X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Player Comparisons
News and Alerts

Dynasty League Rookie Round Up - Week 1

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.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!

 

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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Player Comparisons
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cincinnati Bengals6 hours ago

Bengals Have No Plans To Trade Trey Hendrickson
Justin Herbert6 hours ago

Patriots, Vikings Reached Out Regarding Justin Herbert
Deebo Samuel6 hours ago

Niners "More Likely" To Deal Deebo Samuel Than Brandon Aiyuk
Xavier Legette6 hours ago

Goes To Panthers To Close Out First Round
Ricky Pearsall6 hours ago

Niners Add To Receiver Room With Ricky Pearsall
Baltimore Ravens7 hours ago

Nate Wiggins Heading To Baltimore
Dallas Cowboys7 hours ago

Cowboys Select Tyler Guyton With 29th Pick
Mitchell Robinson7 hours ago

Injured Again On Thursday
Xavier Worthy7 hours ago

Chiefs Get Speed At Receiver In Xavier Worthy
Arizona Cardinals7 hours ago

Darius Robinson Goes To Cardinals At Pick No. 27
Jalen Brunson7 hours ago

Has Another Big Game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers7 hours ago

Buccaneers Draft Graham Barton At No. 26 Late In First Round
Tyrese Maxey7 hours ago

Helps Philly Take Game 3
Green Bay Packers7 hours ago

Packers Select Jordan Morgan With The 25th Selection
Joel Embiid7 hours ago

Dominates In Game 3
Detroit Lions7 hours ago

Lions Trade Up To Select Terrion Arnold With The 24th Overall Pick
Brian Thomas Jr.7 hours ago

Selected By Jacksonville
Philadelphia Eagles8 hours ago

Quinyon Mitchell Taken With The 22nd Pick
Miami Dolphins8 hours ago

Dolphins Select Chop Robinson With The 21st Pick
Pittsburgh Steelers8 hours ago

Troy Fautanu Goes To Steel City
Los Angeles Rams8 hours ago

The Rams Select Jared Verse With The 19th Overall Pick
Cincinnati Bengals8 hours ago

Cincinnati Looks To Strengthen Line With Amarius Mims
Minnesota Vikings8 hours ago

Minnesota Vikings Trade Up To Select Dallas Turner
Seattle Seahawks8 hours ago

Seahawks Take Byron Murphy II With The 16th Overall Pick
Indianapolis Colts8 hours ago

Laiatu Latu Taken At No. 15 By Indianapolis
Olivier-Maxence Prosper10 hours ago

Won't Play In Game 3
Kawhi Leonard10 hours ago

Questionable For Game 3
Stephen Curry10 hours ago

Named Clutch Player Of The Year
Joel Embiid11 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
J.P. France12 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A Sugar Land
José Ramírez12 hours ago

Jose Ramirez Launches Grand Slam In Three-Hit Day
Daniel Gafford12 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Tim Hardaway12 hours ago

Jr. Ruled Out For Game 3
Giannis Antetokounmpo12 hours ago

Doubtful For Game 3
Khris Middleton12 hours ago

Misses Thursday's Practice, Questionable For Game 3
Dean Wade12 hours ago

Ruled Out For First Round
Sonny Milano12 hours ago

Misses Practice On Thursday
Filip Chytil13 hours ago

Joins Rangers For Trip To Washington
Jesper Fast13 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday
Matt Martin13 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Anton Lundell13 hours ago

Takes Over As Second-Line Center Thursday
Ryan Lomberg13 hours ago

Ruled Out For Game 3
Zack Gelof14 hours ago

A's Place Zack Gelof On 10-Day Injured List
Alec Marsh14 hours ago

Lands On Injured List
Keibert Ruiz15 hours ago

Back From The Injured List
Jackson Merrill15 hours ago

Scratched With Groin Tigthness
Nolan Jones16 hours ago

Remains Sidelined Thursday
Max Muncy16 hours ago

On The Bench Thursday
Alex Vlasic16 hours ago

Inks Six-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Kyle Okposo17 hours ago

To Suit Up In Game 3
William Nylander17 hours ago

Reportedly Dealing With Migraine Issue
Framber Valdez17 hours ago

To Start Sunday
Brett Pesce17 hours ago

Tony DeAngelo To Replace Brett Pesce
Cal Raleigh17 hours ago

Back In The Lineup Thursday
J.P. Crawford17 hours ago

Heading To The Injured List
Sam Bennett17 hours ago

To Miss At Least A Week
Ceddanne Rafaela17 hours ago

The Team's Everyday Shortstop
Vaughn Grissom17 hours ago

Unlikely To Return This Weekend
Rafael Devers18 hours ago

Likely To Return To Third Base On Saturday
Corey Seager18 hours ago

Serving As Designated Hitter Against Seattle
Jonathan India18 hours ago

Back In Action Thursday
Bryce Harper18 hours ago

Back From Paternity List
Jack Eichel19 hours ago

Makes NHL History In Game 2 Win
Brad Marchand19 hours ago

Racks Up Three Points In Game 3 Victory
Leon Draisaitl20 hours ago

Posts Two Assists In Wednesday's Loss
Anze Kopitar20 hours ago

Completes Three-Point Night With Overtime Game-Winner
Mason Marchment20 hours ago

Exits With Injury Wednesday
Radek Faksa20 hours ago

Injured In Game 2
Trey Murphy20 hours ago

III Cools Off In Game 2
CJ McCollum20 hours ago

Blows Hot And Cold In Game 2
Brandon Ingram20 hours ago

Overcomes Cold Start In Game 2
Jonas Valanciunas20 hours ago

Leads Pelicans In Scoring Wednesday
Jalen Williams20 hours ago

Contributes In All Areas Wednesday
Chet Holmgren21 hours ago

Sets The Tone For Thunder In Game 2
Uros Medic21 hours ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC Vegas 91
Tim Means21 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander21 hours ago

Leads Thunder To Victory
Austen Lane21 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Jhonata Diniz21 hours ago

Making UFC Debut
Bogdan Guskov21 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Vegas 91
Ryan Spann21 hours ago

Looks To Snap Losing Skid At UFC Vegas 91
Garrett Whitlock1 day ago

Still Not Cleared For Mound Work
Max Scherzer1 day ago

Serves Up Two Homers In Rehab Start
John Means1 day ago

Could Start Sunday
Alec Marsh1 day ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Alec Marsh
Naz Reid1 day ago

Named Sixth Man Of The Year
Ryan Lomberg2 days ago

Could Be Back For Game 3
Cam Talbot2 days ago

Starts Game 2 For Kings
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Heads Out For Another Win Wednesday
Jake Oettinger2 days ago

Tries To Bounce Back Wednesday
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Survives At Talladega For First Win Of 2024
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Finishes Second At Talladega After Last-Lap Wreck
Anthony Alfredo4 days ago

Gets Best Finish For Beard Motorsports Since 2022
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

One Of The Strongest At Talladega
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Finishes 36th At Talladega Superspeedway
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Fails To Deliver Value In DFS At Talladega
NASCAR4 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finishes Fourth At Talladega
Noah Gragson4 days ago

Surprisingly The Most Consistent Driver At Talladega
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Acquits Himself Nicely In Drafting Debut
Michael McDowell4 days ago

Ends Talladega Wrecked From The Lead
Alex Bowman4 days ago

Quietly Captures Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Daniel Hemric4 days ago

Surges To Ninth-Place Result At Talladega
Harrison Burton4 days ago

Squeezes Into Top 10 At Talladega
NASCAR5 days ago

Bubba Wallace Will Start 14th For the GEICO 500
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Avoid Rostering Tyler Reddick At Talladega?
John Hunter Nemechek5 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster John Hunter Nemechek At Talladega?
Joey Logano5 days ago

Expect Joey Logano To Compete For The Win At Talladega
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Is Denny Hamlin Recommended For Talladega?
Justin Haley5 days ago

Is A Top DFS Value At Talladega
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win Talladega
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is Best Suited As A Tournament Play At Talladega
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Value Plays: Week 5 Bargain Bin for DraftKings Including Quinten Dormady, Jacob Saylors, Jahcour Pearson, More

Welcome to the Week 5 edition of RotoBaller's UFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players in DraftKings' Week 5 UFL contests. Each week during the UFL 2024 season and postseason, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit for DraftKings'... Read More


Kyler Murray - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Why Do The Bears, Cardinals, and Vikings Have Two First-Round Picks?

The NFL Draft is always one of the most exciting days for organizations and fans, but fans of teams with more than one first-round pick are even more excited and overjoyed. In the 2024 NFL Draft, three teams have multiple picks on Day 1. Landing two studs on the first day of the event can... Read More


Brian Thomas Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft: What Time Is The NFL Draft Tonight? How To Watch Thursday's Draft Picks

It’s finally here, RotoBallers! After months of waiting and speculation, the 2024 NFL Draft starts tonight. Along with the Super Bowl and the Kickoff Game that starts the season, Draft Day is one of the most exciting days on the NFL calendar. The anticipation is over and it is time to get things rolling. It... Read More


Darius Slayton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Veterans With The Most Fantasy Football Value To Lose On Draft Night

It's almost here! The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft will take place tonight in Detroit, with 32 players set to join their first NFL team after all is said and done. But those players aren't just being drafted into empty roster spots. The NFL is a zero-sum game. For every new player that... Read More


2024 NFL Draft: Biggest Fantasy Football Questions

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us and anticipation is high for what could be a wild edition that will likely have huge fantasy football implications for the season ahead. RotoBaller's David Rispoli digs into the biggest fantasy football questions of the 2024 NFL Draft. What draft decisions could have... Read More


2024 NFL Draft Mock Spectacular - Woo Fantasy Podcast

Rotoballer analyst Brandon Murchison (@RotoSuperstar) is joined by co-host Nick Hefley (@therealffgoat) as they dive into their final first-round mock for the 2024 NFL Draft. With what is expected to be a wild and crazy night of selections and potential moves, where will the most coveted players for fantasy managers land? They discuss landing spots... Read More


2024 NFL Draft: Three Shocking Predictions for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us and anticipation is high for what could be a wild First Round. RotoBaller's David Rispoli drops three bold predictions for what could happen in Round 1 of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune... Read More


Marvin Harrison Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Rounds 1, 2, 3 Predictions (Final Mock)

It is the most magical week of the year, when the mysticism of Gandalf, Harry Potter, and all the power of your aunt's healing crystals cannot combine to match the aura surrounding NFL Draft week! With the best week of the year here and just a few days until the actual NFL Draft begins, it... Read More


Malachi Corley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Ranking the Top-10 Small School Prospects

While many of the top NFL players came from large colleges, there's always some talented players that slip through the cracks in recruiting and wind up at either a Group of Five school or an FCS school. Some of the NFL's top stars didn't come from the Power 5. Randy Moss played at Marshall. Khalil... Read More


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2024 Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft - Last Look Before Draft Day

There's a lot of people who wait until after the NFL Draft to do their fantasy football rookie drafts. It makes sense -- knowing where a player ends up is a huge part of what helps determine their fantasy football value. Still, it can be fun to do a last-minute rookie draft before we know... Read More


Laiatu Latu - NFL, Draft, EDGE, Prospect, DST, Defense, Rankings

2024 NFL Draft - Who Will Be The First Defensive Player Selected?

It is now finally time for the 2024 NFL Draft. With a plethora of offensive talent available, this feels like one of the more loaded draft classes in recent memory from an offensive point of view. Quarterbacks and skill players have gotten most of the headlines, but there are still players on the defensive side... Read More


Adonai Mitchell - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft: Top 100 Prospect Rankings (Final Update)

With the NFL Draft just a day away, it’s time to submit my final rankings for this class. Below, you will find the top-100 prospects on my board for 2024. There will be some changes from last month, as well as some surprises. Feel free to criticize my choices and views on the platform formerly... Read More


Rome Odunze - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Final 2024 First-Round NFL Mock Draft - Predictions for all 32 Teams

It's Christmas Eve. The NFL Draft is my favorite day of the year, and the picks made tomorrow night will have an enormous impact on the future of the NFL. With the Chicago Bears expected to select Caleb Williams at No. 1, the real draft begins at No. 2, where the Washington Commanders' pick remains... Read More