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Welcome back to the Rookie Report! As usual, the opening week of the season was full of surprises and disappointments. It was a bad week to be a star tight end (the top 6 tight ends by ADP all failed to score more than 8 PPR points), it was a bad week to be a rookie running back (only two rookie backs played 10+ snaps), it was a bad week to be Marvin Harrison Jr. (1 catch for 4 yards), but it was a good week to be a kicker attempting long field goals (kickers league-wide made 21 out of 23 attempts from 50+ yards).

It was also a good week to be Xavier Worthy, Brian Thomas Jr., Jayden Daniels, Jalen McMillan, or Ladd McConkey, who all found the end zone. My biggest piece of advice after week 1 is to not overreact to surprising fantasy point totals. Focus on the player’s usage rather than how many points they scored because touchdowns can be fluky. A player like Alec Pierce isn’t going to score 2 long touchdowns every week on just 3 targets, so we shouldn’t overreact to his point total. Quality volume is the name of the game, and that’s the lens I’ll be using as we get into what to expect in week 2.

A couple of housekeeping notes for the players listed below – All players listed under the same header at the same position are listed in the order that I would play them this week. All usage rates (snap share, target rate, air yardage share, etc.) are from the MB Fantasy Life Utilization Tool from Dwain McFarland, and all references to fantasy points and points allowed rankings are based on half-PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

Let’s dive into week 2…

Rookies You Already Know You Should Start:

QB Jayden Daniels, WAS (Wk. 2: vs NYG): Daniels’ passing performance was less than exciting if you started any of his pass catchers in week 1, but his usage was excellent if you started the rookie QB. He racked up 88 yards on 16 carries, including 8 designed rushing attempts, and found the end zone twice on the ground. Ladies & gentlemen, that’s over 20 fantasy points before you count any passing stats. Of course, he’s not going to run for 2 TDs every week, but his rushing production is going to give him a floor that puts him in the top-12 QBs more weeks than not. He should be treated as a QB1 every week, and especially this week against a bad Giants team that ranked 27^th in FTN’s pass defense DVOA a season ago.

WR Malik Nabers, NYG (Wk. 2: @ Was.): One week into their NFL careers, Nabers is off to the best start of the big 3 WRs in the 2024 draft class. Rome Odunze and Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t set a high bar for him to clear after combining for just 15 yards last Sunday, but Nabers cleared it with ease, finishing with 5 catches for 66 yards on 7 targets, good for PPR WR32 for the week. He ran an absurd 50 routes, 10 more routes than any of his teammates, and although Wan’Dale Robinson led the team in targets, Nabers is the clear alpha WR1 on this team. An interesting tidbit about Nabers’ debut: He ran 7 routes on plays where he went in motion pre-snap and was targeted on 6 of those plays. He had just 1 target on the other 43 routes run. I’m sure it’s something the Giants are aware of and will look to do more of in week 2. The biggest plus for Nabers this week is that he gets to face off with arguably the worst pass defense in the NFL. Washington allowed the most WR points per game and ranked 31^st in pass defense DVOA a year ago, and in week 1 this year they allowed the 2^nd-most WR points and ranked dead last in pass defense DVOA. This is a game where Nabers’ floor could be higher than his final line from last week. He did pop up on the injury report mid-week with a knee issue, so have a backup plan ready, but if Nabers is good to go, start him with confidence.

WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., ARI (Wk. 2: vs. LAR): Week 1 for Harrison could only be labeled a massive disappointment. He earned just 3 targets in his debut despite leading the team with a 95% route participation rate, and he finished with just 1 catch for 4 yards. When asked about Marv’s lack of involvement, QB Kyler Murray said he trusts in OC Drew Petzing, and that it isn’t his job to force the ball to Harrison. That tells me that Harrison probably wasn’t the first read in many of the plays that Petzing called. I’d expect that to change a bit this week. The Cardinals didn’t draft Harrison where they did to not use him. Speaking of where Marv was drafted, you didn’t draft Harrison in the 2^nd round of your fantasy drafts to sit him on the bench. I know week 1 was painful, but I’d advise rolling with him again this week against a Rams’ defense that allowed the 7^th-most WR points in week 1. I understand if you’re not willing to do that, but the targets are going to come.

Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Starting:

WR Xavier Worthy, KC (Wk. 2: vs. Cin.): Worthy made a splashy debut last Thursday, finding the end zone twice and piling up 68 scrimmage yards on just 3 touches. The resulting top-10 finish for the week was great, but the underlying usage is what we were afraid of. Worthy’s long speed is going to be valuable to the Chiefs in opening up underneath routes for Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce, but it probably won’t result in a ton of targets for the rookie himself, so he’ll need to keep making splash plays to help your fantasy team. I think he will keep it up for week 2 at least. The Bengals allowed the 2^nd-most completions of 20+ yards in the NFL last season, and corner Cam Taylor-Britt may have poked the bear this week when asked about Worthy, saying “He can run straight…He can’t do much else, so that’s about it.” That’s the kind of bulletin board material that often backfires on the person providing it. I like Worthy’s chances of making Taylor-Britt eat his words this week and hitting the boom side of his boom-or-bust profile.

WR Keon Coleman, BUF (Wk. 2: @ Mia.): We entered week 1 not really knowing what to expect from the Buffalo receiver rotation, but coming out of week 1, it looks like Keon Coleman is the WR1. Coleman led the team with a 90% route participation rate (no other WR was above 70%), and he had a team-high 5 targets that he turned into 4 catches for 51 yards. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but week 2 could see a better performance against a Miami defense that allowed the 11^th-most WR points per game last year and struggles against Josh Allen. Since the start of the 2022 season, Josh Allen has played 40 games against teams that are not the Miami Dolphins (playoffs included). In those games, he’s thrown for 300+ yards 10 times, and 350+ yards twice. In that same time frame, he’s played the Dolphins 5 times. He’s topped 300 yards against them in all 5 and put up 350+ yards in 3 of them. I don’t necessarily expect quite that many passing yards this year with a whole new WR group, but this feels like a week where the passing game could boom, and Coleman could be a big beneficiary of that. I’d treat him as an upside WR3.

TE Brock Bowers, LV (Wk. 2: @ Bal.): At first glance, Bowers’ final stat line of 6-58-0 doesn’t jump off the page at you, but with so many of the top tight ends underperforming in week 1, it was good for a top-5 finish for the week, and the underlying usage was phenomenal. Bowers was in a route on 78% of the team passing dropbacks, and he earned a team-high 7 targets against the Chargers. I mentioned last week that Bowers led Georgia in receiving every year he was there, and it looks like he’ll waste no time pushing for a similar role in the NFL. I don’t expect him to overtake Davante Adams and lead the team in targets, but he should be #2. The defensive matchup this week is a tough one. The Ravens ranked 1^st in pass defense DVOA last season and allowed the 9^th-fewest TE points per game. They had a hard time slowing Patrick Mahomes in week 1 but should fare better against Gardner Minshew. Even in this tough matchup though, I think Bowers is a top-10 TE play this week.

Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Sitting:

QB Caleb Williams, CHI (Wk. 2: @ Hou.): Caleb’s debut performance did not go according to plan. He missed some throws he should make; his vaunted receiving weapons didn’t help him out very much, he finished with a pathetic 3.2 yards per attempt, and to make matters worse, he lost Rome Odunze to injury in the process. The Bears’ defense managed to bail Williams out and help the team to a win, but Caleb needs to play better. I expect improvement this week against a Houston defense that allowed the 11^th-most QB points per game last season and had the 6^th-lowest pressure rate in the league last week, but without Odunze I have a hard time viewing Caleb as more than a lower-end QB2 in this one. On the plus side, there should be passing volume with the Bears nearly a touchdown underdog.

QB Bo Nix, DEN (Wk. 2: vs. Pit.): Until a couple of 4^th quarter drives last Sunday, Nix was having an even worse week than Caleb. As I expected, he struggled with Mike McDonald’s complex coverage disguises and threw two costly interceptions. Bo managed to put together a solid TD drive in the final minutes to make the final score look close and finish as the QB16 for the week, but he had just 3.3 fantasy points entering that final drive. There are things to like here – Bo showed that he can provide rushing production even though the Broncos aren’t calling designed runs for him (5-35-1 on the ground on 5 scrambles), and Sean Payton was willing to let him drop back and throw more than 40 times in his first game. Unfortunately, his matchup isn’t any easier this week. The Steelers dominated Kirk Cousins in week 1, generating the 8^th-highest pressure rate in the league and holding Cousins to the 5^th-lowest QB score of the week. If Nix doesn’t find the end zone with his legs again, he’ll have a hard time matching his week 1 output. I’d treat Nix as a fringe QB2 this week.

RB Bucky Irving, TB (Wk. 2: @ Det.): Irving was the most impressive of the rookie backs last week, putting up 76 scrimmage yards on 11 touches while most other rookie backs didn’t play even 10 snaps. 8 of those 11 touches occurred in the second half while the Bucs were up by multiple scores. I wouldn’t count on that happening again this week against Detroit, where the Bucs are a touchdown underdog. Starter Rachaad White has been wildly inefficient as a runner (3.6 ypc last season, 2.1 ypc in week 1), leading to speculation that Irving may eventually steal some of his workload, but the Bucs love what White provides in the passing game. Rachaad was 2^nd on the team in the opener with 6 catches and 75 receiving yards. I don’t expect a drastic shift in rushing workload in week 2, and the Lions are a stout run defense anyway. They ranked first in run defense DVOA a year ago and allowed the fewest RB fantasy points per game, and they limited the Rams’ backfield to the 7^th-fewest fantasy points in week 1. Don’t expect a repeat of week 1 for Bucky in this matchup. It’ll be a win if he breaks 30 scrimmage yards.

WR Ladd McConkey, LAC (Wk. 2: @ Car.): McConkey’s usage looked pretty much how we expected it to in week 1. He was 3^rd among Chargers’ WRs in route participation rate, playing mostly in the slot, but he was their most-targeted pass catcher, putting up 5-39-1 on 7 targets. The problem for McConkey is his 5.3-yard aDOT. With that kind of usage in the short part of the field, he’s going to either need volume or a touchdown to turn in a quality fantasy day, and I’m just not convinced they’ll need to throw much to beat the Panthers. The Chargers want to run the ball as much as they can, and the Panthers are going to have a hard time giving them compelling reasons to throw it. If you trust the Panthers to keep this game competitive, McConkey is a reasonable WR3 option. If you expect a blowout, you’re praying for a touchdown if you start him.

WR Brian Thomas, Jr., JAX (Wk. 2: vs. Cle.): Thomas finished his debut as a top-20 PPR WR, but I’m not counting on a repeat performance in week 2. Thomas’ fantasy day was buoyed by a touchdown catch, but my concern for the Jaguars’ pass catchers is that the team seems to be more run-heavy this year than in previous years. They ran 50 offensive plays in week 1, and 26 of them were rushing plays, including 12 for Tank Bigsby. That run-heavy approach could’ve been matchup related – the Jaguars were up by 2 scores early in the game, and running the ball limits how many possessions the explosive Dolphins’ offense gets – but it’s still a little troubling. T-Law didn’t throw fewer than 29 pass attempts in any game last season, so 21 in the opener isn’t a great sign. Thomas’ 4 targets last Sunday actually tied for the team lead. The Browns were an elite pass defense last year, so I tend to trust that they’re better than they looked in week 1 against Dallas. I’d err on the side of sitting Thomas this week in a bad matchup so we can get a better idea of whether the Jags’ low passing volume is a trend or just a week 1 fluke.

WR Adonai Mitchell, IND (Wk. 2: @ GB): I’m not sure any single player left more fantasy points on the field in week 1 than Mitchell. The rookie pulled in just 1 catch for 2 yards on 5 targets in the opener, but he and Anthony Richardson just missed connecting on deep targets that could’ve gone for TDs not once, not twice, but thrice. It’s a great sign that Richardson likes to push the ball down the field, but it’s not a great sign that Richardson has had more success doing it when he’s throwing to Alec Pierce rather than Mitchell. Josh Downs returned to practice Wednesday, and if he’s active this week, Mitchell will likely be relegated to competing for WR3 snaps with Pierce. Given how Pierce performed in week 1, I’m not sure Mitchell would get any more than a 50/50 split, if he even gets that. Green Bay isn’t a great pass defense, ranking 26^th in pass defense DVOA a year ago, but they didn’t let opponents take the top off. The Packers allowed just 3 completions of 40+ yards all season. If Downs plays, I’d keep Mitchell parked on the bench. If Downs sits, Mitchell becomes a volatile WR4 option.

