allowed the Jaguars to run for more than 5 yards per carry. The only concern with Jacobs is that his snaps could dip a little if the Raiders play from behind, which is likely against the Chiefs. Jalen Richard ran almost as many pass routes in 16% of the offensive snaps as Jacobs did in 73%, but this offense is built around Jacobs. He’ll still get plenty of work and is a weekly RB2 going forward.

Borderline Rookies:

QB Kyler Murray, ARI (Wk. 2: @Bal.): For 3 quarters last Sunday. Kyler and head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid system looked like a huge flop, and then suddenly it didn’t. Murray put on a show in the 4^th quarter and overtime leading the Cards back from 18 down to tie the Lions and topping 300 yards in the process. He should get a ton of passing volume each week, and with the Ravens favored by nearly 2 TDs that’s certain to be the case in week 2. Game script likely played a role in this, but the Cardinals played at the fastest pace of any team in the league and nearly three quarters of their offensive play calls were passes. Vegas projects the game script to be similar this week. That volume alone should make Murray a solid QB2 this week, and his rushing upside gives him a chance at more.

RB Devin Singletary, BUF (Wk. 2: @NYG): Singletary looks like my biggest preseason whiff so far. His athletic profile was beyond underwhelming, but he’s already showing he can be a dynamic receiver and somehow managed 70 rushing yards on just 4 carries without a run longer than 23 yards (runs of 23, 20, 15 and 12). Frank Gore had 11 carries to Singletary’s 4, but it was Singletary who played 70% of the offensive snaps. TJ Yeldon was nowhere to be seen. A more neutral game script might result in more snaps for Gore, but Singletary is the back you want in this offense. He gets a decent matchup this week against the Giants. There are still risks here. He only handled 9 touches in the opener, and we have no idea if he’ll handle any goal line work, but I like him ahead of Montgomery and Sanders this week in PPR leagues because his receiving role feels safe.

RB David Montgomery, CHI (Wk. 2: @Den.): Monty’s usage was a huge disappointment in week 1. He was in on just 28 offensive snaps and touched the ball just 7 times while playing behind Mike Davis for much of the night. It’s probably not a coincidence that the Bears’ offense was a mess. Head coach Matt Nagy said afterward it will be important for them to get Montgomery more involved going forward, and I expect him to stick to his word on that. Denver allowed 113 scrimmage yards and 2 scores to Josh Jacobs last week, and while a lot of that was due to Oakland hammering the run, I think Montgomery has nice upside if he gets up into the 12-15 touch range. I think he gets there. He’s still more of a risky flex play than anything, but I would expect a better showing from him in week 2.

RB Miles Sanders, PHI (Wk. 2: @Atl.): The matchup for Sanders looks enticing on paper. The Falcons were eviscerated by Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison to the tune of 160 yards and 2 scores on 5.3 yards per carry, but I’m not sure Sanders has the workload to turn this into a big week. While he led the Eagles in snaps and touches last week, he’s clearly part of a 3-headed committee. There were a couple flashes of his talent last week on a 19-yard run and then a 21-yard TD that was called back on a(n erroneous) penalty, but outside of those two runs he totaled just 8 scrimmage yards on 10 carries and 2 targets. That’s not the kind of efficiency you hope for. It’s still a promising spot for Sanders, but he’s not more than a flex option right now.

WR Terry McLaurin, WAS (Wk. 2: vs. Dal.): McLaurin is my favorite rookie WR play for this week, but he’s still not quite an auto-start. He was basically a full-time player – on the field for 93% of the team’s offensive snaps, but nearly 60% of his PPR points for the day came on one deep ball. It was still a positive sign to see Washington’s offense be willing to push the ball down the field, something they rarely did last year. Case Keenum had two completions of 40 yards or more and nearly had a third on a deep overthrow intended for an open McLaurin. Washington had just 6 completions of 40+ yards all of last season. McLaurin has solid upside this week against a Dallas defense that allowed Eli Manning to post a 95.5 passer rating and over 300 yards, but there is some baked in risk for a deep threat receiver with a 1-game track record. I think McLaurin is a borderline WR3 this week and should be a bargain in DFS slates with just a $3,800 price tag on DraftKings.

WR DK Metcalf, SEA (Wk. 2: @Pit.): Metcalf had an impressive debut posting a 4-89 line on 6 targets, and on paper he seems set up for another solid week. Tyler Lockett is battling a back injury that could keep him out of this one and the Seahawks are a 4-point underdog. He should draw Joe Haden in coverage. Haden was solid in 2018 but struggled in the opener as did much of the Steeler defense. The one thing that keeps me from confidently saying you should start Metcalf this week is the Seahawks’ play calling. They threw the ball just 20 times in the opener in a game where the margin was never more than 4 points, and Tyler Lockett was double-covered for much of the game which may have led to more targets for Metcalf. If Lockett plays in this one, I think he gets significantly more than 2 targets, and those targets have to come from somewhere. If Lockett sits, I think I’d feel pretty comfortable rolling Metcalf out as my WR3 in most formats.

WR Marquise Brown, BAL (Wk. 2: vs. Ari.): While it’s clear Baltimore wants to take some deep shots to Hollywood each week, he played just 14 snaps Sunday. The 4-147-2 stat line was fun, but he’s going to be a volatile weekly option. Brown does get a good matchup against a depleted Cardinals secondary this week that’s missing CBs Patrick Peterson and Robert Alford, so it’s not a bad roll of the dice to take a shot on another big game. The Lions connected on 7 pass plays of 20+ yards against these Cardinals last Sunday. Just know Hollywood comes with a very low floor.

TE TJ Hockenson, DET (Wk. 2: vs. LAC): I’m really tempted to tell you that you should be starting Hockenson this week, but I’m not quite ready to make that leap after one game. He’s clearly going to be one of the rare tight ends that produces as a rookie and will be a big part of the Lions’ game plan, but the team’s passing volume will be inconsistent and there are several other mouths to feed from that limited pie. Game script is projected to be close to neutral with the Chargers favored by 2.5 points. The Chargers ranked in the top half of the league last year at limiting tight ends and held the Colts trio of Doyle, Ebron and Mo-Alie Cox to just 3 catches for 31 yards. TJ is still just $3,000 in DraftKings and is a value there, but I wouldn’t play him over proven starters like Engram, OJ Howard, or Delanie Walker just yet.

Rookies to Sit:

RB Justice Hill, BAL (Wk. 2: @Ari.): On paper this should be a good opportunity for Hill to get some extended run. The Ravens are a 13.5-point favorite, so the game script should be favorable for an already run-heavy team, but last Sunday was about as favorable a script as you’ll ever see and Hill got just 7 carries while Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards combined for 31. Bigger workloads will come for Hill eventually, but I’m not ready to count on him until I see him move ahead of Gus Edwards in the pecking order. He’s especially risky in PPR formats as Lamar Jackson didn’t have a single target to a running back in the opener.

RB Alexander Mattison, MIN (Wk. 2: @GB): Mattison looked good in the opener with 9 carries for 49 yards but he didn’t touch the ball until the Vikings were already up 2 touchdowns. In fact, 5 of his 9 carries came with the team up by more than 20 points. Minnesota is a 3-point underdog in Green Bay against the Packers, who limited the Bears running backs to just 3 yards per carry. I don’t like Mattison’s chances of duplicating his output from last Sunday.

RB Darrell Henderson, LAR (Wk. 2: vs. NO): Henderson finished week one with 1 carry and zero targets on just 2 offensive snaps. It’s a far cry from the workload most were projecting for him as Malcolm Brown ran as the clear number 2 back. I’d expect Henderson’s usage to increase as the year goes on, but there is obviously no way to trust him in week 2 against the Saints.

RB Tony Pollard, DAL (Wk. 2: @Was.): Week 1 was a disappointing one for Tony Pollard. With Zeke expected to play limited snaps it was going to be his best opportunity to make an impression on the coaching staff and show that he should have a role moving forward. He finished the game with 13 carries for 24 yards (1.8 ypc) and zero targets in the passing game. It went about as poorly as it could have for him. He’s still likely the handcuff if anything happens to Elliott, but his case for standalone value took a big hit Sunday.

RB Darwin Thompson, KC (Wk. 2: @Oak.): Thompson’s first game confirmed our worst fears after the Shady McCoy trade. He’s going to have a hard time getting on the field early on this season. Thompson played just 2 snaps on Sunday. If your league has 12+ teams and you have the room on your roster, I’d still hold on to Thompson to see if his role grows over the next few weeks.

WR AJ Brown, TEN (Wk. 2: vs. Ind.): Brown finished as the leading receiver for the Titans last Sunday despite playing only 43% of the offensive snaps and seeing just 4 targets come his way. His production isn’t going to be sustainable if that usage continues. The Titans are going to be run-heavy when they can, and they enter this weekend as a 3-point favorite. I’d prefer Brown this week over any of the other wide receivers in the ‘Rookies to Sit’ section but chasing last week’s points feels like a bad idea here.

