X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Dynasty League Rookie Round Up - Week 1

Rookie results and values after Week 1. Charlie Kleinheksel breaks down rookie values for dynasty leagues heading into Week 2 of the 2017 NFL season.

Each week, I'll take a quick look at the top rookies in dynasty fantasy football leagues. I'll review their recent performance (PPR scoring) and offer some thoughts about their upcoming games as well as their long term dynasty value.

As the season progresses, the format might change a bit, but for Week 1, I'll review all the high profile prospects, as well as some surprises. I've sorted them by their Week 1 fantasy points.

Let's get to it.

Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and a 3 free months of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW

 

Week 1 Rookie Standouts

Quarterbacks

DeShone Kizer, Cleveland Browns - 20.8 points - What more do you want? He won the starting job in camp. The Browns liked him enough to cut Brock Osweiler. He started the first game of the season and put up a very competitive fantasy stat line. Will he be a superstar? Who knows. He could bust, like Blake Bortles. Even sure things like Andrew Luck don't always turn out as expected. For now, Kizer is a solid streaming option and is worth holding in dynasty leagues where you have bench room to accommodate a developmental quarterback.

Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans - 6.7 points - You want a lot more than this. He's got draft pedigree, but let's face it, the Texans haven't exactly handled the quarterback position well in recent years. Maybe it's all the Texans' fault for starting Savage in the first place. Then again, the Texans will be managing Watson for the next five years. Part of one game is obviously not enough to go by, so I won't condemn Watson's career yet. But there's not much need to roster him in standard formats unless rosters are very deep or you're very desperate.

 

Running Backs

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs - 45.6 points - Hunt may never again score 45 fantasy points in a game; he is virtually guaranteed to regress in a negative way. When he does, see if you can acquire Hunt for anything approaching a reasonable price. Opportunity is the name of the game at the running back position, and Hunt has it in spades. Spencer Ware is out of the way, and Charcandrick West is just a backup. Even better (for Hunt), the Chiefs have a terrible cap situation next year, which makes it less likely that any significant competition is brought in. They may even release one of Ware or West, for some cap relief. Hunt is looking at a couple of seasons at least of great opportunity, and is worth at least an early first round rookie pick.

Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears - 25.3 points - Cohen may never again score 25 fantasy points in a game; so what? He should definitely be rostered in all dynasty formats. You may decide to wait until the hype (and his price) dies down a bit, but definitely keep him on the radar. Cohen's size is a concern, but just because it's rare for small players to succeed long term doesn't mean it can't happen. Near-term, Cohen's opportunity is very good. Jordan Howard will remain the workhorse, but Cohen should continue to get some rushing work and a lot of passing work, since the Bears figure to be trailing a lot. For reference, here are all the rookie running backs since 2000 to record more than 50 rushing yards and 10 targets in a game:

One game does not predict the future. But you couldn't ask for a much better signal than Cohen's Week 1 performance. He's worth a large waiver bid or at least a high second-round rookie pick, in my opinion. Blowing your entire FAAB budget for the year on him might be a bit extreme though.

Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars - 21.4 points - Not much needs to be said here. T.J. Yeldon was inactive, which bodes very well for Fournette's involvement in the passing game. Consider it an early boost to his already considerable upside. Easily worth more than a first round rookie pick.

Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings - 16.7 points - Another no-brainer. Latavius Murray earned just two carries, and Jerick McKinnon three. Breaking Adrian Peterson's Vikings' rookie rushing record speaks for itself. Also worth more than a first round rookie pick.

Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts - 11.5 points - A promising beginning, but don't get carried away. We've been trying to bury Frank Gore for years and it hasn't happened yet. Mack scored, but was also stymied on all but one run. Blowout losses offer poor representations of how a team wants to utilize its players. Still, the arrow is definitely pointing up; he's worth an early second round rookie pick, maybe more.

Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers - 11.5 points - McCaffrey was involved early and often in his debut, and his outlook remains fantastic. It was always a given that Jonathan Stewart would be heavily involved, but McCaffrey offers much more as a receiver, and will still get ground work too. Stewart is unlikely to be back next year, and McCaffrey is worth a first round pick plus something.

Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals - 5.4 points - It's hard to lose dynasty value after one game, but Mixon comes close. The workload was split between all three backs, with Giovani Bernard showing the best, and Mixon the poorest. His long term outlook is still great, but his immediate outlook is poor. He's still worth an early first round rookie pick, but if he has another bad game or two, see if you can acquire him for something less.

 

Wide Receivers

Kenny Golladay, Detroit Lions - 22.9 points - Touchdowns are notoriously fickle, so don't read too much into his two Week 1 scores. Market share of receiving opportunity, on the other hand, is a good indicator. Golladay rendered Marvin Jones irrelevant in Week 1. Like most rookies, expect Golladay to have ups and downs. But pay attention to his usage, and if he remains consistently involved, especially ahead of Jones, over the next few weeks, his value will solidify. As it is, he's worth a first round rookie pick.

Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams - 17.6 points - Kupp also had a very nice debut and his value is climbing. Unlike Golladay, however, Kupp has a potential superstar (Sammy Watkins) to compete with. He's also got a poorer QB and is on a team that probably wants to feature Todd Gurley. Kupp's worth an early second rounder.

Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans - 12.9 points - His college production and draft pedigree lock in his value, and his surprisingly good debut only helps. After missing most of camp, expectations for Week 1 were low. Davis performed very well however, and remains, in my opinion, the most valuable rookie in dynasty formats.

Zay Jones, Buffalo Bills - 3.1 points - Not a great debut, but the overall situation remains positive. Jones has a very good prospect profile, and not much competition for targets. If Buffalo upgrades their quarterback this offseason, Jones' situation could be even better. An early second-round value.

 

Tight Ends

Evan Engram, New York Giants - 8.4 points - The absence of Odell Beckham obviously helps, but Engram's involvement in Week 1 is a great indicator for his future usage. Of all the rookie tight ends, Engram has the most value for this season. He'll probably finish outside the top 12, but should be streamable if you need a spot start. The tight end position is usually undervalued in dynasty leagues, for two reasons. First, you typically only need to start one. Second, it usually takes a season or two for tight ends to develop. Engram's a solid hold if you have him, and if you can get him for anything less than a mid-first round pick I'd do it. But only if you have roster space to hold him.

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers - 7.7 points - He's not a great prospect, but should get used in San Francisco's talent-short passing game. I'd stay away. Between the rookie TE learning curve, the poor offense, and the high likelihood that more skill players are brought in next year, I don't think Kittle's value will hold up. If you own him and aren't desperate at the position, consider selling him for anything more than what you initially paid.

Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams - 4.9 points - Everett's a better prospect than Kittle, but also has more competition for targets around him. Only worth holding in the deepest of leagues or if you're truly in dire straits. I'd happily sell for anything more than I paid.

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns - 4 points - Arguably the best prospect at the position, his short term outlook isn't as good as Engram's. Partly that's because Engram has the better QB (Week 1 notwithstanding), but also because Cleveland has an underrated sophomore tight end by the name of Seth DeValve. Njoku will eventually be the No. 1, but it might take awhile. Hold steady if you're an owner; if not, try to acquire after a few dull weeks.

 

More 2017 Dynasty League Strategy




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jamal Murray

Expected to Play Friday vs. Cleveland
Trae Young

Listed as Questionable for Friday vs. Knicks
Rui Hachimura

Ruled Out Through Weekend
Isaiah Hartenstein

Ruled Out Again vs. Golden State
Herbert Jones

Remains Sidelined vs. Portland
Jerami Grant

Remains Out Friday Against Pelicans
Chris Boucher

Active Thursday vs. Kings
Jalen Duren

Won't Return Thursday After Ankle Injury
Ryan Kalkbrenner

Ruled Out Again Friday
Josh Hart

Sidelined for Fourth Straight Game
Kyshawn George

to Miss Fourth Straight Game Friday
Joel Embiid

Cleared to Play Thursday vs. Mavericks
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Ruled Out for At Least Four Weeks
Bo Bichette

