2021 NFL ROOKIES

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

KADARIUS TONEY
WR, NEW YORK GIANTS

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Kadarius Toney will likely avoid a suspension after being ejected from Sunday's game for punching a Dallas defender.

Rapoport said Toney will probably face a fine for throwing a punch in the middle of a late-game scrum in the Giants' Week 5 loss. Joe Judge could punish the rookie, however. After being blown out by Dallas, Judge didn't dismiss the possibility of a team-issued suspension for Toney. Toney broke out against the Cowboys for 189 yards on 10 receptions, leading the Giants with 13 targets. He destroyed single coverage throughout, finding soft spots in the Dallas defense and creating yards after the catch. Jason Garrett and Judge now have no choice but to keep Toney in the team's starting lineup, even after Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton return from hamstring injuries. Giants beat reporters said Toney had his ankle checked by the team's training staff after the game -- a situation to monitor this week.
SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

Oct 11, 2021, 8:30 AM ET


KADARIUS TONEY
WR, NEW YORK GIANTS

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Giants head coach Joe Judge revealed that WR Kadarius Toney (ankle) had x-rays Monday and they "don't think [the injury] is anything significant."

"It's not something season ending," Judge said. While it's nice that it's not a long-term injury, x-rays are going to complicate the stampede to the waiver wire for Toney after his breakout 189-yard game against Dallas. The drumbeat around the Giants beat writers is that this may be something that keeps him out of Week 6's game against the Rams. Keep an eye on the practice reports and bid with the potential that Toney may not be out there this week in mind. Toney himself said "I'm a dog. That's the mentality I have. If I can push through it, that's what I'm going to do," and noted that "he's good."
SOURCE: Art Stapelton on Twitter

Oct 11, 2021, 4:31 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

TREY SERMON
RB, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Trey Sermon rushed one time for seven yards in the 49ers' Week 5 loss to the Cardinals.

Coming off his best touch and production totals of the season, Sermon was banished to reserve status as Elijah Mitchell returned from injury and dual-threat Trey Lance made his first start. It was Lance who led the Niners in every rushing category. For his part, Mitchell out-touched Sermon 11-1. Things change fast in the Niners' backfield, while impatient coach Kyle Shanahan now has a bye week to think about it. We would nevertheless consider Sermon out of the FLEX loop when the 49ers face the Colts in Week 7.

Oct 10, 2021, 8:32 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

KHALIL HERBERT
RB, CHICAGO BEARS

Khalil Herbert rushed 18 times for 75 yards in Chicago's Week 5 win over the Raiders.

Herbert, who averaged a career 6.1 yards per carry in college behind teammate and UDFA Pooka Williams, out-carried Damien Williams 18-16 in the duo's first co-spot start without David Montgomery (knee). Williams did register all three of Chicago's backfield targets and out-carry Herbert 3-1 inside the 10, but the latter's timeshare was still unexpected for an offense that called 34 runs to 21 pass attempts. That usage in a concerted run-first attack makes Herbert a coveted addition off waiver wires ahead of Week 6.

Oct 10, 2021, 9:03 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

RONDALE MOORE
WR, ARIZONA CARDINALS

Rondale Moore caught 5-of-6 targets for 59 yards in the Cardinals' Week 5 win over the 49ers, adding three carries for 38 additional yards.

The catches, yards and targets were all Moore's most since Week 2, while the rushing marks were new season highs. He seemed primed for an even-bigger day after entering halftime at 4/46 through the air, but the Cardinals' offense went into involuntary hibernation after the break. Moore made one of the catches of the year in the second quarter, Matrix-ing with his toes at the sideline for a 33-yard grab with Dontae Johnson draped all over him. He also appeared to have a 27-yard touchdown in the first quarter but was ruled down at the one-inch line. Moore's workloads are clearly going to remain volatile, but he has shown a gear few other NFL players have. It would behoove the Cardinals to get him more involved. The burnable Browns are on tap for Week 6.
Oct 10, 2021, 7:53 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

ELIJAH MITCHELL
RB, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Elijah Mitchell rushed nine times for 43 yards in the 49ers' Week 5 loss to the Cardinals, adding two catches for 19 additional yards.

Active for the first time since Week 2, Mitchell dominated snaps and touches in the 49ers' running back group but was a distant second to Trey Lance in terms of carries and production. Mitchell did look highly explosive on his 11 handles, showing off his extra gear on a number of touches to the edge. Trey Sermon got the ball exactly one time. This remains a fluid situation, as the Niners could go back to Jimmy Garoppolo against the Colts following their Week 6 bye. Lance did not appear ready for prime time in the desert. If that's the case, Mitchell's touch floor will go up as his overall ceiling maybe comes down a bit. Speaking 14 days out, he will be a FLEX.

Oct 10, 2021, 7:44 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

TREY LANCE
QB, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Trey Lance completed 15-of-29 passes for 192 yards, zero touchdowns and an interception in the 49ers' 17-10, Week 5 loss to the Cardinals, adding 16 carries for 89 additional yards.

