41 Trends & Tips to Survive the Mid-Season Slog

It is easy to go into survival mode this time of the year. You just want to scrap buy, fight for a win and hope that you can move a player or two off your IR next week. It is important to fight off the temptation to pass up long-term value for short-term relief. In this week's edition of the Rookie Big Board:

• 15 rookies reactions from Week 8, including a hard choice you need to make with your Oronde Gadsden shares
• 5 players to target on your dynasty waiver wire, available in 63% of leagues
• 22 devy risers from college football Week 9, including a trio of true freshman breakouts

I will refer to my rankings throughout this article. You can check them out and get personalized advice on your roster here.

Rookie Round Up

15 rookies with value on the move after Week 8

A lot of emphasis gets put on early season rookie performance, but this part of the year often times is more important for how we perceive rookies heading into their first offseason. Trends are emerging, and you need to stay on top of them.

• RJ Harvey has arrived! Kind of. Harvey scored 3 times on just 8 touches-totaling 47 yards and 24.1 fantasy points. He can't move up the rankings until Sean Peyton shows us he will give him consistent usage but this performance validations my stubborn refusal to drop him down the big board since his high post-NFL draft debut.
• The Texans finally remembered that they drafted two talented rookie wide receivers. Jaylin Noel has 9 receptions on 13 targets for 140 yards over the last two weeks. Jayden Higgins had a season high 8 targets this week-he caught 4 of them for 34 yards and a touchdown.
• It is finally Tyler Shough time (probably). Shough completed 17 of 30 attempts while throwing for 128 yards, 1 interception after Spencer Rattler got benched. Kellen Moore has not committed to Shough long-term but this has always been the logical progression for the now 1-7 Saints. The stats don't pop but he put some solid throws on tape and earned the 11th highest passing grade from PFF.
• Woody Marks is inevitable. He caught all 4 of his targets for 49 yards and rushed for 62 yards on 11 carries. Marks is up to 41% snap share (h/t to dchase05 in the RBB discord). The Texans offense has improved over the last two weeks-and Marks now has at least 13 touches in 3 of the last 4 games.
• Oronde Gadsden is just good enough to be dangerous. Gadsden caught all 5 of his targets for 77 yards and a touchdown-he is now TE11 on the season. Despite passing the eye test, Gadsden is a prime flip candidate-the Chargers offense has a tendency to feature players heavily and then drop off their volume suddenly (y'all remember Quention Johnston). If you can get an early 2026 2nd, take the cash out.

• Ollie Gordon looked solid in clean-up duty. He rushed totaled 66 yards on 11 touches in Miami's blow-up win against the Falcons.
• Cam Ward is far from a breakthrough but is making progress. Ward threw for 259 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception against the Colts. His 12.8 fantasy points are his highest mark of the season and he finished as QB18.
• Chimere Dike is quietly making a big statement. has 11 receptions on 12 targets for 163 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks.
• Colston Loveland is (slowing) emerging. He had a season high 5 targets against the Ravens. He hasn't broken out, yet but his increased target usage is encouraging.
• Don't sleep on Kyle Monangai. He has crept up to nearly 50% snap share over the last two games. He has 105 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on 20 carries in those games. Send your league mates a 3rd round pick for the guy backing up the current RB11.
• Tez Johnson continues to hit, for now. He caught another 5 balls on 6 targets for 43 yards. If you have Tez, flip him for any 2026 3rd round pick while the volume is there.
• Cam Skattebo is out for the season with a dislocated ankle. This is a major disappointment for the rookie who has far outperformed his early third round rookie draft ADP. Skattebo has impressed but don't consider giving up future capital for him, even on a quick rebuild. Trading for a physical running back who will need to bounce back from a lower body injury is not good process.

• Dillon Gabriel is struggling to take advantage of his opportunity. He is averaging 10.5 fantasy points/game since taking over as the starter and has thrown for more than 200 yards just once. His 4 touchdown to 2 interception ratio may buy him more time, but at he is going to need to take a leap soon to have any shot at long-term fantasy value.
• I am CONFUSED with Matthew Golden's usage. He had an aDOT of 1.3 this week. That is not a typo! He caught all 3 of his targets...for 4 yards. Golden has been hyper efficient this season but the Packers continue to puzzle me with how they want to use him. With a healthy Christian Watson back, I'm not sure we get a quick solution to this one.

