X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch - Darius Slayton, Alexander Mattison, Ryan Finley

Which fantasy football rookies are risers and fallers for Week 10? Jake Trowbridge looks at Darius Slayton, Alexander Mattison, Ryan Finley, and others as potential starts.

By Week 10 of the NFL season, it almost feels a bit disingenuous to still refer to first-year players "rookies." After all, most of them have seen plenty of on-field action at this point. But hey, the term is still technically accurate and therefore will continue to be used in this column. Just know, for any first-year NFL players who are definitely reading this over breakfast, that I mean no disrespect.

In case you are new to this column, each week we highlight a few first-year players who are worth keeping your eye on. Not all of the players listed below are must-starts, but all of them are in a position to be viable fantasy options.

If any of these names are sitting out on your waiver wire, you should strongly consider picking them up to play this week or stash for your fantasy playoffs if you have space. Ideally, some of these names will help fantasy players get some roster depth which can minimize the negative impact of injuries and bye weeks.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

The Red Zone Phenomenon

Darius Slayton (WR, NYG)

The Giants' fifth-round pick hasn't had a consistent target share to work with this season, but he's produced like a stud when he's gotten the ball. Slayton turned his two receptions into two touchdowns a couple of weeks ago against Detroit, proving he has a nose for the end zone. His opportunities will likely be amplified this week, as Sterling Shepard will once again go back into the concussion protocol and Evan Engram will sit out with a foot injury.

Aside from Saquon Barkley, it will be up to Golden Tate and Slayton to move the chains this Sunday in a prime matchup with the Jets, who are allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to wide receivers. They've also given up 11 touchdowns to the position, though I expect that number to bump up by at least a couple after Slayton is done with them.

 

The Shiny New Dolphin

Patrick Laird (RB, MIA)

If we've learned one thing this year from the 2019 Miami Dolphins that we should've already known from reading The Outsiders, it's that nothing gold can stay. Anything even approaching fantasy relevance from this team has quickly been shut down. Preston Williams is out for the season with a torn ACL. Kenyan Drake was traded to the Cardinals. Mark Walton was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Those last two bits have now cleared the way for two rookie running backs to gain opportunities. With only Kalen Ballage ahead of them on the depth chart, seventh-round pick Myles Gaskin and undrafted free agent Patrick Laird are sure to see plenty of work in the passing game. Ballage has Teflon oven mitts for hands, while both Gaskin and Laird are comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield. Laird, in particular, has pass-catching built firmly into his resume, as he notched 96 receptions over his last two years at Cal. Look for Laird to handle the bulk of the receiving work in this one against Indianapolis, which can be a very valuable position in an otherwise mired offense.

 

The Post-Hype Breakout

Keesean Johnson (WR, ARI)

"Who's been hyping up the Cardinals sixth-round pick?" you ask. I have. I have been hard in this column. But there came a breaking point -- after the fourth plus matchup on his schedule yielded yet another extremely meager fantasy stat line -- where I cut ties with Johnson for the year. Naturally, the very next week against the 49ers, who are arguably the best defense in the league, he came out and scored his first touchdown of the season. So guess what folks...I'm back on him.

Johnson has now matched Christian Kirk's targets in the red zone and gets an inviting matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week. The Bucs have over-committed to stopping the run, which has left them extremely susceptible to chunk plays by receivers. In fact, they've allowed the most fantasy points to receivers on the season. In what Vegas projects to be the highest-scoring game of the week with a 52.5 point over/under, Johnson should see enough work to make him a person of interest.

 

The Understudy 

Alexander Mattison (RB, MIN)

Prior to the start of this season, it was believed by many that Mattison could be one of the most valuable running back handcuffs in fantasy football. Entering Week 10, that notion remains clear. Dalvin Cook currently leads all running backs in rushing attempts (177) and is ninth at his position in receptions. Despite Cook's relatively excellent health so far this season, those numbers for an oft-injured back should start to make fantasy owners a bit nervous.

Mattison has spelled Cook on occasion, to the tune of 71 rushing attempts and a handful of targets. As the Vikings head into the second half of their season, it wouldn't surprise me if that number starts to creep up, if for no other reason than to keep their talented No 1 back healthy. The Dallas defense started the year very solid against the run, though the past few weeks have exposed some cracks. The Cowboys are currently 2nd-best against wide receivers, and with Adam Thielen set to miss this week with a hamstring injury, Minnesota could try to run it early and often. If that's the case, expect Mattison to see a significant number of snaps.

 

The Extreme Underdog

Ryan Finley (QB, CIN)

The Bengals' fourth-round selection will get his first career start this week against Baltimore, and no one could be happier/more terrified for him than I. Finley will start under center behind an offensive line ranked 27th in the league by PFF coming into this season, and who have done everything to prove they actually deserved to be ranked much worse than that. It's worth noting that Finley stands at 6'4" and weighs just barely over 200 lbs, officially qualifying him for the nickname "string bean."

While that would typically be a recipe for great amounts of pain and disappointment for a first-time starter, the Ravens have been surprisingly inept at getting after quarterbacks this season. Baltimore ranks 27th in sack percentage, which at least gives Finley an outside chance of not getting carted off the field with a broken everything on Sunday. Granted, they've also allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks, but you have to look for silver linings where you can find them.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cleveland Browns22 mins ago

Mike Hall Likely To Miss Offseason Program After Having Knee Surgery
New England Patriots29 mins ago

Christian Barmore Expected To Be Ready For Offseason Workouts
36 mins ago

Saints Expected To Visit With Quinn Ewers
Jake Moody42 mins ago

49ers To Bring In Competition For Jake Moody
Pittsburgh Steelers50 mins ago

Steelers In Play To Draft A Running Back
Tobias Myers1 hour ago

To Make First Rehab Start On Tuesday
Aaron Civale1 hour ago

To Throw Off A Mound On Saturday
Miami Marlins1 hour ago

Maximo Acosta Stellar In First Taste Of Triple-A
Christian Yelich1 hour ago

Out Wednesday Against Lefty
Bryan Reynolds2 hours ago

Dealing With Triceps Soreness
Luinder Avila2 hours ago

Strikes Out 11 In Second Triple-A Start
Alexis Díaz2 hours ago

Alexis Diaz To Begin Rehab Assignment This Weekend
Andrew Abbott2 hours ago

To Make Another Rehab Start On Sunday
James Triantos2 hours ago

Productive At The Start Of Triple-A Regular Season
Christian Encarnacion-Strand2 hours ago

Back In Reds Lineup
Jakob Marsee2 hours ago

Showing Elite Speed At Triple-A
Corey Seager2 hours ago

Out Wednesday As He Continues To Manage Calf Issue
Will Benson2 hours ago

Swinging A Hot Bat In Minor Leagues
Rece Hinds2 hours ago

Flashing Power At Triple-A
Green Bay Packers3 hours ago

Packers Not Ruling Out Jaire Alexander Returning
Tennessee Titans3 hours ago

No. 1 Overall Pick Might Not Be For Sale
Kenny Pickett3 hours ago

Browns Feel Good About QB Situation, Kenny Pickett
Cleveland Browns3 hours ago

Browns Unlikely To Trade Up To No. 1 Overall For Cam Ward
Cincinnati Bengals4 hours ago

Bengals Still Working On Contract Extension With Trey Hendrickson
Dyami Brown4 hours ago

Jaguars Intrigued By Dyami Brown's Potential
Harrison Bader4 hours ago

Scorches Pinch-Hit Home Run
Kyle Brnovich4 hours ago

Strikes Out Seven In Season Debut
Jordan Walker4 hours ago

Posts Two More Hits
Pittsburgh Steelers4 hours ago

All Options On The Table For Steelers At Quarterback
Tim Tawa4 hours ago

Homers In Third Straight Contest
Riley Greene4 hours ago

Blasts Another Homer
Jordan Mason4 hours ago

To Factor Into Short-Yardage, Goal-Line Situations
Cody Freeman4 hours ago

Goes Deep Twice On Tuesday
Bennedict Mathurin5 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Joe Milton III5 hours ago

Patriots Have Received Multiple Trade Inquiries For Joe Milton III
Jimmy Crooks5 hours ago

Enjoying Strong Start At Triple-A
Myles Turner5 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Wednesday
Al Horford5 hours ago

Considered Doubtful Wednesday
Jrue Holiday5 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis5 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Jaylen Brown5 hours ago

Could Remain On The Shelf Wednesday
Cade Cunningham5 hours ago

Likely Out For Fifth Straight Game
Anthony Davis5 hours ago

Probable Wednesday
Evan Bouchard7 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Victory
Jake Guentzel7 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Kirill Marchenko7 hours ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Tage Thompson7 hours ago

Stays Hot On The Scoresheet
Lane Hutson7 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers In Overtime Victory
Alex Ovechkin8 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Cameron Young12 hours ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama12 hours ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim13 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Evan Engram13 hours ago

Sean Payton Excited About Evan Engram In Joker Role
Caleb Williams14 hours ago

To Spend More Time Working Under Center
Tom Hoge14 hours ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Daniel Jones14 hours ago

Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones To Split First-Team Reps This Offseason
Terry McLaurin15 hours ago

Commanders Interested In Extending Terry McLaurin
Rashee Rice15 hours ago

Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Garrett Wilson15 hours ago

Jets Plan To Get Garrett Wilson The Ball "As Much As Possible"
Keaton Mitchell15 hours ago

Ravens Have High Hopes For Keaton Mitchell
Matt Fitzpatrick17 hours ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners17 hours ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay17 hours ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland18 hours ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia18 hours ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti18 hours ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Guerschon Yabusele19 hours ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns19 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Jevon Carter19 hours ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry19 hours ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips19 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jalen Smith19 hours ago

Available Against Raptors
Lonzo Ball19 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Kevin Huerter19 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Matchup
Josh Giddey19 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Dalano Banton20 hours ago

Starting Against The Hawks
Royce O'Neale20 hours ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Jerami Grant20 hours ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Bradley Beal20 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud20 hours ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Jacob Trouba20 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Troy Terry20 hours ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jonathan Marchessault20 hours ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere21 hours ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn21 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro21 hours ago

Returns Against Predators
Olli Määttä24 hours ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway1 day ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Jordan Staal1 day ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy1 day ago

Not Traveling With Team
Josh Norris1 day ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth1 day ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp1 day ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim1 day ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood1 day ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau1 day ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole1 day ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Casey DeSmith1 day ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment1 day ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Sam Stevens2 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA2 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman2 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg2 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall2 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara2 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez2 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.2 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez2 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas2 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez2 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones2 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry3 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum5 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales5 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira5 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Overvalued, Undervalued Players (2025)

Dynasty fantasy football rankings constantly shift, especially as we inch closer to the new season and fantasy drafts. Dynasty managers know the importance of finding those underrated players who could be steals in drafts or trades. They also know some players are overhyped due to unsustainable trends or past production. I'll break down two overvalued […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Moves During 2025 NFL Free Agency

It has been a wild offseason so far in the NFL. Plenty of players have switched teams in free agency, and some stars were even traded. Deebo Samuel Sr. was dealt to the Washington Commanders, Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, and DK Metcalf has a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]