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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

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. 

Editor's Note: Explore RotoBaller’s Dynasty Fantasy Football hub for year-round dynasty rankings, trade tips, rookie analysis, and long-term player outlooks. Dominate your league with our sleepers, stash targets, and dynasty draft advice. Click here for Dynasty rankings and strategy.

 

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.

 



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF