Emeka Egbuka Shines, Keon Coleman Breaks out and a Welcome to the John Mateer Experience

The first Tuesday morning of the NFL season always feel special. It is an intoxicating combination of confusion, excitement and a healthy dose of tilting. Mix in a particularly chaotic week of college football and we are full steam ahead on a big season of fantasy football. In this week's edition of the Rookie Big Board:

• 10 stats that tell the story of Week 1
• 8 rookies who stood out in Week 1
• 5 players to target on your dynasty waiver wire
• 18 devy risers from college football Week 2
• 6 devy fallers from college football Week 2

I will refer to my rankings throughout this article. You can check them out here.

10 Stats that Tell the Story of Week 1

Keon Coleman has arrived, Daniel Jones is a league leader and more.

Week 1 can be overwhelming. We have to relearn the strength of defenses, understand new offensive schemes and try our best not to overreact to everything we see. Practice patience and lock into these 10 key stats.

1. Keon Coleman led the Bills with 11 targets. He looked good doing it, too. Coleman caught 8 balls (73%) for 112 yards and a touchdown. I told everyone who drafted Coleman last year to be patient; year 2 was always the plan. So far, so good.
2. The Jets ran the ball 39 times, the second highest number of rushing attempts in Week 1. That is a massive adjustment from last season when they averaged 21.3 rushing attempts/game-last in the NFL. The big winner here is Justin Fields, who finished as QB2 on the week despite throwing the ball just 22 times (he also looked good throwing the ball). It is also encouraging for Breece Hall, who averaged 5.6 yards/carry and finished as RB11. The rotation of Braelon Allen (6 carries) and Isaiah Davis (2 carries) may help him stay fresh and look explosive throughout the season.
3. Ricky Pearsall ran routes on 92% on his snaps. He caught 4 of his 6 targets and finished with a strong 77.2 PFF grade. He led the 49ers in targets and accounted for 108 of the 124 receiving yards that San Francisco wide receivers totaled against the Seahawks. A great sign for someone with a lot of year 2 breakout hopes.
4. Daniel Jones threw for 272 yards, his highest total since Week 4 of the 2024 season. Jones threw for more than 272 yards just twice as a Giant between 2022-2024. Jones' top target is Michael Pittman, who caught 6 of 8 balls thrown his way for 80 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Warren is also a major beneficiary of new look Daniel Jones, more on that later.
5. Kaleb Johnson was on the field for just one rushing snap. Jaylen Warren led the way with 11 attempts and Kenny Gainwell had 7. More concerning for those who drafted Johnson should be that the Steelers passing attack looked effective for the first time in years. Johnson's value was always based in volume-if it does not come soon we are hitting the panic button.
6. 10 Players caught a pass for Green Bay. My biggest fear with the Packers offense came true: Jordan Love truly was distributing the ball. Jayden Reed led the way with 5 targets, then Romeo Doubs (4), and Tucker Kraft (4). Rookie Matthew Golden caught both of his targets for just 16 yards. Savion Williams caught his sole target. I am going to stubbornly continue believing Matthew Golden's talent will win out.
7. Deebo Samuel caught 7 balls for 77 targets. Deebo was left for dead by many this offseason but appears to be a key part of Washington's offense. He caught 70% of his 10 targets and found the endzone on his lone rushing attempt. That puts him as WR6 on the week-an excellent offseason buy for those who leaned into the risk.
8. Bijan Robinson had 4x more receiving yards than rushing yards. Robinson finished as RB2 on the week in ppr formats, despite rushing for just 24 yards on 12 carries. He caught 6 of his 7 targets for a touchdown and 100 yards. His 100 receiving yards was 41 more than any other Falcon. Michael Penix's 298 yard and two touchdown performance was good enough for QB9 on the week, but was bolstered by this check down yardage.
9. Marvin Harrison Jr. caught 89% of all receiving yards for Arizona wide receivers. Harrison Jr. caught 5 balls for 71 yards, including an impressive 45 yard touchdown. He is off to a much better start than last season, making me confident my bold top 15 WR projection will hit. Murray threw for just 163 yards total. Trey McBride accounted for 61 yards. It appears to be a two man show in the passing game, with plenty for them each to produce weekly.
10. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught the 3rd most receptions on the 3rd most targets in Week 1. He caught 9 of 13 targets for 124 yards. Sam Darnold threw the ball just 23 times, meaning JSN was his target on 57% of attempts. He has the 6th highest PFF receiving grade for any player who caught more than 2 passes. His ADOT was 13.6 and his YPRR was 5.39. Everyone is talking about the Seattle running game, but JSN is the best player to put an early season trade offer out for.

Rookie Recap: Week 1 Winners

From the first-round to likely free agents, 8 rookies who stood out in their NFL debut

No Week 1 losers for the rookies. I do not make significant negative adjustments until I have at least a two game sample size. Good vibes only this week.