Yankees Showing Interest in Bo Bichette
D'Angelo Russell

Ruled Out Thursday With Illness
George Kittle

Listed as Questionable for Week 18
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Active Versus Nets
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Trending Towards Playing
Clint Capela

Steven Adams and Clint Capela Sidelined Thursday
Miles Wood

Blue Jackets Place Miles Wood on Injured Reserve
Dak Prescott

May Not Play Full Game in Week 18
Conor Garland

to Miss One Week
Egor Demin

Won't Suit Up Against Houston
Marco Rossi

to Miss at Least One Week
Ace Bailey

Still Out on Thursday Night
Tari Eason

Active on Thursday
Yegor Chinakhov

Set for Penguins Debut Thursday
Lauri Markkanen

Ruled Out on Thursday
Tanner McKee

Will Start for Eagles in Week 18
Shayne Gostisbehere

Misses Third Consecutive Game Thursday
Keyonte George

Unavailable on Thursday
Auston Matthews

Returns From One-Game Absence
Josh Allen

Trending Towards Resting in Week 18
William Nylander

Remains Out Thursday
Lamar Jackson

Will Officially Return in Week 18
Houston Astros

Astros Sign Tatsuya Imai to Three-Year Deal
Jordan Love

Clears Concussion Protocol, Won't Start in Week 18
George Kittle

"Absolutely" Expects to Play in Week 18
Clayton Tune

to Start for Packers in Week 18
Chris Olave

Ruled Out for Week 18
Tom Wilson

Wraps Up 2025 With Gordie Howe Hat Trick
Valeri Nichushkin

Nets Second Career Hat Trick
Frank Vatrano

to Miss Six Weeks With Shoulder Injury
Conor Sheary

Noah Laba Exit With Injuries Wednesday
Brayden McNabb

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Wednesday
Miles Wood

Exits Early Wednesday
Gavin Brindley

Sustains Upper-Body Injury
Davante Adams

Not Expected to Play in Week 18
Geno Smith

Won't Play in Week 18
Aaron Rodgers

Considering Playing Beyond 2025?
Sean Monahan

Sits Out Wednesday's Game
Zach Werenski

Misses Fourth Straight Game Wednesday
Dougie Hamilton

Questionable Wednesday
Radko Gudas

Expected to Remain Out Wednesday
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Play in Week 18
Ilya Lyubushkin

Back From One-Game Absence Wednesday
Alex Lyon

to Miss "Bit of Time"
Erik Cernak

Rejoins Lightning Lineup Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey

Trending to Play in Week 18
Jalen Hurts

Eagles Expected to Rest Jalen Hurts, Most Starters in Week 18
George Kittle

49ers Will be "Very Surprised" if George Kittle Doesn't Play on Saturday
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Ruled Out for Regular-Season Finale
CFB

Lane Kiffin Interested in Sam Leavitt, Brendan Sorsby at LSU
CFB

Deuce Knight Officially Entering Transfer Portal
CFB

Kewan Lacy Expected to Be Full-Go Against Georgia
Stefon Diggs

Facing Strangulation, Assault Charges
CFB

Chip Kelly Named Northwestern Offensive Coordinator
Riley Leonard

Will Start Against the Texans
Bijan Robinson

Explodes for 229 Total Yards, Two Touchdowns on Monday Night
CFB

Penn State Working to Hire D'Anton Lynn as Next Defensive Coordinator
CFB

Omar Cooper Expected to be Full-Go for Rose Bowl
CFB

Marcus Freeman Staying with Notre Dame for 2026 Season
CFB

Star Wideout Cam Coleman Entering Transfer Portal
CFB

Jay Hill Expected to be Next Michigan Defensive Coordinator

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP