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Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 16: Demetric Felton, Ian Book, and more

Which rookies are the most intriguing in Week 16 of the 2021 fantasy football season? Hayden Epinette looks at some promising prospects at QB, RB, WR, and TE to assess their value for fantasy managers.

Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options.

With the fantasy playoffs underway, each week is crucial for every manager still in the hunt for a championship. Unfortunately, last week saw low offensive output across the entire league, leaving fantasy managers desperate for points wherever they could find them. This made players like rookie receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who finished as the WR6 in PPR last week, all the more valuable. St. Brown has been a hot waiver wire target lately, so anyone who pounced on him early reaped the benefits.

The goal of this article is to find these rising young stars like St. Brown. For dynasty leagues, this column should help identify ideal trade targets and prized stashes. For redraft managers, this column could provide the edge necessary to dominate your fantasy playoffs. This week's article includes both prominent fantasy options and those that are less well-known. 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

The Fresh Face

Ian Book (QB, NO)

This Monday, Saints rookie quarterback Ian Book is set to become the seventh member of the 2021 QB class to start a regular season game. Book, a fourth-round pick this past spring, had a successful career at Notre Dame. In three years as the starter for the Fighting Irish, he led his school to two College Football Playoff berths and finished ninth in 2020's Heisman voting. In his collegiate career, he completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 8,948 yards and 72 touchdowns with just 20 interceptions. He used his legs a lot too, running 361 times for 1,517 yards and 17 touchdowns. Keep in mind that college rushing stats subtract yardage lost on sacks.

The key question is whether or not Book can be productive at the NFL level. Despite less-than-stellar passing numbers, another Saints QB, Taysom Hill, managed to have two QB4 finishes in just three starts. The New Orleans offense can be conducive to nice fantasy performances, especially for quarterbacks who can run like Hill and Book. It would be ill-advised to start Book this week because he's such an unknown, but a solid performance is quite possible. His debut will be worth checking out on Monday against Miami.

 

The Return to Form

Michael Carter (RB, NYJ)

Jets rookie running back Michael Carter had gained a significant amount of momentum by midseason. From Week 7 through Week 10, Carter was the RB3 in PPR leagues. This was powered by his 444 scrimmage yards, 22 catches, and two touchdowns during that span. However, a Week 11 injury sidelined the North Carolina product until last week, when he had just nine touches and 20 scrimmage yards while splitting time with veteran Tevin Coleman.

It remains to be seen whether or not Carter can regain control of the backfield by the end of the season, but it is a strong bet that he will. Despite just coming off of a sprained ankle, Carter still out-snapped Coleman by a margin of 31 to 21 last week. Moreover, in Week 10, Carter's last game pre-injury, he out-snapped Coleman 40 to 17. Regardless, the Jets take on a woeful Jacksonville squad this week in a rare opportunity for New York to lead late in the game. A favorable game script and a return to his midseason workload would result in excellent fantasy production from Carter.

 

The Versatile Backup

Demetric Felton (RB, CLE)

Last week, Browns rookie running back Demetric Felton saw much more playing time than he was accustomed to with both running back Kareem Hunt and receiver Jarvis Landry unavailable. Felton had a career-high 61.1 percent snap share and ran 20 routes, nine more than he had run in any other game. Moreover, his snap count exceeded that of D'Ernest Johnson, the tailback who had filled in for both Hunt and Nick Chubb earlier in the season.

Landry is returning for this Saturday's game against Green Bay, but Hunt remains sidelined. While Felton's measurables are uninspiring, the sixth-round rookie from UCLA could have another chance to demonstrate his receiving abilities. He has the potential to settle into a change-of-pace role for Cleveland behind Chubb, which would make him worth eyeing in PPR leagues. Of course, this is contingent on him retaining the same amount of playtime as he had last week, so make sure to take some time to see if he can.

 

The Late-Season Stud

Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, DET)

Fourth-round rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown has had himself a remarkable stretch of games lately. Since Week 13, St. Brown is the WR3 in PPR leagues, behind just Cooper Kupp and Justin Jefferson. In that span, he has had at least 8 catches and 11 targets all three weeks, and he has totaled 256 yards and two touchdowns. He also has finished as a top-6 WR in two of the last three weeks. His performances have helped both the Lions and his fantasy managers win games, and his consistency bodes well for the remainder of his season.

It is worth noting that the USC product has an average target distance of a mere 6.5 yards. However, that is a lot less of a concern considering the steady stream of looks he has been getting. St. Brown will ride this wave into Atlanta this Sunday and take on a poor Falcons defense. Atlanta has surrendered the seventh-most half-PPR fantasy points per game to wideouts this season. The rookie will have to deal with the likely absence of his quarterback Jared Goff though, adding uncertainty into an otherwise solid projection. Producing at a high level again would strengthen his rest of season outlook.

 

The One-Week Outlier

Kadarius Toney (WR, NYG)

Rookie wideout Kadarius Toney has missed each of the Giants' last four games, and he is now questionable for this Sunday's game against Philadelphia with an oblique injury. Should he play, Toney will become one of the most interesting rookies to watch in the league this week. He had one dominant performance against Dallas back in Week 5 but has been unable to recapture that magic since. Still, a 10-reception, 189-yard game turns a lot of heads, so Toney needs to be on fantasy managers' radars against the Eagles.

Toney does have two other decent showings this year. In Week 4 he had six catches for 78 yards, and in Week 11 he caught seven balls on 12 targets for 40 yards. With teammate Sterling Shepard out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, Toney will have an opportunity for 10 or more targets once again. His explosiveness after the catch makes him a valuable fantasy asset, and we know he is capable of putting up massive numbers. He faces a tough matchup on Sunday, but if he plays he is a major sleeper option given Shepard's injury.

 

The Unknown Fill-In

Noah Gray (TE, KC)

It's unlikely that many fantasy managers are familiar with Noah Gray, but the fifth-round pick from Duke may find himself in an ideal position on Sunday. With COVID-19 wreaking havoc across the league recently, many teams have been forced to be without key players. Indeed, it's for this reason that the Chiefs may have neither tight end Travis Kelce nor wide receiver Tyreek Hill at their disposal this Sunday. This would open the door for either Gray or Blake Bell to fill Kelce's void in the team's lineup and garner a notable amount of targets.

If Kelce is in fact unable to suit up, Gray is more likely than Bell to benefit. The two have had comparable snap counts in recent weeks, but Gray has run many more routes (33 to 12 since Week 10). Kelce and Hill account for over half of Kansas City's passing yards on the year, so a massive amount of fantasy points would be up for grabs in the Patrick Mahomes-led offense. This is a situation worth monitoring throughout the weekend.

 



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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Justin Verlander

Plans to Pitch in 2026
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Returns to A's Lineup
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Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
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Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
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Progress has "Plateaued"
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has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
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Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
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Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
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Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
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Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
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Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
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Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
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Undergoes Surgery
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Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
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Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
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Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
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Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
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Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
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Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
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Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
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Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
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Returns to Spurs
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Rejoins Timberwolves
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Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
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To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
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Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
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Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
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Returns To The Win Column
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' Week 3 Status in Doubt
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Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
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Wins His Second UFC Fight
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Wins Back-To-Back Fights
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Gets Back In The Win Column
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Suffers Second-Round TKO
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Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
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Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
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Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
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Jonathan Kuminga

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Kenneth Walker III

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Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
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Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

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Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
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Chase Elliott

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Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
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Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
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John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
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Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
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Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
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Alex Bowman

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Josh Berry

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