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About Hayden Epinette - RotoBaller
Hayden has been an NFL fan since he was a young child. After watching a Monday Night Football game between the Bills and the Patriots in 2009, his life has been consumed with football. His position as his high school team's statistician proves his passion for the sport, which was only reinforced upon meeting PFF's Cris Collinsworth in 2019. He is currently a first year student studying mathematics at UCLA, and RotoBaller marks his first step into the sports industry.
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Hayden Epinette - RotoBaller has written 60 articles so far, you can find them below.
NFL Rookies to Watch in Week 2: Fantasy Football Dynasty and Redraft Leagues
The NFL regular season is off to an entertaining start in 2022. Incredible finishes in Cincinnati, Houston, Carolina, Atlanta, and more proved that the league is already in mid-season form when it comes to captivating viewers. Even more importantly for our purposes, the fantasy football season is back in full swing. There were certainly no... Read More
NFL Rookies to Watch in Week 1: Fantasy Football Dynasty and Redraft Leagues
Regular season NFL football has finally returned! The 2022 campaign opened with an excellent game on Thursday night. The Buffalo Bills flexed their muscles against the defending champion Los Angeles Rams, winning 31-10. The fantasy football rookie class of 2022 got off to a rocky start on Thursday. Buffalo's first-year tailback James Cook fumbled on... Read More
Will Rashaad Penny or Kenneth Walker Be Bell-Cow RBs? Fantasy Football Outlooks
The "Bell-Cow Back" archetype is slowly fading out of fantasy football. With more and more NFL teams employing committees in their backfields, the true workhorses become increasingly valuable to fantasy managers. The Seattle Seahawks spent the end of last season observing Rashaad Penny have the best stretch of games of his career to this point.... Read More
Can You Trust Rookie Wide Receivers in Fantasy Football Redraft Leagues?
Every year, the NFL Draft introduces a new crop of players into the league. These first-year players are often alluring for fantasy managers. While they are unproven, they also could turn out to overperform expectations. The risk-reward nature of rookie options can make them quite desired in fantasy drafts. After the massive success of Ja'Marr... Read More
Eli Mitchell (RB, SF) - 2022 Fantasy Football Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~40 Overall CURRENT ADP: ~47 ANALYSIS: San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell had a stunningly productive season as a rookie in 2021. As a sixth-round draft choice, few expected Mitchell to become a fantasy starter, yet he finished as the RB23 in standard leagues despite playing just 11 games. This... Read More
Will Kenneth Walker III Be Ready For Week 1? Should I Draft Him in Fantasy Football?
The Seattle Seahawks bolstered their running back room this April by drafting Kenneth Walker III out of Michigan State. The second-round pick had been competing with veteran Rashaad Penny for the team's starting job, but in August it was reported that Walker underwent surgery to repair what was likely a hernia. As a result, the... Read More
Hayden Epinette's Bold Predictions for the 2022 Fantasy Football Season
Every offseason, there is no shortage of predictions in the fantasy football world. Many fall within a certain consensus range of how each player is generally perceived, but every analyst has certain players they feel particularly strongly about. It is these beliefs that are the foundation of one of the most fun columns to produce... Read More
Darnell Mooney (WR, CHI) - 2022 Fantasy Football Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~53 Overall CURRENT ADP: ~60 ANALYSIS: The Chicago Bears are likely to be among the NFL's worst teams in 2022. Only the Seahawks, Falcons, Texans, and Jets have a lower win total over/under at DraftKings Sportsbook. If this holds, Chicago would be in a lot of situations where passing is a... Read More
Is Carson Wentz Healthy? Is Wentz Worth Drafting for Fantasy Football?
The NFL season opener is getting closer and closer, which means that fantasy managers everywhere have difficult decisions to make. Some of the most crucial things fantasy players need to stay informed about are injury statuses. With every week being important in fantasy football, having the most up-to-date information on these matters is essential. One... Read More
Is DeVante Parker the Patriots WR1? Where Should I Draft Parker for Fantasy Football?