WR Jalen McMillan, TB (Wk. 2: @ Det.): McMillan pulled in just 1 of his 3 targets last week, but he made it count, securing a 32-yard touchdown to start the 4^th quarter. His other two targets both also looked like they might go for touchdowns if Jalen had managed to haul them in, so he narrowly missed out on a massive day. It was promising to see he’ll be used as a full-time receiver in this offense (he was in a route on 88% of the team passing dropbacks), but 3 targets on 30 routes and a high aDOT screams boom-or-bust. He’ll be a low-volume WR3 behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and while that resulted in a nice TD catch in week one against arguably the worst secondary in the NFL, it’s not guaranteed to happen again in Detroit. The Lions allowed a league-high 69 completions of 20+ yards last season, but they also went out and signed Carlton Davis and drafted Terrion Arnold to improve their starting CB spots. Cooper Kupp still had a field day against them last week, but they’re certainly better than the Commanders. McMillan is a boom-or-bust WR4 option in Detroit on Sunday.

WR Xavier Legette, CAR (Wk. 2: vs. LAC): Legette’s usage in week 1 was promising. His 59% route participation was lower than you’d like for a fantasy starter, but he led the team in catches and targets, and saw an impressive 37% share of the air yards for the week. All of that usage only led to 7.5 PPR points though, and the Chargers look like a much-improved defense in 2024 under Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter. The Chargers ranked 27^th in pass defense DVOA a season ago, and ranked 8^th in week 1. Of course, that could be because they faced Gardner Minshew, but I’m not sure Bryce Young is a tougher QB to defend at this point. Legette is probably in line for similar usage this week, which makes him a WR4/5 option.

WR Luke McCaffrey, WAS (Wk. 2: vs. NYG): McCaffrey was 2^nd on the Commanders behind Terry McLaurin in week 1 with a 71% route participation rate, but his upside is capped by Jayden Daniels’ unwillingness to push the ball down the field (could be a scheme issue rather than QB issue), and his penchant for scrambling. Daniels dropped back 34 times in week 1, and attempted just 24 passes, and the 3 passes that went in McCaffrey’s direction totaled negative-2 air yards. He finished with 3 catches for 18 yards on those targets. McCaffrey gets a favorable matchup this week against a Giants’ defense that allowed the 5^th-most WR points per game last year, but the Washington passing game is a work in progress, and I don’t expect a breakout game for the rookie this week.

Rookies You Already Know You Should Sit:

RB Tyrone Tracy, NYG (Wk. 2: @ Was.): Tracy was one of just two rookie running backs to play 10+ snaps in week 1, but his 14 snaps amounted to just 3 touches and 7 yards. The Giants get a much better matchup this week against a bad Commanders’ defense, but I wouldn’t have enough trust in Tracy to plug him into lineups.

RB Ray Davis, BUF (Wk. 2: @ Mia.): There was a lot of excitement about Davis potentially playing the ‘Latavius Murray role’ in the offense behind James Cook, where he would see goal line opportunities in addition to change-of-pace work. Instead, he played just 6 snaps and served as the 3^rd-string running back behind both Cook and Ty Johnson, and the only Bill to handle a rushing attempt inside the 5-yard line was Cook. Davis still has some work to do before you can plug him into the lineup.

RB Trey Benson, ARI (Wk. 2: vs. LAR): Like Ray Davis above, Benson opened the season one spot lower on the depth chart than we were hoping for, handling RB3 duties behind workhorse James Conner and Emari Demercado. Demercado played more in passing situations, while Benson spelled Conner on early downs. Even if he had all the backup work behind Conner, he likely still wouldn’t be getting enough work to be a viable fantasy starter. Demercado and Benson combined for just 6 touches in week 1.

RB Carson Steele, KC (Wk. 2: vs. Cin.): Steele’s role in week 1 played out pretty much as I expected it to. He was merely an early down change of pace back when Isiah Pacheco needed a breather. The rookie played just 4 snaps and handled 2 rushing attempts while Samaje Perine played 8 snaps in passing situations. A couple carries isn’t enough for fantasy relevance, even against a mediocre Bengals run defense (they ranked 28^th in run defense DVOA a season ago).

RB Isaac Guerendo, SF (Wk. 2: @ Min.): Guerendo served as the RB2 for the 49ers when Christian McCaffrey was a surprise inactive on Monday night, but it’s not a role that makes him fantasy relevant, even if CMC misses another game or two. Jordan Mason was fantastic as the fill-in RB1 last week, piling up 147 yards and a TD, and his change-of-pace back was Deebo Samuel. Whenever CMC is out, the 49ers lean more heavily on Deebo out of the backfield. Samuel carried the ball 8 times on Monday night while Guerendo was limited to just 3 snaps.

RB Blake Corum, LAR (Wk. 2: @ Ari.): Corum’s time will come. He’ll eventually work his way into the RB2 role behind Kyren Williams, but for now he’s running behind Ronnie Rivers as well. Corum didn’t play a single snap in week 1 and will be limited to kick return duties for the time being. Don’t get impatient if you drafted Corum but know that he probably won’t play a very meaningful role in these first few weeks.

RB Braelon Allen, NYJ (Wk. 2: @ Ten.): Allen logged 8 snaps in week 1, but many of those came late in the game after the Jets had fallen behind and pulled Aaron Rodgers from the game. This backfield wholly belongs to Breece Hall, and Allen is just hoping for scraps. The Titans are a tough matchup for running backs even when they do get opportunities. I don’t expect Allen to get many of them.

RB Marshawn Lloyd, GB (Wk. 2: vs. Ind.): Lloyd was inactive in week 1 with a hamstring injury, and there’s a good chance that even if he’s good to play this week, he may serve as the RB3 behind Josh Jacobs and Emmanuel Wilson. This Colts’ defense got dismantled by Joe Mixon in week 1, and Jordan Love is out with injury, so the Packers will likely lean on the ground game. If all 3 Packer backs are active, I wouldn’t expect more than a handful of touches for Lloyd. Josh Jacobs did pop up with an injury as well this week, but it doesn’t sound serious. I’d expect him to be in line for his usual workload.

RBs Audric Estime & Blake Watson, DEN (Wk. 2: vs. Pit.): I was going to talk about Estime playing just 3 snaps in the opener, but if you missed the news, he was placed on IR on Wednesday and will miss at least the next 4 games. That means Blake Watson will step up into the RB3 role going forward, but I don’t expect him to find substantial playing time. Jaleel McLaughlin was terribly inefficient in week 1, tallying just 28 total yards on 15 touches, but he was hardly the only inefficient Bronco in the opener. I wouldn’t expect a drastic change in playing time in the backfield for week 2. Watson could be worth a stash in deep PPR leagues though in case that inefficiency continues.

WR Ja’Lynn Polk, NE (Wk. 2: vs. Sea.): Polk didn’t start in week 1, but he played essentially a starter’s share of the snaps. He was in a route on 62% of the team’s passing dropbacks, but that led to just 1 target that he caught for 6 yards. The New England passing offense is going to be conservative as long as Jacoby Brissett is under center, and the Seahawks’ defense looked stellar in week 1 – they ranked 2^nd in pass defense DVOA for the week. I wouldn’t count on Polk breaking through this week.

WR Roman Wilson, PIT (Wk. 2: @ Den.): It’s still unclear whether Wilson will make his NFL debut this week (he’s getting in limited practices as of Wednesday), but he’d be a lackluster fantasy option even if we knew he was being inserted right into the starting lineup. With Justin Fields at QB, the Steelers attempted just 23 passes in week 1, and half of the targets went to George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth. Wilson would be splitting the other half with the running backs, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, and the backup tight ends (we all know how Arthur Smith likes his backup tight ends). Wait until we see what Roman’s usage looks like before starting him.

WR Jordan Whittington, LAR (Wk. 2: @ Ari.): The Rams’ WR room took a big hit in week one when Puka Nacua suffered an injury that will land him on IR and sideline him for at least 4 weeks. Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson figure to be the biggest beneficiaries of the available playing time, but Whittington could see a bump as well. He technically only played 2 offensive snaps in the opener, but he did have a goal-line TD run get called back due to penalty. One goal-line rushing attempt isn’t enough reason to start him this week, but you could see his role grow during Puka’s absence. Whittington put up gaudy numbers during the preseason when the 1^st and 2^nd stringers were sitting and impressed the coaches.

WR Rome Odunze, CHI (Wk. 2: @ Hou.): If you missed the news, Odunze sprained his MCL last weekend and is considered week-to-week. He’s almost certain to miss this week’s tilt with the Texans.

WR Malachi Corley, NYJ (Wk. 2: @ Ten.): Corley didn’t run a single route in week 1, and there’s not much reason to expect a drastic change in week 2. If anything, the competition for playing time will get tougher after a strong opener by Allen Lazard and with Mike Williams getting healthier. There’s no reason to fire up Corley.

WR Jermaine Burton, CIN (Wk. 2: @ KC): The Bengals were without Tee Higgins in week 1 and Burton still didn’t come close to cracking the WR rotation. He played behind all of Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin, and Charlie Jones, and ran just 1 route in week 1. Tee Higgins looks to be on the wrong side of questionable again this week, but Burton likely isn’t going to pick up much playing time as a result.

TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, CAR (Wk. 2: vs. LAC): Sanders was on the field a lot in week 1, running a route on 69% of the Panthers’ passing dropbacks, but he was targeted just once, and he was 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage on that target. Even though he’s playing starter’s snaps, this is a broken passing game where he’s an afterthought in the target pecking order for now.

TE Ben Sinnott, WAS (Wk. 2: vs. NYG): If Sinnott is going to play a major role in the Commanders offense this season, it’s going to happen later in the season than we’d like. He played behind both Zach Ertz and John Bates in week 1, running just 3 target-less routes. There’s upside here, especially with the Commanders’ scheme focusing on short passes for Jayden Daniels, but you’re going to have to be patient and wait for his playing time to come up.

Deep League Sleepers and Stashes:

RB Jaylen Wright, MIA (Wk. 2: vs. Buf.): Wright was a healthy scratch in week 1, but that almost certainly won’t be the case in week 2 with Raheem Mostert already ruled out for Thursday night’s game and De’Von Achane questionable as well. Jeff Wilson Jr. served as the RB3 in the opener, and he has more experience in this offense, but Wright’s big-play ability makes him the more enticing fantasy option. We know the Dolphins love game-breaking speed, and Wright has plenty of it. If Achane plays, look for Wright to only log a handful of touches, but there’s a chance he could break any one of them for a big play. If Achane sits, I’d expect Wilson to get the start, but would expect Mike McDaniel to be willing the ride the hot hand if Wright gets it going. If Achane sits, I’d see Wright as an upside RB3 option this week.

Update: De’Von Achane is active for Thursday night

WR Devaughn Vele, DEN (Wk. 2: vs. Pit.): The Broncos passing game was an ugly slog of short passes, but a lot of those short passes found their way to Vele, and he did a great job of hauling in the targets that came his way. The rookie had 8 targets with just a 2-yard average target depth, but he did catch all 8 passes for 39 yards and finish the week as a top-30 PPR WR. It’s clear Bo Nix and Sean Payton like Vele, and Denver’s pass-heavy approach should make him a viable PPR WR3 in a lot of weeks.  The Steelers do boast a strong pass defense, so I wouldn’t be too aggressive about getting Vele into the lineup this week, but he should probably be rostered in most 12-team PPR leagues.

TE Theo Johnson, NYG (Wk. 2: @ Was.): Johnson’s week 1 usage was a big surprise after the Giants’ listed Daniel Bellinger as their starting tight end on their final depth chart. Johnson was in a route on 76% of the team’s dropbacks while Bellinger was in a route on just 16%. Johnson is the starting tight end. This week isn’t a great matchup to plug Johnson in – the Commanders get shredded by wide receivers but allowed the 10^th-fewest TE points per game a year ago – but he shouldn’t be sitting on waivers in deeper leagues, especially 2-TE or TE premium leagues. Johnson is an impressive athlete and had an 18% air yardage share in week 1 on his 4 targets. You’d prefer he had a better QB throwing him the ball, but there are some spike weeks in Johnson’s future with his physical traits and playing time.

TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, DAL (Wk. 2: vs. NO): Spann-Ford is really only a name you need to be familiar with in the deepest of TE-premium leagues. Cowboys’ starter Jake Ferguson suffered a sprained MCL late in Dallas’ opening win against the Browns, and it was the UDFA rookie Spann-Ford that was 2^nd on the team in tight end routes run, and not 2023 2^nd-round pick Luke Schoonmaker. Both will likely factor in while Ferguson is sidelined (a sprained MCL should keep him out for a few weeks), but if I had to pick one to target, I’d rather add Schoonmaker than Spann-Ford. It's likely the rookie saw extended snaps in the opener due to the lopsided score. Schoonmaker is a better athlete, has more sure hands (PFF credited Brevyn with 9 drops in 2023 despite catching just 25 passes), and more pro experience. I’d treat Schoonmaker as a streaming TE2 option and Spann-Ford as a stash to watch this week if you need immediate TE help in deep leagues.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you sort through your lineup decisions and find your way to a win this weekend. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@Shawn_Foss) if you have any questions or want to yell at me about anything written above, and always make sure to apply what’s written in the context of your own league rules and roster. Keep a close eye on the injury report throughout the week if you have any guys who are questionable and do a final pre-game check to make sure you don’t start any inactive players. As always: Good luck, trust your gut and have fun. It’s just a game.