• Emeka Egbuka caught 4 of 6 targets and scored twice for the Bucs. He looks fast, is separating consistently and has proven he can be a downfield threat. With Godwin confirmed out for at least another month, Egbuka should be a weekly auto-lock in your starting line-up. He easily could end up the best value from 2025 rookie drafts.
• Tyler Warren caught 7 of 9 targets for 76 yards. His PFF receiving grade was 4th highest for tight ends with more than 2 targets. He led the Colts in targets and receptions. He ran routes on 85% of his snaps. Rookie tight ends who hit gain value faster than anyone else in fantasy. If he strings together a few more good games, get ready for a Brock Bowers-esq rise.
• Bill Croskey-Merritt rushed for 82 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown, including a 42 yard rush. He had the highest rush grade per PFF this week and was second only to Jayden Daniels in rushing attempts for the Commanders. I remain hesitant to pay up any significant value for Croskey-Merritt despite an impressive first week of the season.
• RJ Harvey averaged 11.7 yards/carry on his 6 attempts. His 70 rushing yards beat out JK Dobbins, who rushed for 63 yards on 16 carries (3.9 yards/carry). Denver's offense looked stagnant against the Titans-they desperately need his explosiveness to keep defenses off balance. It will not be long until he is averaging 15 touches a game.
• Harold Fannin Jr. caught 7 of 9 targets for 63 yards. I faded Fannin because I expected him to be classified as an h-back, which does still seem to be true. That does bother Joe Flacco, though, who threw the ball 45 times, just 1 attempt shy of the league high for Week 1. Kudos to you if you pushed through the positional designation and drafted him. If he is on your waiver wire, you can justify a FAAB bid of around 10%.
• Dylan Sampson led the Browns in receiving. His 8 receptions is just 12 shy of his reception total from his 2024 season at Tennessee. He also led the Browns in rushing attempts, although he mustered just 29 yards on 12 carries. Investing in the Browns running game is not good process at this point but it is hard to ignore this stat line.
• Tetairoa McMillan caught 5 of 9 targets for 68 yards against the Jaguars. If you drafted McMillan it would be natural to panic after seeing Bryce Young's disastrous Week 1 performance. McMillan, though, was clearly his top target and was PFF's highest rated rookie WR with more than 1 target from Week 1 (5th highest overall). Trust the process here.
• Travis Hunter led the Jaguars with 6 receptions. Less exciting was his 5.5 yards/reception. His YPRR was 1.2 and his ADOT 7.3. It is a solid start for Hunter but we need to see him targeted downfield if he is going to hit on his hype.

ISO: Help From the Waiver Wire

5 players rostered in less than 35% of leagues that can provide relief to an underperforming roster.

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 40% or less of leagues on Sleeper. These are his picks and they are all RBB approved.

If you took my advice last week, you were able to snag LeQuint Allen who ran 6 routes and got a couple looks for the Jags offense. On Monday night, news dropped that Tank Bigsby was traded to the Eagles and Allen moved up the depth chart. He will continue to be gameday active for the remainder of the season. Darnell Mooney and Drake London are banged up, meaning last week's recommendation of Casey Washington is event more relevant. He led all Falcons WRs in snaps and caught 3 passes. On to week 2!

1. Tyquan Thornton, WR (26% rostered) - The former second-round pick was used early and often with Xavier Worthy sustaining an unfortunate shoulder injury on the first drive on the Chiefs opener in Brazil. Still just 25, Thornton will likely get a long audition in the Worthy role. If he wins the trust of Mahomes, could be an every-week flex option.
2. Kavontae Turpin, WR (20%) - Previously pigeon-holed as a returner and gadget player, new Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer seems willing to allow Turpin to play a real role on offense. In the season-opener against Philadelphia Turpin saw 2 targets and 2 rushes. With the lack of depth behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, Turpin should see additional opportunities going forward.
3. Tyler Conklin, TE (35%) - A new addition to the Chargers tight end room, Conklin operated as the de-facto starter with Oronde Gadsden inactive. Conklin is a solid veteran who has logged 50+ receptions in 4 straight seasons. Justin Herbert looked like a man on a mission in a surprisingly pass-happy offense; if that continues, Conklin will continue to see targets.
4. Charlie Kolar, TE (2%) - The Ravens tight end room is in a state of flux. Isaiah Likely is recovering from a fractured foot and may still be a couple weeks away. Mark Andrews wasn’t heavily featured in the Ravens week 1 gameplan. Kolar played 61% of the snaps, primarily used as a blocker. A decently-regarded prospect out of Iowa State, there is plenty of time for a late-career breakout here.
5. Julius Chestnut, RB (15%) - Tyjae Spears is still on IR recovering from a serious high-ankle sprain which moved Chestnut up the Titans depth chart. Operating as the RB2 in a game dominated by Tony Pollard, Chestnut only saw 2 carries in week 1. While not a flashy player, Chestnut would step into a starting role in the event Pollard is unavailable.