After spending the first seven years of his career with the Miami Dolphins, veteran wide receiver DeVante Parker was traded to the New England Patriots this offseason. The wideout joins a muddled New England receiving room with no clear number one option. In addition to returning weapons Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, and Nelson Agholor, the... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 18: DeVonta Smith, Pat Freiermuth, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. With the regular season coming to a close this weekend, most fantasy champions have already been crowned. However, the grind never stops for the most committed fantasy... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 17: Trey Lance, Josh Palmer, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Last week's Monday night matchup between Miami and New Orleans was defined by two rookies. Due to injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak in the quarterback room, the... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 16: Demetric Felton, Ian Book, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. With the fantasy playoffs underway, each week is crucial for every manager still in the hunt for a championship. Unfortunately, last week saw low offensive output across... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 15: Zach Wilson, Brevin Jordan, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Week 15 is already shaping up to be a chaotic one. Many teams across the league have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks, forcing players like Tyler Lockett and Jaylen... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 14: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Chuba Hubbard, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. 2021 has been a very interesting year for rookies fantasy-wise. The best quarterback in this year's class has been New England's Mac Jones, but he's coming off... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 13: Jaylen Waddle, Rondale Moore, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Week 12 saw many rookies step up and show out for their teams. Miami wide receiver Jaylen Waddle posted nine receptions for a career-high 137 yards, plus... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 12: Mac Jones, Javonte Williams, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Week 11 featured several solid fantasy performances from rookies. The most impressive showing came from Jets receiver Elijah Moore, who posted eight receptions for 141 yards and... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 11: Najee Harris, Michael Carter, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Through 10 weeks, Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase has been the most impressive rookie in fantasy. The LSU product has 44 receptions, 835 yards, and seven touchdowns in... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 10: Elijah Moore, Pat Freiermuth, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. With the league now entering the back half of the season, many of this year's top rookies have already been identified. It is no longer particularly noteworthy... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 9: Kadarius Toney, Justin Fields, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. This Thursday, we already witnessed a rookie have a major breakthrough. First-year wideout Elijah Moore put up a solid stat line for the New York Jets, tallying... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 8: Trevor Lawrence, Kenneth Gainwell, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Last week, several rookies had high-quality performances. Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase continued his rapid ascent into the league's upper echelon of wideouts by making eight receptions for... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 7: Rhamondre Stevenson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Last week, Dolphins rookie wideout Jaylen Waddle put forth his best outing as a professional, racking up 10 receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Other top... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 6: Rashod Bateman, Khalil Herbert and more
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Last week was perhaps the best in the history of this column. The six rookies featured here for Week 5 averaged 23.48 PPR points. Most notably, Giants... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 5
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Last Sunday, New York Jets rookie QB Zach Wilson turned in the best performance of his career so far. His 297 yards, 61.8 completion percentage, and 8.7... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 3
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Last week, we saw Arizona's rookie wideout Rondale Moore go off for seven receptions, 114 yards, and a touchdown. Moore joined fellow rookies Ja'Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle,... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 2
Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options. Last week, three first-round rookie receivers made huge marks on their games. Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase, Miami's Jaylen Waddle, and Philadelphia's DeVonta Smith combined for 15 receptions, 233... Read More
Fantasy Football Rookies to Watch in Week 1
The NFL is back! With the 2021 regular season officially underway after Thursday night's thriller in Tampa, the first Sunday of the campaign is tantalizingly close. Week One can set the tone for a fantasy campaign, so it is important to be prepared right from the get-go. Every week, this column will spotlight the first-year... Read More
NFL Rookie Spotlight - Travis Etienne
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a nightmare of a season last year, winning just one game. Fortunately for the Jags, this meant that they "earned" the top overall draft pick, which they spent on Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. Of more interest for fantasy, however, is their second first-round selection, running back Travis Etienne, also from Clemson.... Read More
NFL Rookie Spotlight - Zach Wilson
The New York Jets have struggled to find quality quarterback play since Hall of Famer Joe Namath's legendary career in the Big Apple. This year, the franchise took another swing at the position by taking BYU passer Zach Wilson with the second overall pick in this April's draft. With a new coaching staff, a revamped... Read More
Don't Stop Believing - Myles Gaskin as a Fantasy RB2 in 2021
The Miami Dolphins have been active in free agency this offseason. By adding former Texans wide receiver Will Fuller to their offensive unit, Miami has strengthened quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's cast of weapons. The front office has made other key acquisitions as well, such as the signings of quarterback Jacoby Brissett and center Matt Skura. However,... Read More