WR Preston Williams, MIA (Wk. 2: vs. NE): Williams played less than half of the offensive snaps last week (42%) and is on probably the worst team in the NFL. It was nice to see him score a TD Sunday and there will be a lot of garbage time passing for the Phins this year, but I’d still like to see his playing time increase a bit before using him in lineups.

WR Parris Campbell, IND (Wk. 2: @Ten.): It looks as though Campbell is going to be eased into the Colts offense this year. He played just 18 offensive snaps (29% share) in the opener and was targeted just once. His snaps may get an uptick from the injury to Devin Funchess, but Funchess plays much more on the perimeter than in the slot so those snaps are more likely to go to 2^nd-year receiver Deon Cain. The Colts were run-heavy in week 1 despite trailing for most of the game. That doesn’t bode well for the fantasy outlook of a player with the limited snaps Campbell is seeing. It’ll take time for him to work his way into a bigger role.

WR Miles Boykin, BAL (Wk. 2: vs. Ari.): The matchup is a good one for Boykin, but his usage will likely prevent him from taking advantage of it. Boykin found the end zone against Miami, but he did it on his only target of the game. He played just 18 offensive snaps. It’s a low percentage bet to count on a productive game with such limited usage.

WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside, PHI (Wk. 2: @Atl.): JJ was out-snapped 10-5 by Mack Hollins in week one. That’s not enough run to be useful. He should be on the waiver wire in all but the deepest of redraft leagues for now.

TE Noah Fant, DEN (Wk. 2: vs. Chi.): Fant had a great opportunity to impress in week 1, and he didn’t really take advantage. He posted a 2-29 line despite running a receiving route on 83% of Joe Flacco’s dropbacks in a game the Broncos trailed in all night. The Bears are a much tougher defense than the Raiders unit he faced on Monday. Only five teams allowed fewer receiving yards to tight ends than the Bears last year, and somehow Fant has the same price tag in DraftKings as TJ Hockenson.

TE Dawson Knox, BUF (Wk. 2: @NYG): Knox found himself on the field for 58% of the Bills’ offensive snaps with Tyler Kroft sidelined, but he was targeted just once. Kroft has an extensive injury history and isn’t guaranteed to be active in week 2. Knox is worth keeping an eye on in deeper dynasty leagues as the season progresses. He’s no more than a long shot TD dart throw this week though.

TE Foster Moreau, OAK (Wk. 2: vs. KC): Going into week one it appeared that Moreau’s road to fantasy relevance was road blocked by Darren Waller, but that didn’t stop him from finding his way onto the field for 55% of the Raiders’ offensive snaps and pulling in a couple catches. I have a feeling the snap count is an aberration caused by the Raiders playing with a positive game script all night. He’s a name to monitor in deep dynasty leagues, but he is in fact still road blocked by Waller for now.

Deep League Sleepers, Stashes, and Cheap DFS Options:

QB Gardner Minshew, JAX (Wk. 2: @Hou.): Minshew dazzled in his NFL debut despite physically looking like Uncle Rico’s football dreams come true. I doubt he continues to play quite as well as he did in week 1, but there are some positive signs. He was great in the face of pressure. He was pressured on about a third of his dropbacks, taking just one sack while throwing for 94 yards and 2 scores on those plays. Houston was shredded by Drew Brees in week one and managed to get just one sack in their first game after trading away Jadeveon Clowney. They may blitz a bit more this week to try and get more pressure, but Minshew has shown he can handle pressure. He should see decent passing volume again with the Jaguars a 9-point underdog, and that makes him a sneaky QB2 option this week.

WR Mecole Hardman, KC (Wk. 2: @Oak.): Hardman is an intriguing waiver wire pickup despite seeing just 1 target in the opener. He played 77% of the snaps in that opener thanks to the Tyreek Hill injury, and he should continue to be on the field a ton with Hill out for 4-6 weeks. Hardman is an explosive player in an explosive offense that faces off with the Raiders, Colts, Lions and Texans all within the next five weeks. He’s worth a flyer in most formats while Hill is on the shelf.

WR KeeSean Johnson, ARI (Wk. 2: @Bal.): Despite being drafted after both Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler, it was Johnson who was on the field as nearly full-time player in week 1. The Cardinals truly did bring the Air Raid to the NFL, lining up with 4 wide receivers on about 75% of their snaps. Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald were locked into the two slot spots, and it was Johnson and Damiere Byrd on the outside. All 4 saw at least 7 targets, and Johnson saw 10. Michael Crabtree is expected to be active this week, so it’s likely he takes one of the outside spots, but I think it’s much more likely that it’s Byrd who is pushed to the bench than Johnson. Starting CB Jimmy Smith is out for Baltimore, and their other outside corner Marlon Humphrey will likely tangle with Crabtree. That makes KeeSean an interesting option in DFS tournaments or as a flex in deep leagues. He somehow has a lower price tag than Isabella on DraftKings ($3,100). There is some risk that Crabtree cuts into Johnson’s snaps rather than Byrd’s, but it’s a risk I can live with at his price tag.

WR Deebo Samuel, SF (Wk. 2: @Cin.): Samuel played a whopping 88% of the 49ers’ offensive snaps in week 1. I’m not quite sure what is going on with Dante Pettis. Was he limited to 2 snaps due to a flare up of his groin injury? Is he just not a starter on this team? Who knows, but it was jarring to see him behind Kendrick Bourne and Richie James in snap count this week. Deebo’s role seems safe for week 2, and with Tevin Coleman on the shelf there may be an opportunity for him to take some of the dump off targets that would normally go to Coleman. The Bengals’ secondary was shredded to the tune of a 134.6 passer rating by Russell Wilson last Sunday, and I’d expect the 49ers to have more passing volume than the Seahawks did.  Samuel is in play as a flex in deeper PPR leagues.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you with your toughest lineup decisions involving rookies. Keep a close eye on the injury report throughout the week and make sure to check before kickoffs to make sure there aren’t any surprise inactives. If you want to yell at me about anything written above or just have a general question, feel free to hit me up on twitter (@Shawn_Foss). As always: Good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It’s just a game.

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! Hopefully your team is off to a rip-roaring start to the season. I know plenty of rookies are. Hollywood Brown, Terry McLaurin and DK Metcalf turned one good game into 2, and Devin Singletary and Josh Jacobs were on their way there before suffering injuries. TJ Hockenson and AJ Brown took a step backwards in week 2, but Deebo Samuel and David Montgomery got going on Sunday. There will be even more rookies getting the chance to contribute in week 3 with injuries clearing the way for increased playing time for a few guys. We’re also going to see the changing of the guard in New York with Daniel Jones taking over for Eli much earlier in the season than expected. Which rookies should make it into your lineup? Let’s dive in and take a look…

Rookies to Start:

RB David Montgomery, CHI (Wk. 3: @Was.): Montgomery saw a spike in usage week 2 as Tarik Cohen and Mike Davis both saw their playing time drop considerably. It’s still a committee, but Monty handled 18 carries and saw 3 targets, and more importantly handled all 5 carries inside the 5-yard line and scored his first touchdown. Washington has allowed nearly 250 rushing yards to opposing RBs through 2 weeks at a clip of 4.7 yards per carry. With the Bears favored to win this game, look for Montgomery to be very involved again and should be a solid RB2. The biggest concern here would be that Washington may stack the box a bit. They probably won’t have to respect Trubisky’s arm as much as they did with Wentz and Dak.

WR Marquise Brown, BAL (Wk. 3: @KC): Week 2 made it clear that Hollywood’s limited snaps in week 1 were due to the score getting out of hand early. He played 65% of the snaps and was targeted 13(!) times in a much more competitive week 2 contest. He and Mark Andrews are clearly the top targets in the passing game and the Ravens are a touchdown underdog this week against the Chiefs. They should be throwing at least a little more than usual and Kansas City doesn’t have a great pass defense. They’ve allowed over 260 yards per game through 2 weeks. Brown is a reasonable WR2 option in week 3.

Borderline Rookies:

QB Kyler Murray, ARI (Wk. 3: vs. Car.): We’ve seen Murray throw the ball 54 times in an overtime game where the Cards mostly played from behind, and then 40 times in a game that had a mostly neutral (maybe slightly negative) game script. The volume is going to be there every week, and at some point he’s going to make plays with his legs. The Carolina defense is no pushover this week, and Arizona might actually be playing from ahead if Kyle Allen gets the start at QB for Carolina, but I would still bet on Murray to throw for another 300 yards.

RB Josh Jacobs, OAK (Wk. 3: @Min): Keep an eye on the injury report with Jacobs. He left last week’s game briefly with a groin issue but did return so he should be good to go this week. The bigger concern for Jacobs might be his lack of usage in the passing game. Jacobs has been targeted just once in two weeks, and the Raiders are an 8-point underdog against the Vikings. Gruden is still likely to force feed him the ball as long as the game is close, and as usual that volume will have him in play for a RB2 spot. He’s quickly proving to be a better play in non-PPR leagues than PPR formats. Minnesota did let Aaron Jones run for 116 yards and a TD last Sunday.

