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Plenty of first-year players have begun making their marks across the NFL. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London has been among the top rookie performers so far. The former USC Trojan has made 16 catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns through three weeks. Houston's fourth-round rookie RB, Dameon Pierce from Florida, has also impressed with 217 scrimmage yards on the year.
The number one rookie from last week was New Orleans receiver Chris Olave. Olave caught nine passes on 13 targets for 147 yards in a 22-14 loss to Carolina. This came just one week after he made five grabs for 80 yards versus Tampa Bay. The Ohio State product has clearly found his stride quickly in the NFL.
Whether you're a redraft manager or a dynasty manager, being ahead of the curve with rookie players is vital to your team's success. For that reason, each week I will be breaking down which rookies you should be watching out for. This column will be split into two parts: one pertaining to players most relevant in redraft leagues, and the other for rookies particularly worth watching in dynasty formats.
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NFL Rookies to Watch in Fantasy Football Redraft Leagues
Jaylen Warren (RB, PIT)
Second-year running back Najee Harris remains Pittsburgh's clear starter in the backfield. Harris is sixth among NFL RBs in both snap share and opportunity share, so he is the guy getting the bulk of the usage for the Steelers. There are warning signs with him, though. He is averaging merely 3.2 yards per carry and is just 96th among RBs with -7.3 expected points added. His volume is there, but the production has not been as strong as it should be.
That's where Jaylen Warren comes in. Warren may be just an undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma State, but he showed some explosion last week against Cleveland. With 30 yards on just four carries, Warren displayed the burst that Harris did not (56 yards on 15 carries). He was also the only running back on the team to get carries besides Harris. While his snap share fell to just 17.9 percent last week, Warren has shown promise as the team's backup.
With Harris having dealt with foot injuries this year, his high volume may be putting him at risk for further issues. Warren demonstrated enough in his small sample size to make him a good insurance policy for Harris managers to acquire. It will be interesting to observe how Warren performs against the Jets on Sunday. If he is able to convert the favorable matchup into another efficient showing, his value will only continue to rise.
Romeo Doubs (WR, GB)
When I explored some of the top rookie showings this season at the beginning of this article, there was one convenient omission. That player was Green Bay Packers wideout Romeo Doubs. Doubs had the best game of his short professional career so far last week, catching eight of eight targets for 73 yards and a touchdown. Part of the reason for that performance was the large number of injuries the Packers are already dealing with, as receivers Sammy Watkins and Christian Watson were both inactive.
ROMEO, OH, ROMEO DOUBS TD 🔥pic.twitter.com/34fUbihiXe
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) September 25, 2022
Nonetheless, Doubs's eight targets led the team, even over the presumed top option Allen Lazard. Doubs, a fourth-round rookie from Nevada, received a lot of hype this offseason due to the praise he repeatedly received from star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Perhaps this early-season success from Doubs is indicative of a budding rapport with Rodgers. Oddsmakers seem to think so; Doubs has the third-best odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year according to DraftKings.
Watkins has been placed on injured reserve, so Doubs will have further opportunities to produce in the coming weeks. He was already a top waiver target this week, but if he remains available in your league, don't hesitate to stash him. He will face the New England Patriots this week in a fairly tough matchup. If he can put up another strong performance, expectations would rise for a more favorable stretch against the Giants, Jets, and Commanders.
George Pickens (WR, PIT)
Steelers rookie WR George Pickens rose rapidly in fantasy rankings during the preseason. The positive reports about him coming out of training camp paired with his stellar output in his preseason appearances contributed to the development of a large hype train. The first two regular season games of his NFL career were quiet, though. In Weeks 1 and 2 combined, Pickens caught just two of five targets for 26 yards. This was certainly not the start Pickens boosters were hoping for.
The narrative surrounding the former Georgia Bulldog changed suddenly last Thursday, however. His target volume increased significantly, rising to seven; he caught three of these for 39 yards. One play in particular defined the game for Pickens: a spectacular, falling, one-handed grab along the sideline for 36 yards. The snag was featured in highlight reels of the game and went viral on social media, reviving the hype around the second-round rookie.
