Issue #220: Rookie Premiere

By Derrick Ernst

October 19, 2026

YTD

As promised, let’s dive into how the ’25 rookie class is doing year to date. If there’s one thing I always say about rookies, it’s that there’s immense amount of hype around them and as a result they tend to be drafted at a premium. Managers want to be known, more than anyone else, as the one who got it right and had faith in someone who has never played a snap in the league. It’s a pride thing. Then again, fantasy football is more about chest puffing than a lot of people realize. As you age, the less you’re able to differentiate yourself physically from someone else. How you do so is intellectually, or at least it’s part of the puzzle. It’s easy to see when you may (or may not) be bested from a physical standpoint, but intellectual, you have to play things out on an equal playing field to see how you shake out. Fantasy football is equal, at least at the beginning of the season. Anyways, let’s see who got to be right with their draft decisions.

Quarterback

1) Jaxon Dart, NYG

Rank QB28 / ADP QB33 = +5 Differential

2) Cam Ward, TEN

Rank QB33 / ADP QB23 = -10 Differential

3) Dillon Gabriel, CLE

Rank QB36 / ADP QB36 = +/- 0 Differential

It’s no surprise the QB class isn’t all that great. I doubt any of these guys were drafted in your league and if they were, they were likely dropped before now. One thing that I certainly overlooked about Dart was his running ability. At the end of the day, it may be what propels him to a QB15ish ranking by the end of the season.

Running Back

1) Cam Skattebo, NYG

Rank RB10 / ADP RB35 = +25 Differential

2) Ashton Jeanty, LV

Rank RB11 / ADP RB5 = -6 Differential

3) Omarion Hampton, LAC

Rank RB19 / ADP RB14 = -5 Differential

I can tell you one person who has been a bit neglected in the fantasy community, Ashton Jeanty. Remember when everyone was screaming about him being a bust? Now he has been RB5 over the past three weeks averaging 21.5 PPG. It was only a matter of time. Maybe not so much of a hot take, I bet he finishes the season ranked higher than Skattebo, and what’s funny is that I think he’d be easier to get in a trade.

Wide Receiver

1) Emeka Egbuka, TB

Rank WR5 / ADP WR37 = +32 Differential

2) Tet McMillan, CAR

Rank WR20 / ADP WR20 = +/- 0 Differential

3) Eric Ayomanor, TEN

Rank WR49 / ADP WR75 = +26 Differential

Much like RBs, this is a two-legged race. I do think the gap between Egbuka and McMillan will condense as the season progresses, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Egbuka maintains his lead. I’d much prefer Baker over Bryce and with woes surrounding Evans and Godwin, Egbuka is in prime position for fantasy relevance and high-single digit targets/gm.

Trio’s

Back in the day my buddies and I would remanence about the insanity of trios some college teams used to have playing together on the same roster. Exhibit A:

Source: Savannah Morning News

D’Andre Swift, Nick Chubb, and Sony Michel (and a fourth) at Georgia. Oh and depending on the year, Todd Gurley was a part of the equation too. How’s this for Exhibit B:

Source: X (@NCAATeammates)

Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, and Martavis Bryant at Clemson. Who are you taking? Hot take (x2), I think Bryant could’ve been the best of the bunch hadn’t it been for his off the field issues.