RB Devin Singletary, BUF (Wk. 3: vs. Cin.): Like Jacobs, you really need to follow the injury report with Singletary. He left last week’s game with a hamstring injury and wasn’t practicing yet this week as of Thursday. The match-up this week is a good one. Cincy has been shredded to the tune of 331 yards and 3 TDs on the ground in the first 2 weeks and Singletary has posted 127 yards on just 10 carries. If it sounds like he is going to be a full go, Singletary should be in your lineup. If he’s out, it’ll be a committee between Frank Gore on early downs and TJ Yeldon as the 3^rd-down back.

RB Miles Sanders, PHI (Wk. 3: vs. Det.): I’d actually lean towards sitting Sanders this week, but there is upside against a Lions team that hasn’t defended the run well. Sanders has led the Eagles’ backfield in snaps and carries, but he isn’t seeing a ton of targets and hasn’t been very efficient with his opportunities. He’s shown a tendency to try and break the big play, committing to bounce the ball outside and not seeing cutback lanes to take what the blocking is giving him. Through 2 games 11 of Sanders’ 21 carries have gone for 2 yards or less. The Lions have coughed up 249 rushing yards and 5.2 yards per carry in the first 2 weeks so there is some hope, but I would look for better options if you have them.

WR Terry McLaurin, WAS (Wk. 3: vs. Chi.): McLaurin has gotten off to a hot fantasy start to his rookie campaign and the underlying numbers behind that start have been fantastic. He’s played 91% of the offensive snaps, is getting 20% of the pass game targets, and his average target depth is 18 yards. He’s here to stay kids. The one thing holding me back from making him a clear start this week is the Bears’ defense. They’ve allowed the 7^th-fewest WR points so far (9^th-fewest in PPR) and may be the best overall defense in the league. I’d still lean toward playing Terry this week if you have him. Just know that this is probably the toughest matchup he’s faced so far. One positive for McLaurin this week is Chuck Pagano’s scheme that is typically heavy on blitzing which can make them susceptible to the big play. The Bears have already allowed 4 pass plays of 24+ yards in the first two weeks.

WR DK Metcalf, SEA (Wk. 3: vs. NO): Metcalf has clearly cemented himself as the number 2 receiver in Seattle behind Tyler Lockett, and he’s posted 2 quality performances thus far. He is going to be a huge problem for any defense that double-teams Lockett. The Seahawks’ run-heavy scheme lowers Metcalf’s weekly floor and with Drew Brees sidelined this could be a positive game script, but the Saints did allow the most WR fantasy points last year and the 6th-most in the league through the first 2 weeks. I like Metcalf to top 60 yards again and have a reasonable shot at finding pay-dirt.

WR Mecole Hardman, KC (Wk. 3: vs. Bal.): Mecole showed off the wheels that made people think he’d be an ideal Tyreek Hill replacement last weekend. He posted 4-61-1 on 7 targets and had a TD longer than 70 yards that was called back on a holding penalty. Every offensive player in this passing game has a chance to go off any given week, and Mecole’s game-breaking ability means they are going to scheme the ball to him with the opportunity to make plays. Hardman played more than half of his snaps in the slot, which means he’ll tangle mostly with 33-year old Brandon Carr rather than Marlon Humphrey. I like his chances of winning that match-up. Mecole is in the WR3/flex discussion and has a ton of upside this week.

TE TJ Hockenson, DET (Wk. 3: @Phi.): Hockenson’s dazzling debut did not turn into a repeat performance in week 2, but his playing time was similar. The Lions aren’t going to be a high-volume passing attack when they can help it, and that is going to make Hock a volatile option weekly. He’s certainly in play this week if you’re searching for a replacement for Njoku, are afraid of trusting OJ Howard again, or just don’t have a legit TE1, but there is a boom-or-bust element here. The Eagles aren’t a great TE match-up. They struggled a little with Vernon Davis and Austin Hooper in the first two weeks but allowed the 4^th fewest TE points per game last season. If you have safer options than Hock I’d use them.

Rookies to Sit:

QB Daniel Jones, NYG (Wk. 3: @TB): The Giants may get Sterling Shepard back this week, but the receiver group overall is still pretty bad and Todd Bowles’ Tampa defense hasn’t made life easy on opposing QBs so far. They’ve allowed the 7^th lowest passer rating in the league to opposing QBs through 2 games and coughed up just 1 passing touchdowns. Jones has the rushing ability to salvage a QB2 day even if he doesn’t throw it well, but I’d like to see him succeed against a first-string defense before throwing him out there in lineups, even 2QB ones.

QB Gardner Minshew, JAX (Wk. 3: vs. Ten.): The Jaguars called a surprisingly pass-heavy game plan in week 2 in a game that was pretty close throughout, but the Jaguars have played at the slowest pace in the NFL through 2 weeks. That caps Minshew’s weekly ceiling, especially facing off with a Titans team that also likes to play at a deliberate pace. The Jaguars implied total is less than 20 points. Minshew’s rushing output was a nice bonus this week, but it’s not something he has a history of doing. He totaled just 119 rushing yards in 13 games at WSU last year. If forced to choose between Jones and Minshew this week, I’d go with Jones.

RB Justice Hill, BAL (Wk. 3: @KC): Mark Ingram had a bit of an injury scare last Sunday but was able to return to action and should be fine for this week’s showdown with Kansas City. I believe Hill will eventually work his way into a bigger role, but I need to at least see him operating in front of Gus Edwards or being utilized more in the passing game before I consider using him in lineups.

RB Alexander Mattison, MIN (Wk. 3: vs. Oak.): Mattison has played on just 20% of the Vikings offensive snaps and handled just 13 carries through 2 weeks. There is a chance at some additional opportunities for him this week with the Vikes favored by just over a touchdown, but the Raiders have done a good job of stuffing the run so far allowing just 63 rush yards per game on 2.8 yards per carry. He’s not a great option even if he gets a few extra carries.

WR AJ Brown, TEN (Wk. 3: @Jax.): Brown seems like an interesting option with Jalen Ramsey likely to follow Corey Davis around in what should be Ramsey’s final game as a Jaguar, but the Jaguars play an inordinate amount of zone coverage and negate the effect of a lock-down shadow corner. It’s probably a big part of why Ramsey wants out of Jacksonville. I like Brown’s game, but the Titans just don’t throw enough to support their wide receivers as weekly options right now. None of their pass catchers outside of Delanie Walker are more than a dart throw this week.

WR Miles Boykin, BAL (Wk. 3: @KC): The Ravens may be throwing more than usual in a game where they are a touchdown underdog and facing a less than stellar secondary, but the targets just haven’t been there for Boykin. I’d rather he have a breakout game from my bench or the waiver wire than post another 1-catch game in the lineup.

WR Diontae Johnson, PIT (Wk. 3: @SF): Johnson has been at least somewhat involved through the first two weeks, and there’s always the narrative that the second string WR and second-string QB will have an instant connection. That seemed to hold true last Sunday with Johnson being the target on 3 of Mason Rudolph’s 19 attempts last week, but I wouldn’t want to bet on him having a big game this week. There are too many receivers ahead of him in the pecking order and I’d expect the Steelers to try to run a bit more to take pressure off Rudolph in his first start.

WR KeeSean Johnson, ARI (Wk. 3: vs. Car.): Unfortunately for Johnson, newly activated Michael Crabtree’s snaps did come at his expense rather than Damiere Byrd’s. Byrd, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk are all pretty much every-down players, but Johnson and Crabtree are basically splitting the 4^th WR role for now. I’d be fine with dropping Johnson in most formats at this point.

WR Parris Campbell, IND (Wk. 3: vs. Atl.): Campbell scored his first touchdown last week but has now played just 18 snaps in each of the first 2 contests and continues to run behind Chester Rogers in the slot. I expect that his playing time will increase as the season goes along but he isn’t playing enough right now to be trusted in your weekly lineups.

TE Noah Fant, DEN (Wk. 3: @GB): Fant continues to play significantly more snaps that Jeff Heuerman, but Huerman is on the field just enough to keep Fant from being a borderline TE1. I assure you the Broncos don’t want to throw the ball 40 times a game like they have in the past 2 weeks, but I don’t know that they’ll be able to avoid it this week at Lambeau. With that said, 4 targets just isn’t going to cut it for Fant against a defense that has allowed just 5 catches for 14 yards to opposing tight ends through 2 weeks.

TE Dawson Knox, BUF (Wk. 3: vs. Cin.): Knox has been operating as the lead guy in the Bills TE committee, but he hasn’t seen a ton of targets and the Bengals have allowed a total of 6 catches and 82 yards to opposing tight ends through 2 games. If you’re searching for a fill-in tight end due to injury this week, Knox isn’t a great place to look.

