Rookie Battle Royale: Week 10

Another week for the NFL, another good week by a few of the rookies who werent doing so well before. With both undefeated teams staying undefeated, the rookies werent as much of a focus as usual, but they definitely didn’t sleep the week away either.

Josh Freeman

Coming off the game of his life in his first start last week against the Packers, there were high expectations this week for him against a struggling Dolphins team. Freeman did not play half as well as he did in his debut, and the Dolphins took it on the last play of the game. He threw for 196 yards, a TD and an interception, but had four fumbles with one lost. Not great.

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez played like a rookie again this week, with a very mediocre game against a team they should have beat. This now shows that he is human after all, with more games this year on the rookie side than the spectacular side. He threw 2 interceptions and a touchdown, as well as 212 yards, so it wasn’t all that wonderful of a game for him. This should make it interesting come the end of the year ROY voting.

Matt Stafford

Of the three rookie QBs, Stafford had arguably the best game against the best team. On 51 throws, he didn’t have a pick, which is pretty good considering that last time he played the Vikings he threw 3. He was sacked 4 times, but really it was more of a receiver issue than anything. The guys he was throwing to also dropped 8 passes, so that will hurt in the long run. Stafford ended up with 224 yards and a TD. Not bad.

Beanie Wells

Finally, after nine weeks, Beanie had a really good game, best of the week for the rookie running backs. He had 85 yards and 2 TDs, which was only the second 2 TD game of the year for rookie RBs. His YPC avg, a concern in previous weeks was up considerably (5.3 this week), and he didn’t look lost out there in a nice Cardinals win. Beanie still has a long way to go, but things are starting to improve.

Jeremy Maclin

Maclin is quietly putting together a great rookie campaign. He led all rookie WRs with 76 yards, as well as a touchdown, which makes his second consecutive with a score. Maclin is playing on a team where he will need to be the top guy eventually, so he really needs to come through, and this game was another notch in the bed post for him.

Bernard Scott

If I told you at the beginning of the Cincy/Steelers game that Bernard Scott would be the MVP, you would have laughed me out of the building. Yet, with a HUGE kickoff return TD, he was the reason the Bengals won. So, Steelers fans, you have given up KR TDs to two rookies this year, who is next, haha?

Knowshon Moreno

Moreno had a good game this week, but the Broncos lost to a team that they should have killed. He had 104 total yards and 97 on the ground, so it was definitely a solid effort. I also didn’t see any huge fumbles, which Im sure was a sigh of relief for his fans, but the loss was more than a shock irregardless.

Johnny Knox

Knox went from the top of the game to being right where he was expected to be. On Thursday, he had his third game in a row where he did nothing, and this time the Bears needed a big play. Knox hasn’t caught more than two passes in any of the games of late, and he is going to need to step up if the bears are going to recover.

Percy Harvin

Harvin had 3 for 53, but most of those yards came on an amazing catch where he pinballed around and ran for forty yards. Harvin’s impact was minimal, but the Vikings didn’t really need it with Favre, Peterson and Rice playing like fucking beasts. Not the best game of the year, but that catch was pretty awesome considering the hit he took and still stayed up.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey – 1 for 20? C’mon Al Davis, you suck at drafting.

Michael Crabtree – Nothing still, needs at least a TD to be worth the hold out.

Brandon Pettigrew – Had a couple drops and no production again this week.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 9

This week had a lot of byes or Monday night games for the top rookies, but we definitely have some newcomers to the list. We also see that more and more late rounders are coming out of the woodwork to become productive for their teams, so be sure to dig through your commons before tossing them in a shoebox for eternity.

