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
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

NFL Rookies To Watch In Week 2

Each week, we will look at rookies who have either performed well the previous few weeks or who have a favorable matchup in the upcoming week. These may be high-profile names or under-the-radar depth players; the only thing that matters is that they are first-year pros ready to make a name for themselves.

Hopefully, by the time the season ends, many of them will be household fantasy names and be remembered for their performances in the 2017 season.

For Week 1, we have a limited track record to analyze, but there were certainly some standout performances from the new crop of NFL players.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Rookies Worth Your Attention

The Stud Youngster

Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

After recording a record performance for a rookie in Week 1, Kareem Hunt looks poised to have an established workhorse role in his first season with the Chiefs. In what will no doubt be a historic rookie running back class, Hunt looks like a favorite to lead the group in all-purpose yards as a result of his undeniable talent and fantastic situation. Despite fumbling on his first NFL carry, there are few concerns about his ball security. Hunt should be considered a locked in RB1 who owners should not be afraid to start given his situation. Despite only having a mediocre matchup against the Eagles in Week 2, Hunt will hope to build on his Week 1 performance and establish himself as the best rookie running back and one of the top backs in the league.

 

The One Week Wonder

Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions

After posting a two touchdown game in Week 1 against the Cardinals, Golladay looks to be a fixture in the Lions receiving core for the foreseeable future. However, the Lions have several receiving options at the position, including Marvin Jones and Golden Tate. To add to this, receiving back Theo Riddick and tight end Eric Ebron are also top options for quarterback Matthew Stafford to target. While Golladay's talent is undeniable, both of his touchdowns came in the fourth quarter after the Cardinals defense was tired from being on the field for the majority of the game following the injury to running back David Johnson and quarterback Carson Palmer's offensive woes. Golladay should definitely not be dropped by any of his owners; however, owners should not consider him a locked-and-loaded starter until there is some more sustained production from the Lions offense and Golladay.

 

The Locked-In Starter

Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

After being drafted with the fourth overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2017 NFL Draft, there were very high expectations for rookie running back Leonard Fournette. Fournette delivered on those expectations with over 125 all-purpose yards and a score as the Jaguars demolished the Texans despite an injury to star wide receiver Allen Robinson. Fantasy owners most likely paid a late second round price for the running back, so he will be in most lineups that he has been drafted into week in and week out. Despite having a difficult matchup against the Titans front seven in Week 2, Fournette should be carried by the sheer volume of touches that he will receive as the undisputed workhorse back in a run-heavy Doug Marrone Jaguars offense. It is unlikely that those of you who have Fournette will bench him no matter the matchup, but you should still be confident that he will make the most of the opportunities he is given.

 

The Under The Radar Sleeper

O.J. Howard, TE, Tampa Bay Bucaneers

While O.J. Howard certainly is not an under the radar football player, the first round tight end has not gotten much love from the fantasy community. Of course, there is a justifiable stigma in playing rookie tight ends because there have been few memorable season-long performances from rookie tight ends in recent history. However, that does not mean that high-profile players at the position can't be used as matchup-based streaming options. Howard will want to make his presence known from the get go, and an extremely favorable matchup against a Bears secondary will allow him to make the most of his abilities and show Bucs fans why their front office made the smart decision to draft him in the first place. Who knows - Howard has been labeled as the greatest tight end prospect in recent years, so his ceiling could be higher than what many of us expect from rookie tight ends as a whole.

 

The One To Stash

Marlon Mack, RB, Indianapolis Colts

After being hyped as a preseason sleeper due to the age of starter Frank Gore and inefficiency of backup Robert Turbin, Marlon Mack split carries evenly with Frank Gore and had a touchdown in his official Colts debut. Mack also had another touchdown mistakenly taken away from him, and he looks to be a constant and versatile scoring threat for a Colts team lacking an offensive identity in the absence of franchise quarterback Andrew Luck. Mack should not be considered a playable option despite his blow-up potential. However, once Luck returns, if Mack is able to take over the starting role for an offense that has historically been generous in opportunities to its running backs, he could be a very useful late season option for fantasy owners. Keep an eye on Marlon Mack - he has a lot left to give this season to his team and yours.

 

More Week 2 Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zack Short15 mins ago

Inks Minor League Deal With Houston
MLB26 mins ago

Matthew Linskey Shipped To Houston
Grae Kessinger33 mins ago

Traded To Arizona
Sean Monahan59 mins ago

Exits Tuesday's Game Early
Filip Chytil1 hour ago

Exits On Tuesday With Upper Body Injury
Brock Faber1 hour ago

Sustains Injury On Tuesday
Steven Stamkos1 hour ago

Exits Early On Tuesday
Evgeni Malkin1 hour ago

Sidelined With Upper Body Injury
Josh Morrissey2 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Lower Body Injury
Nikola Jokic12 hours ago

Out On Tuesday Night
Kyle Kuzma12 hours ago

Exits Game Early With Calf Contusion
Brice Sensabaugh13 hours ago

Ruled Out For Tuesday
Tanner Scott13 hours ago

Mets Meet With Tanner Scott
Lauri Markkanen13 hours ago

Upgraded To Available On Tuesday
A.J. Minter13 hours ago

Boston Showing Interest In A.J. Minter
Bogdan Bogdanovic13 hours ago

Will Suit Up On Tuesday
Trae Young13 hours ago

To Play On Tuesday
Matt McLain13 hours ago

Could See Time In The Outfield
Derrick White13 hours ago

Unavailable On Tuesday
Dejounte Murray13 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
Noelvi Marte13 hours ago