Deep League Sleepers, Stashes & Cheap DFS Options:

RB Darwin Thompson, KC (Wk. 3: vs. Bal.): Thompson is likely to be thrust into action this week with both LeSean McCoy and Damien Williams ailing. McCoy has returned to limited practice, but Williams still isn’t practicing as of Thursday and Thompson would be the first guy in line to fill his receiving role. Williams has 22 carries and 11 targets through 2 games. If Thompson sees close to the same workload he’ll be a great cheap option in DFS tournaments (costs the minimum in DraftKings) and a great desperation flex in deeper leagues. Double-digit points or close to it in PPR formats should be the expectation for Darwin if Williams sits.

RB Tony Pollard, DAL (Wk. 3: vs. Mia.): The Miami Dolphins have lost by a combined 92 points through 2 games and are a whopping 3-touchdown underdog against the Cowboys this week. With Dallas’s new souped up offense under Kellen Moore this one could get ugly in a hurry. There won’t be much reason to risk Zeke’s health into the 2^nd half which should mean a lot of Tony Pollard. If you need an insurance policy for Damien Williams or Devin Singletary or Josh Jacobs in deep leagues, Pollard is a guy to keep in mind. He’s likely going to get extended run in this one.

RB Ty Johnson, DET (Wk. 3: @Phi.): I mention Johnson mostly as a stash for this week. I wouldn’t trust running him out there in lineups this week, but with the release of CJ Anderson Ty seems poised to step into a bigger role in the offense. The Lions have been hesitant to turn Kerryon into a full-on workhorse – he hasn’t played 60% of the snaps in either game this year, so Johnson is a guy that you should be adding in most formats in case he makes the most of his increased opportunity.

WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside, PHI (Wk. 3: vs. Det.): DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery are both going to be out in week 3 (and probably week 4 as well), and JJAW become nearly a full-time player in their absence last Sunday. Nelson Agholor and Zach Ertz are likely to lead the way in targets this week for Philly, but no one is a better bet to find the end zone than JJ. Darius Slay has been deployed in the slot on occasion before and I would expect him to spend some time covering Agholor, which should mean good things for Arcega-Whiteside. He and teammate Mack Hollins are both worth considering if you’re hurting for a wide receiver in a deep league or looking for a cheap DFS tournament play.

WR Deebo Samuel, SF (Wk. 3: vs. Pit.): It’s hard to put too much confidence in Deebo with the way the 49ers have shuffled their receivers in and out of the lineup. No receiver played more than 51% of the snaps last week. Some of that can be attributed to the blowout score, but Samuel played 88% of the snaps in week one and just 40% in week 2 yet was still on the field and getting touches in the 4^th quarter with a 31-point lead. While sorting out the passing game pecking order after Kittle seems messy, I do think that Deebo is one of the guys that the 49ers will get into the game plan every week. He is a difference maker with the ball in his hands and Kyle Shanahan has found ways to use him running the ball and catching it. The Steelers are notorious for not adjusting their alignment to match up effectively in the slot, and I think we’re going to see Samuel move around quite a bit to take advantage of that. I’d only be considering Deebo in deeper leagues, but the upside is there for a WR3 day again.

WR Preston Williams, MIA (Wk. 3: @Dal.): The Dolphins are pretty much guaranteed to be in a negative game script and throwing again as a 3-touchdown underdog this week. Williams saw his playing time jump up in week 2, and he had a nice rapport with Josh Rosen in preseason. With Rosen taking over as the starter this week, there is some decent upside in the sheer amount of garbage time there should be. Williams is a reasonable option in really deep leagues if you’re struggling to find a flex.

WR Hunter Renfrow, OAK (Wk. 3: @Min.): Tyrell Williams is fighting through a hip pointer this week and will draw the shadow coverage of one of the best shutdown corners in the game in Xavier Rhodes. Renfrow played 75% of the snaps last week in a negative game script and was targeted 8 times. The Vikings are 8-point favorites in this game so the situation should be similar. I’d expect Renfrow to see about 8 targets again and is a decent option in really deep PPR formats.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you make some of your tough lineup decisions involving rookies. Keep a close eye on the injury updates throughout the week. There are plenty of questionable players to monitor and make sure you aren’t playing an inactive player. If you want to yell at me about anything written above or have any specific questions, feel free to hit me up on twitter and let me know (@Shawn_Foss). As always: Good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It’s just a game.

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! We’re another week deeper into the season and finally starting to get into the bye weeks where things can get a little dicey for your squads if you don’t have great depth. I wouldn’t expect to find much running back help from the rookie crop this week with David Montgomery, Josh Jacobs and Devin Singletary all on byes. Jacobs did put on a show across the pond on Sunday though. Week 5 also saw Kyler Murray get his first win, saw DK Metcalf and Marquise Brown each get back in the end zone, and saw another outstanding performance from Gardner Minshew albeit in a loss. The rookie running backs might have a bleak outlook this week, but there are plenty of other rookies to talk about. Let’s talk about what we can look forward to in week 6 from the rookie crop…

Rookies to Start:

QB Kyler Murray, ARI (Wk. 6: vs. Atl.): The Falcons’ defense has really struggled this year, especially since Keanu Neal went down late in the first half of their week 3 game. They rank 30^th in Football Outsiders’ pass defense DVOA stat and in the last 3 weeks they’ve allowed 963 passing yards and a 10:0 TD to INT ratio. They also allowed Marcus Mariota and Deshaun Watson to combine for 69 rushing yards (nice) in the last 2 weeks. Murray has started to use his legs as an asset, racking up 189 yards and 2 scores on the ground in his last 3 games. He may also get Christian Kirk back this week. The TDs will eventually come for Kyler. The Cardinals are tied for 4^th in the NFL with an average of 4 red zone trips per game. I expect Murray to be a top-8 QB this week.

WR Terry McLaurin, WAS (Wk. 6: @Mia.): Don’t be concerned about the coaching change in Washington when it comes to McLaurin. Offensive coordinator Bill Callahan is the guy taking over, so things shouldn’t change much. Former head coach Jay Gruden had a lot of control over the offense previously, so I would expect Callahan to put his own wrinkles in (most notably he’s talked about wanting to run more), but it should remain largely the same offense. The better news for McLaurin this week is that he should get Case Keenum back at QB. Keenum is much more willing to throw downfield than Colt McCoy. McLaurin also goes from facing the best defense in the league to one of the worst. Miami has been shredded by opposing WR1s so far, so McLaurin should be a safe WR3 in your lineups this week.

WR Marquise Brown, BAL (Wk. 6: vs. Cin.): Keep an eye on the injury report this week. Head coach John Harbaugh said Brown’s injury is nothing serious, but he isn’t practicing yet as of Thursday. If he does play and it sounds like he’ll be close to 100%, get him in your lineup. The Bengals rank 31^st in pass defense DVOA and have allowed the 3^rd-highest yards per attempt in the league to opposing passing attacks. Baltimore has an implied total of 29.5 points, so there should be plenty of offense for them in this one. Other deep threat receivers have fared well against Cincy. DK Metcalf posted 4-89, Marquise Goodwin went 3-77-1, and they also allowed long scores to Diontae Johnson and Tyler Lockett this year. Brown shouldn’t be on your bench unless the injury keeps him there.

Borderline Rookies:

QB Gardner Minshew, JAX (Wk. 6: vs. NO): I keep telling you to sit Minshew each week, and he keeps responding by making me look foolish. He’s continued to turn what look like limited upside matchups into efficient and strong QB2 performances. This week he has a matchup that actually does have some upside for him. Naturally, he’s going to inevitably lay an egg in the week that he should blow up because fantasy football likes to laugh at us, but this looks like a spot where he is a reasonable bye week fill-in and a must-start in 2QB formats. The Saints rank 20^th in pass defense DVOA and have allowed the 5^th-most points per game to opposing QBs on the year. 4 of the 5 QBs they’ve faced topped 20 fantasy points. Minshew is an interesting option in DFS cash games this week that could allow you to spend your money on the other positions. He’s the 25^th-highest priced QB on DraftKings ($5,000) but has yet to finish worse than the QB16 in any week this year.

WR Mecole Hardman, KC (Wk. 6: vs. Hou.): I’d lean toward starting Mecole this week if you’ve got him, especially if Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins both sit out. As of Wednesday, it sounds like Hill will be a game-time call, and Watkins is probably on the wrong side of questionable. Houston has allowed the 9^th-most WR points per game on the year and the Chiefs have an implied total of 30 points. If Watkins and Hill both sit, 3-wide sets will consist of Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, and Byron Pringle. All 3 would have upside in this matchup, but I’d prefer Hardman over the other two. The return of Hill or Watkins would push him down to more of a WR4 this week.