Grinding the Waiver Wire

5 players available in at least 63% of leagues who can improve your lineup.

Editors note: if you have played in a Rookie Big Board league over the past six seasons you know Becks. He has brought home over a half dozen championships and built a few perennial powerhouses. A key piece of that success is his ability to scour the waiver wire to find value. He will be providing weekly targets that are rostered in 32% or less of leagues on Sleeper. These are his picks and they are all RBB approved.

It’s been a season of injuries, surprises, and disappointments and we’re only in week 9. If your teams look like mine, you probably have a few holes to fill. I’ll skip the pleasantries and get to some more players that might help you weather the storm. 

Tyler Lockett, WR (37% rostered) - After asking for his release from Tennessee, the veteran wide receiver signed with the Raiders on Monday. Jakobi Meyers has requested a trade and rookies Dont’e Thornton and Jack Bech haven’t shown enough to inspire the confidence of the coaching staff. Lockett could end up as one of the top targets in this Las Vegas offense.

Devin Singletary (37%) - Unfortunately rookie Cam Skattebo dislocated his ankle and will miss the remainder of the season. It’s a sad end to an incredible and meteoric rise for the rookie from Arizona State. Tyrone Tracy Jr. will now regain his starting role with Singletary moving up to RB2. The veteran has earned the trust of multiple coaching staffs throughout his career and could end up getting goal line and/or third down work for the Giants. 

Ty Johnson, RB (29%) - James Cook’s 2024 breakout has continued into this season and he’s shown no signs of slowing down after getting a big contract extension. Despite his dominance, Sean McDermott still likes to mix in Johnson from time to time; he’s played an average of 37% of the snaps for the Bills over the past two weeks.

Brandin Cooks, WR (29%) - Most of the buzz around New Orleans has been regarding Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed trade rumors. While it’s certainly possible one of those guys is moved, it seems more likely a team would be willing to meet the Saints’ asking price on Cooks (which is likely close to free). While he hasn’t produced much for fantasy thus far, a change of scenery could be the elixir. 

Tyler Huntley, QB (30%) - The man they call “Snoop” filled in admirably for Lamar Jackson, leading the Ravens to a 30-16 win over the Bears. Reports seem to indicate Jackson will return in week 9, but this is still the Ravens we’re talking about. They’re currently facing discipline from the league for not reporting Lamar’s week 8 practice status accurately. If he suffers a setback, Huntley will be startable as a fill-in. 

Week 9 Devy Stock Report

22 players who stood out in a sleepy slate

Week 9 was not loaded with big games from big names. Scoring devy value goes well beyond the big names, though. That is exactly why the Rookie Big Board exists, to make sure you don't miss emerging trends and can capture value that will win you fantasy football championships.

You can find my full devy rankings here

• North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker completed 37 of 49 passing attempts for 608 yards and 4 TD against Charlotte. The redshirt freshman now leads the country with 2,4678 passing yards and has a 21 TD to 4 INT ratio on the season. He should have P5 teams reaching out this offseason.
• Cal WR Jacob De Jesus caught 8 receptions for 86 yards against Virginia Tech. The senior now has 55 receptions on the season. His 5-7, 170 frame may prohibit him from a Senior Bowl invitation but he should at least get an offer from the Shrine Bowl.

