Week 10 Rookie Report

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

C.J. Stroud (QB) - Houston Texans

There is only ONE! C.J. Stroud is THE NFL Rookie of the Year. It is highly unlike any other first-year players can surmount the mountain that Stroud has ascended in his first nine weeks. This one-man race is virtually over. Week 9 marked a new height for the superstar quarterback, setting an NFL rookie record with 470 passing yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions while completing 30/42 attempts. Stroud became the only quarterback in Texans franchise history to throw for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers. The rookie’s Week 9 performance marks the single-highest quarterback grade of the 2023 season and the single-highest rookie grade in history via NextGen Statistics and Pro Football Focus. His 50.8 fantasy points unsurprisingly led all players in fantasy points this week. Stroud and the Texans face off against the Bengals in Week 10 for a tough game that could result in even more passing for Stroud. He is a must-start fantasy asset for the remainder of the season.

Tank Dell (WR) - Houston Texans

Nathaniel “Tank” Dell helped propel Stroud to new historic heights in Week 9, collecting six of 11 targets for 114 yards and two touchdowns, marking the single-highest combined yardage total of a rookie quarterback and rookie wide receiver in NFL history. Dell has firmly entrenched himself as Stroud’s favorite target this season.

ROOKIE STANDOUTS

Keaton Mitchell (RB) - Baltimore Ravens

Undrafted rookie running back Keaton Mitchell made himself a household name amongst fantasy football fans in Week 9, rushing for 138 yards and one touchdown on nine attempts, including a long 60-yard scamper and a 40-yard dash to the endzone. The rookie was a menace to the Seahawks' defense on every touch, accounting for 46.3% of the team’s total rushing yards on 21.9% of the team’s rushing attempts. Mitchell’s 138 yards on nine carries (15.3 YPC) marks the single-highest YPC total of any rusher this season (minimum 5 carries). As an undrafted rookie, it’s unlikely that the Ravens immediately give him a big workload anytime soon but he has the opportunity to become the RB2 over Justice Hill who has yet to exceed 50 rushing yards in a game all season. The Ravens continue to dominate on defense which should give players like Mitchell more opportunities to show off in garbage time and eventually carve out a real role.

TOP ROOKIE PERFORMANCES

QB C.J. Stroud: 50.8 Points - QB1

WR Tank Dell: 29.6 Points - WR1

QB Tyson Bagent: 21.8 Points - QB9

RB Keaton Mitchell: 20.4 Points - RB5

TE Dalton Kincaid: 15.1 Points - TE8

TE Luke Musgrave: 14.1 Points - TE9

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 12.3 Points - WR24

ROOKIE DISAPPOINTMENTS

Will Levis (QB) - Tennessee Titans

Will Levis set the football world ablaze with his four-touchdown debut in Week 8. A quick turnaround for Thursday Night Football in Week 9 yielded disparaging results for the rookie who entered the contest with palpable excitement and buzz surrounding his name. Levis played well, but not great, ultimately losing to the Steelers in the second start of his career. A shortened week in just his second-ever game as a pro created a tough situation in primetime for the rookie quarterback. Fortunately, he does get some softer defenses down the line and will have full preparation for his remaining games. Still, it appears obvious that Levis may not always produce from a fantasy perspective as he continues to grow and develop during his inaugural season.

Bijan Robinson (RB) - Atlanta Falcons

We could conceivably list the entire Falcons offense as a disappointment every week but in the nature of our rookie series we have no choice but to hone in on Bijan Robinson. Actually, let’s hone in on Arthur Smith who is, without exaggeration, the most undeservedly arrogant head coach in NFL history. Smith’s gross incompetence and lack of general football knowledge have capped the entire offense as their head coach ambles his way through an archaic playbook that would rather feature Tyler Allgeier as the lead back than invest time in developing their generational, first-round, top-10 drafted, rookie.

Quentin Johnston (WR) - Los Angeles Chargers

Quentin Johnston is following in the unguided footsteps of a fellow TCU first-round wide receiver prospect. Johnston’s similarities in his lack of success eerily mirror former Eagles first-round wideout and TCU alumni Jalen Reagor. Both wide receivers were heralded for their collegiate profiles on an offense that historically favored the run. Actively designing gameplans to keep the ball out of the hands of your supposed “top talent” was a red flag that managers should have heeded with the Chargers' newest rookie. With Josh Palmer and Mike Williams sidelined, Johnston played a career-high 83.0% of the offensive snaps. His increased playing time led to menial production as the rookie bust produced just 14 yards on three targets and two receptions.

REMEDIAL ROOKIE PERFORMANCES

QB Will Levis: 9.7 Points - QB22

QB Aiden O’Connell: 8.4 Points - QB24

WR Puka Nacua: 6.2 Points - WR55

RB Bijan Robinson: 4.9 Points - RB37

WR Quentin Johnston: 3.6 Points - WR75

TE Michael Mayer: 3.1 Points - TE35

WR Jalin Hyatt; 2.9 Points - WR79

QB Tommy DeVito: 7.2 Points - QB31

WR Zay Flowers: 2.1 Points - WR88

QB Clayton Tune: 0.1 Points - QB32

HEATING UP

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR) - Seattle Seahawks

Jaxon Smith-Njigba continues to rise in his rookie development. He has earned 18 targets over the last three games, catching 13 balls with two touchdowns and 162 receiving yards during that stretch. In Week 9, Smith-Njigba led the Seahawks offense with six receptions and 63 yards on seven targets (25.0% Target Share) as the team’s only viable fantasy producer. The rookie now sits second on the team in total receptions (29), and touchdowns (2) and ranks third on the Seahawks roster in receiving yards (272).

NAMES TO WATCH

Tre Palmer (WR) - Indianapolis Colts

There is slowly becoming a clear WR3 in Tampa. Deven Thompkins hasn’t notched a single target over the past 2 weeks while Trey Palmer has drawn 10. This week in a shootout against the Texans, Palmer set a career-high in receiving yards while tying his career-high in receptions. His 13.33% target share isn’t anything special but he has been a solid producer for a 6th-round rookie. After Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, the most targeted players in front of Palmer are Cade Otton and Rachaad White. A second-half boom could lead to Palmer being a flex-worthy look in deep dynasty leagues.

BIG ROOKIE MOMENTS

Stroud Makes History

C.J. Stroud has been rewriting the NFL history book during nearly every outing this season. None is more impressive than his record-setting 470-yard/5-touchdown performance against the Buccaneers in Week 9 that saw the rookie quarterback lead his team to victory on a last-second heave to Tank Dell for six points.

Keaton Mitchell Debuts

Keaton Mitchell debuted for the Ravens in Week 9, setting a 2023 season record with 15.6 YPC, amassing 138 yards on 9 attempts. Mitchell exploded for 100 yards on just two touches (60-yard rush/40-yard rushing touchdown) and led all Ravens in team market share of total yards despite playing just 14 snaps.

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By Matt Ward & Themi Michalakis