WR Preston Williams, MIA (Wk. 6: vs. Was.): It feels awkward calling any Dolphin even as much as a borderline fantasy play, but Preston fits the bill this week. Washington has allowed the 3^rd-most WR points per game, and Williams has been the target on nearly a quarter of Josh Rosen’s pass attempts this season. Rosen being named the starter for the remainder of the year is unquestionably a positive thing for Williams’ fantasy outlook. Preston has topped 10 PPR points in 3 out his 4 games this year, and he did that against tougher opponents than Washington. Williams is a reasonable WR3/flex option if you’re dealing with injuries or byes at the position this week.

WR DK Metcalf, SEA (Wk. 6: @Cle.): Metcalf’s deep ball upside keeps him in play as a WR3/flex option, but this might not be the best week for him. The Browns have had a conservative approach on the back end of the defense, taking away the deep ball and letting teams beat them underneath. They’ve allowed just 12 passes of 20+ yards though 5 games. It only takes one big play for Metcalf but be aware that he’s a volatile option.

Rookies to Sit:

QB Daniel Jones, NYG (Wk. 6: @NE): Jones posted his worst start of the year in week 5, and things look unlikely to get much better this week. Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard and Wayne Gallman have all been ruled out already for Thursday night’s game and the Giants have an implied total below 14 points. The Patriots rank 2^nd in pass defense DVOA and haven’t allowed at TD pass all year. They also have 11 interceptions through 5 games. This is the worst possible spot to start Jones.

QB Devlin Hodges, PIT (Wk. 6: @LAC): Hodges came into last Sunday’s game against the Ravens after an Earl Thomas hit knocked Mason Rudolph out cold, and he appears likely to get the starting nod this week. He didn’t look completely lost in his first NFL action, completing 7 of 9 passes for 68 yards and adding a 20-yard run, but there were some other incompletions (including an INT) that were negated by penalties. It would be a huge gamble to roll the dice on the undrafted rookie this week. The Chargers rank just 25^th in pass defense DVOA, but only Deshaun Watson has reached 20 fantasy points against them. The Steelers are likely to go with as run-heavy a game plan as they can this week.

QB Dwayne Haskins, WAS (Wk. 6: @Mia.): Bill Callahan made it clear after taking over as the new head coach that he shares Jay Gruden’s outlook for Haskins: they don’t want him starting right now. Callahan said Haskins may be inactive some weeks with Keenum and McCoy both healthy. There is no reason to hold onto Haskins in redraft leagues right now.

RB Miles Sanders, PHI (Wk. 6: @Min.): Sanders is a really dicey flex option this week after comments from Doug Pederson that Jordan Howard will get more carries going forward. Howard has been a more decisive runner and has taken advantage of the Eagles’ mauling offensive line more effectively than Sanders has. The rookie may have a saving grace this week with Darren Sproles sidelined. It should be Sanders working as the primary receiving back this week (unless Corey Clement pops up). The problem is that Minnesota has allowed the 2^nd-fewest RB receptions and receiving yards per game. I’d avoid playing Sanders this week unless you have to. Even if he still sees ok rushing volume, the Vikings rank 2^nd in run defense DVOA.

RB Tony Pollard, DAL (Wk. 6: @NYJ): There is a chance that Pollard actually has a nice week at the Meadowlands. Pollard averaged 11 touches per game in the Cowboys’ 3 easy wins to open the year, and then played just 7 combined offensive snaps in the two losses since. The Cowboys are a touchdown favorite on Sunday, so Pollard may get involved late. The reason I list him as a ‘rookie to sit’ is because the Jets do have a decent run defense (11^th in run defense DVOA) and I really don’t know what kind of league I would be desperate enough to play him in.

RB Alexander Mattison, MIN (Wk. 6: vs. Phi.): Mattison continued his trend of flashing in games with positive game script in week 5. He’s averaged 53 scrimmage yards per game in the Vikings’ 3 wins and just 19 yards in their 2 losses. Minnesota is a 3-point favorite this week, but I wouldn’t be looking for another 50-yard day out of Mattison. The Eagles have wiped out opposing running games, allowing less than 50 rushing yards per game to opposing backfields. Dalvin Cook might struggle to get to 50 yards on the ground in this one. I don’t expect there to be much left over for the rookie.

RB Justice Hill, BAL (Wk. 6: vs. Cin.): The matchup in week 6 is a juicy one for Baltimore’s backfield. The Bengals allow the 2^nd-most RB points per game and rank 26^th in run defense DVOA, but Hill has been an afterthought in this offense. He played the fewest snaps that he has all year in week 5. His DraftKings price tag is just $3,200, so you could roll the dice on him getting some extended run in a GPP tournament if you’re feeling feisty, but Gus Edwards is likely the biggest benefactor if the Ravens win in a rout.

RB Ryquell Armstead, JAX (Wk. 6: vs. NO): Armstead followed up a strong performance in week 4 with a disappearing act in week 5. He’s got 12 touches on the year, and 9 of them were in that week 4 contest. He’s no more than a Leonard Fournette handcuff at this point with next to no standalone value.

RB Dexter Williams, GB (Wk. 6: vs. Det.): Dexter seemed to have a prime opportunity to step up last weekend with Jamaal Williams sidelined. Instead the Packers activated Tra Carson from their practice squad and let him serve as the #2 back. Apparently, Dexter’s pass blocking isn’t where it needs to be for the Packers to trust him on the field. There isn’t any reason to have him rostered in redraft formats.

WR Diontae Johnson, PIT (Wk. 6: @LAC): Johnson has had a healthy target share for the Steelers since Big Ben went down and the Chargers are in the middle of the pack when it comes to points allowed to WRs, but Devlin Hodges at QB means I’m not willing to trust Diontae in lineups this week, even with James Washington sidelined. Johnson also needs to fix his ball control issues going forward. He’s fumbled twice in as many weeks, and his playing time will start to go down if that continues.

WR Miles Boykin, BAL (Wk. 6: vs. Cin.): Boykin gets a decent matchup against the Bengals this week. As I mentioned with Hollywood Brown earlier, they rank 31^st in pass defense DVOA, and the Ravens have an implied team total of just under 30 points. Unfortunately for Boykin, he’s settled in as a guy playing right around 30% of the offensive snaps each week. That just isn’t enough playing time to trust him even in good matchups. This isn’t a bad week to hope he finds the end zone, but that’s really as much as you can hope for here unless Brown misses this game. If Brown is out, Boykin should get a little additional run but is still more of a dart throw than reliable option.

WR Andy Isabella, ARI (Wk. 6: vs. Atl.): Kliff Kingsbury stayed mostly true to his word last weekend and didn’t move Andy Isabella into the slot to replace Christian Kirk. Instead he used a rotation of Pharoh Cooper and his 2 tight ends (Maxx Williams & Charles Clay). Isabella did see a season-high 10 snaps, but he wasn’t targeted at all. He did get 2 rushing attempts. It sounds like Kirk will return this week, but even if he doesn’t, Isabella isn’t a guy to consider.

TE Irv Smith, MIN (Wk. 6: vs. Phi.): Smith played 51% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps last week…and wasn’t targeted even once. There will be weeks where the ball comes his way, but those weeks will be hard to predict in this low volume passing offense.

TE TJ Hockenson, DET (Wk. 6: @GB): The fact that the Lions had to come out after Hockenson’s concussion and say that he won’t be put on IR doesn’t make it sound like he’ll be back right away. Stunningly he was back at practice Wednesday & Thursday, but he is still in the concussion protocol. It seems like he’s trending in the right direction, but he could end up a game-time decision and the Packers have allowed the 6^th-fewest tight end points per game this year. Since Hock plays on Monday, there really won’t be a way to have backup plan if Hockenson sits at the last minute. You’d basically be choosing between Jesse James and Robert Tonyan in that scenario (unless you have Jimmy Graham). I’d much rather just play someone else rather than wait on Hockenson in a tougher matchup.

Rookies on Byes: RB David Montgomery, CHI, RB Josh Jacobs, OAK, RB Devin Singletary, BUF, WR Hunter Renfrow, OAK, WR Parris Campbell, IND, TE Dawson Knox, BUF, TE Foster Moreau, OAK

Deep League Sleepers, Stashes, and Cheap DFS Options:

RB Jon Hilliman, NYG (Wk. 6: @NE): With Gallman and Barkley ruled out, Hilliman is the default starting running back for the Giants this week. He doesn’t get an inviting matchup. The Patriots haven’t let any running back get into the end zone this year, and they allow the 2^nd-fewest RB fantasy points per game and rank 3^rd in run defense DVOA. With the game script expected to be very negative for the Giants, Hilliman will have to do work in the passing game to return a decent day. He did catch 36 passes in his last 2 college seasons despite not being a workhorse back, so he may not be a slouch as a receiver. I wouldn’t be too interested in him in redraft leagues, especially with Saquon looking like he’ll return next week, but a $3,200 price tag in DraftKings for a starting running back is at least intriguing in a GPP tournament.

RB Benny Snell, PIT (Wk. 6: @LAC): The Steelers only face one defense ranked higher than 23^rd in run defense DVOA in their next 7 games, and Jaylen Samuels is out for a month. Samuels had been mixing in behind Conner a decent amount, and while Snell isn’t nearly as versatile as Jaylen, the Steelers are very likely to focus on running the football while Devlin Hodges is at QB. Snell should work as a change of pace back behind Conner for the coming weeks and is worth scooping up in deeper formats.

RB Reggie Bonnafon, CAR (Wk. 6: @TB): For some inexplicable reason Jordan Scarlett is the highest priced rookie running back on DraftKings this week ($4,300) despite playing just 5 offensive snaps on the season. Anyone paying attention knows Bonnafon is the handcuff back here. Bonnafon played 11 snaps last weekend when Christian McCaffrey was dealing with cramps and he turned in a 5-80-1 line. I don’t suggest using Bonnafon this week as the Bucs rank #1 in the league in run defense DVOA. Bonnafon is worth scooping up as insurance in deep leagues if you have CMC.

WR AJ Brown, TEN (Wk. 6: @Den.): Brown has been the epitome of boom or bust this season. He’s has more PPR points in each of his two ‘boom’ games than he does in the other 3 combined. Chris Harris Jr. is likely to shadow Corey Davis this week, which should benefit Brown. Other notable number one receivers who have faced the Broncos include Allen Robinson (4-41), Davante Adams (4-56), DJ Chark (4-44) and Keenan Allen (4-18). Number 2 receivers have fared better – Marquez Valdes-Scantling (6-99-1), Dede Westbrook (5-66) and Mike Williams (6-74). Brown is in play this week in deep leagues and in DFS tournaments.

WR Deebo Samuel, SF (Wk. 6: @LAR): The 49ers have had one of the toughest WR groups to figure out for fantasy purposes. None of them were useful on Monday night as they blew the doors off the Browns. No receiver had more than 4 targets. This week’s game projects as more of a shootout with an over/under of 50. The 49ers should be forced to throw a little more, and the Rams rank 24^th in pass defense DVOA. San Francisco has tried to manufacture ways to get the ball into Deebo’s hands, so he’s the 49er receiver I’d be most likely to take a shot on having a big game this week.

WR KeeSean Johnson, ARI (Wk. 6: vs. Atl.): Johnson was basically a full-time player in week 5 with Christian Kirk out. Kirk might be out again this week, and Johnson was targeted 7 times in his absence on Sunday. The Falcons allow the 2^nd-most WR points per game, so there is legitimate upside for KeeSean this week if Kirk sits again.

WR Jakobi Meyers, NE (Wk. 6: vs. NYG): With Phillip Dorsett sidelined, Meyers will step in as the full time WR3 for the time being. That didn’t result in much fantasy production last week, but he should be more of a factor moving forward. If Dorsett misses several weeks Meyers should be a decent add in deep leagues. He gets a decent matchup with the Giants this week who rank 29^th in pass defense DVOA. He’s basically a dart throw this week in a game the Pats should run away with.

WR Darius Slayton, NYG (Wk. 6: @NE): Slayton doesn’t have a great matchup this week, but Daniel Jones will have to throw the ball somewhere and Slayton has been the guy he’s had the best connection with among the available options. He’s topped 11 PPR points in two of his last 3 games and costs just $100 more than the minimum on DraftKings. He has nice upside for a bottom of the barrel DFS tournament play, even in this brutal matchup.

TE Noah Fant, DEN (Wk. 6: vs. Ten.): Fant saw his lowest target total of the season last Sunday and was outscored by teammate Jeff Heuerman, but he remained right around the same snap share that he’s been playing (66%). The Broncos got an early lead and leaned on the run game against the Chargers. This week’s matchup is one to target with tight ends. The Titans have allowed a tight end score in 4 of 5 games this year and allowed a 9-130 line to Austin Hooper in the other game. Fant is a solid TD dart throw this week.

TE Josh Oliver, JAX (Wk. 6: vs. NO): I mention Oliver this week because the Jaguars’ starting tight end James O’Shaughnessy suffered a season-ending ACL tear this week. I wouldn’t be racing to the waiver wire to pick him up in any redraft formats, but he may be worth a flier in deep dynasty leagues, especially TE premium formats. Oliver was the team’s primary pass catcher as a senior at San Jose State last year, hauling in more than 21% of the team’s catches, and more than 22.5% of their receiving yards. Geoff Swaim and Seth DeValve are both likely ahead of Oliver on the depth chart, but Jacksonville has utilized 3 tight ends this season, and Oliver may be the best receiver of the healthy trio. DeValve had played at least 22% of the offensive snaps each of the past 3 weeks as the team’s TE3. DeValve hasn’t seen a single target this year, and Swaim has turned 15 targets into 12 catches for just 60 yards. Monitor how much Oliver is used this week. If he has an obvious passing game role, he should become a guy worth adding in redraft formats.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you with your toughest decisions involving rookies this week. Keep a close eye on the injury report this week. There are a ton of injuries that could have an impact on these outlooks – Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill, Saquon Barkley, Christian Kirk, Phillip Dorsett, etc. Make sure you know what injuries may affect your lineup and have a backup plan ready for Sunday. As always: Good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It’s just a game.

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! We’re nearing the midway point of the fantasy regular season, and we’re starting to get a better idea of which surprising performances have been just a hiccup or flash in the pan, and which are trends with staying power. Last week went mostly as expected for the rookie crop.

Terry McLaurin and Kyler Murray continued their standout rookie seasons, Miles Sanders was relegated to mainly passing down work (although he did find some success there), Daniel Jones fell flat in a really tough matchup, and DK Metcalf, Darius Slayton, Benny Snell and Jakobi Meyers all found their way to respectable performances. Snell was especially impressive posting 75 yards on 17 carries and another 14 on 1 reception. With James Conner banged up with a quad injury, Snell is a running back worth targeting in next week’s waivers (or to scoop up off the free agent heap this week if he’s still out there due to the Steelers’ bye).

Another rookie who is on a bye this week to take note of is WR Scotty Miller of the Bucs. With Breshad Perriman sidelined and a negative game script Miller played 60% of the offensive snaps and was targeted 7 times in London. Some folks will forget about him through the Bucs bye this week. Keep him in mind in deep PPR leagues (especially dynasty). This week should be a more productive one for the rookie RBs with Montgomery, Jacobs, and Singletary back on the field, but there are plenty more rookies to talk about in week 7. Let’s dive in…

Rookies to Start:

QB Kyler Murray, ARI (Wk. 7: @NYG): Kyler posted his best fantasy game yet in week 6 against the hapless Falcons’ defense, and he gets another substandard unit this week. The Giants are allowing the 5^th-most QB points per game. They’ve coughed up more than 300 passing yards 4 times in 6 games and have given up multiple TDs in 5 of them (including rushing scores). Murray ranks as the QB7 for the year in terms of points per game, and he’s run for 221 yards in the past 4 weeks. He’s a locked-in QB1 this week and should be a top-5 option at the position if Christian Kirk returns to the field.

RB Josh Jacobs, OAK (Wk. 7: @GB): The Packers did a pretty good job of containing Kerryon Johnson on the ground on Monday night, but most of his attempts came after the Lions had put Green Bay in a hole and their run-heavy play calling became obvious to predict. On the season, The Packers rank just 26^th in Football Outsiders’ run defense DVOA stat and have allowed the 4^th-most fantasy points per game to the position. Jacobs is the RB15 on the season in PPR points per game. The Raiders have been committed to the run and have managed to get Jacobs to 79+ rushing yards in 4 of 5 contests. I like the chances that he makes it 5 of 6 here as the Raiders try to work the run game to keep Aaron Rodgers off the field.

WR Marquise Brown, BAL (Wk. 7: @Sea.): If Brown plays this week, he should probably play for you. He’s seen at least 5 targets in every game he’s been active. The Seahawks have a middling secondary that ranks 15^th in pass defense DVOA, but they allow the 8^th-most passing yards per game in the league and this is the 2^nd time all year the Ravens will be underdogs. The last time they were an underdog Brown was targeted 9 times against the Chiefs. His production didn’t really measure up to his usage in that game, but KC’s secondary has been better than expected this year. If any team knows what it takes to keep Lamar Jackson contained in the pocket and keep him throwing rather than running, it’s the one that practices against Russell Wilson every day. I expect Hollywood to post his best performance since week 2 if he’s able to play. His status is genuinely up in the air as of Wednesday, so monitor injury reports if you’re considering him.

Borderline Rookies:

QB Daniel Jones, NYG (Wk. 7: vs. Ari.): Jones was predictably harassed into his worst game of the year against New England last Thursday. He was held to season-lows in rushing yards, completion percentage, passing yards, and completions, and threw a season-high 3 picks. On a positive note, he did become the first QB to throw a touchdown against the Patriots this year. Things get a lot easier this week. The Cardinals rank just 29^th in pass defense DVOA and have allowed opposing signal-callers to post an outlandish 121 passer rating. They’ve allowed at least 240 passing yards in every contest and given up multiple TDs in 5 of 6. Jones may be down Sterling Shepard this week but should have Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram back. The return of Patrick Peterson from suspension should improve the entire defense for Arizona, but it will likely take a week for him to shake off the rust of 6 weeks of missed action and he still won’t be a cure-all once he does. Jones should be a high-end QB2 at worst this week.

