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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 players who are ripe for a breakout performance. Oftentimes, rookies can provide some of the most value as under-the-radar options.
For dynasty leaguers, this column should help identify ideal trade targets and prized stashes. For redraft managers, this column could provide the edge necessary for a championship run. Many of the players highlighted this week are fairly well-known, but as the season progresses deeper sleepers will be described.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received five total writing awards and 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, tops in the industry! Congrats to all the award winners and nominees including Best NFL Series, MLB Series, NBA Writer, PGA Writer and Player Notes writer of the year. Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!
Rookie Quarterback to Watch in Week 1
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
After an illustrious career at Clemson, Lawrence joins a Jaguars squad that had an awful season in 2020. After winning just one game last year, Jacksonville hopes that Lawrence will be as successful with them as he was in college. Sunday's game will be an interesting gauge of how well Lawrence may perform the season. Jacksonville's opponent, Houston, figures to be one of the worst teams in the NFL, so the young passer may have a chance to put up some impressive numbers. With weapons such as D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault Jr., and James Robinson, Lawrence is well-positioned to impress early on. Lawrence is widely regarded as the best incoming quarterback prospect in the league; make sure to catch his game to see if he can prove it on the field.
Rookie Running Backs to Watch in Week 1
Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
The first running back off the board in this year's draft, Harris is definitely on every fantasy manager's radar already. The Alabama product faces little competition in the Pittsburgh backfield, so he is likely to assume a workhorse role immediately, starting with this weekend's bout against Buffalo. The Steelers offense has been favorable to running backs in recent years, with Le'Veon Bell and James Conner both putting up excellent seasons there. We will see if Harris continues the trend. His 4.48 40-yard dash at 232 pounds seems to suggest he will, as does his underrated receiving ability. Tune in to his first game to check out how this talented young runner's career begins.
Javonte Williams, Denver Bronco
A second-round pick in the 2021 draft, Williams joins a backfield that already includes Melvin Gordon. How Denver will balance the workloads of the two is unknown, but the Broncos did not draft Williams for him to ride the bench. Indeed, with starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater recently comparing the rookie to star Saints back Alvin Kamara, one has to wonder if Williams won't come out and take the starting job sooner rather than later. Of course, Kamara began his career splitting time with then-teammate Mark Ingram; Williams looks to be in a similar position. Williams had 1,445 scrimmage yards and 22 touchdowns at North Carolina in 2020, so he can definitely produce at a high level. His game against the Giants this week will be our first real look into whether or not the hype is warranted.
Trey Sermon, San Francisco 49ers
While the most-discussed 49ers rookie is quarterback Trey Lance, there's another young Trey in San Fran who deserves attention. Sermon went 88th overall in this year's draft, but his outlook is much more promising than his draft position would suggest. While Sermon never piled up monster stats in college, his 331-yard showing against a stout Northwestern defense last season illustrated his ability to take over games. Raheem Mostert remains present in the San Francisco backfield, but Sermon should get his fair share of work as well against a woeful Detroit squad this Sunday.
Rookie Wide Receivers to Watch in Week 1
Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
The last time we saw Ja'Marr Chase in meaningful game action, he put up nine catches for 221 yards and two scores to win the 2019 College Football Playoff at LSU. Now he has been reunited in Cincinnati with Joe Burrow, his quarterback from that season. The rapport that these two share could contribute to him receiving a large number of targets immediately, even with talented receivers like Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd also on the roster. Chase has reportedly been dropping a lot of passes in training camp, though, and some of those struggles were evident in his preseason appearances. It will be important to watch how he performs against Minnesota this weekend. If he continues to make mistakes, he could quickly slip down the pecking order in the offense.
Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Like Chase, Waddle has some prior history with his first NFL quarterback. Waddle, this year's sixth-overall pick, and Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa both shredded defenses at Alabama. Waddle runs a 4.32 40-yard dash, and his blazing speed was on full display in college.
Jaylen Waddle signed his four-year rookie contract with the Dolphins , per @AdamSchefter
His speed is NEXT LEVEL? pic.twitter.com/Mm5wFUtGF1
— PFF (@PFF) May 14, 2021
Waddle was unfortunately prevented from having a full 2020 season, as he broke his ankle midway through last year's campaign. However, there was talk before his injury that he could be even more talented than his then-teammate and fellow receiver DeVonta Smith (more on him later). That is quite the endorsement considering Smith went on to win the Heisman Trophy. Waddle will look to make a big impression in his NFL debut against New England.
DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
Last season, Philadelphia's leading receiver Travis Fulgham had just 539 yards. Smith, the team's shiny new first-round pick, had 529 yards... in his last three games combined. He may have a slight frame at 6'0", 170 pounds, but his production was simply astounding. Smith will provide an instant upgrade to an Eagles receiving corps that desperately needed one.
Ahead of Devonta Smith's first NFL game Sunday, here's a look back at his Heisman-winning season at Bama ? @Wrangler pic.twitter.com/E39P4S0bhK
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 10, 2021
Smith has the opportunity to become Philadelphia's WR1 as early as this week against the Falcons. His main competition for targets will be Jalen Reagor, who disappointed as a rookie last year, and tight end Dallas Goedert. The 2020 Heisman winner is primed for an impressive performance in his debut.
Rookie Tight Ends to Watch in Week 1
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Few rookie tight ends have received as much attention as Pitts. Oh, and by few I mean zero. This past April, Pitts became the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history at fourth overall. The Florida product is 6'6" and 245 pounds, and he ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at his pro day. With measurables like those, it is simply no surprise that he had scouts salivating.
After Atlanta dealt veteran receiver Julio Jones to Tennessee, Pitts' path to a significant role in the passing game cleared up even more. He may not be as productive as the likes of Travis Kelce and Darren Waller right away, but the potential is there. Tune in to his first NFL game this Sunday against the Eagles.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
At 55th overall, Freiermuth was the second tight end taken in this year's draft. The rookie from Penn State, who is known as "Baby Gronk," will have to compete with teammate Eric Ebron for snaps at the tight end position. However, with Pittsburgh listing both of them as number one tight ends on the depth chart, it's quite possible that the team has several two-tight end packages in mind. Freiermuth is a very talented player - he had 23 catches for 310 yards in just four games last year - so if he can see the field regularly he could be a steal in fantasy. His game against Buffalo could be very enlightening.
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