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! It’s been an eventful first two weeks. If your fantasy squad hasn’t been bitten by the injury bug yet, count yourself lucky. The list of fantasy starters who have missed and will miss time is lengthy – Tua Tagovailoa, Christian McCaffrey, Kenneth Walker, Joe Mixon, AJ Brown, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf, Tee Higgins, Keenan Allen, Evan Engram, Jake Ferguson – for some teams it’s been a bloodbath, but injuries to proven fantasy studs usually means rookies you wouldn’t have dared to start before are now in consideration. I’m here to help you parse through the rookies if any of them are on your radar as injury fill-ins.

Week 2 saw breakout games for Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers, Brock Bowers continuing to rack up targets for Las Vegas, Braelon Allen finding the end zone twice, and Caleb Williams and Bo Nix taking baby steps forward. There’s a lot more in store for week 3, so let’s not waste any more time recapping what you already know.

A couple of housekeeping notes for the players listed below – All players listed under the same header at the same position are listed in the order that I would play them this week. All usage rates (snap share, target rate, air yardage share, etc.) are from the MB Fantasy Life Utilization Tool from Dwain McFarland, and all references to fantasy points and points allowed rankings are based on half-PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

Let’s tackle week 3…

Rookies You Already Know You Should Start:

QB Jayden Daniels, WAS (Wk. 3: @Cin.): Daniels has yet to find the end zone through the air this season, and it hurt his fantasy output last week when he finished as just the QB18, but what we’ve seen across the NFL has me even more convinced that Daniels should be treated as a weekly top-12 QB. Passing production is down league-wide, Daniels’ rushing production gives him a nice floor each week, and he’s executing well within what he’s being asked to do in this offense. Through 2 weeks, the rookie has completed 75.5% of his passes and hasn’t turned the ball over. If he keeps doing that, we’re going to see better passing days in the future. This week he faces a Cincinnati defense that has allowed just 136 passing yards per game, but they also rank just 15^th in FTN’s pass defense DVOA stat and have given up 32 and 29 rushing yards to Jacoby Brissett and Patrick Mahomes, respectively. If those guys are running for 30-ish yards, Daniels has a decent chance to break 60 on the ground. You’re not going to find many QBs with more upside than Daniels offers on a week-to-week basis.

WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., ARI (Wk. 3: vs. Det.): I hope all of you Marvin Harrison Jr. drafters out there didn’t panic and bench the rookie after his week 1 dud, because week 2 was sensational. Harrison put up over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns in just the 1^st quarter against the Rams last Sunday en route to an overall WR1 finish for the week, and it should be just the beginning of a fantastic career. He gets a favorable matchup in week 3 against a Detroit defense that has given up a 20-point WR fantasy game in each of the last two weeks. I wouldn’t count on quite the same kind of blowup game this week, but Harrison should have a WR2 floor against a young Detroit secondary that’s still finding it’s way.

WR Malik Nabers, NYG (Wk. 3: @Cle.): Nabers wasn’t quite as explosive as Marv in week 2, but he wasn’t far behind, finishing the week as the WR3 after putting up 10-127-1 on an absurd 18 targets (a 67% target share!!). After facing the Commanders’ barely there secondary, he’s going to find the sledding to be much tougher against the Browns in week 3. You still can’t sit him given the kind of volume he’s seeing, but I’d expect this week’s performance to be closer to his week 1 output than his week 2 output. Cleveland ranked 2^nd in pass defense DVOA last season and allowed the 4^th-fewest WR points per game. They’ve been a little worse than that through 2 weeks this year (10^th in DVOA, 15^th-most WR points allowed), but Daniel Jones isn’t on the same level as the two QBs the Browns have faced this year (Dak & Trevor Lawrence). Nabers should be treated like a solid WR3 this week with upside for more.

TE Brock Bowers, LV (Wk. 3: vs. Car.): It’s taken just two weeks into his rookie season for Bowers to reach auto-start status. The guys we expected to be the studs of the position – Kelce, Andrews, LaPorta, Kincaid – have all underwhelmed through two weeks. Meanwhile, Bowers has been a focal point of the Raiders’ offense, racking up 16 targets so far in an offense that should continue to lean pass-heavy. This week he gets to face a Carolina defense that coughed up TDs to Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson in week 1 and should continue to struggle on the defensive side of the ball even if Andy Dalton improves their offense. Bowers has posted back-to-back top-5 finishes to start his career, and should be treated as a safe bet to finish highly again this week.

Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Starting:

QB Caleb Williams, CHI (Wk. 3: @Ind.): This is only applicable to superflex leagues, but I like Caleb Williams to post his best game as a pro this week against a terrible Colts’ defense that is without their best pass rusher (DeForest Buckner). If you’ve been looking at box scores, you know the Colts have coughed up over 150 rushing yards to both Joe Mixon and Josh Jacobs this year, but did you know they also rank just 29^th in pass defense DVOA for the season? This is a defense that can be beat in multiple ways, and I don’t expect the Bears’ RBs who have totaled just 85 rushing yards in 2 games to duplicate the rushing efforts we saw from Mixon and Jacobs, so Caleb will have chances to pick on them through the air. Williams looked sharp on the opening drive last week before the Texans started blitzing, and I expect the Bears to have better answers for the blitz in this one against an Indy team that has a lot less pass rushing firepower than the Texans. I think Caleb has a real chance to post 250 and 2 scores in this game.

RB Bucky Irving, TB (Wk. 3: vs. Den.): With Rachaad White suffering a groin injury last week in Detroit, Irving could be in line for a bigger workload in a game where the Bucs are a touchdown favorite against a Denver team that has allowed the 11^th-most RB points so far. If White misses this game, or you get a sense that he’s going to see a limited workload as a result of his injury, Irving has potential to finish as a top-24 back in a favorable matchup. Bucky has handled just over a third of the running back snaps and carries so far this year, and if you throw away Irving’s 31-yard TD run in week 1, he’s STILL averaging a yard and a half more per carry than Rachaad this season. If White is going to be less than 100% this week, the Bucs should give the rookie a real chance to lead the way. If White is going to be limited, I’d treat Bucky as an RB3 with upside. If White’s out, Bucky is an RB2.

WR Ladd McConkey, LAC (Wk. 3: @Pit.): McConkey’s week 2 output was less than stellar in a game against Carolina where the Chargers just didn’t have to throw much. Things get a little tougher this week with LA a 2-point underdog to the Steelers, so game script should be much more neutral, and McConkey should be able to avoid Joey Porter Jr.’s coverage in the slot. Quentin Johnston should draw Porter’s coverage instead. Porter has mostly erased the opposing team’s WR1 in the first 2 weeks (Drake London: 2-15-0 on 3 targets, Courtland Sutton: 1-26-0 on 4 targets), but slot receivers have had a lot more success against Pittsburgh. Ray Ray McCloud put up 4-52-0 on 7 targets in week 1, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey tallied 4-50-0 on 5 targets in week 2. McConkey is a better receiver and has a better QB than either of those two slot guys. I’d treat 4-50 as the floor here, which makes McConkey a viable WR3 this week.

WR Rome Odunze, CHI (Wk. 3: @Ind.): If you read what I wrote about Caleb Williams above, you know I like the Bears to have as much success throwing the ball as they have all year, and that yardage has to go to someone. Keenan Allen is expected to be sidelined again this week, so Odunze and DJ Moore should be on the field for nearly every play. The Colts’ secondary has been in shambles, allowing a 78.3% completion rate and nearly 10 yards per completion. This is setting up as a spot where Odunze could have a breakout game, but part of me worries about whether OC Shane Waldron will let it happen. With Keenan Allen out last week, it was a perfect opportunity for the Bears to showcase Odunze, and instead they were scheming up looks for Gerald Everett and DeAndre Carter. Waldron was very slow to trust 1^st-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba last year too, so I’m hoping this isn’t a trend. I still like Odunze as an upside WR4 this week if you can stomach plugging in a player with less than 4 PPR points per game in the first 2 weeks.

Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Sitting:

QB Bo Nix, DEN (Wk. 3: @TB): If you’re in a pinch this week in a superflex league, you can probably get away with starting Nix, but I’d view him as an option at the tail end of the top 24 QBs for the week. Volume has been the best signal for Nix’s fantasy value through 2 games – he’s attempted 38.5 passes per game - but his paltry 5 yards per attempt means that volume isn’t even adding up to 200 passing yards on average. At a quick glance, this looks like a great matchup on paper. The Bucs have allowed the 3^rd-most QB points per game so far, but 53.4% of the fantasy points they’ve allowed this year were rushing points for Jayden Daniels in week 1. Neither QB they’ve faced has thrown a touchdown or reached 11 points of passing production against them. The Bucs rank 13^th in pass defense DVOA and should continue to make things tough on Nix through the air. Nix’s rushing upside and passing volume provide some hope for him to produce a quality QB2 performance where you could plug him in if you need to, but I would temper expectations.

RB Carson Steele, KC (Wk. 3: @Atl.): The Chiefs learned this week that they’ll be without RB Isiah Pacheco for possibly up to 2 months, leaving a huge void in their offense. They went out and signed Kareem Hunt on Tuesday, but he’ll likely take a couple weeks to get ramped up, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire is still on IR, leaving the backfield to Steele and Samaje Perine in the meantime. There’s been a lot of speculation about what this backfield will look like without Pacheco, and I think it’ll be messy once Hunt is ramped up and CEH returns, but it should be fairly predictable until then. Steele has out-snapped Perine 6 to 0 in short down & distance situations, and Perine has out-snapped Steele 9 to 1 in long down & distance situations. The only long down & distance snap Steele played was one where he took a handoff up the middle to better position the Chiefs for their game-winning field goal last Sunday. We should see a standard division of duties in this backfield where Steele handles the bulk of the early down work, and Perine handles most of the passing down work. There will be some slight deviation from that to avoid being too predictable, but by and large, that’s how it should go. Being the lead rusher for the Chiefs always carries some TD upside with it, but I wouldn’t expect a huge yardage total against an Atlanta defense that has allowed the 6^th-fewest RB points per game this year and 5^th-fewest last year. Treat Steele like a TD-dependent flex option.

WR Brian Thomas Jr., JAX (Wk. 3: @Buf.): Thomas has rewarded fantasy managers who were willing to roll the dice on him the first two weeks, logging WR18 and WR27 finishes in the first two games despite tallying just 4 targets in each. If you want to roll those dice again, I wouldn’t fault you. You only need BTJ and T-Law to connect once or twice to give you a useful fantasy day with the downfield targets he’s been seeing, but this Buffalo defense has made life tough on top receivers so far. They held Marvin Harrison Jr. to 1 catch for 4 yards in the opener and had mostly contained Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle last week even before Tua exited the game with a concussion. Neither receiver made it to 50 scrimmage yards. I don’t feel great about the prospects of Thomas connecting on more big plays in this one.

WR Keon Coleman, BUF (Wk. 3: vs. Jax.): Coleman was frustratingly targeted just once in the Bills’ win last week over the Dolphins, but there are some reasons for optimism here. He led the Bills’ receivers for the second straight week with a 90% route participation rate, and his low target total was as much a result of the team’s low passing volume as anything. Josh Allen attempted just 19 passes in a game that wasn’t competitive early and got less competitive when Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion. The Bills are solid 5 and a half-point favorites this week, but I don’t see this game being quite as non-competitive. The Jaguars’ pass defense has had a clear weakness through the first two weeks of the season – the right side of the field. They rank 28^th in the league in pass defense DVOA on throws to the right, with both their right CB Montaric Brown and his safety help over the top struggling. Coleman has spent about half of his snaps this year lined up to the right, so he should see plenty of opportunities against that weak right side. The Bills passing game is going to spread the ball around quite a bit, but Coleman should get enough work to be worth consideration as a WR4. The only reason I’m hesitant to recommend starting him is the floor we saw last week.