QB Gardner Minshew, JAX (Wk. 7: @Cin.): The Bengals have ceded the 4^th-most QB points per game to opposing passers, but they’ve somehow limited them to just 1.3 passing scores per game. The place they’ve really been burned by quarterbacks is on the ground (Josh Allen 9-46, Kyler Murray 10-93-1, Lamar Jackson 19-152-1). Minshew can run a little himself, but I wouldn’t expect a gaudy output like those other QBs have posted. I expect him to bounce-back this week to a degree against a bad Bengals’ defense. The Bengals are expected to be without both of their starting corners, so Minshew should have a safe floor as a mid-level QB2 despite likely having limited volume again.

RB Devin Singletary, BUF (Wk. 7: vs. Mia.): Singletary gets the ultimate plus matchup in his likely return to action this week. The Bills enter the week as a whopping 17-point favorite and only Cincy allows more running back points per game than the Dolphins. The Bills might not want to give Singletary a full workload in his return so I would expect Gore to still see a good amount of early down work, but Yeldon should be pushed to the bench. This is a matchup that is good enough to have 2 fantasy relevant runners come out of it, so Singletary is very much in play as a low-end RB2/flex option.

RB David Montgomery, CHI (Wk. 7: vs. NO): Montgomery’s volume took a hit in week 5 in London as the Bears trailed by multiple scores for most of the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters, but I wouldn’t expect them to get ambushed like that again with an extra week to prepare for the Saints and Alvin Kamara truly questionable to play. He should be back up to 15+ carries and a few targets like we were used to, but the Saints have been a stingy defense since Teddy Bridgewater took over at QB. They allow the 7^th-fewest RB points per game and rank 5^th in run defense DVOA. This isn’t exactly a smash spot for Monty, but his volume should get him on the RB2 map this week.

RB Miles Sanders, PHI (Wk. 7: @Dal.): Sanders demonstrated last week why it’s hard to just write him off even when he is phased out of the running game. Head coach Doug Pederson stayed true to his word and gave a bigger share of the carries to Jordan Howard, limiting Sanders to his lowest snap share and lowest number of touches of the season. He managed to salvage a reasonable fantasy week despite this, pulling in 3 catches for 86 yards and a score on just 3 targets. The bigger concern here is that he only got those 3 targets. The Eagles were behind all game and Sanders was operating as the primary receiving back with Darren Sproles out. You’d have expected the ball to come his way a bit more. He’s a dicey flex option this week even if Sproles is out again. You’d be hard-pressed to expect Sanders to duplicate last week’s output if his usage is the same, and the Cowboys have only allowed 2 running backs to reach 40 receiving yards on the year.

WR Terry McLaurin, WAS (Wk. 7: vs. SF): If you have McLaurin, you are probably starting him. I just wanted to list him as a ‘Borderline’ option to emphasize that this is a really tough matchup for him. The 49ers rank 1^st in pass defense DVOA and have allowed a league-low 10 pass plays of 20+ yards thus far. McLaurin thrives on the deep ball, ranking 2^nd in the NFL with 124 air yards per week. He’s clearly cemented himself as the #1 wide receiver in DC, but this week he is more of an upside WR3 than the locked in WR1/2 he’s played like.

WR DK Metcalf, SEA (Wk. 7: vs. Bal.): Metcalf’s targets have been inconsistent this year (31 targets in 6 games), but he’s managed to top 60 yards in 4 of 6 contests this season. He may be squaring off with Marcus Peters this week after the Ravens traded for him from the Rams. Peters has had a reputation as a playmaker who can get burned due to his aggressive style, but so far this year Pro Football Focus has graded him as a top-10 corner in the league. Metcalf may still see a good number of targets come his way with Will Dissly suffering an achilles injury and Tyler Lockett drawing shadow coverage from Marlon Humphrey. He’s an interesting option in DFS tournaments on the off chance that Peters reverts to his burnable ways, and is in play as a WR3 due to the likely bump in volume.

TE TJ Hockenson, DET (Wk. 7: vs. Min.): Hockenson gets the borderline treatment this week because of how ugly things get at the end of the TE1 list, especially in a week with Greg Olsen, Vance McDonald, and OJ Howard on byes (ok, OJ hasn’t really been helpful). It’s hard to picture Hockenson having a big week against a Viking defense that has made tight ends work for their points this year, but TJ’s 6 red zone targets in his past 3 games means he’s got as good a shot as any Lions’ pass catcher of finding the end zone. The Vikings have allowed 5 different tight ends to top 40 yards and all 5 of them had at least 8 targets to get there. Only 2 of them (Darren Waller and Austin Hooper) cleared 55 yards, and none of them got in the end zone. Hockenson doesn’t see the same kind of volume as the guys that the Vikings have been facing. He’s averaged 5 targets per game and hasn’t had more than 6 in a game since week 1. I wouldn’t expect him to post a big day, but the shot at a TD keeps him in play.

Rookies to Sit:

RB Alexander Mattison, MIN (Wk. 7: @Det.): Mattison set season-highs in carries (14) and yards (63), and once again most of it came in garbage time with the game decided. He also lost a fumble which could ding his playing time in the near future. Game script continues to be the biggest factor in his fantasy performances, but until he starts getting more opportunities to catch passes or get the ball at the goal line, he’s going to be a low-upside option. This week’s game in Detroit has just a 1-point spread in the Vikings’ favor. If they wind up playing from ahead, Mattison probably finds his way to 50+ scoreless, catchless yards again. If not, he probably won’t make much of an impact.

RB Justice Hill, BAL (Wk. 7: @Sea.): Hill’s time is eventually going to come, but for now it’s at least encouraging that he hasn’t been completely erased from the game plan. The 17 snaps he played in week 6 was the most he’s seen since week 1, and he managed to tally 35 rushing yards. He remains a guy to keep stashed in deeper leagues. If something were to happen to Ingram or Gus Edwards, he could be a league-winner in this offense.

RB Tony Pollard, DAL (Wk. 7: vs. Phi.): Pollard continued to be an afterthought in week 6 with the Cowboys trailing all game. They’re just a 3-point favorite this week in what should be a close game with Philly. Pollard has been on the field for just 15 snaps in the last 3 weeks, and I don’t expect a big jump there unless the Cowboys pull away.

WR Mecole Hardman, KC (Wk. 7: @Den.): Mecole saw just 4 targets against Houston with Tyreek Hill back on Sunday, and he was the receiver who saw his snaps take the biggest hit from the return, playing the lowest snap % he has all year. The Broncos rank 7^th in pass defense DVOA and allow the fewest points per game to opposing WRs. 50 yards would be a positive outcome for Hardman even with Sammy Watkins ruled out again. There is always the threat of a homerun play with Mecole, but the chances he makes good on that threat are greatly reduced with Hill back.

WR Deebo Samuel, SF (Wk. 7: @Was.): The 49ers have been the run-heaviest team in the league so far, throwing on just 43% of their offensive plays, and their pass distribution has been wildly inconsistent from week to week. Samuel is second on the team in targets, and he averages just 4.4 per game. He also entered the week with a questionable tag due to an injury suffered Sunday. The 49ers enter week 7 as a 10-point road favorite against Washington. I don’t expect there to be enough of a passing game to support more than one or two fantasy relevant pass-catchers, and if there is a guy beyond George Kittle that comes through this week, it will most likely be Dante Pettis, who is starting to look more like the guy we expected him to be.

WR AJ Brown, TEN (Wk. 7: vs. LAC): There’s been a changing of the guard at QB in the Music City and hopefully it will jump start the Titans’ offense. This week they face the struggling Chargers. The Chargers rank just 27^th in pass defense DVOA, but they have been especially vulnerable against WR1s. They’ve allowed 4 different WR1s to reach 17 PPR points against them in 6 games (TY Hilton, Golladay, DeVante Parker and Courtland Sutton). Kenny Stills is the only non-WR1 to reach 70 yards against them. Corey Davis is the most likely receiver to benefit from the matchup this week. The Titans’ first plan of attack is always the run game, and they should have success against a Charger defense that is coughing up 120 rushing yards per game. That should keep the passing volume low and make Brown no more than a dart throw in deep leagues and DFS tournaments.

WR Preston Williams, MIA (Wk. 7: @Buf.): The Dolphins’ offense is projected to get wiped out this week. Vegas gives them a ridiculously low implied total of just 11.5 points, and the Bills have been excellent against opposing WRs. They’ve allowed the 3^rd-fewest PPR points per game to the position. Only 4 receivers have reached 50 yards against them, and only 2 have reached 70. Williams has had a better connection with Josh Rosen than newly re-appointed starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. I wouldn’t count on Preston to post much more than 30-40 yards in this one.