Making his first career start, the No. 3 overall pick got absolutely battered by a swarming, incessant Cardinals front even though he officially only took two sacks. Whether as a runner or passer, Lance was getting walloped practically every play, and was lucky to escape the game standing. No hit was bigger than the fourth down shot Lance took from the Cardinals' one-yard line in the second quarter. Lance was seemingly already in the end zone when he got blown up by Isaiah Simmons. The defender was injured on the play, but Lance thankfully stayed in. The two overarching takeaways were Lance's rushing production and passing inaccuracy. With the former, he arguably exceeded expectations, easily leading the 49ers in both carries and output. With the latter, he was as shaky as feared, displaying little touch or accuracy as he routinely sailed balls high. He didn't look like someone the Niners were ready to let run away with the starting gig. There is probably a strong chance it will be Jimmy Garoppolo under center for Week 7 against the Colts if he can shake his calf injury following the 49ers' bye.

Oct 10, 2021, 7:30 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

AMON-RA ST. BROWN
WR, DETROIT LIONS

Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 7-of-8 targets for 65 yards in the Lions' Week 5 loss to the Vikings.

St. Brown's season high for receptions came as the Lions lost Quintez Cephus to a second quarter shoulder injury. All the rookie has done is empty compiling, but the substance doesn't matter when it comes to PPR. It's a good bet to continue with the Lions direly short on weapons, especially if Cephus has to miss any time. St. Brown could have some WR4 juice for Week 6 against the Bengals.

Oct 10, 2021, 6:29 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

KENNETH GAINWELL
RB, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Kenneth Gainwell rushed two times for 16 yards in the Eagles' Week 5 win over the Panthers.

Gainwell disappeared for most of the game, earning half of his yards on the Eagles’ final drive. Miles Sanders was put on the bench after running out of bounds when Philadelphia was trying to kill the clock. Gainwell then came in for his second carry of the day. Sanders saw 11 carries and reeled in all five of his targets. Gainwell caught one of his three targets for eight yards. After Week 5, Gainwell has a 21-19 target lead over Sanders but is an afterthought on the ground. He is worth stashing in most leagues but can be kept on the bench for now.

Oct 10, 2021, 6:24 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

DAVIS MILLS
QB, HOUSTON TEXANS

Davis Mills completed 21-of-29 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns in Houston's 25-22 Week 5 loss to New England.

This was a beautiful smoke-and-mirrors game from Texans OC Tim Kelly, who doctored up a flea flicker touchdown and an opening drive that lasted 18 plays before Mills spotted Antony Auclair running free in the end zone. Mills' longest pass play was a 67-yard touchdown pass to Chris Moore, who simply out-leaped J.C. Jackson for the ball despite being well-covered. Well, you probably shouldn't expect this kind of outburst often, but it was fun and Mills did (mostly) stop himself from throwing the risky balls that defined his first two starts. Mills will be a bye-week QB2 fill-in at best for Week 6's game against the Colts.

Oct 10, 2021, 6:15 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

JAVONTE WILLIAMS
RB, DENVER BRONCOS

Javonte Willams rushed eight times for 61 yards in the Broncos' Week 5 loss to the Steelers, adding three receptions for 25 yards on three targets.

Williams was highly efficient against the Steelers, averaging 7.6 YPC and 8.3 YPT. He split touches evenly with Melvin Gordon who averaged 3.8 YPC and 4.5 YPT. The rookie is making his case for more playing time, but he's likely to be in an 50/50 split once again in Week 6. Williams will be in the RB2 mix against the Raiders.

Oct 10, 2021, 5:50 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

JAYLEN WADDLE
WR, MIAMI DOLPHINS

Jaylen Waddle caught 2-of-6 targets for 31 yards in the Dolphins' Week 5 loss to the Bucs.

Waddle added a two-yard rush but has now posted back-to-back down games after going 3-33 last week. His six targets in this one were third on the team behind Myles Gaskin (10) and Mike Gesicki (7), and Waddle's drop led to Jacoby Brissett's lone interception. Waddle will look to rebound next week in a road date with the Jaguars. With Jakeem Grant traded last week, Waddle is now handling kickoff and punt returns, as well.

Oct 10, 2021, 5:01 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

DEVONTA SMITH
WR, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

DeVonta Smith caught 7-of-8 targets for 77 yards in the Eagles' Week 5 win over the Panthers.

Smith added a two-point conversion reception that gave the Eagles a field goal lead late in the game. With Hurts struggling as a passer and soaking up all of Philly's scores with his legs, it was destined to be a quiet game for Smith. The good news is that he remains the top receiving option in Philadelphia by a wide margin. He led the Eagles in all receiving categories again this week and only Zach Ertz topped even five targets. The Eagles have a juicy matchup with the Bucs next week. Tampa Bay has locked down running backs while getting gashed by passers this year. If the potential shootout lives up to the hype, Smith should be in line for a considerable bounceback.

