The Rookie Roundup Week 6 recap is encapsulated by a lack of fantasy football production at multiple positions. What can we look forward to next week?
I’m going to do some format changing with Rookie Roundup this week. I’ve thought about it over the last few weeks, and every time I read one of my previous write-ups I notice one thing. I do not cover the fantasy football matchups on the week whatsoever. If a matchup is indicative of a player’s performance I can highlight it in my description. Other then that, let’s focus on player production and analysis. We will go through each positions rookies, instead of game-by-game.
Quarterbacks
With Anthony Richardson getting hurt, and likely opting for season-ending surgery, the top-two overall picks are the remaining ones.
CJ Stroud: 13/27, 199 Yards, 2 TDs
CJ Stroud threw his first interception of his career Sunday against the New Orleans Saints defense. Although the last two games haven’t been friendly to the stat sheet, Stroud continue to look calm and composed behind an injured offensive line. Start him confidently, but expect rookie woes along the way.
Bryce Young: 23/38, 217 Yards, 1 TD
Want to hear a crazy stat? The Carolina Panthers have scored the most points out of all four NFC South teams, yet they’re 0-6. Despite a brutal starting scheduling, Bryce Young has gotten better each week. His rookie year started off with two divisional games, and proceeded with four teams who are clearly a tier above, including two Super Bowl contenders: the Dolphins and Lions.
After the bye week, things take a turn in favor of Young. He faces the Texans, Colts, and Bears consecutively. I expect more progression going forward.
Love this play from Bryce Young.
9 shows tremendous poise in the pocket, and throws the dig open here.
Once the protection starts to come together, Young is more than capable of delivering these throws on a consistent basis.
This is tremendous placement. pic.twitter.com/VCY5BQoRkM
— John Ellis (@1PantherPlace) October 17, 2023
Running Backs
‘Underwhelming’ is the proper term to describe the rookie running backs in Week 6. The Atlanta Falcons star leads the way, as per usual, but I’m not excited to chat about some of this past weekend’s performances.
Bijan Robinson: 13 Carries, 37 yards | 5 Receptions, 43 Yards
Bijan Robinson provided us with an underwhelming week; that is, as underwhelming as 21 opportunities can get. Bijan’s appropriate amount of pass work continues to get the job done, even with Tyler Allgeier outrushing him.
Jaleel McLaughlin: 7 Carries, 30 Yards | 2 Receptions, 12 Yards
Even with Javonte Williams on the field, Jaleel McLaughlin is still efficient with limited work. He’s capable of scoring any week, so I don’t mind stashing him as a deep flex play. This is until Javonte, hopefully, takes on the majority of the running back touches.
Chris Brooks: 6 Carries, 28 Yards
Although short-lived, Chris Brooks got his name out there as a dynasty stash. With Raheem Mostert being 31 years old, and Miami consistently deploying multiple running backs, Brooks could be a sneaky long term play. It’s unlikely De’Von Achane becomes a bell-cow back. I expect Brooks to see work in times of injury, and maybe have a more prominent role in 2024/2025. He’s unlikely to produce in 2023 due to an ankle sprain suffered Sunday afternoon.
Tyjae Spears: 4 Carries, 15 Yards | 1 Reception, 48 Yards
For someone who had knee-injury concerns coming into the draft, Tyjae Spears has the juice to fill in for Derrick Henry‘s inevitable departure. He’s efficient with his touches and a better pass catching back then Henry. He’s a flex play at best, but worth a roster spot in every league.
TYJAE SPEARS WHAT A PLAY
pic.twitter.com/SZdkrFZLRd— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 15, 2023
Chris Rodriguez: 4 Carries, 23 yards
Brian Robinson is in no danger of losing his job, but Chris Rodriguez filled in the gaps Robinson and Antonio Gibson left behind. I don’t expect much work from him, but he’s a player to add to your watchlist in dynasty fantasy football leagues.
Zach Evans: 4 Carries, 10 Yards
Zach Evans is a waiver wire target going into Week 7. Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers are both dealing with injury and are likely to be ruled OUT for the next game.
Honorable Mentions (Didn’t do enough to warrant a discussion.)
Tank Bigsby | Emari Demercado | Zach Charbonnet | Kendre Miller
Wide Receivers
Week 6 showed us the delightful few, and the mediocre many. The small guys make waves and a bonafide starter let’s fantasy managers down.
Zay Flowers: 6 Receptions, 50 Yards, 1 TD
Zay Flowers scores his first NFL touchdown, as he has now seen eight or more targets in four out of six games in 2023. Flowers has scored 12+ PPR fantasy points in all of those games. The Ravens run game has been subpar this year, so the emphasis on passing has been their highlight. I expect a big workload for Zay Flowers going forward; The Baltimore Ravens WR1 is a flex play each week going forward.
First NFL Touchdown for Zay Flowers 🌺 pic.twitter.com/EWGYeQmsLq
— The League Winners (@FFLeagueWinners) October 15, 2023
Josh Downs: 5 Receptions, 21 Yards, 1 TD
Josh Downs has been boom or bust throughout the first half of the year. I am confident in his volume, but when it boils down to yardage and red zone opportunities, my confidence sways. He deserves a roster spot, but a trilogy of tough matchups lead the Colts towards their bye week. I’m not sure if I would play him for the immediate future.
Puka Nacua: 4 Receptions, 26 Yards
Puka Nacua has had his first tase of what it’s like to play second fiddle to Cooper Kupp. I am not worried about Nacua at all though, he is a plug and play starter every single week. His favorable matchups make him a peaceful lineup decision.
Jordan Addison: 3 Receptions, 28 yards, 1 TD
In what was supposed to be the beginning of the breakout, Jordan Addison was saved by a touchdown. He is still a flex play going forward for me, even with Justin Jefferson on IR. Be wary of the upcoming schedule, as Addison will likely face top corners in the league over his next five games.
Rashee Rice: 4 Receptions, 72 Yards
Rashee Rice is slowly separating himself as the Kansas City Chiefs defacto WR1. Outside of Travis Kelce, it becomes a challenge deciding who to play from this mess of a receiver room. Skyy Moore is in a sophomore slump, Kadarius Toney receives a middling target share, but no feasible production stems from it, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling is his same old self. Rice has been the one receiver to see consistent opportunities and make the most of them. If he is available in fantasy football leagues, he is my number one claim.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 4 Receptions, 48 Yards
JSN has been one of the bigger ‘letdowns’, if you would, in fantasy football. Although what people won’t tell you is the Seahawks use mostly two, or even three, tight end sets. And when you have receivers such as DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, it can be difficult to find space on the field for yourself. I fully expect him to continue to develop, but he should not be rostered until proven otherwise.
Honorable Mentions
Michael Wilson – Has been quiet since his big boom game two weeks ago.
Trey Palmer – Saw 7 targets, but only came down with 2 receptions.
Jalin Hyatt – Speed demo and nice footwork, but that doesn’t translate to fantasy points.
Quentin Johnston – Justin Herbert’s below average performance hurt him, but he also needs more time to develop.
Jonathan Mingo – Hidden in the shadow of Adam Thielen.
Tight Ends
The tight end landscape is small, but we have some new faces joining us in the rookie roundup Week 6 recap!
Sam LaPorta: 4 Receptions, 36 Yards
This game did not end up in Sam LaPorta‘s favor, but he still saw 11 targets on the day. He has an elite workload and should continue to dominate.
Michael Mayer: 5 Receptions, 75 Yards
Michael Mayer was finally utilized in the passing game, outproducing the rest of his games combined. He is a multi-level pass catching threat who I predict will be on a similar level to fellow rookie Sam LaPorta by the end of the year
Brenton Strange: 2 Receptions, 27 Yards, 1 TD
I had a lot of hype for Brenton Strange after he was selected to the Jaguars. Doug Pederson was notorious for utilizing both Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert during his days in Philly. My assessment for Strange was similar to Goedert earlier in his career. His fantasy football upside is clearly capped due to the talent in front of him, but can produce when given the opportunity. Strange took some time to come onto the scene this year. He jumped from ~30% snaps played during the first month of the year, to 53% in Week 6. I hope his playing time continues to rise so we can see more playmaking from the Penn State product.
The #Colts lose Brenton Strange in the flat, and the #Jaguars’ rookie TE makes them pay with his first career touchdown 👀 pic.twitter.com/keVdDYoPyM
— Matt Lombardo 🏈 (@MattLombardoNFL) October 15, 2023
