In Dynasty Fantasy Football, it is crucial to keep a watch on the new rookie class and be aware of who is doing well, who is doing bad, and who’s values are fluctuating. Today I will be going throw some of the more relevant rookie performances and giving my thoughts on what this means for them. Let’s get right into it.
Jahan Dotson, WR WAS
Dotson scored the most fantasy points of the rookie class in week one but I wouldn’t say he had the best performance of the group. His stat line was five targets, three receptions, 40 yards, and two touchdowns. In fantasy scoring the touchdowns were great for the week but Dotson only secured a 12.2% target share, which was fourth best on the team. It is still good to see Dotson producing in the NFL though, and he has certainly made me believe he could become a legitimate asset. His value should raise for people that were low on him but stay pretty neutral for people that already liked him.
Kyle Philips, WR TEN
Philips was selected in the fifth round of the NFL draft but had good film scores and a solid analytical profile. He showed that he should be respected as a legit prospect in his first NFL game. Philips dominated the targets for the Titans, almost doubling Treylon Burks who was second in targets, nine to five for a 29% target share. This was with only playing 46% of the snaps. Philips should increase in value and is now on watch for being this year’s Amon-Ra St. Brown, the day three wide receiver that hits from the class.
Drake London, WR ATL
London had a good game in week one, he tied Kyle Pitts as the team lead in targets with a 22% share and made five catches for 74 yards. People were worried that London would be capped by the superior talent in Pitts, but I think London just proved he is on a similar level. He was my WR1 in the class pre-draft, post-draft, and post-week one. No real change here, just more confidence in my ranking of him.
Isiah Pacheco, RB KC
Pacheco was a preseason darling whose hype was warranted. He started his NFL career with 12 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown on the ground. We must keep in mind that the Chiefs were dominating this game right from the start, so they had the freedom to test out their new rookie RB in a large capacity. I would not expect 12 carries from Pacheco in a more competitive game, but he just proved to us that if given the workload he can handle it and produce fantasy points. Value up here as he may have cemented himself as the Chiefs RB2.
Breece Hall, RB NYJ
For some, this was a disappointing performance from Hall, for others this was to be expected. Pre-season gave us every indication that Hall and Michael Carter would start the season splitting work, and this week one matchup against a tough Ravens team was no help. Hall did show good signs for fantasy though, leading his team in targets with a 17.5% share. He was not as effective on the ground, but that is a tough ask with only six carries. The split of opportunities (targets plus carries) for Carter and Hall was a solid 55/45 respectively. This is a good sign for Hall as people would’ve expected a wider split this early. No value changes here but some confidence I think in Hall’s ability to take over the starting role sooner than initially expected.
Garrett Wilson, WR NYJ
Wilson sneakily had a great week one performance. He out-targetted fellow wideout Elijah Moore and did such while only playing 49% of snaps compared to 89% of snaps for Moore. Wilson was getting open often when on the field and also looked elusive with the ball in his hands. If he gets more playing time he could end up being good early as a rookie. Value up for those that were down on him and just a confidence booster for people that were already high.
Christian Watson, WR GB
Watson was disappointing in week one. He was fifth on the team in targets with an 11% share. He straight-up dropped a great throw on a deep ball that should have been a relatively easy catch and probably would have scored a touchdown, had he caught it. He was also outpaced in targets by fellow rookie wideout Romeo Doubs and that drop may have hurt Rodgers’ chances of trusting Watson. This is to be somewhat expected with Watson missing a lot of training camp. But that will not help the bond with Rodgers, who is already known to distrust rookies. Value down for people that were high on him, no change for those that were at ADP or lower.
Dameon Pierce, RB HOU
This is not the start to a career that a lot of Pierce truthers were hoping for. Pierce received 11 carries and gained 33 yards while adding one catch for six yards on the day, which does not seem like a bad stat line. But, it is bad when a 32-year-old RB on the same team saw 14 carries and eight targets. If Pierce is going to be a day-three RB, stuck as a two-down grinder on a bad Texans team I want nothing to do with him. If you are high on Pierce you should take this as a reality check and move him down just a tad, but if this trend of receiving usage continues I would be worried.
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