Could Open 2025 Season In The Minors
Anthony Davis13 hours ago

Available For Tuesday's Contest
Justin Verlander14 hours ago

Signs One-Year Contract With San Francisco
LeBron James14 hours ago

To Play On Tuesday
Jalen Green14 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Bilal Coulibaly14 hours ago

Set To Return Tuesday
Daniel Gafford14 hours ago

Unavailable For Dallas On Tuesday
NFL15 hours ago

Ashton Jeanty Declares For 2025 NFL Draft
Joey Daccord15 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Cam Reddish15 hours ago

Out Tuesday
Colin Miller15 hours ago

To Miss At Least Two Weeks
Justin Faulk15 hours ago

Rejoins Blues Lineup Against Wild
Tyler Herro15 hours ago

Questionable On Tuesday
Igor Shesterkin15 hours ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Chris Kreider15 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Josh Richardson15 hours ago

Doubtful Versus Warriors
Jacob Middleton15 hours ago

Available Tuesday
Troy Terry16 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday's Action
Alex Caruso16 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Gabe Vincent16 hours ago

Upgraded To Probable Versus Dallas
Kyle Lowry16 hours ago

Will Not Play Wednesday Against Washington
Cam Reddish16 hours ago

Likely Unavailable Tuesday
Paul George16 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Tua Tagovailoa16 hours ago

Dolphins Have "No Concern At All" About Tua Tagovailoa's Long-Term Health
Las Vegas Raiders17 hours ago

Raiders Fire Head Coach Antonio Pierce
David Montgomery18 hours ago

Expected To Return For Divisional Round
Tyreek Hill18 hours ago

Dolphins Say Tyreek Hill Did Not Request A Trade
Drew Rasmussen18 hours ago

Rays Working On Finalizing Extension With Drew Rasmussen
Brandon Woodruff18 hours ago

Hopes To Be Ready By Opening Day
Zay Flowers18 hours ago

Not At Tuesday's Practice
Marcus Stroman18 hours ago

Yankees Actively Shopping Marcus Stroman
Bobby Dalbec19 hours ago

White Sox Agree On Minor-League Deal With Bobby Dalbec
Carlos Estévez19 hours ago

Blue Jays Interested In Carlos Estevez
Luke Clanton20 hours ago

A Player To Watch At Sony Open
Thomas Detry20 hours ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of Sony Open
Russell Henley20 hours ago

A Course Horse At Sony Open
Stephan Jaeger20 hours ago

A Risky Option At Sony Open
Kurt Kitayama20 hours ago

Makes 2025 Debut At Sony Open
Maverick McNealy20 hours ago

Looks To Stay Hot In Hawaii
Sepp Straka20 hours ago

A Safe Option At Sony Open
Michael Thorbjornsen20 hours ago

A Dark Horse At Sony Open
Tennessee Titans21 hours ago

Titans Retaining Brian Callahan As Head Coach
Tennessee Titans21 hours ago

Titans Fire GM Ran Carthon
Yoán Moncada23 hours ago

Blue Jays, Cubs, Mariners Interested In Yoan Moncada
Alex Verdugo24 hours ago

Pirates Showing Interest In Alex Verdugo
Roansy Contreras24 hours ago

Designated For Assignment
Matt Festa24 hours ago

Designated For Assignment
Gary Woodland1 day ago

Aims For Better 2025 Debut In Hawaii
Brent Rooker1 day ago

Signs Five-Year Extension
Keith Mitchell1 day ago

Attempts To Put Fall Behind Him
Robert MacIntyre1 day ago

Tries To Learn Sony Open Lessons
Si Woo Kim1 day ago

Makes 2025 Debut At Sony Open
Jacob Markstrom1 day ago

Snaps Losing Skid On Monday
Tom Hoge1 day ago

Tries To Keep Momentum Rolling In Hawaii
Devon Toews1 day ago

Busy In Monday's Victory
Nick Suzuki1 day ago

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Victory
Harris English1 day ago

Begins 2025 At The Sony Open
Alex Tuch1 day ago

Scores Twice On Monday
Jared Spurgeon1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jiri Kulich1 day ago

Exits Early On Monday
Corey Conners1 day ago

In Good Form For The Sony Open
PGA1 day ago

Byeong Hun An A Strong Bet To Contend Again At Sony Open
Nolan Arenado1 day ago

Red Sox Emerge As Strong Candidate To Land Nolan Arenado
Chris Martin1 day ago

Rangers Agree On One-Year Deal
Christian Watson1 day ago

Packers Confirm Torn ACL For Christian Watson
Ezekiel Elliott1 day ago

Signing With Chargers
Anthony Santander2 days ago

Viewed As "Focus" For Toronto
Kyler Murray2 days ago

"100 Percent" Chance That Kyler Murray Will Start For Cardinals In 2025
Brock Purdy2 days ago

Wants Contract Done Sooner Than Later
Christian McCaffrey2 days ago

"Definitely Close" To Being Fully Recovered
Jayden Daniels2 days ago

Commanders "Not Concerned" With Jayden Daniels' Leg Soreness
Amari Cooper2 days ago

Bills Hopeful Amari Cooper Will Be Available In Wild-Card Round
Erik Haula2 days ago

Expected To Miss "A Few Weeks"
Patrik Laine2 days ago

Misses Third Consecutive Game
Chicago Bears2 days ago

Bears Seek Permission To Interview Mike McCarthy For Head-Coaching Job
Jalen Hurts2 days ago

Still In The Concussion Protocol
Anthony Richardson2 days ago

Will Be Colts Starter In 2025
Las Vegas Raiders2 days ago

Antonio Pierce Expects To Return As Raiders Head Coach
Chicago Bears2 days ago

Chicago Requests Interview With Mike Kafka For Head-Coaching Job
Geno Smith2 days ago

Expected To Return To Seattle