Josh Freeman

Its rare that Aaron Rodgers is out performed. Its even rarer that a rookie does it. The odds in vegas may not have even fathomed that a rookie QB on a winless team would beat him. Freeman played the game of his life in his first game, and it is ridiculous to think that he did it against a surging team like the Packers. 3TDs 200 yards passing, and 20 yards rushing. Thats pretty damn good. He WILL NOT play this well every week, but he looks like he could at least have some potential, which the Bucs must be loving.
Matt Stafford
Stafford had a pretty bad week this week, throwing 5 interceptions against the Seahawks. People on the boards have already started calling him a bust, but we have to remember that he is still a first year fucking QB in the toughest game to play well in. He had a bad game, on one of the worst teams in the league. Im not saying anything yet, but I will continue to say that holding his cards from the beginning was stupid.
LeSean McCoy
McCoy put up 100 total yards this week against a very good team, and I am thinking he is turning out to be one of the best non-first round picks of the year. He didnt get into the end zone, but he played very well. The problem is, once Westbrook comes back, its back to normal bench work.
Brandon Pettigrew
Welcome to week 9 Brandon Pettigrew! Holy crap, took you long enough. He caught 7 passes for 70 yards with a TD, though he was the only bright spot for his team. Pettigrew still has a REALLY long way to go, but its interesting that it took him this long to get involved. I think he will continue to come around, but its going to take a while when you have as many problems as the Lions do. Of course, I pulled one of his cards too this weekend, just my luck.
Johnny Knox
Knox has been relatively silent since the Bears decided to take a swan dive into the shitter. He caught 4-30, and really did nothing for the second game in a row. Another passenger on the NFL rookie roller coaster I guess. I think if you are holding his cards, you should have sold a few weeks ago.
Hakeem Nicks
Same as Knox, Nicks was silent again this week with 3 for 39 yards. The Giants in general didnt do much against the Chargers, so when you are the number three guy, its tough to get involved. I am still in the house that thinks Nicks is still one of the top rookie receivers of the year, but he needs to do better to keep that designation.
Beanie Wells
Wells had a pretty good game with 13 rushes for 72 yards, though he still has yet to really impress anyone. The focus of the Cardinals offense may be to blame for his lack of success, but he also hasnt done much with what he has been given. At least this game shows his YPC avg has potential to improve.
The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey – Bye week
Brandon Pettigrew – May come out next week if he has another good game
Matthew Stafford – Has done little since his injury, so I have to put him here because of the body of work
Michael Crabtree – 3 for 30 isnt going to cut it when you hold out for as long as he did
Beanie Wells – Still not much for a guy who had the hype he did.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 8

It was a great weekend of football, as you can probably imagine, and there were quite a few rookies that performed pretty well. A few are still having trouble getting established, but others are falling into solid roles with their respective teams. The funny thing is that there isnt a clear cut rookie of the year candidate yet, though Sanchez does seem to have an advantage as a QB. Who knows at this point.

Matt Stafford
We all knew Stafford was going to have problems playing for a team as bad as the Lions. I warned those of you who were prospecting his stuff, that he was a POOR target for your collecting this year. He hasnt performed horribly, but he hasnt been great either. Then, when you factor in the injury, things are even worse. Well, he was back this week, but didnt do much in the loss to the Rams. He had 168 yards, 1 interception, and a rushing TD. Not a great game.
Mark Sanchez
Sanchez had a very good day, but they still lost to the Dolphins. This was really his first good game in a long time, and its probably a breath of fresh air for the people who bought up all his stuff at the beginning of the season. He is still the top guy of the 09 class by far, but he is going to need a playoff run to sustain his value. At this point im not sure, even though he put up 3 TDs and no interceptions yesterday.
Percy Harvin