WR Xavier Worthy, KC (Wk. 3: @Atl.): Cam Taylor-Britt wrote a check with his mouth last week that I did not expect him to cash on Sunday, but he more than backed up his Xavier Worthy trash talk, holding the rookie to just 2 catches for 17 yards and making an incredible one-handed interception in the process. Worthy was supposed to be the burner that gave Patrick Mahomes the ability to push the ball down the field again and beat 2-deep shell coverages, but two weeks in, Mahomes is doing more dinking and dunking than ever. Mahomes’ 5.1-yard aDOT this year would be easily the lowest of his career. You already know Worthy isn’t going to be a high-volume target for Mahomes – he’s totaled just 7 targets and 2 rushing attempts through 2 games – so you need splash plays and TDs to get value from him in your lineup. Mahomes’ conservative approach, and safety Jessie Bates looming over the top in coverage have me thinking this won’t be a great week to trust Worthy to make a big play. The Falcons have allowed just 2 completions of 20+ yards through 2 weeks.

WR Xavier Legette, CAR (Wk. 3: @LV): The Panthers have made the move to bench Bryce Young this week in an effort to try and fix their broken passing game that totaled just 255 yards in the first two weeks (35 of which have gone to Legette). Dalton is at least a competent NFL QB, but he’ll be dealing with the same scheme, same o-line, and same pass catchers that Bryce had to work with. I do expect some modest immediate improvement this week, especially facing off against a Vegas defense that ranks 23^rd in pass defense DVOA, but if you’re willing to take a chance on Dalton feeding Legette this week given what we’ve seen from the Panthers in the first two weeks, you’re braver than I am.

WR Adonai Mitchell, IND (Wk. 3: vs. Chi.): Mitchell’s usage through two weeks has teased the upside he has in this offense with cannon-armed Anthony Richardson at the helm, but it just hasn’t turned into production so far. He’s earned 9 targets that have traveled on average more than 18 yards down the field, but he’s pulled in just 2 of them for 32 yards. Meanwhile, fellow deep threat Alec Pierce has pulled in 8 of 10 targets for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns. All signs point to Josh Downs being active this week. Michael Pittman isn’t going to be the one to lose playing time to get Downs on the field, so that means one of Pierce or Mitchell will, and given how the first two weeks have gone, I’d expect it to be Mitchell. He’ll likely still be involved and could see a couple targets, but his route participation rate should drop below 50% after being right around 70% for the first two weeks. His only path to fantasy relevance this week is to score a TD, preferably a long one.

Rookies You Already Know You Should Sit:

RB Ray Davis, BUF (Wk. 3: vs. Jax.): The box score will show you that Davis touched the ball 10 times in week 2, and that might get you excited about his growing role, but I regret to inform you that not much changed from week 1. Davis is still splitting backup work with Ty Johnson, and 6 of his 10 touches came in the 4^th quarter with the Bills up by 3 touchdowns. The value proposition with Davis was that he would get valuable goal line carries, but through two weeks, the Bills have run 7 offensive snaps inside the 10-yard line – 1 incomplete pass to Keon Coleman, 3 rushes by James Cook, and 3 rushes by Josh Allen. There’s not a lot of fantasy upside in getting a handful of rushing attempts with no goal line work even in a good matchup. The Jaguars have been a middling RB defense so far, allowing the 14^th-most points per game to the position.

RB Jaylen Wright, MIA (Wk. 3: @Sea.): Wright got his first taste of NFL action last week, and it didn’t go according to plan. He totaled just 4 yards on 5 carries with Raheem Mostert sidelined, and the Dolphins lost their QB in the process. Mostert is practicing this week as of Wednesday, so it’s possible Wright will go back to being inactive on gameday, but if he’s active, I wouldn’t expect much more opportunity than he got last week. If the Dolphins want to be competitive without Tua, they’re going to have to lean on De’Von Achane as much as possible, so I wouldn’t expect more than a handful of touches for Wright against what has been a much-improved Seattle defense. There’s always a chance Wright breaks a big play, but the floor here is zero points.

RB Trey Benson, ARI (Wk. 3: vs. Det.): Benson got a little extra work in week 2 with the Cardinals surprisingly blowing out the Rams, but he was largely ineffective with the extra carries, putting up just 10 rushing yards on 11 totes. He should be back to his normal workload this week – just a handful of touches – against a Detroit defense that ranks 9^th in run defense DVOA and has allowed the 2^nd-fewest RB points per game.

RB Isaac Guerendo, SF (Wk. 3: @LAR): The 49ers got some bad news this week that WR Deebo Samuel is dealing with a calf strain and is likely to miss a couple weeks, but that news could provide a small bump to Guerendo’s playing time while he’s out. The 49ers use Deebo as the change of pace back more often when Christian McCaffrey is out, so Deebo’s absence means they’ll be forced to use Guerendo when Jordan Mason needs a breather. I don’t foresee a ton of playing time this for Isaac unless the game gets out of hand – he was out-snapped by Mason last weekend 24 to 1 – but I’d be surprised if he’s limited to just a snap or two again.

RB Tyrone Tracy, NYG (Wk. 3: @Cle.): Tracy’s snap share stayed stable from week 1 to week 2, checking in right around 20% again last Sunday, but he was limited to just 1 touch against the Commanders after handling 2 carries and 2 targets in the opener. He’s not going to help your fantasy squad much with fewer than 5 touches.

RB Blake Corum, LAR (Wk. 3: vs. SF): On paper, it looks like Corum saw a huge leap in playing time last weekend, carrying 8 times for 28 yards after not playing a single snap in week 1. If you look closer, you’ll see that all 8 of those carries came in the 4^th quarter with the Rams trailing 41-10. He didn’t play a snap before LA was in a 31-point hole. The uptick in touches isn’t a change in Corum’s role. Keep him parked on the bench.

RB Marshawn Lloyd, GB (Wk. 3: @Ten.): Lloyd returned in week 2 from a preseason hamstring injury that sidelined him for the opener, but he left the game with a new ankle injury that could sideline him for week 3. He’s already sharing backup work with Emmanuel Wilson behind bell-cow back Josh Jacobs. The new injury just further cements that he shouldn’t be in lineup consideration this week.

Update: Lloyd was placed on IR and is out until at least week 7

WR Ja’Lynn Polk, NE (Wk. 3: @NYJ): Don’t be fooled by the TD Polk scored last week. He still was targeted just 3 times and is an ancillary weapon in a low volume passing attack. The Pats face the Jets this week, who have been off to a sluggish start on defense but ranked 3^rd in pass defense DVOA a season ago. I wouldn’t count on Polk finding the end zone again this week.

WR Luke McCaffrey, WAS (Wk. 3: @Cin.): McCaffrey continued to operate as one of the Commanders’ clear top-3 WRs last weekend in terms of playing time, but figuring out who gets the opportunities in this offense after Terry McLaurin and Zach Ertz looks like it’ll be a weekly crapshoot. McCaffrey was targeted just once last Sunday while Dyami Brown, Olamide Zacchaeus, and Noah Brown were each targeted 3 times. When the ceiling case for McCaffrey is likely 4-5 targets, you should be looking elsewhere for your starting WRs. He doesn’t get the kind of deep targets that can result in strong production with that volume.

WR Jacob Cowing, SF (Wk. 3: @LAR): Deebo Samuel is expected to miss a couple games with a calf strain, but I wouldn’t expect Cowing to see much of an increase in usage as a result. Ronnie Bell and Chris Conley have both been running ahead of Cowing as the team’s WR4 and 5, and I’d expect that duo to play the majority of the WR3 snaps this week, though I expect we’ll see fewer 3-WR sets and more Kyle Juszczyk than normal while Deebo is out.

WR Roman Wilson, PIT (Wk. 3: vs. LAC): Wilson was inactive again in week 2 as he works his way back from injury. He missed significant practice time in the latter weeks of training camp prior to missing the last two weeks, so I’d expect there to be a ramp up period of at least a few weeks once he’s able to suit up before we’ll see him utilized in anything close to a full-time role. He could be active in week 3, but he shouldn’t be in your lineup.

WR Malachi Corley, NYJ (Wk. 3: vs. NE): Corley ran his first route of the season last week and caught a pass for 4 yards on that play. He did not run a 2^nd route. Malachi remains buried on the Jets’ depth chart for now.

TE Erick All, CIN (Wk. 3: vs. Was.): All posted a quietly positive game last week in his first extended NFL action, tallying 4 catches for 32 yards against the Chiefs, but it’s not production I would count on repeating itself in week 3. The Bengals made a point to avoid going after Kansas City’s stingy outside corners and attacked them with the tight end position after watching Isaiah Likely shred their secondary in week 1. Four different Cincy tight ends logged route participation rates of over 25% in week 2. In fact, All’s 27% rate was the lowest of the 4, and his 4 targets were just 4 of 16 total tight end targets for the Bengals on Sunday. This week’s opponent, the Commanders, are much more vulnerable at cornerback than KC. The Commanders have allowed just 1 catch for 5 yards to opposing tight ends through 2 weeks, while coughing up 18+ fantasy points to 3 different wide receivers in that span. This should be a big week for Ja’Marr Chase, and not for the Cincy tight ends.

TE Theo Johnson, NYG (Wk. 3: @Cle.): I was optimistic about Johnson after week one when he earned 4 targets and logged a 76% route participation rate, but the Giants made two changes in week two that make me much less bullish on Theo in the immediate future. The first is that they decided to keep their tight end in to block more often to help protect Daniel Jones. Johnson ran 38 routes in week 1 and logged just 8 pass blocking snaps. In week 2, those numbers were 16 routes and 12 pass blocking snaps. The second thing the Giants did was realize that they should be throwing to Malik Nabers as much as humanly possible. Nabers had a 67% target share in week 2. We won’t see that absurd number every week, but I expect the ball to go to Nabers often enough that there just isn’t enough leftover receiving work for Johnson to be a start-able fantasy tight end.

TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, CAR (Wk. 3: @LV): The Panthers’ passing game could get a much-needed shot in the arm this week with the switch at QB to veteran Andy Dalton, but Tommy Tremble’s week 2 return from injury means Sanders probably won’t benefit much. Sanders did see his target total double from 1 in week 1 to 2 in week 2, but his playing time went in the opposite direction with Tremble active. Sanders’ route participation rate dropped from 69% to 51% while Tremble earned a 45% share and 4 targets against the Chargers. Anything’s possible if this passing game looks drastically different with Dalton, but I’d bet against Sanders, who has totaled just 12 yards on 42 routes run.

TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, DAL (Wk. 3: vs. Bal.): Spann-Ford played ahead of Luke Schoonmaker in week 1, but that changed in week 2 with starting tight end Jake Ferguson sidelined. Both players logged uninspiring route totals, but Schoonmaker ran 15 routes to just 12 for Spann-Ford, and the 2^nd-year tight end out-targeted the rookie 6 to 1. Schoonmaker is the only Dallas tight end who should be in fantasy consideration if Ferguson is out again.

TE Ben Sinnott, WAS (Wk. 3: @Cin.): Like it or not, this is Zach Ertz’s job until further notice. Sinnott has run just 3 target-less routes in each of his first two NFL games.

Deep League Sleepers and Stashes:

RB Braelon Allen, NYJ (Wk. 3: vs. NE): I know, this is probably a week late and going to feel like point chasing after Allen piled up 56 scrimmage yards and 2 TDs last Sunday, but I’m listing him here because I don’t think his usage was a fluke or was a result of Breece Hall being banged up. In week 1, we only saw Allen in garbage time vs the 49ers, but in week 2, he played a full drive in the 2^nd quarter and mixed in regularly in the 2^nd half in a game that never had a margin of more than 7 points, and he made the most of the opportunities. I’m not saying that Allen is going to usurp Breece Hall at any point this season, but rather that I think there could be room for both to be fantasy relevant. Nathaniel Hackett was the OC and Aaron Rodgers was the QB in Green Bay in 2021 and 2022, when Aaron Jones was finishing as a top-12 RB and teammate AJ Dillon was finishing in the top-30, and I think we could see something similar play out here with Allen as that RB2. I don’t love the matchup this week with New England boasting a solid defense so far (allowing the 11^th-fewest RB points per game), but Allen shouldn’t be sitting on waiver wires, and he’s likely going to be instrumental in getting through bye weeks for some teams, and he could have RB1 upside if anything happens to Breece.

WR Jalen McMillan, TB (Wk. 3: vs. Den.): There haven’t been a ton of targets for McMillan through two weeks, but his targets have consistently been downfield, and he could see some extra looks come his way this week with Mike Evans likely to draw shadow coverage from Pat Surtain Jr. Surtain limited DK Metcalf to 3-29 on 4 targets in week 1, and George Pickens to 2-29 on 4 targets last week, and Baker Mayfield hasn’t been the type of QB to force the ball into coverage in his time in Tampa. That should mean Chris Godwin’s hot streak to start the year continues, but also that Jalen McMillan should set a new season-high in targets. McMillan leads the team in routes run and should tangle mostly with 2^nd-year pro Riley Moss, who has allowed 9 completions for 94 yards on 13 throws into his coverage. Those 9 completions account for 29% of all completions against the Broncos this season. If you’re in a bad spot at WR this week due to injuries, McMillan is a guy who isn’t projected to score a lot of points but is set up for a potentially strong week. 