Oct 10, 2021, 4:48 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

CHUBA HUBBARD
RB, CAROLINA PANTHERS

Chuba Hubbard rushed 24 times for 101 yards in the Panthers' Week 5 loss to the Eagles, adding five receptions for 33 yards.

After giving up receiving duties to Rodney Smith last week, Hubbard dominated the backfield work for Carolina this time around. Smith did not earn a touch while Royce Freeman totaled four yards on four touches. Hubbard tied Robby Anderson for second on the team in targets. Despite Hubbard failing to find the end zone, this was the performance he needed to have to be worth stashing as Christian McCaffrey's backup. McCaffrey is expected to return next week so Hubbard can be put back on the fantasy bench. Still, with 29 touches in a losing effort, Hubbard is clearly the workhorse fantasy managers hoped he would be in the event of a McCaffrey injury.

Oct 10, 2021, 4:32 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

JA'MARR CHASE
WR, CINCINNATI BENGALS

Ja'Marr Chase caught 6-of-10 targets for 159 yards and one score in Cincinnati's Week 5 loss to the Packers.

With his 70-yard touchdown — his fifth of the year, four of which have come from 30-plus yards out — to cap the first half, Chase became the third rookie to record five receiving scores within a team’s first five games of a season since 1990, joining Calvin Ridley (6) and Randy Moss (6). He led the team in targets (10, 26.3%) even with Tee Higgins (5/32) back in the lineup Sunday, physically dominating any corner he was matched against while showing his agility by, at one point, walking a tightrope along the sideline for a toe-tapping reception to move the chains in OT. A big play waiting to happen with the utmost confidence from his quarterback, Chase will again rank as a fringe WR1/2 in next week's friendly matchup against the Lions.

Oct 10, 2021, 4:27 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

NAJEE HARRIS
RB, PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Najee Harris rushed 23 times for 122 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' Week 5 win over the Broncos, adding two receptions for 20 yards on five targets.

Harris dealt with cramps throughout the second half and did not play on the Steelers' final drive. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on his practice reports this week. Harris was a key factor in the Steelers victory and will continued to be leaned on as a true bellcow back if healthy. His Week 6 matchup against the Seahawks sets him up to be a high end RB1.

Oct 10, 2021, 4:09 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

MICHAEL CARTER
RB, NEW YORK JETS

Michael Carter rushed 10 times for 38 yards in Week 5 against the Falcons.

Carter was the Jets' lead back, getting 10-of-17 designed runs. He was removed at the goal-line for Ty Johnson, who vultured a one-yard score, but was more involved in the pass game this week, catching all three of his targets for 20 yards. Tevin Coleman was a distant third behind Carter and Johnson, seeing just three touches in a matchup with his former team. Carter should continue to see the most carries going forward, but the Jets' backfield is a situation to avoid.

Oct 10, 2021, 1:45 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

KYLE PITTS
TE, ATLANTA FALCONS

Kyle Pitts caught 9-of-10 targets for 119 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' Week 5 win over the Jets.

This was the best game of the season for Pitts, who led the Falcons in receiving and targets with Calvin Ridley out. Pitts scored the first touchdown of his career on a goal-line play where he beat the coverage to the outside. The Falcons' usage of Pitts has been up, with 19 of his 36 targets coming in the last two weeks, an encouraging sign for his ROS outlook. Pitts will get a tougher test for a matchup with the Dolphins secondary after Atlanta's Week 6 bye.

Oct 10, 2021, 1:06 PM ET

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

ZACH WILSON
QB, NEW YORK JETS

Zach Wilson completed 19-of-32 passes for 192 yards with an interception in the Jets' Week 5 loss to the Falcons.

Wilson took a step back after throwing for 297 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Titans. It's the second time in three weeks he's thrown for under 200 yards and he's been held touchdownless in all but two games. Wilson's supporting cast and offensive line are among the worst in the league. There's not much to be bullish on with Wilson right now but the Jets remain confident in his long-term outlook. Wilson and the Jets take on the Patriots when they return from a Week 6 bye.

Oct 10, 2021, 12:46 PM ET

[Jikkle]

Watch on YouTube

Since Fields for the 3rd pick was hotly debated I think this video highlights why he slipped and it's for the reason most of us speculated on and his ability to process is questionable.

Seems like he can do it but it'll be a question if he can do it consistently or not.

[CrimsonCrew]

Watch on YouTube

Since Fields for the 3rd pick was hotly debated I think this video highlights why he slipped and it's for the reason most of us speculated on and his ability to process is questionable.

Seems like he can do it but it'll be a question if he can do it consistently or not.

I don't know. A rookie QB on a bad team missing reads is pretty much par for the course. A lot of those throws he's making, Lance cannot make with consistency. For Lance to be the better player, it's going to have to be above the shoulders, because Fields is pretty clearly physically superior, particularly in terms of accuracy, which is Lance's Achilles heel to date. But Lance is in a MUCH better situation. I wouldn't be all that surprised if Fields busts given what has happened to the team around him, and it wouldn't change my view of him as a prospect all that much.