If there was a rookie in focus this week, it was Percy Harvin. His game was one of the main reasons the Vikings were able to win the game, especially on his 51 yd TD catch. Then, when you factor in that he had a kick return average of 35 yards, with three going over 45, it becomes even more apparent how important he was. Harvin’s cards have been going for great prices, and should continue to do so. The guy is electric.
LeSean McCoy
What a game for the Eagles against their rivals, right? McCoy definitely did well to help that win, and his 69 yard TD run was fun to watch. He has been a great option for the Eagles during Westbrook’s absence, and you can tell that they were thinking ahead when they drafted him. Due to the Peterson Effect (All RB cards are more valuable because of the chance of a Peterson style rookie season) his cards are already pretty expensive, but this should help maintain those prices.
Jeremy Maclin
Im impressed with Maclin, the guy has turned it on lately, and has done so on a team that needed it. The Eagles are on a roll, and Maclin has scored 3 TDs in the last 3 games. He had 4 for 47 yards, including a TD at the end of the half that stunned a Giants crowd looking to stop their slide. Maclin was under the radar to begin with, and I think may end up as the best WR out of this class. I may start to pick up a few of his cards.
Michael Crabtree
Crabtree was held out of the endzone again, but managed 81 yards against the Colts. He also fumbled, which was problematic, but overall a pretty good game for a rookie who only has two games under his belt. Kind of makes you wonder what would have happened if he hadnt been a complete fucktard to begin the season.
Shonn Greene
I dont think there were many of us who were suprised when Greene didnt equal his game from last week, but there were a few shocked grins around my fantasy league to see him struggle with 8 carries for 18 yards. Im not expecting a whole lot out of him, but he needs to do better than 2 yards per carry.
Knowshon Moreno
The Broncos are no longer undefeated, and Knowshon did not have a very good game. Although the fumble he had looked questionable at best, it was still another tick on the league leading rookie fumble total. He did get into the endzone which helped, but he only had 10 carries for 39 total yards. Moreno’s cards arent going to drop, but this doesnt help. I still say its only a matter of time before he breaks out with a huge game.
The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey – The Raiders should have taken someone else, but we already knew that. He has done absolutely nothing, despite QB issues.
Brandon Pettigrew – Another bad team, but he should be doing more than 1 catch per game, especially when Calvin Johnson is on the shelf
Michael Crabtree – He needs a lot of production to erase the holdout. Im still shaking my head.
Beanie Wells – Another mediocre game for him losing to a team with problems. Doesnt help that Warner threw 5 interceptions either though.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 7

For this week, I missed most of the action from being in San Diego for work, but after going through each game, looks like the rookies had a good week. Too bad my Vikings did not. Regardless, we also had a debut we had waited almost half a season for, and a few performances that impressed beyond expectations.

Mark Sanchez

Dirty finally shook off the interception bug, even though it was against one of the worst teams around. He threw for only 143, but had 2 TDs to offset that. Im guessing a lot of Jets fans were just happy they pitched a shutout, but I expected a little more from the rookie that is fixing to be the top value guy for the year.

Shonn Greene

For the first time, Sanchez wasn’t the focus of the rookie lens this week, as Shonn Greene had a ridiculous game at 144 and 2 TDs. One TD came after it was already decided, but he is the front runner right now for the rookie of the week. Leon Washington must have had an injury, and Greene did a great job filling in. Best game of any rookie RB so far, crazy that it came against the Raiders, right?

Michael Crabtree

Im not going to take him out of the graveyard quite yet, but he had a respectable debut with 5 catches for 56 yards. At least he showed he can be somewhat productive, though I think he will get better as he shakes off the rust. He didn’t explode, but definitely was the namesake for a few creative jerseys I saw in the 49er bar in San Diego.

Mike Wallace

Its tough for any Pittsburgh rookie to fly under the radar, but in terms of talk, Wallace is putting up one hell of a rookie campaign without much coverage. His values were high to begin with because he plays for the Steelers, but 72 and a TD will definitely help you out. Wallace’s TD was a good showing as to why the Vikings pass defense may cost them a trip deep in the playoffs, but he played a great game either way.

Hakeem Nicks

Nicks showed AGAIN why he is probably going to be the rookie WR of the year. Another TD, 80 yards, and a league lead in receiving TDs after a Knox mediocre game. Nicks has become a key cog in the NY passing offense, even though they got beat by the Cardinals.

Percy Harvin

Harvin was back returning kicks again after he aggravated his shoulder last week, and I was surprised to see him fly. Harvin ran back his second TD of the year, giving him 4 total TDs so far, as well as a few that set the Vikings up near the 50. He also caught 3 for 42, so a great game for a guy who is banged up.