WR Devaughn Vele, DEN (Wk. 3: @TB): In case you forgot about Vele, the rookie hauled in 8 receptions in week 1 before sitting in week 2 with a rib injury. He’s practicing in a limited capacity as of Wednesday, and his matchup this week with Tampa could be a decent one. The Bucs rank just 23^rd in pass defense DVOA the short passes, and if he’s active, Vele should once again feast on short throws in what has been a high-volume passing game (77 attempts through 2 weeks). I wouldn’t count on Vele breaking 50 yards, but he should dink and dunk his way to a respectable PPR game if you’re in a pinch.

WR Jordan Whittington, LAR (Wk. 3: vs. SF): After significant injuries to Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp in the last two games, Whittington suddenly finds himself in a prominent role in an LA offense that still boasts Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford. I wouldn’t plug him into lineups this week in a tough matchup with the 49ers. Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson are going to be the top 2 WRs in this offense for now, and Whittington will split WR3 snaps with Tutu Atwell until he separates from him, but we saw the Rams give Whittington volume in the preseason and they’ve tried to get him a couple manufactured touches in the regular season as well. There’s room for him to climb the depth chart if he makes the most of his opportunities, and he shouldn’t be sitting on dynasty waiver wires outside of the shallowest leagues.

WR Jermaine Burton, CIN (Wk. 3: vs. Was.): This is probably moot if Tee Higgins is able to return this week, but Burton has some sneaky potential in this matchup if Higgins is sidelined again. Burton is still just an ancillary role player in this offense (he ran just 8 routes last week), but he’s shown the ability to be a deep threat in college, in the preseason, and again last week when he caught a deep ball for 46 yards, and now he gets to face off with the worst pass defense in the NFL. The Commanders have given up 18+ points to 3 different receivers in the first two weeks of the season and have allowed 7 completions of 20+ yards. Ja’Marr Chase is probably going to post a blow-up game this week, but this is a spot where Burton could do some real damage on just 8-10 routes run if a couple deep balls connect.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you sort through your lineup decisions and find your way to a win this weekend. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@Shawn_Foss) if you have any questions or want to yell at me about anything written above, and always make sure to apply what’s written in the context of your own league rules and roster. Keep a close eye on the injury report throughout the week if you have any guys who are questionable and do a final pre-game check to make sure you don’t start any inactive players. As always: Good luck, trust your gut and have fun. It’s just a game.

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! We’ve made it one-sixth of the way through the NFL season and the fantasy picture is starting to come into clearer focus. We now have a 3-game sample to assess which fast starts are for real and which ones are not and adjust accordingly. It’s been a sluggish start for much of the rookie crop. Yes, there have been huge successes like Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr., but there have also been disappointments like Keon Coleman, Adonai Mitchell, Trey Benson, and until this week Rome Odunze. Consistency will come with time and reps, but for now the number of rookies that are providing useful weekly performances in typical leagues is a bit limited.

This week’s report is going to be a bit shorter than usual due to some personal time constraints I have this week, but I promise there’s still plenty to talk about and we should be back to normal next week. I’m just cutting out some backup running backs and tight ends that aren’t playing enough for consideration.

A couple of housekeeping notes for the players listed below – All players listed under the same header at the same position are listed in the order that I would play them this week. All usage rates (snap share, target rate, air yardage share, etc.) are from the MB Fantasy Life Utilization Tool from Dwain McFarland, and all references to fantasy points and points allowed rankings are based on half-PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

Let’s talk week 4…

Rookies You Already Know You Should Start:

QB Jayden Daniels, WAS (Wk. 4: @ Ari.): If you missed the late Monday Night Football game the other night, you missed a heck of a coming out party for Jayden Daniels. Daniels was efficient in the first two weeks of the season, but didn’t really take many chances pushing the ball downfield. In week 3 he was surgical, completing 91% of his passes for over 250 yards and 2 scores, and he added another 39 yards and a score with his legs. He turned the field goal drives from week 2 into touchdowns in week 3, and he’s now gone two straight games with a score on every single drive (excluding kneel down drives). Arizona’s defense has done a nice job against veterans Matt Stafford and Jared Goff in the last 2 weeks, but Daniels is playing efficient football and should be treated as a top-8 QB option against the Cardinals.

WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., ARI (Wk. 4: vs. Was.): Harrison is a top-5 wide receiver play this week against the awful Commanders secondary. Marv has been at a 30% or better target share in each of the last 2 weeks, and that could creep even higher this week if Trey McBride is out. Every WR1 who has faced the Commanders this year has put up at least 23 PPR points.

WR Malik Nabers, NYG (Wk. 4: vs. Dal.): I wasn’t surprised when Nabers shredded the Commanders’ secondary in week 2. I was at least a little surprised when he did the same to the talented Browns’ secondary in week 3, posting his second consecutive top-4 PPR finish. The Cowboys have allowed just the 10^th-fewest WR points per game so far, but Nabers is an auto-start WR1 until he gives us a reason to think otherwise.

TE Brock Bowers, LV (Wk. 4: vs. Cle.): Don’t be alarmed by Bowers’ underwhelming performance in week 3. It’s a little concerning that he logged his lowest route participation rate of the season, but he should remain a focal point of the offense going forward. His 7.1 PPR points for the week were less than 2 points short of a top-10 finish, and still higher than the averages we’ve seen this year for Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, and Sam LaPorta. Bowers remains a locked-in top-10 TE play going forward.

Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Starting:

QB Caleb Williams, CHI (Wk. 4: vs. LAR): It didn’t translate into a victory, but Caleb Williams posted his best day yet as a passer in week 3, racking up 363 yards and 2 TDs in Indy. He also threw 2 interceptions, and his comeback efforts fell short, but the QB13 finish for the week was promising. This week he faces a Rams’ defense that ranks 31^st in FTN’s pass defense DVOA and has allowed the 3^rd-most QB points per game. We saw last week that Caleb can rack up stats against a lackluster pass defense, and he gets a chance to do it again this week. I’d treat him as a clear starter in 2-QB and superflex formats and would be comfortable starting him in 1-QB formats if you don’t feel great about your starting option this week.

RB Carson Steele, KC (Wk. 4: @ LAC): Don’t be alarmed by the news that Kareem Hunt will be active in week 4. He takes the roster spot of Keaontay Ingram, who played zero snaps last week. He could mix in for a few plays and his role may grow in the coming weeks, but this should remain Steele’s backfield for now. The backfield split played out pretty much as I expected it to in week 3, with Steele leading the way and playing the bulk of the early down and short down & distance snaps, and Samaje Perine playing most of the 2-minute and long down & distance snaps. I expect a similar breakdown this week, but with Kansas City favored by 7.5-points, there should be plenty of opportunities for Steele to run the ball. The Chargers have been strong against the run so far, ranking 6^th in run defense DVOA and allowing the 8^th-fewest RB points per game, but Steele is going to get enough volume that he should be a viable RB2 this week. I like him better in half and non-PPR formats than I do in full PPR.

RB Braelon Allen, NYJ (Wk. 4: vs. Den.): As I mentioned in this article last week, Allen’s week 2 breakout game wasn’t a fluke. The usage was for real. After seeing 11 opportunities in week 2, Allen saw 14 of them in week 3 and finished as a top-30 back again. Breece Hall is still the unquestioned leader of this backfield, but Allen should get enough work against a middling Denver run defense that he’s a reasonable RB3/flex option this week, and he’s going to be a valuable bye week fill-in in the coming weeks. The Broncos have allowed 2 backs to finish in the top-36 PPR backs for the week in each of their 3 games this season.

WR Rome Odunze, CHI (Wk. 4: vs. LAR): Odunze benefitted from Caleb’s breakout passing performance last week with a breakout performance of his own. The Bears finally used Rome as a key cog in their passing game – he earned a 24% target share and huge 49% air yardage share against the Colts and finished as the WR7 for the week with a 6-112-1 line – and he should be in line for another strong day this week against a bad Rams’ defense. The Rams have allowed the 2^nd-most WR points per game, and Odunze should be treated as a fringe WR2 in the plus matchup. Two caveats I want to mention here though…keep an eye on Keenan Allen’s injury report. Odunze should be downgraded to a fringe WR3 if Allen is able to play. And keep an eye on the weather report. September in Chicago can be wet and windy, and it looks like there’s a chance of a rainy Sunday as of now (Wednesday).

WR Brian Thomas, Jr., JAX (Wk. 4: @ Hou.): Through 3 games this season, Thomas has finished as a top-40 PPR WR three times, and I think there’s a strong chance he makes it 4-for-4 this week. The Jaguars are a 6.5-point underdog this week and will likely be throwing a bunch, and they’ve made a point to get the ball to Thomas on deep balls and off play action. The Texans have allowed the 11^th-most WR points per game and looked vulnerable downfield in week 1 when they allowed 3 completions of 50+ yards to the Colts. Thomas should be involved enough to compile his way to a fringe WR3 day even if he doesn’t catch a long ball, but you’ll be kicking yourself if he’s sitting on your bench and that long ball does connect.

WR Ladd McConkey, LAC (Wk. 4: vs. KC): The final result in week 3 didn’t look great for McConkey – he posted 3-44 on 6 targets against the Steelers – but he set season-highs with an 88% route participation rate and 30% target share. He’s quickly becoming a trusted weapon in this offense, and that could lead to a nice week in a game where the Chargers will likely have to throw more than they have all year. LA has averaged just 22 pass attempts per game while largely playing from the lead, but they’re 7.5-point underdogs to KC this week, and will likely have to throw 30+ times, no matter who is at QB. I expect Justin Herbert to be good to go, but if he’s not and it’s Taylor Heinicke instead, I still like McConkey’s chances at 7+ targets against a Chiefs defense that ranks just 23^rd in pass defense DVOA. Ladd should be a passable PPR WR3 this week.

Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Sitting:

QB Bo Nix, DEN (Wk. 4: @NYJ): At this point, you’re probably looking at me a little sideways for telling you I’d lean toward starting Caleb Williams and sitting Nix when Nix hasn’t been outscored by Williams yet this season, but I stand by it. Nix has been getting by with passing volume and rushing production, but his yards per attempt sit at a dismal 5.3, he’s yet to throw a touchdown pass, and he faces a menacing Jets’ defense that has allowed just 1 QB touchdown of any kind all season. The Jets have allowed the 2^nd-fewest QB points per game through 3 weeks. I’d treat Nix as a low-end QB2 for week 4.

RB Bucky Irving, TB (Wk. 4: vs. Phi.): Irving has been a popular waiver wire pickup this week after he posted a top-20 finish last week and Head Coach Todd Bowles announced after the game that he’s earned more work going forward, but I think that hype is a little premature. There’s no question Irving has been Tampa’s most efficient back, averaging 6.2 yards per carry to Rachaad White’s 2.1, but White still played more than twice as many snaps as Irving last week, and Bowles when given the opportunity denied that Irving had moved ahead of White on the depth chart. This may be closer to a 50-50 split going forward, but the Bucs still love White on passing downs and in the red zone. The Eagles have been a middling run defense, ranking 16^th in run defense DVOA, but they’ve yet to allow a running back TD all year. If that continues this week, Irving likely winds up a lackluster RB3/RB4 for the week.

WR Xavier Legette, CAR (Wk. 4: vs. Cin.): Week 1 with Andy Dalton under center for the Panthers was a smashing success with Dalton piling up 319 yards and 3 TDs en route to a blowout win over the Raiders. Unfortunately for Legette, he didn’t get to join in on the fun much with just an 8% target share and 51% route participation rate. Adam Thielen was placed on IR this week, so Legette should see a jump in playing time, but it’s murky how much production that will lead to. Legette has been playing behind Jonathan Mingo through the first 3 weeks, and in Dalton’s first start, Diontae Johnson was a target hog. There’s plenty of opportunity for passing production here – the Bengals rank just 26^th in pass defense DVOA – but Legette is likely no higher than 3^rd in the pecking order. I’d view him as a fringe WR4 with upside, but he is worth a stash if he’s available in your league with bye weeks coming up and Adam Thielen out for a month.

WR Xavier Worthy, KC (Wk. 4: @ LAC): Worthy’s route participation rate has been around 70% or higher in all 3 games this season, but he’s averaging just 5 opportunities per game (targets + rush attempts combined). He has yet to log more than 2 catches in a game this year and he faces a Charger defense that has allowed the 7^th-fewest WR points per game. You’re betting on a big play or two if you decide to start him. His basic function in this offense has been to run deep routes to clear out coverage to get Rashee Rice open.

