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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Rookies Worth Your Attention in Week 2

What Appears In This Article? hide

In this column each week, we will look at rookies who have either performed well the previous few weeks or who have a favorable matchup in the upcoming week. These may be high-profile names or under-the-radar depth players; the only thing that matters is that they are first-year pros ready to make a name for themselves.

Ideally, a lot of the names on this list will give some much-needed depth to fantasy teams. Injuries happen and by the time fantasy playoffs come around, depth is absolutely essential. It's a given that not every one of the highlighted rookies is going to develop into the next superstar. However, if one of these players helps a fantasy team get some more wins, the objective will be met.

For Week 1, we have a limited track record to analyze, but there were certainly some standout performances from the new crop of NFL players.

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!

 

Rookies to Watch

The Young Savior

Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets

The New York Jets staff was ecstatic when Sam Darnold was still available at the third overall spot in the 2018 Draft. This week, they are more than ecstatic as they have learned that Darnold may be the real deal. The 21-year-old threw for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns in his Week 1 match-up against the Detroit Lions. More notable was his veteran-like composure. He began by throwing an interception returned for a touchdown on his first drive. There's a lot of young quarterbacks that would let that faze them, but not Darnold, who finished the game off very strong. Darnold has a favorable Week 2 matchup against the Cleveland Browns and is a solid QB option in deeper fantasy leagues and should be a low-owned option for DFS. As for right now, he is not a must-play in any format but he may be worth putting on your bench- he is only owned in about 10% of leagues. Darnold certainly holds upside playing in the AFC East (minus the New England Patriots). He will play the relatively lousy Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills' defenses twice this season.

The Locked-In Starter

Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

The New York Giants took some heat for drafting Barkley second overall in the 2018 Draft, ahead of Sam Darnold (above). After Barkley's Week 1 performance, the Giants are certainly moving past any doubt that may have existed. On 20 total touches, Barkley totaled 128 yards and a rushing touchdown which was nearly half of all of the Giants offensive production. In almost all leagues, Barkley cost the fantasy player a mid-first-round draft pick. After Week 1, it is clear that Barkley has an excellent chance of reaching, and possibly exceeding, his draft value. Barkley is a lock at RB1 for the remainder of the season and has the upside of being a top-three running back to finish the season. The Giants don't have the most elite offense but in most games, Barkley will likely be leading the charge in touches, yards, and touchdowns as defenses focus on containing the highest-paid wide receiver in the league, Odell Beckham Jr.

The New Starter

Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have named Josh Allen their starting quarterback for their Week 2 match-up against the Chargers. Allen replaced quarterback Nathan Peterson in the third quarter of Week 1 in their game against the Baltimore Ravens. Peterman had 24 passing yards in 18 attempts with two interceptions in his action during Week 1. Allen finished the game off with 74 yards in 15 attempts. He entered the game with a 40-0 deficit - clearly not an ideal game scenario for a rookie QB. Regardless, Allen didn't look terrible. Allen has a reasonable Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers who gave up 38 points to rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he shouldn't be considered in any fantasy format, for now. The Bills just don't have very much talent around Allen. Talented wide receivers and running backs can create a lot of upside for young quarterbacks and that just doesn't exist in Buffalo. However, Allen does have the potential to be a fill-in fantasy player later in the season once he establishes himself as a starter and could be stashed in deep enough leagues.

The One To Watch

Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

Nick Chubb, one of the Browns' second-round draft picks, finished Week 1 against the Pittsburg Steelers with 21 yards on three attempts, including a 17-yard run. Chubb is running behind running backs Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson which is why he only had three touches in the season opener. Hyde is the clear RB1 in Cleveland but moving forward the "three-head monster" could be taking over the backfield. The Browns offense showed some promise in Week 1 and getting a young running back like Chubb involved would only benefit them. As for now, Chubb is a low-end option in all fantasy formats. Going forward, as the title alludes to, he will be a player to watch. If his touches and productivity increase, he could be an excellent addition to any fantasy team.

The "Give Him One More Week"

Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys

There has been a lot of fantasy talk about Gallup over the past few weeks and he let just about everyone down during Week 1 with one catch for nine yards. The Cowboys lost wide receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten in the offseason and everyone believed that Gallup would be the major beneficiary of all the receptions lost. Despite the one reception in Week 1, there are still many reasons to believe that Gallup is that guy. It is truly hard to create a scenario that quarterback Dak Prescott doesn't start throwing some more balls in Gallup's direction. For this week, it's understandable to be a little sour and keep/throw Gallup onto the bench - but don't drop him. The targets and receptions have to increase significantly if the Cowboys want any chance of winning.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jordan Romano50 mins ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Gerrit Cole54 mins ago

Yankees Put Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
Elly De La Cruz1 hour ago

Batting In Six-Hole On Opening Day
Anthony Rendon1 hour ago

Hitting Leadoff On Opening Day
Wander Franco2 hours ago

Placed On Administrative Leave
Aaron Ekblad2 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov2 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto2 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin2 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard2 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins2 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist2 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear3 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Keita Bates-Diop3 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season
Dyson Daniels3 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday But Nearing Return
LaMelo Ball3 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of 2023-24
Jose Alvarado3 hours ago

Questionable To Face Milwaukee
Jaden Springer3 hours ago

Considered Questionable
Xavier Tillman3 hours ago

Sr. Questionable Thursday
Gabe Vincent3 hours ago

Expected To Return To Action On Sunday
Al Horford15 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White15 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
TJ Friedl16 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Gordon16 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Michael Porter16 hours ago

Jr. Good To Go Wednesday
Nikola Jokic16 hours ago

Playing Against Phoenix
Jackson Chourio16 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Jrue Holiday16 hours ago

Might Return On Thursday
Khris Middleton16 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday Night
Joel Embiid17 hours ago

To Return Soon?
Jamal Murray17 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Rudy Gobert17 hours ago

Ready To Rock Against Pistons
LeBron James17 hours ago

Officially Active Against Memphis
Eduardo Rodriguez17 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Anthony Davis17 hours ago

Won't Play Against Grizzlies
Victor Wembanyama18 hours ago

Playing On Wednesday
Anthony Edwards18 hours ago

Will Play Against Detroit
Garrett Mitchell18 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Chad Green18 hours ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Erik Swanson18 hours ago

Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson Officially Heading To Injured List
Kevin Gausman18 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Sunday Or Monday
Gleyber Torres20 hours ago

Will Bat Leadoff On Opening Day
Mark Hubbard20 hours ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson20 hours ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Max Scherzer20 hours ago

Making Solid Progress
Akshay Bhatia20 hours ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen20 hours ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers20 hours ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers21 hours ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers21 hours ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Jordan Lawlar21 hours ago

To Have Thumb Surgery, Out A Couple Months
Wyndham Clark22 hours ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers22 hours ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
MLB23 hours ago

Braves And Phillies Rained Out On Thursday
Jayden Daniels23 hours ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
MLB23 hours ago

Mets And Brewers To Be Postponed Thursday
Tank Bigsby23 hours ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Will Smith23 hours ago

Inks 10-Year Extension With Dodgers
Josh Reynolds23 hours ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Jon Berti1 day ago

Yankees Acquire Jon Berti From Marlins
Kodai Senga1 day ago

Throws Wednesday
Matt McLain1 day ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder1 day ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley3 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr3 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR3 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen3 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
Rose Namajunas6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Amanda Ribas6 days ago

Set For Main-Event Matchup
Edmen Shahbazyan6 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Dobson6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 89
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF