dynasty fallers

In this series, I’ll spotlight the standout performances from the 2026 rookie class and highlight both promising and concerning trends. Let’s dive into how these rookies fared in Week 4.

Quarterback
Stock Up

Jalon Daniels: He started in Week 4 for Baker Mayfield, who was injured the week before. He completed 19 out of his 27 pass attempts (70%) for 148 yards. He threw for a touchdown but also threw 2 interceptions. His QBR was 49.7. He rushed eight times for 55 yards, so he does offer the rushing side if you need a quarterback to start because of bye weeks or injuries. He plays Dallas on Thursday night, so he should be able to score some points with their defense not being great.

Stock Down

Athan Kaliakmanis: Made his debut when Marcus Mariota got injured. He completed 15 out of his 33 pass attempts (45%) for 186 yards. He threw for a touchdown but also threw 1 interception. He rushed three times for 16 yards. His QBR was 20.7. He did not look great, but he was prepared to be the backup all week. It’s unclear who will start Week 5 for Washington, so he is a name to look for on the waiver wire if you are desperate for a quarterback.

Jack Strand: Made his debut when the Falcons were getting crushed in Week 1. He played 42% of the snaps. He completed eight of 15 passes for 59 yards and added two rushes for 16 yards. No new playing time since Week 1.

Running Back

Week 4 was relatively quiet for rookie running backs, which was expected. Nevertheless, a few trends are worth noting.

Stock Up (Above 40% of team carries)

Jeremiyah Love: In Weeks 1-4, he has had 55 carries for 223 yards, a touchdown, and 13 catches for 36 yards and a touchdown. Week 4, he played 45% of the snaps, which was down from Week 3 when he played 64%. His carry percentage also went down for the first time this season from 91% in Week 3 to 69% in Week 4. However, the drop in usage was just due to Love suffering a minor ankle injury in-game. His window to buy is probably closed.

Stock Down (Below 40% of team carries)

Emmett Johnson: In Weeks 1-4, he had 16 carries for 56 yards and five catches for 74 yards, playing on 36% of the snaps. In Weeks 1 and 3, they got up big. Week 2 was a tight game, and he did not play as much, and that was the case again in Week 4. Clear backup and handcuff to Kenneth Walker.

Kaelon Black: In Weeks 1-4, he has had 31 carries for 120 yards, and one catch for 5 yards. Week 4, he played 26% of the snaps, which was up from Week 3 when he played 15%. His carry percentage went up slightly from 21% in Week 3 to 29% in Week 4. He is the clear backup and handcuff to Christian McCaffrey.

Mike Washington: In Weeks 1-4, he has had 24 carries for 120 yards, a touchdown, and one catch for -1 yard. Week 4, he played 21% of the snaps, which was up slightly from Week 3 when he played 16%. His carry percentage also went up from 21% in Week 3 to 35% in Week 4. Clear backup and handcuff to Ashton Jeanty.

Kaytron Allen: In Weeks 1-4, he has had 12 carries for 41 yards. Week 4, he played 19% of the snaps, which was his season high so far this season. He had 3 carries in Week 4, which was 17% of the carries.

Nick Singleton: He did not play at all in Week 1. In Weeks 2-4, he has had seven carries for 12 yards. Week 4, he played 13% of the snaps, which was his season high. His carry percentage was 14% in Week 4.

Seth McGowan: In Weeks 1-4, he had 12 carries for 45 yards, and two catches for 7 yards. His snap percentage has gone up each week up to 29%. His carry percentage has gone up each week so far this season, up to 23% in Week 4. He is the clear backup and handcuff to Jonathan Taylor.

Demond Claiborne: In Weeks 1-4, he has had six carries for 13 yards, and one catch for 2 yards. Week 4, he played (12%) of the snaps, which was his season high. His carry percentage was 13% in Week 4.