WR Keon Coleman, BUF (Wk. 4: @ Bal.): Coleman salvaged his week 3 performance by finding the end zone, but he saw a season-low 32% route participation rate and was targeted just once in a game where the Bills threw the ball all over the Jaguars. The fact that his role has been shrinking as the Bills have hit their offensive stride doesn’t make me feel great about plugging him in this week, even against a Baltimore defense that has allowed the 5^th-most WR points per game.

Rookies You Already Know You Should Sit:

RB Jaylen Wright, MIA (Wk. 4: vs. Ten.): You do not want to chase the RB3 in an offense quarterbacked by either Tim Boyle or Tyler Huntley. The Dolphins will probably be without Skylar Thompson in week 4, leaving Boyle and Huntley as the fill-in options. It remains to be seen if Raheem Mostert will be back for this game, but Wright will still fight for backup snaps with Jeff Wilson Jr. if Mostert remains out. The Titans have allowed the 11^th-most RB points per game so far, but Wright will likely only see a few touches and the Dolphins’ offense figures to struggle due to their QB situation. They have an implied point total of just 18.25 points.

RB Ray Davis, BUF (Wk. 4: @ Bal.): Davis has been one of the more involved backup rookie running backs this season, tallying 18 touches in the last two weeks, but 14 of those 18 touches have come with the Bills leading by more than 2 touchdowns. This week’s contest, where the Bills are 2.5-point underdogs in Baltimore, figures to be much tighter than the last two. The Ravens have allowed the 5^th-fewest running back points per game, and I wouldn’t expect more than just a few touches for Davis unless the game script is drastically different than Vegas expects.

RB Trey Benson, ARI (Wk. 4: vs. Was.): Benson tallied 11 carries in garbage time in week 2 but was back to his usual limited opportunities in week 3 in a much more competitive game with the Lions. Benson played just 2 snaps while fellow backup Emari Demercado played 11.

WR Luke McCaffrey, WAS (Wk. 4: @ Ari.): McCaffrey made a couple nice plays in week 3, but he’s also slipped to 3^rd on the depth chart as Noah Brown has worked his way into the WR2 role behind Terry McLaurin. Luke put up 3-44 on 3 targets Monday night and nearly found his way into the end zone, but his route participation rate was down to just 35%. It’s possible he will see a couple extra short targets this week with Austin Ekeler out after suffering a concussion Monday, but it’s hard to trust a player who needs volume to produce when he’s only on the field a third of the time.

WR Devaughn Vele, DEN (Wk. 4: @ NYJ): Vele still has some PPR upside if he’s able to return this week, but it’s hard to envision him slipping seamlessly back into the same role he played in week 1 after missing the last two contests. The Jets have been vulnerable in the slot, allowing strong games to Jauan Jennings (5-64 on 5 targets) and Pop Douglas (7-69 on 9 targets), but Lil’Jordan Humphrey has established himself in that role over the last two weeks, and I don’t expect Vele to take over completely in his first game back. Vele’s upside comes from being peppered with short targets, so any threat to his snap volume is a threat to his fantasy outlook.

WR Jordan Whittington, LAR (Wk. 4: @ Chi.): I had hope for Whittington with Kupp and Nacua both on IR, but the re-emergence of Tutu Atwell in this passing game has pushed Whittington down to WR4, and there’s just not enough work for him in that role to be a viable fantasy starter. He tallied 3 catches and 28 yards last week on 3 targets but was in a route on just 34% of the team’s dropbacks. If that workload repeats itself this week against the Bears, who allow the 6^th-fewest WR points per game, I’d expect an even lower output than we got last week.

WR Jalen McMillan, TB (Wk. 4: vs. Phi.): McMillan continues to run a ton of routes (80% route participation rate last week), but the routes just haven’t been converting to targets. He’s been targeted just 6 times in 3 games, and while there’s potential upside against the Eagles, who have allowed the 4^th-most WR points per game, it’s impossible to bank on a breakout game with the low target volume McMillan has been seeing.

WR Ja’Lynn Polk, NE (Wk. 4: @ SF): Polk’s playing time is headed in the wrong direction as Demario Douglas and KJ Osborn have emerged as the top 2 receivers in this offense. Polk was down to just a 43% route participation rate in week 3 and hasn’t yet earned more than 3 targets in a game.

WR Adonai Mitchell, IND (Wk. 4: vs. Pit.): The return of Josh Downs was a bigger problem for Mitchell than I expected, with Downs stepping into a full-time role immediately. Adonai was limited to just a 9% route participation rate in week 3. He’s unplayable until further notice.

WR Roman Wilson, PIT (Wk. 4: @ Ind.): Wilson was held out again in week 3, delaying what I expect will be a multi-week ramp up to a full-time role for the rookie. It doesn’t help Wilson that Calvin Austin played well last week, but Van Jefferson has been mostly a non-factor for the Steelers. There is still room for Wilson to climb this depth chart, but the low team passing volume will cap his ceiling in 2024.

TE Tip Reiman, ARI (Wk. 4: vs. Was.): Trey McBride left last Sunday’s contest with a concussion, leaving a tight end void for the Cardinals if he’s unable to get cleared ahead of this week. Reiman is not the player to target if you’re looking to capitalize here. It’s Elijah Higgins who has served as the TE2 in this offense while Reiman has failed to garner a single target on 17 routes this season Reiman could play more snaps than Higgins this week, but I’d expect the converted WR Higgins to be the one that’s more involved as a receiver. The Cardinals have run a lot of multiple-TE sets this year, but I’d expect more 11 personnel in week 4 against a Washington defense that gets shredded by WRs but allows the 6^th-fewest TE points per game. Reiman could tally his first career catch, but I’d look elsewhere if you’re searching for a desperation tight end this week.

Deep League Sleepers & Stashes:

RB Jonathan Brooks, CAR (Wk. 4: vs. Cin.): I mention Brooks just in case he’s still sitting on your league’s waiver wire. He’s on the PUP list, so he’s ineligible to return until at least week 5, but Pathers’ HC Dave Canales says he’s in the final stages of his recovery, and he could quickly ascend to the top of the Carolina running back depth chart once he’s healthy. He’s worth a stash if you’re struggling at RB and he’s available.

TE Erick All, CIN (Wk. 4: @ Car.): All has quietly finished as a top-20 PPR TE in back-to-back weeks and is looking like he may have a bright future in Cincinnati. His playing time remains limited – he’s behind Mike Gesicki and was in a route on just 24% of the team dropbacks last Monday – but the Bengals have looked to get him the ball when he’s on the field. He’s been targeted on 32% of his routes run in the last 2 games, and he’s caught all 8 targets that have come his way. He’s worth a stash in dynasty leagues and is a sneaky anytime TD bet this week. The Panthers are the only defense that has allowed multiple tight end touchdowns in the first 3 weeks.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you sort through your lineup decisions and find your way to a win this weekend. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@Shawn_Foss) if you have any questions or want to yell at me about anything written above, and always make sure to apply what’s written in the context of your own league rules and roster. Keep a close eye on the injury report throughout the week if you have any guys who are questionable and do a final pre-game check to make sure you don’t start any inactive players. As always: Good luck, trust your gut and have fun. It’s just a game.

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! We are already a third of the way through the NFL season. Time flies when you’re having fun, right? The truth is a lot of us are not having fun this year dealing with what feels like a never-ending avalanche of injuries. I feel like I’m talking about this every week, but every week there have been more back-breaking injuries that have to be worked around. This week it’s Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed, and Marvin Harrison Jr., and Dallas Goedert, and Travis Etienne. As crushing as those injuries can be, the NFL season marches on. We don’t have time to dwell on the players we don’t have. We need to be able to pivot and move on.

The silver lining here at the Rookie Report is that all of these injuries continue to make more and more rookies relevant each week. This week’s report touches on 4 QBs, 15 RBs, 20 WRs, and 5 TEs. I’ve been doing this Rookie Report since 2012, and this may be the most rookies I’ve ever written about in one week. We’ve got a lot to get through, so let’s get down to business.

A couple of housekeeping notes for the players listed below – All players listed under the same header at the same position are listed in the order that I would play them this week. All usage rates (snap share, target rate, air yardage share, etc.) are from the MB Fantasy Life Utilization Tool from Dwain McFarland, and all references to fantasy points and points allowed rankings are based on half-PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

Let’s get into week 7…

Rookies You Already Know You Should Start:

QB Jayden Daniels, WAS (Wk. 7: vs. Car.): You already know what to do here. Daniels has scored 20+ fantasy points in all but one game this season, and he gets to face one of the worst defenses in the league this week. Carolina ranks 31^st in FTN’s pass defense DVOA and has allowed the 12^th-most QB points per game. He can’t be on your bench if you have him.

WR Malik Nabers, NYG (Wk. 7: vs. Phi.): Nabers has missed two consecutive games due to a concussion, and he’s still the WR12 in total points for the year. He’s already been cleared to return this week, and if he’s back in the lineup, he should be back in yours. Nabers had logged 3 straight top-6 PPR finishes before getting hurt, and the Eagles have allowed the 6^th-most WR points per game on the year.

TE Brock Bowers, LV (Wk. 7: @ LAR): For Bowers, the Raiders’ change at QB was a non-issue in week 6. Bowers logged his 4^th top-5 PPR finish of the season in O’Connell’s first start, and with the news that Davante Adams is now gone to New York, Bowers should be the de facto WR1 in this offense going forward. That was probably already the case, but he no longer has the return of Adams looming over him. Will there still be a down game now and then? I’m sure there will, but he’s a player who should be plugged into your lineup every week. This week he faces a Rams’ defense that has allowed the 2^nd-most TE points per game. The Rams have allowed a tight end to hit 40+ yards in 4 of their 5 games this season, and Bowers demands a higher target share than just about every other tight end they’ve faced.

Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Starting:

QB Drake Maye, NE (Wk. 7: @ Jax.): Maye made quite an impression in his first NFL start. We were all hopeful he’d give the Patriots’ passing game a much-needed spark, and he certainly came through. Jacoby Brissett’s season-high passing yardage mark this season was 168 yards, and he had totals of just 2 passing TDs and 49 rushing yards for the year. Maye eclipsed all of those numbers in just 1 game, throwing for 243 yards and 3 scores last Sunday, while adding 50 rushing yards to boot. I don’t expect Maye to duplicate last week’s performance every week, but the arrow for this passing game is clearly pointing up, and they get a fantastic matchup in week 7. Jacksonville ranks dead last in pass defense DVOA, and they’ve allowed each of the last 4 QBs they’ve faced to tally 23+ fantasy points. Deshaun Watson is the only QB this year to finish worse than QB9 against the Jaguars. I wouldn’t immediately rank Maye in the top-10 QBs this week, but he’s should be treated as at least a mid-range QB2.

QB Bo Nix, DEN (Wk. 7: @ NO): I’d only think about Nix in 2-QB and superflex leagues this week, but I think he’s worth consideration Thursday night in those formats. His performances so far haven’t been pretty to watch. Often the passing numbers are abysmal – he’s yet to hit 250 passing yards in a game and has averaged fewer than 4 yards per attempt twice, and the team is averaging just 18.7 points per game (8^th-lowest in the league) - but Nix keeps willing his way into decent fantasy performances. The rookie has now posted back-to-back top-10 finishes, and has only turned the ball over once in his last 4 games. He’s also averaging 6 points of rushing production per week, giving him a decent floor even when the passing numbers are bad. The matchup this week looks tough on paper. The Saints allow the 9^th-fewest QB points per game and rank 8^th in pass defense DVOA, but they’ve given up plenty of passing yards. New Orleans has allowed 290 or more passing yards in 4 of their last 5 games. If Nix can finally hit 250 and keep his solid rushing floor, he’s going to creep his way into the QB2 ranks pretty easily.

RB Tyrone Tracy, NYG (Wk. 7: vs. Phi.): Tracy’s outlook this week is once again going to be dependent on whether Devin Singletary gets cleared to return. Singletary is practicing in a limited capacity, but he did the same last week and eventually sat. If Devin sits again, Tracy should again serve as the RB1 in a matchup that’s better than you might think. The Eagles have allowed the 13^th-fewest RB points per game, but that’s largely because they haven’t let any running backs get into the end zone. Bucky Irving is the only RB to score a TD against Philly this year, but they’ve allowed the 9^th most RB rushing yards per game and 9^th-most RB receiving yards per game, and rank a paltry 29^th in run defense DVOA. This is a team that can be run on, and I expect Tracy to have success if he gets the starting nod. I’d view him as a borderline top-20 play in that scenario. If Singletary returns, I think Tracy will play a lot more than he was playing prior to the Singletary injury, and may still be able to find his way to a passable RB3 performance. He’s a good starting option if Singletary is out, and a dicey one if Singletary plays.

WR Brian Thomas, Jr., JAX (Wk. 7: vs. NE): Thomas predictably had a bit of a down week last Sunday in London against a tough Bears’ defense, but there’s no reason to overreact to one bad game. If Thomas had posted another strong outing against the Bears, he would’ve graduated to the section above, but we’ll keep him closer to the borderline for now. The rookie is still the PPR WR14 on the season and gets a much more favorable matchup this weekend (again in London). New England is a middling WR defense, allowing the 17^th-most WR points per game, but they rank just 27^th in pass defense DVOA. Thomas is likely to draw shadow coverage from Christian Gonzalez in this game, but that hasn’t been a huge hinderance to the other receivers he’s shadowed. Gonzalez has been targeted on 27% of his coverage snaps and the Patriots have allowed the 9^th-most fantasy points to perimeter WRs this season. I’m not sure I’d pencil BTJ in for his 3^rd top-10 finish in the last 4 weeks, but he should be a solid WR2 option against the Pats.

WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., ARI (Wk. 7: vs. LAC): If you’ve been starting Harrison every week this year, he’s now burned you 3 times in 6 games, but it’s hard to blame him for the concussion last weekend. There’s not much he could’ve done to give you production from the blue medical tent. In spite of the down weeks, and in spite of his tough matchup this week (the Chargers allow the 6^th-fewest WR points per game), I’m recommending you go back to the well again this week if Harrison is able to get cleared. He was practicing in a non-contact jersey as of Thursday, so there’s a good chance he’s able to suit up this week. Harrison has finished as a top-24 PPR WR in 3 of his last 4 healthy games, and he’s had a 24% or higher target share and 33% or higher air yardage share in each of them. He’s getting excellent usage that should continue this week, and it’s hard to view him as any worse than a WR3 if he’s able to play. One word of caution here – Harrison doesn’t play until Monday night and still has a questionable tag. If you’re planning to start him, make sure he’s cleared or that you have a contingency plan ready to go in case he’s not able to play. In a perfect world, you’ll have him in a flex spot and give yourself some flexibility. There are 2 Monday night games this week, so anyone on the Chargers, Cardinals, Ravens, or Bucs could be used as your contingency.

WR Xavier Legette, CAR (Wk. 7: @ Was.): This is shaping up to a week that could be Legette’s best of the season. The Panthers have been missing Diontae Johnson in practice all week and they face one of the worst secondaries in the league on Sunday in Washington. I don’t know if Diontae’s absences are truly due to the injuries or due to waiting on a trade to come together, but either way, if Johnson misses this game, Legette would serve as the de facto WR1 against a Washington defense allowing 18.3 fantasy PPG to opposing WR1s. His production hasn’t been overwhelming the last two weeks, but this is a get-right matchup. I think he’s a solid WR3 if Diontae sits. If Diontae plays, I think I’d still be fine leaving Legette in this section, but I’d move him to the bottom of it and rank him behind McConkey, Worthy, and Whittington.

WR Ladd McConkey, LAC (Wk. 7: @ Ari.): McConkey continued to get the kind of usage most receivers can only dream of last weekend, logging an 85% route participation rate and earning a 25% or better target share for the 4th time in 5 games (he was at 21% in the other game). The problem for McConkey is team passing volume. He’s emerged as Justin Herbert’s favorite target, but the Chargers rank dead last in pass attempts per game. In games where the Chargers are underdogs or face good WR matchups, McConkey will be a solid PPR WR3 play. In games where they’re favored and/or face tough matchups, he probably won’t be. This week he gets a favorable matchup. The point spread is just 2.5 points, so game script should remain somewhat neutral, and the Cardinals have allowed the 8^th-most WR points per game and rank 28^th in pass defense DVOA. The Cards have been more vulnerable on the perimeter than in the slot, but I expect McConkey’s steady weekly target share to give him a great opportunity at a WR3 performance in this one.

WR Xavier Worthy, KC (Wk. 7: @ SF): Worthy remains a boom-or-bust fantasy option, but as expected, the absence of Rashee Rice has cut down on that volatility a little bit. Worthy has now logged an 80% route participation rate or higher in each of the last 2 games, and though he hasn’t been heavily targeted, he’s still finished as a WR3 or better in each of those 2 contests. He could finally see his target share start to tick upward this week after JuJu Smith-Schuster was added to the injury report Thursday with a hamstring issue. JuJu led the Chiefs’ WRs in targets in their last game. Worthy’s limited route tree makes it tough for him to become a true target hog, but the JuJu injury is just another layer added to the rookie’s floor. The 49ers are a formidable matchup – they allow the 13^th-fewest WR points per game and rank 3^rd in pass defense DVOA, but I like Worthy’s chances to find his way to another WR3 day, and his speed always gives him a ceiling beyond that.

WR Jordan Whittington, LAR (Wk. 7: vs. LV): Whittington’s outlook could hit a snag this week if Cooper Kupp is able to return, but if Kupp remains out, I like Whittington to post a 3^rd straight solid game. In the last two games before the Rams’ bye last weekend, Whittington had earned 18 total targets and posted 12+ PPR points in each game. He’s effectively been the WR1 in the last two games for LA, and while the Raiders have allowed the 9^th-fewest WR points per game, they also rank just 24^th in pass defense DVOA. I’d treat Whittington as a stable WR3 this week if Kupp sits, albeit one without a huge ceiling. If Kupp comes back, all bets are off, as Whittington could find himself splitting snaps with Tutu Atwell rather than playing a full-time role.

Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Sitting:

QB Spencer Rattler, NO (Wk. 7: vs. Den.): I believed Rattler had sneaky upside last week because he had strong weapons and a good matchup, and he put up a respectable performance in spite of Chris Olave being injured right out of the gate, finishing as the QB20 for the week with 243 passing yards and a TD. I don’t believe that same upside exists this week. The Saints will be without both Olave and Rashid Shaheed on Thursday night, and Denver is a much tougher matchup. The Broncos have held 4 of the 6 QBs they’ve faced below 200 passing yards, and they’ve held 5 of 6 below 2 total TDs and 14 fantasy points (Rattler scored 14.4 last weekend). Spencer will be hard-pressed to match what he did on Sunday. He’s a bottom-of-the-barrel option this week among starting QBs. Patrick Surtain being out for this one is a small bump for Rattler, but he’s still just a fringe QB2 at best.

RB Bucky Irving, TB (Wk. 7: vs. Bal.): There is probably no harder backfield in the NFL to figure out than the one in Tampa Bay. Irving and Rachaad White have been part of a 2-man committee all year, with Irving slowly creeping closer to an even split with the incumbent starter, but week 6 threw a big wrench into this situation. That wrench is named Sean Tucker. White was sidelined with an injury last weekend, and rather than Irving taking over a workhorse role, he split the backfield with Tucker, and Tucker made the most of his opportunity. Both Irving and Tucker finished the week as RB1s, but Tucker finished it as THE RB1 after putting up 192 scrimmage yards and 2 TDs. It appears as though White is going to return this week, and if he does, head coach Todd Bowles has said this that all 3 backs will play and he’ll take the dreaded ‘hot hand’ approach to sorting out the backfield. In this matchup, it’s possible that no one develops the hot hand against a Baltimore defense that has allowed just 45 RB rushing yards per game. The Ravens rank 4^th in run defense DVOA and have only allowed 2 backs all year to reach 10 fantasy points against them. Even if the Bucs go back to Irving and White splitting the backfield work, and Tucker fades into the background again, it’s hard to be confident in either guy posting better than an RB3 day, and that’s if they find their way into the end zone.

RB Ray Davis, BUF (Wk. 7: vs. Ten.): Davis put on a show on Monday night while James Cook was sidelined by a toe injury, leading the Bills in both rushing and receiving while finishing as the RB14 for the week. He faces a stiff test this week against a Titans’ defense that allows the 10^th-fewest RB points per game and ranks 6^th in run defense DVOA, but I would still be telling you to start him if I was convinced that he’d have the lead role to himself. James Cook practiced in full on Thursday, so I’d be very surprised if he’s inactive again. That means Davis returns to splitting the backup work with Ty Johnson. I think Davis showed enough last week that he could carve out a bigger role going forward, but not big enough to be a strong lineup option in a tough matchup like this one. If you have to start him, you’re just praying he gets a couple cracks at the goal line.

RB Jaylen Wright, MIA (Wk. 7: @ Ind.): Wright had his best game of the season in week 5 ahead of Miami’s bye last week after De’Von Achane suffered an early game concussion. Wright still played behind Raheem Mostert, logging just a 34% snap share and 34% rush attempt share in that game, but he found a lot more success than Mostert, piling up 86 rushing yards on 13 carries. Unfortunately for Wright, it appears that Achane is in line to return this week, which pushes Wright into a 3-headed backfield at best. I’m not convinced he’ll play ahead of Mostert as the RB2 (if Achane is back) despite the strong performance the last time out. If Achane isn’t able to get cleared though, Wright has some flex appeal against an Indy defense that has allowed the 2^nd-most rushing yards per game behind only the Rams.

RB Braelon Allen, NYJ (Wk. 7: @ Pit.): I was enthused for Allen last week as the Jets took on one the worst running back fantasy defenses in the league, but the Jets’ change in play caller seems to have derailed that enthusiasm. Allen played just 19% of the snaps in week 6 – his lowest snap share since week 1 – and was limited to just 3 carries and 2 targets. It’ll be hard to trust that Allen will get a big enough share of the work going forward to be a flex option until we see it happen with Todd Downing calling the plays. Keep him parked on the bench against a Pittsburgh defense allowing the 8^th-fewest RB points per game.

RB Carson Steele, KC (Wk. 7: @ SF): Steele has been limited to just a 19% snap share in each of the two games Kansas City has played since signing Kareem Hunt. Steele would’ve played more in week 4, but he lost a fumble and was sent to the bench. After the game, Andy Reid said the team still had confidence in Steele and that he ‘isn’t a fumbler.’ Then he lost another fumble in week 5, and again spent most of the game on the bench. Steele is likely coming out of the bye comfortably behind Hunt and Samaje Perine on the depth chart. He might be behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire at this point too.

WR Keon Coleman, BUF (Wk. 7: vs. Ten.): Coleman has been largely underwhelming through the season’s first 6 weeks. He came in as a 1^st round pick to a WR room with no clear leader, and he’s struggled to separate himself from the pack (and also from cornerbacks). Coleman has finished as a top-40 PPR receiver just once in his first 6 games, and this week the Bills decided to go out and trade for that WR room leader that they’ve been missing in Amari Cooper. Coleman already has just a 14% target share on the year. It’s hard to envision that drastically going up once Cooper gets integrated. This week’s opponent, the Titans, have allowed the 2^nd-fewest WR points per game, so I’d view it as a bad week to expect Coleman to get on track. I’d treat him as a WR5 this week.

WR Ja’Lynn Pok, NE (Wk. 7: @ Jax.): The first start of Drake Maye didn’t bring the boost for Polk that we were hoping for last weekend. He lost playing time to Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne (Polk saw his route participation rate drop from 97% to 69% while Boutte’s rate went up 17% and Bourne’s jumped by 25%). Polk also saw his target share go in the wrong direction. He had totaled 13 targets in weeks 4 & 5, and was down to just 3 in week 6 as Demario Douglas emerged as Maye’s go-to receiver. Polk was even called out by his head coach Jerod Mayo after the game. Mayo said Polk needs to eliminate the dropped passes, be better at blocking, and work harder…not exactly things you want to hear about your fantasy WRs. In spite of all that, Polk has a chance to bounce back against the Jaguars’ terrible secondary. Jacksonville allows the 2^nd-most WR points per game and ranks dead last in pass defense DVOA. I still think I’d be hesitant to fire him up this week given the way other receivers on the team are stepping up.

TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, CAR (Wk. 7: @ Was.): Sanders set a new season-high fantasy point total for the 3^rd straight game in week 6, but that peak game was good enough for just a TE16 finish. He tallied 5 catches for 49 yards on 7 targets. If Tommy Tremble is out again this week with the concussion he suffered in week 4, Sanders is a viable option if you’re looking for a fringe TE1. He’s playing close to a full-time role, and there’s enough passing volume for him to be a factor. The Commanders are a bad pass defense, ranking 29^th in pass defense DVOA, but they’ve been much more vulnerable to receivers than tight ends. They’ve coughed up the 12^th-fewest TE points per game. I’m still not quite ready to say you should be starting Sanders in 1-TE formats, especially in this matchup. If Tommy Tremble is able to play, Sanders shouldn’t even be considered.

TE Theo Johnson, NYG (Wk. 7: vs. Phi.): Johnson has benefitted the last two weeks from the absence of Malik Nabers, putting up stat lines of 5-48 and 3-30 without Nabers around to hog all of the targets. Nabers will return this week, which should leave Theo as an afterthought in the passing game as he was earlier in the year. Theo has shown himself to be a passable TE2 if you’re in a pinch when Nabers is out, but the matchup this week is rough even if Nabers weren’t able to return. The Eagles have allowed the 2^nd-fewest TE points per game.

Rookies You Already Know You Should Sit:

RB Jonathan Brooks, CAR (Wk. 7: @ Was.):Brooks has returned to practice this week and has a realistic chance of making his season debut on Sunday, but Chuba Hubbard has just been too good to be pushed to the bench. Hubbard finished as the PPR RB16 last weekend after posting 3 consecutive top-7 finishes in the weeks prior. Hubbard is basically an RB1 right now, and he’s going to continue to handle the bulk of the backfield work until we see some slippage. Brooks will likely be eased in at first and could eventually work his way up to a 30-40% share of the work over the next few weeks. If Hubbard gets injured or falters at any point, it could open the door to Brooks taking over the lead back role, but until that happens, Brooks’ ceiling is as the team RB2. I wouldn’t expect more than a few touches this week if Brooks is active.

RB Blake Corum, LAR (Wk. 7: vs. LV): Corum finally moved ahead of Ronnie Rivers into the Rams’ RB2 role in week 5 ahead of the bye, but it didn’t lead to significant production. Corum was on the field for just 14% of the team snaps behind Kyren Williams. He carried the ball 5 times and was targeted once, and he finished with 33 scrimmage yards on the day. Corum did get stopped at the goal line a couple of times in that contest, only to watch Kyren Williams ultimately score the TD. The climb up the depth chart is good news for Corum, but this is still Kyren’s backfield. The Raiders are a weak run defense, ranking 28^th in run defense DVOA, but it’ll likely have to be a lopsided score for the rookie back to get more than a handful of touches in this one. He’s no more than a desperation play this week.

RB Trey Benson, ARI (Wk. 7: vs. LAC): There was a chance for Benson to move up a bit this week after James Conner left last week’s contest with an ankle injury, but Conner is practicing in full as of Thursday and should be good to go Monday night. Even with Conner sitting for the majority of last weekend’s game, Benson played just 18% of the offensive snaps. The Cardinals will continue to roll with Emari Demercado in negative game scripts, making Benson an afterthought. The Cardinals are 2.5-point underdogs this week, so perhaps they keep this one close and are able to keep running, but Conner’s health means Benson probably only gets a handful of carries if they do. The Chargers have allowed the 4^th-fewest RB points per game for the season and rank 7^th in run defense DVOA.

RB Marshawn Lloyd, GB (Wk. 7: vs. Hou.): Lloyd is eligible to return from IR this week, so he may be worth a stash in deep leagues, but it’s going to take time for him to work himself back into the rotation here. Emmanuel Wilson has performed admirably as the RB2, averaging 5 yards per carry behind Josh Jacobs. Lloyd isn’t going to just be handed his spot on the depth chart upon his return.

RB Audric Estime, DEN (Wk. 7: @ NO): Estime returned from injured reserve last week, but he returned as the team’s clear RB3 and played just 2 snaps while Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin played 36 and 13, respectively. Estime can’t be started until we see that role grow.

RB Terrell Jennings, NE (Wk. 7: @ Jax.): You may not have heard of Jennings before – he’s a UDFA out of Florida A&M - but he was a part of the Patriots’ running back rotation last weekend with Rhamondre Stevenson sidelined. He played 22% of the snaps and logged 5 carries for 13 yards. Jennings essentially served as the change of pace back on early downs behind Antonio Gibson while JaMycal Hasty served that role on passing downs. If Rhamondre misses another game, I’d expect Jennings to have a similar role, but it isn’t one that’s likely to lead to fantasy goodness, even in a good matchup against the Jaguars.

RB Dylan Laube, LV (Wk. 7: @ LAR): Laube finally played his first snap of the season in week 6…and he fumbled on that one snap. It might be a while before he plays his second.

WR Luke McCaffrey, WAS (Wk. 7: vs. Car.): The return of Noah Brown in week 6 meant McCaffrey was once again relegated to the muddled WR 3/4/5 range on this team with Olamide Zaccheaus and Dyami Brown. McCaffrey still hasn’t reached 4 targets in any game this year, and he’s hit 15 or more air yards in a game just once. He needs volume to be relevant on his short targets, and that volume just isn’t there, even in a good matchup with a bad Panthers’ defense.

WR Jalen McMillan, TB (Wk. 7: vs. Bal.): McMillan returned from injury in week 6, but he did not return to his pre-injury role. Jalen logged route participation rates of 80% or higher in each of the first 3 games of the season, but that number was at 15% in week 6 as Sterling Shepard was at 83%. There’s a chance we see some of that work shift back to McMillan this week, but it’s not something I would rely on for fantasy lineups. The Ravens do allow the most WR points per game, but I’d still keep McMillan parked on the bench.

WR Ricky Pearsall, SF (Wk. 7: vs. KC): Pearsall’s practice window is officially open this week as he works his way back from an IR stint for a gunshot wound. It’s possible he could be active as soon as this week, but the top 3 receivers in this offense are so well established, it’s going to take time for the 1^st-round pick to carve out any sort of meaningful role. In the past 3 games, WRs not named Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, or Jauan Jennings have run a total of 15 routes. There is a sliver of hope here as Jennings and Deebo are both questionable this week (Deebo is practicing as of Thursday, Jennings is not). If one or both of those players sit and Pearsall is active, he could serve as a starter and have a path to a handful of targets, but there’s no guarantee he plays a large role even in that scenario.

WR Adonai Mitchell. IND (Wk. 7: vs. Mia.): Mitchell’s opportunity for a breakout game in week 6 went by the wayside when Josh Downs was able to play with a toe injury and Michael Pittman Jr. miraculously recovered from a hamstring injury that had the team considering an IR stint for him. Instead of getting a chance as the WR2 in a high-volume Joe Flacco attack, he was relegated to his usual WR4 role. Mitchell was in a route on just 28% of the team dropbacks. The ball has come his way when he’s on the field – he’s getting open consistently and has been targeted on 30% or more of his routes in 4 straight games – but he’s not playing enough for that to matter. The outlook gets even worse for him this week. Anthony Richardson returns, lowering the passing volume substantially, and he faces a Miami defense that allows the 3^rd-fewest WR points per game.

WR Roman Wilson, PIT (Wk. 7: vs. NYJ): Wilson was a healthy scratch in week 5, and was limited to just 1 route run in his NFL debut in week 6. I’d view it as a win if he’s able to get to a handful of routes run this week.

WR Jermaine Burton, CIN (Wk. 7: @ Cle.): Over the last 4 weeks, Burton has gone from running 3 routes, to 2 routes, to 1, and then was a healthy scratch last Sunday night. I don’t expect he’ll be a healthy scratch every week, but he’s a long way off of being relevant right now.

TE Erick All, CIN (Wk. 7: @ Cle.): All hit a season-high 40% route participation rate in week 6, but for the 2^nd week in a row, he was targeted on less than 15% or his routes. He had some TE2 appeal when he was racking up targets on his limited snaps, but the re-emergence of Tee Higgins seems to have deflated those target numbers. This week’s matchup isn’t a good one for tight ends anyway, as the Browns have allowed the 6^th-fewest TE points per game.

TE Ben Sinnott, WAS (Wk. 7: vs. Car.): I’m going to repeat a popular refrain I’ve had for Sinnott this season…the next target he sees will be his first. The K-State product was the second tight end off the board in the NFL draft in April, but through 6 NFL games, he’s run just 35 targetless routes.

Deep League Sleepers and Stashes:

RB Isaac Guerendo, SF (Wk. 7: vs. KC): Guerendo is an intriguing option this week if Jordan Mason’s shoulder injury keeps him sidelined. Mason is practicing in a limited capacity early in the week, but keep tabs on the injury report here. After Mason departed last Thursday, Guerendo split snaps evenly with Patrick Taylor, but it was Guerendo’s breakaway 76-yard run to help seal the game that stole the show. I’d expect him to lead the backfield if Mason can’t play. The matchup is a tough one – KC allows the fewest RB points per game and ranks 2^nd in run defense DVOA, but the 49ers are always going to lean on the run game. They’ve put up over 100 rushing yards in every game this season, including against a stingy Vikings’ defense when they were playing from behind all game. If any team can have success on the ground against KC, it’s the 49ers. If Mason plays, Guerendo is not a viable fantasy option, but he’s a reasonable flex play if Mason sits.

RB Kimani Vidal, LAC (Wk. 7: @ Ari.): Vidal finally made his debut last weekend with Gus Edwards on IR, and he made a strong first impression, finding the end zone on a 38-yard catch on a wheel route for his first career touch. His playing time was still limited overall – he played just 24% of the snaps behind JK Dobbins – but Dobbins has an extensive injury history and there’s still room for Vidal’s role to grow even without an injury. He’s worth a stash as the next man up in one of the run-heaviest offenses in the league.

WRs Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele, DEN (Wk. 7: @ NO): The Broncos have played quite the game of musical chairs at WR behind Courtland Sutton this season, seemingly changing on a whim who plays the bulk of the snaps each week. With Josh Reynolds now on IR, Franklin and Vele each logged around a 70% route participation rate last Sunday and put up PPR totals of 11.8 and 11.6 points, respectively. For now, they look like they’ll serve as the WR2 & WR3 while Reynolds is out, but of course that’s subject to change in this offense. Both receivers took different routes to get here…Vele was heavily involved in the offense in week 1, then hurt his ribs and was kept inactive for weeks after he’d recovered before finally getting back into the mix last week. Franklin, on the other hand, was minimally involved early and has slowly worked his way into a bigger role. Both players have shown a connection with Bo Nix. Franklin was his college teammate and has been one of the players Nix looks for when he throws deep (his aDOT for the season is 16.1 yards). Meanwhile Vele has been targeted 8 and 6 times in the two games he’s played with Nix, with most of those targets coming in the short and intermediate parts of the field. Both players are lucky enough this week that they get to avoid Marshon Lattimore, and that makes both of them sneaky upside WR4s. If you’re looking for ceiling, Franklin gets the better draw against the vulnerable Paulson Adebo. Adebo has allowed the 3^rd-highest PPR points per route run against him of any starting CB playing this week (per ESPN’s WR/CB Cheat Sheet). If you’re looking for a safe PPR floor instead, Vele should be the safer bet to provide that. Both guys are in play this week against a New Orleans defense that allows the 11^th-most WR points per game. 

WR Jalen Coker, CAR (Wk. 7: @ Was.): Diontae Johnson is not practicing this week as of Thursday, and a Johnson absence would be big news for Coker. It’s worth noting that Johnson is dealing with the same injury he played through the last two weeks, so the days off may just be for maintenance, but he’s practicing less this week than he did in the last two, so something may have changed. Coker has already shown himself to be a reliable target the last couple weeks and he’s already taken over the slot WR role and pushed Jonathan Mingo to the bench. If Diontae Johnson sits, it removes a 28% target share from the offense against a Commanders team that allows the 5^th-most WR points per game and ranks 29^th in pass defense DVOA. Given the way he’s played the last couple weeks, I’d expect Coker to soak up some of those targets and should be able to find his way to a 5-50 sort of game. If you’re in a pinch in a deeper league, you could do worse than plugging in Coker if Diontae is out.

WR Bub Means & Mason Tipton, NO (Wk. 7: vs. Den.): The Saints enter their Thursday night tilt with the Broncos with both Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed already ruled out for the week, elevating Means and Tipton into more prominent roles in the target pecking order. Means entered last week’s game after the injury to Olave, and he performed admirably, putting up 5-45-1 on 8 targets. Tipton has been serving as the starting WR3 for weeks now, but it hasn’t really translated into many fantasy points. This week’s matchup isn’t a great one, as the Broncos have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to WRs, but their star CB1 Patrick Surtain Jr. will miss this game with a concussion, softening that matchup just a bit. The Saints will start Spencer Rattler at QB once again, so the passing production could be volatile, but at the very least Means and Tipton will be on the field a lot, and we’ve seen at least one week of Rattler putting up reasonable production. If I were looking for a WR to pick here in a deep league, I’d go with Means. He’s shown a clear connection with Rattler, and will probably spend more time on the perimeter against Riley Moss and the Surtain replacement than Tipton will, but both players will have more upside than usual with Olave and Shaheed out. I’d view Means as a volatile WR4, and Tipton as a desperation dart throw.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you sort through your lineup decisions and find your way to a win this weekend. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter/X (@Shawn_Foss) if you have any questions or want to yell at me about anything written above, and always make sure to apply what’s written in the context of your own league rules and roster. Keep a close eye on the injury report throughout the week if you have any guys who are questionable and do a final pre-game check to make sure you don’t start any inactive players. As always: Good luck, trust your gut and have fun. It’s just a game.