Welcome to the Rookie Report series. This will be a recurring series that highlights fantasy relevant rookies, how they performed in the prior weeks, and what that means for the future—all done with fun categories! Let’s dive in!
Rookie of the Week:
Chris Olave, WR, Saints
NFL
Chris Olave had a great Week 11 totaling 5 receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown. He was Dalton’s main target once again and he has already proved himself worthy as a main passing option Olave is a fantastic receiver and should have several more big games the rest of the way.
Other Impressive Rookies:
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Giants
Wan’Dale Robinson, unfortunately, tore his ACL late in the Week 11 matchup against the Detroit Lions and will be out for the remainder of the season. Prior to the injury, the rookie WR was having a career game. Robinson finished with 9 receptions on 13 targets and 100 yards, his first 100 yard performance of his career. It is a shame that he got hurt as it would have been fun to watch him build off of this game.
Christian Watson, WR, Packers
Christian Watson found the endzone another two times in Week 11 to go along with 48 receiving yards. Rodgers is clearly looking for Watson near the endzone as he now has 5 receiving touchdowns over the last two weeks. Touchdowns are not the stickiest stat, so there is some volatility to be expected if the TDs slow down and the targets and yards do not improve. If he can find some sustained success outside of touchdowns, however, he could be a huge asset rest of season.
Treylon Burks, WR, Titans
Treylon Burks had his best game of the year in Week 11. He totaled 7 receptions for 111 yards in an impressive breakout performance. He led the Titans in targets and looked worthy of his first round price tag. Given that this was only his second week back from injury, Burks should get every opportunity to continue his ascent as the Titans’ WR1.
Disappointing Rookie of the Week:
Dameon Pierce, RB. Texans
Fantasy darling Dameon Pierce makes his way back into the dissapointing rookie section after totaling just 8 rushing yards on ten attempts in Week 11. The 0.8 yard per carry average was unsurprisingly the worst single game performance of his rookie season. This game shows the scary floor of a guy like Pierce, an early down back on a bad team. If teams continue to focus on him and take commanding leads while doing so, we could see more disappointing games before the season finishes.
Honorable Mentions: Jahan Dotson, WR, Commanders, Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets
Keep An Eye On This Rookie:
Jameson Williams, WR, Lions
Jameson Williams, the exciting 2022 first round pick of the Detroit Lions and phenomenal talent, is scheduled to return to the practice field this week. He has the potential to be a huge addition to the already solid Lions offense. It is not a stretch to say that Williams has a chance to be a league winner if he can quickly acclimate himself into the offense.
Rookie I Wish Would See More Opportunities:
David Bell, WR, Browns
While David Bell certainly had some doubters going into the NFL draft, I was one of his supporters as I believe in his talent. Bell has been getting more and more involved in the Cleveland Browns offense of late and has tallied five targets in back to back games. He was a beast during his days at Purdue and I cannot wait to see that translate to the NFL once the Browns start getting him more involved.
The Fantasy Football by Broto app is now live on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store! Download it today for a start/sit tool, player cards, exclusive statistics, usage, rankings, interactive tools, coaching tendencies, and much, much more!
Check out patreon.com/Brotofantasy to access extra episodes, join our community, win prizes, and help keep the app free.
By Gianluca Martini
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.