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:
Ken Walker, RB, Seahawks
Ken Walker has been fantastic since taking over the backfield and that did not change in Week 9. Walker finished the week with 109 rushing yards, 20 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns en route to another Rookie of the Week title. He is a clear high end RB1 rest of season.
Other Impressive Rookies:
Dameon Pierce, RB, Texans
Dameon Pierce was very good against the stout Philly defense totaling 139 rushing yards while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He was very efficient on the ground and he was consistently bouncing off of tackles and fighting for extra yardage. The problem was that he was not utilized in the passing game and did not find the endzone. Despite that, the offense runs through Pierce and he should continue to see elite volume.
Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets
Garrett Wilson had another solid game as he finished Week 9 with 8 receptions on 9 targets for 92 yards against the Division rival Buffalo Bills. Wilson was Zach Wilson’s number one target and was instrumental in the Jets victory. He has been very solid since Hall went down as the Jets have leaned on the pass game a little bit more and Wilson has become an every down player. Wilson has a good shot to be a reliable WR2/3 rest of season.
Cade Otton, TE, Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Times
Cade Otton was the leading receiver for the Bucs this week, finishing with 68 yards and the game winning touchdown on six targets. He had an 11.33 yards per target and 13.6 yards per catch, two very strong numbers for a Tight End. With the Bucs lacking the ability to run the ball, they should be continue to be forced into passing situations, meaning increased opportunities for Otton.
Disappointing Rookie of the Week:
Drake London, WR, Falcons
After starting off the season on a high note, London has fallen off dramatically and Week 9 was no different. London finished the week with just 3 receptions for 23 yards and a lost fumble. He has 5.5 fantasy points or less in every game since Week 3. He is likely droppable in typical redraft leagues.
Honorable Mentions: Malik Willis, QB, Titans, Alec Pierce, WR, Colts
Keep An Eye On This Rookie:
Raheem Blackshear, RB, Panthers
The Panthers were forced to move away from their running game in their dismantling by the Bengals in Week 9, but rookie Raheem Blackshear was able to find some success late in the game. Blackshear found the endzone and caught four balls for 40 yards out of the backfield. Foreman was still the lead back, but if Hubbard remains out, we could see more Blackshear moving forward.
Dumb Scoring of the Week:
Dameon Pierce
Pierce rushed for 139 yards this week in an impressive rushing performance. Unfortunately, he did not find the endzone or catch a pass, which ked to just 13.9 points in all scoring settings. These types of games make PPR scoring harder to swallow. Maybe RBs should be rewarded with a 100 yard rushing bonus or points for first downs. Pierce deserved a better score.
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By Gianluca Martini
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.