This angle is wild. Catch of the year so far by George Pickens. pic.twitter.com/B2GGbA2c4l
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 23, 2022
Is the returning attention justified? It seems so. The increased volume is extremely promising. Indeed, Pickens's seven targets ranked second on the team behind just Diontae Johnson's 11. Pittsburgh's quarterback, Mitch Trubisky, remains a limiting factor, but the Steelers do have first-round rookie Kenny Pickett waiting in the wings. Pickens will face the Jets this Sunday in what should be a great opportunity for him to continue to build on last week's momentum.
NFL Rookies to Watch in Fantasy Football Dynasty Leagues
Kyle Philips (WR, TEN)
Drafted in the fifth round this April out of UCLA, Kyle Philips turned some heads with his debut performance. Against the New York Giants in Week 1, Philips caught six of nine targets for 66 yards. He did, however, muff a punt, an issue that also arose in Week 2. In that matchup against Buffalo, Philips was sadly unable to make up for the miscue. He made just one catch for five yards in what turned out to be a 41-7 debacle of a loss for Tennessee.
At just 5'11" and 181 pounds, Philips has a small frame for an NFL player. Moreover, he is not the fastest receiver out there; his 4.58-second 40-yard dash time was mediocre for the position (37th percentile). He makes up for these deficiencies by being quite shifty. His 10.84 agility score is at the 90th percentile among receivers. He made use of his skills to put forth a strong season as the Bruins' leading receiver last season.
KYLE PHILIPS BREAKING LSU TACKLES💪
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 5, 2021
Philips suffered a shoulder injury against Buffalo that prevented him from participating in the team's Week 3 contest against Las Vegas. He may return for this week's showdown with Indianapolis, though. If he does, he would have a chance to regain the poise he displayed in the opener. While his volume isn't likely to be as high as it was in that game, any targets he gets are additional glimpses into what the future may hold for Philips.
Isaiah Likely (TE, BAL)
Baltimore tight end Isaiah Likely was one of the biggest darlings of the preseason this year. A fourth-round pick from Coastal Carolina, Likely caught all four of his targets for 44 yards in the preseason opener. He then followed that up with eight catches on eight targets for 100 yards and a touchdown in Preseason Week 2. These performances led to him receiving attention in fantasy circles that he had not been getting prior.
ISAIAH LIKELY IS ELECTRIC ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/xMU2MBtaQM
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 22, 2022
Likely had a great career as a Chanticleer. In each of his four seasons in Conway, South Carolina, Likely caught at least five touchdown passes. His best season was in 2021 when he made 59 catches for 912 yards and 12 touchdowns. His college dominator of 31.4 percent was at the 91st percentile for tight ends.
The rookie has yet to truly take off this year behind Mark Andrews on Baltimore's depth chart. He did have a decent performance in Week 2, flashing his potential to the tune of four catches for 43 yards. He has not been involved in the Ravens' offense for the most part, but his receiving profile is strong enough to make him worth considering in dynasty formats. He and the Ravens will face Buffalo this week in what could turn out to be an offensive showcase.
Jelani Woods (TE, IND)
At 6'7" and 252 pounds, Indianapolis tight end Jelani Woods has a very large frame to work with. Once you realize he ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at that size, you begin to appreciate the impressive athlete that he is. His speed score ranked at the 94th percentile for tight ends, and his burst score was at the 95th percentile. He also boasts a massive catch radius (98th percentile) with 34.5-inch arms (92nd percentile). It's no wonder that the Colts selected Woods out of Virginia in the third round this year.
The young TE spent three unproductive years at Oklahoma State before transferring to Virginia for the 2021 season. He then finally broke out with 44 catches for 598 yards and eight touchdowns. His 34.6 percent college dominator managed to surpass even Likely's high mark. Now in the NFL, Woods made his first professional catches last week against Kansas City. He caught two of three targets for 13 yards; both grabs were touchdowns.
It's important to note that Woods played fewer snaps than his tight end teammates Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson did. Woods was on the field for just 21.7 percent of the team's offensive plays last week, compared to 58 percent for Alie-Cox and 40.6 percent for Granson. His red zone usage was encouraging though; just nine TEs have more than his two red-zone targets in the entire season. Woods's snap share and targets will be key things to watch for this week versus Tennessee.
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