• Tennessee WR Mike Matthews caught all 6 of his targets for 107 yards and a touchdown in the Vols 56 point performance against Kentucky. The sophomore is averaging 16.1 yards/reception on 35 catches this season.
• Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed threw for 202 yards, rushed for 108 yards and scored 4 times in a dominant win against LSU. Reed is far from a finished product but his dual threat ability sets him up to compete for consideration in the top tier of a strong 2027 NFL Draft class.
• Alabama WR Ryan Williams caught 7 balls for 72 yards against South Carolina. Williams has had a relative down season compared to his freshman campaign, but seems to have left his drop issues behind him after a few solid weeks.
• Oregon RB Jordon Davison rushed for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns against Wisconsin. The true freshman looks to have won out a deep running back competition-a major boost for his devy value.
• Oklahoma WR Isaiah Sategna III caught 6 balls for 131 yards and 1 touchdown against Ole Miss. The junior been Mateer's top target this season, bringing in 43 receptions for 624 yards and 5 touchdowns on the year.
• Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss threw for 315 yards and rushed for 53 yards in a big victory against Oklahoma. Chambliss is a DII transfer who has completed 61% of his passes, rushed for 376 yards and has scored 14 times since taking over for the injured Austin Simmons. Chambliss has started to get Day 3 NFL Draft chatter. He doesn't have to declare until 2027.
• Miami RB Mark Fletcher scored 3 times while rushing for 106 yards against Stanford. Fletcher remains my favorite running back that nobody is talking about in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
• Missouri QB Matt Zollers completed 14 of 23 passing attempts for 138 yards and 1 touchdown against Vanderbilt. Zollers is a true freshman who took over after starting quarterback Beau Pribula left the game with a dislocated ankle. Head coach Eli Drinkawitz called Zollers the future of the program in an emphatic statement of support after the game.

• BYU QB Bear Bachmeier completed 63% of his 35 attempts for 307 yards and 2 touchdowns against Iowa State. The true freshman got named the starter late in the summer and has led his team to a surprising 8-0 start.
• Louisville RB Isaac Brown rushed for 205 yards and a touchdown against Boston College. Brown was one of my favorite 2027 running backs heading into the season but has only rushed the ball 75 times this season. Despite that, he has 4 games with 100+ rushing yards, including the last two weeks.
• Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby threw for 111 yards, rushed for 85 yards and scored 3 times against Baylor. Sorsby has led the Bearcats to a 7-0 start and is receiving considerable momentum as a prospect in a weak 2026 QB class.
• Texas QB Arch Manning threw for 346 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception against Mississippi State. This was Manning's best performance so far, but he left the game late with an injury.
• Texas WR Ryan Wingo caught 5 balls for 184 yards against Mississippi State. Wingo's talent continues to breakthrough, despite a lack of consistent production.
• Washington QB Demond Williams threw for 4 touchdowns and 280 yards against Illinois. The sophomore also rushed for 66 yards. He has completed 73% of his attempts for 2,117 yards and 14 touchdowns, 4 interceptions on the season. The dual-threat has also rushed for 429 yards and 4 touchdowns.
• Houston TE Tanner Koziol caught 7 balls for 100 yards and 1 touchdown in an upset victory against Arizona State. Koziol is a sneaky 2026 prospect, with 43 receptions, 450 yards, 4 touchdowns so far this season.
• Michigan RB Justice Haynes rushed for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 3 receptions against Michigan State. Haynes missed the last two weeks with a soft tissue injury but made a statement in his return. He is averaging 7.1 yards/carry this season, with 857 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games.
• Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson rushed for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns against Northwestern. Johnson now has 4 games with 100+ rushing yards and has scored 9 times this season. The junior should be in consideration as a Day 3 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
• Rutgers WR KJ Duff caught 6 balls for 241 yards (40.2 yards/reception) and a touchdown against Purdue. Duff is a 6-6, 225 lbs. true sophomore who now has 3 games with 90+ yards in an offense not known for throwing it deep.
• UConn WR Skyler Bell caught 8 balls for 158 yards and a touchdown against Rice. Bell is a 5th year senior who has produced at a high level for the Huskies after 3 uneventful seasons at Wisconsin. Bell has 66 receptions, 845 yards and 8 touchdowns. He should get a Senior Bowl or Shrine Bowl invitation.
• NC State TE Justin Joly caught 6 balls for 101 yards, 2 touchdowns against Pitt. Joly is a sure-handed, athletic tight end who has serious fantasy upside. He did leave the game early with an injury.