Devy Stock Report: Week 2 Risers & Fallers

Two weeks into the season, trends are starting to emerge for the 2026 rookie class and beyond

College football week 2 was beautifully chaotic. With a two game sample size, we can start to identify positive trends, breakout prospects and players who need to start falling down the rankings.

Week 2 Risers

• Oklahoma QB John Mateer is going to take the draft world by storm. The mobile gunslinger lit up Michigan's defense this week, going 21 for 34 for 270 passing yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball 19 times for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground.
• Michigan RB Justice Haynes is making a strong case to be RB1 in the 2026 class. He looked explosive on a big run against Oklahoma and was the only part of their offense that passed the eye test on the road against a tough SEC defense. He ran for 125 yards and a touchdown. Compare that to QB Bryce Underwood, who passed for just 142 yards.
• Louisville WR Chris Bell is gaining Day 2 NFL Draft momentum. He caught 4 balls for 83 yards and a touchdown against JMU.
• Georgia WR Colbie Young looks to be the top target for the Bulldogs-a role that consistently has gotten receivers drafted. He caught 7 balls for 76 yards in their Week 2 game, double the receptions of the rest of the offense combined.
• Texas TE Jack Endries is in the driver's seat to be TE1 in the 2026 class. He led the Longhorns in receptions (4) and receiving yards (50) in their week one game against Ohio State. He caught both of his targets for 2 touchdowns against San Jose State in Week 2.
• NC State TE Justin Joly is a sneaky Day 2 NFL Draft prospect. He is athletic and has good hands, but is a bit of a tweener. He is the top target for the Wolfpack, catching 4 balls for 41 yards in Week 2.
• Arizona State WR Jordan Tyson is dominating the Sun Devils' market share. QB Sam Leavitt struggled, throwing for just 82 yards against Mississippi State. Tyson caught 68 of those yards and a touchdown. Top 20 NFL Draft pick incoming.
• Missouri QB Beau Pribula looks legit. He has a live arm and is confident throwing at all three levels of the field. He completed 30 of 39 passes for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns against rival Kansas.
• Clemson WR Bryant Wesco caught 118 of Cade Klubnik's 196 passing yards. Wesco has great hands, separates consistently and wins in traffic.
• Texas RB CJ Baxter passed the eye test against San Jose State. He looked healthy, explosive and ran for 64 yards as the lead Longhorns back. Look for him to enter the top 50 NFL Draft pick conversation as the season unfolds.
• Miami WR Malachi Toney is the real deal. The true freshman led the Hurricanes for the second week in a row, catching 6 balls for 80 yards.
• Florida WR Vernell Brown III has good ball-tracking ability and can win downfield. Another true freshman, Brown is the lone bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming Florida offense.
• Texas WR Parker Livingstone is a surprise breakout. The freshman is outperforming big names like Ryan Wingo early. He has 6 receptions for 175 yards (29.2 yards/reception) for 3 touchdowns over the first two weeks.

Week 2 Fallers

• Florida QB DJ Lagway struggled against USF. He completed 22 of 33 attempts for just 222 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception against one of the weakest defenses he will face all season.
• Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons looked lost against Kentucky. He completed just 13 of 24 passing attempts and threw 2 interceptions against the Wildcats. Simmons could quickly lose the trust of Lane Kiffin after a rough first two weeks.
• Oregon RB Makhi Hughes does not appear to be the top rusher for the Ducks. Hughes, a highly touted transfer from Tulane, rushed the ball just 9 times for 30 yards. RB Noah Whittington has started the first two games of the season.
• Oklahoma RB Jaydn Ott has been notably absent from their rushing attack. It was rumored he was dealing with an injury, but was out on special teams for the Sooners against Michigan. An odd situation to monitor moving forward.
• QB Keelon Russell appears to be QB3, behind Austin Mack on the Alabama depth chart. It is hard to knock a true freshman for not being higher on a depth chart but a chance to take the starting job later on in a season where Alabama could struggle was baked into his value. If he is not the next man up, he loses value.
• UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava has lost nearly all his devy value. The former consensus top 5 devy quarterback looks lost at UCLA. He went 29 for 41 for 255 yards against UNLV. He threw an ugly interception on a late drive that would have allowed the Bruins to tie the game up. Instead, they lost to a group of 6 squad.

The Show

YouTube and Podcasts that have dropped so far this week

There is plenty more Rookie Big Board! Here are the shows that have dropped so far this week.

John Laub and I identify 10 players we are targeted on the CFF Waiver Wire.

Anthony, Eric and Ryan run through the best rookie performances from Week 1.

If you subscribe to the Rookie Big Board podcast feed, you will also get to listen into Skip and I's Week 2 Devy recap on Wednesday morning and my NFL Week 2 preview with Pete and Anthony on Friday morning.