Follow all of your favorite NFL rookies in the Rookie Roundup – Week 1.
Rookie Roundup is in its Week 1 arc, and fantasy football fans couldn’t be more excited with what we were able to watch this past week. From the shocking Detroit Lions win on Thursday night, to the incredible upset of the Buffalo Bills by the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets, we were able to soak in amazing performances from rookies.
What is the Rookie Roundup?
For those who missed my Rookie Roundup Preview last week, the rookie roundup will display all the information you need to keep up with this year’s rookie picks. From the simplistic nature of stats, projecting forward to future games, or taking a deeper dive into advanced analytics; this will be your one-stop shop for getting any rookie-related information. This week’s issue will be a highlight of Week 1. Going forward, I will highlight each player’s stat line, as well as the next week’s matchup.
Rookie Roundup Week 1
Thursday Night Football
Lions @ Chiefs
We had two notable rookies play on Thursday Night Football, and they didn’t waste anytime proving they were worth the hype. Here’s the recap for Jahmyr Gibbs and Rashee Rice.
Jahmyr Gibbs – RB Detroit Lions
From a fantasy football perspective, Jahmyr Gibbs didn’t put up the points you drafted him to score, but there’s more to the story. Gibbs was the lightning and thunder when giving opportunities last night. From missed tackles to broken tackles, Gibbs left it all on the field. It will be breathtaking when Dan Campbell fully unleashing Gibbs within this offense. The Lions take on a lackadaisical Seattle Seahawks team in Week 2.
Jahmyr Gibbs: 7 RUSH, 42 YD | 2 REC, 18 YD
#Lions rookie Jahmyr Gibbs had 6 broken tackles rushing the football per PFF on just 7 carries for a yards after contact average of 4.86 yards 👀
For reference, Swift had a total of 24 forced missed tackles and Williams had 30 all of last season. pic.twitter.com/YScw07EcJw
— Logan Lamorandier (@LLamorandier) September 8, 2023
Rashee Rice – WR Kansas City Chiefs
Rashee Rice is a rookie I regrettably left off last week’s issue of Rookie Roundup. Reports of him being the fourth wide receiver and serving a highly selective role left me to not consider him an addition – but I was wrong. With an injury to Travis Kelce, and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ wide receivers having butterfingers, Rice stepped up when he was called upon.
Rashee Rice: 3 REC, 29 YD, 1 TD
First NFL touchdown for Rashee Rice #ChiefsKingdom
pic.twitter.com/FvOz5M9One— The League Winners (@FFLeagueWinners) September 8, 2023
Sunday Slate
Panthers @ Falcons
Bryce Young – QB Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young had his moments, but overall struggled in his NFL debut. He completed 52% of his passes against the division rival Atlanta Falcons, resulting in multiple interceptions. He moves on to Monday Night Football in Week 2, facing off against another divisional opponent in the New Orleans Saints.
- Bryce Young: 20/38 C/ATT, 146 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT | 3 CAR, 17 YDS
Jonathan Mingo- WR Carolina Panthers
Nothing of note here for Jonathan Mingo. He hauled in two of five targets on the day.
- Jonathan Mingo: 2 REC, 17 YDS
Bijan Robinson – RB Atlanta Falcons
Bijan Robinson left his mark in his debut. Robinson performed well, averaging 5.6 yards per carry (YPC) and catching the ball six times. He showed off his raw talent on a screen pass, breaking a defenders ankles and jogging into the end zone. Don’t let the work given to Tyler Allgeier scare you. Arthur Smith is just easing his rookie running back into the pros. Bijan faces a tough Green Bay Packers defense this week.
- Bijan Robinson: 10 CAR, 56 YDS | 6 REC, 27 YDS, 1 TD
Bijan Robinson’s first career touchdown is just filthy. pic.twitter.com/8K3xhSa475
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_TFB) September 10, 2023
Jaguars @ Colts
Anthony Richardson – QB Indianapolis Colts
Many believed Anthony Richardson was not going to be accurate coming into the NFL – including myself. For others in that crowd, we were indescribably wrong. Richardson completed 65% of his passes and only turned the ball over once against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He toted the ball 10 times, earning a score on one, en route to a riveting fantasy performance. He plays another rival next week, the Houston Texans.
- Anthony Richardson: 24/37 C/ATT, 223 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT | 10 CAR, 40 YDS, 1 TD
Josh Downs – WR Indianapolis Colts
Josh Downs saw the second most targets on the day with seven. The third round pick should fit well within the Indianapolis Colts offense.
- Josh Downs: 3 REC, 30 YDS
Tank Bigsby – RB Jacksonville Jaguars
Tank Bigsby was severely inefficient on Sunday. He fell into the end zone on one run, but his 1.9 YPC wasn’t attention grabbing. The Jags play the Chiefs next Sunday afternoon
- Tank Bigsby: 7 CAR, 13 YDS, 1 TD
Buccaneers @ Vikings
Jordan Addison – WR Minnesota Vikings
Jordan Addison is following the path of Justin Jefferson. He caught a wide open touchdown pass, and was tied for third in targets on the team. He’ll look to follow this up against 2022’s runner up, the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Jordan Addison: 4 REC, 61 YDS, 1 TD
Sean Tucker & Trey Palmer – RB & WR Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Trey Palmer made the most of his few targets. He was on the receiving end for one of two Baker Mayfield touchdown passes. Sean Tucker saw seven opportunities on the day. He averaged just over three yards per touch (YPT). They go against the Chicago Bears this week.
- Trey Palmer: 2 REC, 8 YDS, 1 TD
- Sean Tucker: 5 CAR, 15 YDS | 2 REC, 9 YDS
Titans @ Saints
Tyjae Spears – RB Tennessee Titans
Tyjae Spears did well with limited work. He also played on every third down snap. Something to monitor going forward. The Tennessee Titans matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.
- Tyjae Spears: 3 CAR, 27 YDS | 1 REC 1 YD
Cardinals @ Commanders
Michael Wilson – WR Arizona Cardinals
Michael Wilson was an intriguing third round prospect. You can’t say the same for his debut. He takes on the New York Giants this week.
- Michael Wilson: 2 REC , 19 YDS
Texans @ Ravens
CJ Stroud – QB Houston Texans
CJ Stroud‘s debut is what the new generation would call ‘mid’ (It’s me, I’m new gen). He made little mistakes, completing 64% of his passes and limiting turnovers to one. I can’t help but notice he didn’t do much to help the Texans win, subsequently throwing zero touchdowns. His weapons aren’t great, and I’m hesitant to have him in my lineups in Week two against the Colts.
- CJ Stroud: 28/44 C/ATT, 242 YDS, 1 FUM | 4 CAR, 20 YDS
Tank Dell – WR Houston Texans
Tank Dell didn’t see the opportunities his off-season hype gave us hope for, but he converted three of four targets into catches.
- Tank Dell: 3 REC, 34 YDS
Zay Flowers – WR Baltimore Ravens
Zay Flowers was immediately the top target in the Baltimore Ravens offense. Although Mark Andrews was OUT, he still saw 10 targets from Lamar Jackson, who was well under par on the day. I project him as an every week flex play going forward with WR2 upside. He takes on the rival Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2.
- 9 REC, 78 YDS
Looks like Zay didn't need much time to get adjusted 💨@zayflowers | @ravens pic.twitter.com/h1wg8lH2f2
— NFL (@NFL) September 12, 2023
Raiders @ Broncos
Marvin Mims Jr WR Denver Broncos
I had my eyes on Marvin Mims, as you can see from my Undrafted Players write-up. He was not utilized enough this week to warrant much discussion going forward. I expect him to take a back seat when Jerry Jeudy returns.
- Marvin Mims Jr: 2 REC, 9 YDS
Dolphins @ Chargers
Quentin Johnston – WR Los Angeles Chargers
Quentin Johnston didn’t do much in his debut. I expect him to come into his own over the course of the season.
- Quentin Johnston: 2 REC, 9 YDS
Packers @ Bears
Jayden Reed / Luke Musgrave – WR & TE Green Bay Packers
Jayden Reed tied the team lead in targets with five. If Christian Watson‘s hamstring injury lingers on, Reed could be in for a flex play against the Falcons. Luke Musgrave was right behind him in targets, but won the yardage battle. These two should see moderate work going forward.
- Jayden Reed: 2 REC, 48 YDS
- Luke Musgrave: 3 REC, 50 YDS
Rams @ Seahawks
Puka Nacua – WR Los Angeles Rams
Puka Nacua is another player from my Undrafted Players (see above) article. Except this time, I hit the jackpot. Nacua was the primary target on the team and there’s no indication of slowing down. His next road bump comes this week, against division rival and top defense, the San Francisco 49ers. I expect him to leave his mark on this team, and solidify the WR2 role when Cooper Kupp comes back.
- Puka Nacua: 10 REC, 119 YDS
Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua 🎯 pic.twitter.com/gWB4T1MvTs
— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) September 10, 2023
Jaxon Smith-Njigba – WR Seattle Seahawks
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, or ‘JSN’ for short, was coming off wrist surgery heading into Week 1. He hauled in three of five targets on the day, but the Seahawks offense looked stale as a whole. They face the Lions this week, and are hoping for a better outcome.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 3 REC, 13 YDS
Zach Charbonnet – RB Seattle Seahawks
Zach Charbonnet didn’t see the field much on Sunday. The Seahawks were pass heavy on Sunday. Even so, Kenneth Walker saw the majority of running back touches.
- Zach Charbonnet: 3 CAR, 11 YDS
Sunday Night Football
Cowboys @ Giants
Deuce Vaughn – RB Dallas Cowboys
Nothing to highlight for Deuce Vaughn, except he saw six touches in a blowout against the Giants
- Deuce Vaughn: 6 CAR, 8 YDS
Monday Night Football
Bills @ Jets
Dalton Kincaid – TE Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid hauled in all four of his targets on Monday Night Football, but the Bills offense was stagnant in the second half due to Josh Allen‘s turnovers. They look to improve going forward against a bad Las Vegas Raiders defense.
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