WR KeeSean Johnson, ARI (Wk. 7: @NYG): Johnson has had opportunity this year, but thus far the snaps and targets just aren’t turning into fantasy points. He’s seen 21 targets and 1 rushing attempt in the last 5 weeks, and he’s posted just 21.2 PPR points in that time. Christian Kirk will likely return this week, limiting Johnson’s opportunity even further. There just isn’t a lot of reason to roll him out there at this point, even in a matchup against the defense that allows the 5^th-most WR PPR points per game.

WR Hunter Renfrow, OAK (Wk. 7: @GB): The potential absence of Tyrell Williams at least makes Renfrow someone you could consider if you were in a pinch in a deep PPR league this week, but I don’t like this spot for him. Green Bay ranks 5^th in pass defense DVOA this season, and although they’ve shown some vulnerability against the pass lately it’s been perimeter receivers who have hurt them. They’ve allowed 3 outside WRs to top 100 yards in the last 2 weeks (Golladay, Gallup, Amari Cooper). Renfrow should see a handful of targets, especially if the Raiders play from behind, but I wouldn’t count on him turning them into much. He’s yet to top 30 yards this season.

WR Miles Boykin, BAL (Wk. 7: @Sea.): With Hollywood Brown out last week Boykin played 56% of the offensive snaps (less than only Willie Snead among the WRs), but he only managed to post 2 catches for 28 yards on 3 targets. The Ravens continue to be a run-first offense, and when they do throw the passing game gets funneled to Mark Andrews and Brown. Even with Brown out, Andrews was the only player to be targeted more than 5 times and received 24% of the team’s total targets. There would be some upside for Boykin as a cheap DFS option this week if Hollywood were to sit again. The Seahawks have been just a middling pass defense and Baltimore would likely have to throw more than they did last week, but we haven’t seen enough of a ceiling yet to trust Boykin in season-long formats.

WR Parris Campbell, IND (Wk. 7: vs. Hou.): Campbell is listed as doubtful for this week, but if by some miracle he does manage to play he’s managed to top 6 PPR points just once in 4 games (8.2 in week 2).

TE Noah Fant, DEN (Wk. 7: vs. KC): Fant’s role in the offense has been secure, but his fantasy production has had a low ceiling thus far. On paper the Chiefs look like a favorable matchup for a tight end. They’ve allowed the 4^th-most catches and 4^th-most yards to the position. The problem is that few tight ends have really posted big days on their own. The Jaguars’ tight ends went 8-59 against them, but it was split between Geoff Swaim and James O’Shaughnessy. The Raiders posted 9-96, but it was split between Waller and Derek Carrier. In all, the Chiefs have allowed 11 tight ends to record 3+ catches against them in just 6 games. Only 3 of them made it to 50 receiving yards, and only one of them found the end zone. Fant will likely need a touchdown to return value this week, and that’s something the Chiefs haven’t been surrendering to tight ends.

TE Foster Moreau, OAK (Wk. 7: @GB): Moreau has seen his snap count increase for 4 games in a row, but not because Darren Waller is playing any less. Moreau set his season highs in London with 4 catches for 46 yards. The Packers are unlikely to let him reach those numbers again this week. Green Bay has allowed the 6^th-fewest TE PPR points per game, and Zach Ertz is the only tight end they’ve allowed to total more than 4 catches and 40 yards all year.

Rookies on Byes this week: QB Devlin Hodges, PIT, RB Benny Snell, PIT, RB Reggie Bonnafon, CAR, WR Diontae Johnson, PIT, WR Scotty Miller, TB, TE Zach Gentry, PIT

Deep League Sleepers, Stashes, and Cheap DFS Options:

QB Drew Lock, DEN (Wk. 7: vs. KC): Obviously Lock isn’t a guy that has any relevance this week. He’s currently on IR, but it’s possible he could be activated as early as week 8. There are rumors afoot this week that if Denver loses on Thursday, they may look at trading Emmanuel Sanders. It would only be a matter of time before they hand the QB job over to the heir apparent if this becomes a lost season. He’ll have some young weapons even if they trade Manny – Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, DaeSean Hamilton. If you are in a 2-QB league with slim waiver pickings, it might make some sense to stash Lock a little early in hopes he takes the job sooner than later.

RB Darrell Henderson, LAR (Wk. 7: @Atl.): Henderson FINALLY got a chance to play a little bit last Sunday with Todd Gurley sidelined, and he did not disappoint. It wasn’t all perfect – he did fumble a pitch at one point, but the skill he showed on his very first rushing attempt was tantalizing. He played just 17 snaps but managed to turn 7 touches into 48 scrimmage yards. I think he did enough to warrant more playing time going forward if Gurley is sidelined again, but it might be even better than that for Darrell. Malcolm Brown is questionable for this week as well with an ankle injury. There is a chance that Henderson is the lead back against a Falcons’ defense that has given up 7 TDs to running backs in 6 weeks. They had been limiting backs in the passing game prior to week 6, but Chase Edmonds and David Johnson combined for 101 receiving yards and 2 scores Sunday. Gurley has been trending towards playing, but if Gurley and Brown both sit, Henderson is an RB2 this week. If Gurley plays and Brown doesn’t, I’d still expect a decent amount of Henderson. Grab him if he is still on waivers in your league.

WR Jakobi Meyers, NE (Wk. 7: @NYJ): Meyers was solid on Thursday night filling in for the injured Phillip Dorsett, posting 4-54 on 4 targets. I’d be surprised if Dorsett returns this week, but Josh Gordon also came away with an injury in Thursday night’s game. It’s possible that Meyers will be playing as the WR2 against the Jets. New York has allowed the 12^th-most WR PPR points per game this year and let all 3 of New England’s wide receivers (Dorsett, Gordon, and Julian Edelman) catch for more than 50 yards in the first meeting between the teams in week 3. If Gordon and Dorsett both sit, I’d expect Meyers to duplicate his output from last week with the upside for more.

WR Darius Slayton, NYG (Wk. 7: vs. Ari.): Patrick Peterson’s return will make the Cardinals a tougher matchup overall, but they have coughed up the 4^th-most WR PPR points per game. P-squared won’t suddenly change that overnight, and he’s unlikely to spend a lot of time matched up with Slayton. Slayton has shown a nice rapport with rookie QB Daniel Jones. The returns of Engram and Barkley will put a damper on his upside, but Sterling Shepard is likely to sit which will keep Slayton on the field. He played 98% of the offensive snaps last week and saw 8 targets. He wasn’t overly productive with those targets, but he goes from a brutal matchup to a very favorable one and he’s getting high-value targets as well, averaging just over 18 air yards per pass attempt in his direction. Slayton is an interesting DFS tournament play at a very reasonable price ($4,100 on DraftKings).

WR N’Keal Harry, NE (Wk. 7: @NYJ): While Jakobi Meyers has been doing a nice job filling in for the banged-up Pats’ wide receivers, their 1^st round pick N’Keal Harry has been getting closer to returning. He is set to start practicing this week, and once that happens the Pats will have 3 weeks to move him to the active roster. If Harry plays like the guy that the Pats thought they were drafting, he could move ahead of Meyers and Dorsett on the depth chart once he’s activated. It’s probably a little premature to scoop him off the waiver wire this week in most formats but keep an eye on the practice reports and monitor where the Patriots are at with him. This is a high-scoring offense, so if Harry has a role he will likely have some late-season fantasy relevance.

TE Dawson Knox, BUF (Wk. 7: vs. Mia.): The only thing keeping me from making Knox a borderline TE1 option this week is the pending return of Tyler Kroft, who seems likely to play. We don’t know what kind of split the Bills will employ with their tight ends, but every offensive player has a shot a good day when your team plays the Dolphins. Miami has allowed the 12^th-most PPR points per game to opposing TEs, and Knox has averaged 4 targets and 39 yards per game over the past 4 games. It’s ugly out there when you’re searching for a fill-in TE, and Knox does have the upside for a solid game.

TE Josh Oliver, JAX (Wk. 7: @Cin.): The Bengals boast one of the worst pass defenses in the league, and after Geoff Swaim went down with a probable concussion last weekend the Jaguars were down to just Seth DeValve at tight end. The Jaguars play with multiple tight ends on nearly 40% of their offensive snaps and the Bengals have given up lines of 3-67-1 to Dawson Knox and 6-99 to Mark Andrews. Oliver is no more than a dart throw for a TD this week, but if he doesn’t miss this game with injury he should be on the field a decent amount. If he misses, DeValve becomes an interesting minimum-priced DFS option.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you with your toughest lineup decisions involving rookies. Keep a close watch on the injury report this week to make sure of the status of anyone who can affect your lineup, even if it’s not the guy in your lineup. For example, Jakobi Meyers loses some of his appeal if Josh Gordon and/or Phillip Dorsett are good to go. If you have any specific questions or just want to yell at me about any of the info included above, feel free to hit me up on twitter and let me know (@Shawn_Foss). As always: Good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It’s just a game.