Brian Hartline
Hartline caught 3 for 94 in a Dolphins game that they should have won, but they played like crap in the 4th quarter. He is a guy that I didnt know much about coming into the year, but he went to OSU, so you know he is going to get a bump this week in value. He does have a TD from week 4 against Buffalo, but hasnt done much else besides this game (10 for 157). I also dont believe he was a Rookie Premiere guy.
Austin Collie
This guy had another TD this week (though the game was over when he did), and continues to make me scratch my head as to where he is coming from. It helps when Peyton Manning is throwing you the ball, but still is impressive when you are pretty much unknown.
Beanie Wells

He finally got into the action with a TD, and against a good rush defense to boot. He ended up with 67 yards, so it wasn’t a stellar performance, but rushing is not the focus of his team with Fitz and Boldin around. Hightower is still getting all the goal line carries, which means that Beainie is not going to have many TDs. Im still not sold on him.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey – Its really too bad that he was drafted to the Raiders so high, as I think he could have been much better in a place that isnt a graveyard for the whole team.

Beanie Wells – had a TD, but still in the midst of a disappointing year.

Michael Crabtree – After holding out for the first 6 games, he needs to do better than 56 yards before getting out of here.

Brandon Pettigrew – Bye week.

Rookie Battle Royale: Week 6

Just another week in paradise, right? A lot of action and a few upsets, as well as a few top rookies coming back down to earth. I was pretty much glued to my computer during the afternoon, watching all of my fantasy teams getting killed by the Patriots players, Ray Rice, and MJD respectively. I had fun, and here are some updates on the rookies as usual.

Mark Sanchez

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Sanchez throws a whole hand’s worth of interceptions, and the Jets lose to a Bills team that lost to Cleveland. Just an absolutely awful game for Dirty, and im sure a few of his cards could reflect what happened. However, as with any rookie QB, it’s a week to week thing with success, so I wouldn’t necessarily give up on his stuff quite yet.

Matt Stafford

Stafford sat for the second straight week, and Lions fans got a glimpse of what it would be like if he had surgery to repair his knee. The Lions, who were hungry weeks earlier, were made fools of by the Packers who actually left more than a few points on the field. It could have been worse. That is scary to think.

Hakeem Nicks

Even though Hakeem Nicks had a great game, the Giants did not. He went for over 100 yards AND a score, even though it was late in the game when the Saints already had it wrapped up. Either way, he had 2 long catches, and had a game worthy of putting him at the top of the discussion for rookie WRs of the year.

Jeremy Maclin

I knew it was too good to be true last week, but barring my better judgement, I still started him in fantasy due to lack of options. He was playing Oakland and I thought I could get 50 yards out of him. Sadly, the Raiders decided they were going to play the game of their lives and upset a VERY good Eagles team. Maclin was pretty much shut out, and went from the game of the year, to the bottom.

Percy Harvin

Harvin had a bad shoulder coming into the game, and left in the second half with an injury. There havent been any updates, but Im guessing he wont be playing for a few weeks. Too bad, as I think he added a great element to the Vikings offense.

Mohammed Massaquoi

He showed once again that he is the only thing the Browns have going for them. He caught 5 balls for 83, against one of the best defenses in the league, so I guess that should count for something. Didn’t really help the Browns come away with a victory and huge upset, but he did his job, unlike the rest of the offense.

Johnny Knox

I cant believe Knox walked away with another score against the falcons. He is definitely this year’s Matt Forte, who oddly enough has been doing just mediocre. The Bears lost, but Knox showed that he is also right up there with Nicks at the top of the pile. So far, he has had 17 for 224 and 3 TDs, which is tied for the lead among rookies with Nicks. He also had the KR TD as well, which puts him at the top for total TDs.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey – Still nothing, still a bad QB, but at least they won.
Beanie Wells – Even though the Cardinals were ahead the whole game, he didn’t get anything done.
Brandon Pettigrew – See above, horrid QB, but he was shut out. Injury related?
Michael Crabtree – Will make debut next week, will remain here I believe.