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. Let’s dive in!
ROOKIE(S) OF THE WEEK
Bijan Robinson (RB) - Atlanta Falcons
Although he hasn’t been nearly as consistent as people would have hoped, this is exactly the ceiling we expected out of Bijan Robinson on a weekly basis. Week 12 marked Robinson’s fourth game of 90+ rushing yards this season and he added 32 receiving yards and two scores to cap off a sensational outing. Ride this man into the playoffs.
Rashee Rice (WR) - Kansas City Chiefs
It appears as if the Chiefs may have just found their standalone WR1 to complement Travis Kelce as Rashee Rice is making a heck of a case to cement that role. The second-rounder caught his fifth touchdown of the 2023 season and set career highs in targets (10), receptions (8), and yards (107). These are the types of games you wanted out of a Chiefs receiver. Rice leads all wide receivers on the team in targets and doesn’t trail Travis Kelce by as big of a margin as many would expect. He should at least be “the guy” for 2023 and should have a major role beyond this season.
ROOKIE STANDOUTS
C.J. Stroud (QB) - Houston Texans
As soon as C.J. Stroud stops making history in every single start will be the moment we stop highlighting him as a weekly rookie standout. Until then, bask in the glory that is Stroud’s record-breaking fourth-consecutive game of 300 passing yards or more. The Texans star quarterback also tied the rookie record with his fifth game of the season with 300 passing yards or more, joining Justin Herbert (2020) and Andrew Luck (2012) as the only players in NFL history to accomplish the lofty feat.
TOP ROOKIE PERFORMANCES
QB C.J. Stroud: 34.9 Points - QB4
RB Bijan Robinson: 27.3 Points - RB3
WR Rashee Rice: 24.7 Points - WR3
WR Zay Flowers: 23.2 Points - WR6
K Blake Grupe: 19.2 Points - K1
Sam LaPorta: 17.7 Points - TE3
WR Tank Dell: 17.2 Points WR22
WR Jalin Hyatt: 15.9 Points WR24
WR Jayden Reed: 15.0 Points WR25
TE Tucker Kraft: 9.5 Points TE11
TE Dalton Kincaid: 8.8 Points TE12
ROOKIE DISAPPOINTMENTS
Josh Downs (WR) - Indianapolis Colts
The Buccaneers' secondary was battered which made for some great matchups for the Colts pass-catchers this week. Rookie Josh Downs looked to be the biggest beneficiary outside of Michael Pittman Jr. but success didn’t materialize. Despite drawing a career-high 13 targets this week, Downs only caught 5 of them for 43 yards. A lot of that falls on Gardner Minshew putting too much mustard on easy passes but the inefficiencies hold no excuse. There were plenty of letdowns this week but Downs was in prime position to boom and didn’t even finish as a top-48 positional asset.
Zach Charbonnet (RB) - Seattle Seahawks
The keys to the Seahawks’ offense were in Zach Charbonnet’s hands with Kenneth Walker sidelined for Week 12. Even against a tough defensive opponent, managers were hoping for much more than what the rookie provided. Charbonnet was bottled up by a stout 49ers defense, gaining just 47 yards on 14 carries while catching all four of his targets for a menial 11 yards. Charbonnet’s pedestrian numbers are somewhat forgivable considering the opponent until you remember that Kyren Williams gouged the 49ers for 100 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in his second-ever start as the Rams' leading running back.
REMEDIAL ROOKIE PERFORMANCES
QB Bryce Young: 7.1 Points - QB30
QB Will Levis: 7.1 Points - QB30
WR Puka Nacua: 6.7 Points - WR64
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 6.1 Points - WR71
WR Marvin Mims: 5.5 Points - WR76
TE Michael Mayer: 4.7 Points - TE27
WR Quentin Johnston: 1.7 Points - WR111
HEATING UP
Jaylin Hyatt (WR) - New York Giants
Jalin Hyatt put on what was by far his best game of 2023, catching five balls on a team-high six targets for 109 yards. The only other times Hyatt has eclipsed 21 yards in a game came against the Cardinals and Commanders. He’s succeeding in some great matchups but this is still no easy feat. Hyatt may not be the WR1 of the future but the 3rd-round pick is showing he deserves a role on this team as the speedy deep threat they drafted him to be. Although he’s far from being a reliable fantasy player just yet, he could find success against the Eagles or Rams in the upcoming weeks.
NAMES TO WATCH
Cedric Tillman (WR) - Cleveland Browns
The Browns have a bevel of potential WR3 options but none have quite stepped up. Although Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore each have 70+ targets, no other receiver on the team has more than 20. Donovan Peoples-Jones leads the rest of the roster with 18 but Tillman is now at 14 after a decent target outing in Week 12. Tillman now has three red zone targets as well but the team appears more than content to feed their top weapons once the opposing goal line is near. Tillman’s five targets and 55 receiving yards create an interesting narrative to watch for as the Browns close out their season with the potential for the young rookie to increase his role. Even a run-heavy team eventually has to pass to keep pace. His recent target numbers are encouraging for an expanded role but he’d need an injury to sniff your starting lineups.
BIG ROOKIE MOMENTS
Stroud Makes History in Loss
C.J. Stroud has been rewriting the NFL history book during nearly every outing this season. He now stands alone with an ever-growing streak of four consecutive games with at least 300 passing yards, becoming the first rookie in NFL history to achieve the high water mark.
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By Matt Ward & Themi Michalakis
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.