Each week I will recap the top 14 highest-scoring rookies from the previous week. I use the top 14 as I feel that’s the best average league size of teams The scoring will be based on our IDP Nation Listener League II settings. If you want to look at the scoring used you can use this link to see our scoring system.
#1 Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England
The Patriots are clearly in a rebuild despite what some like to think. They are beginning the transition from a veteran-laden team to a more youthful bunch. With the NFL’s transition to high-powered offenses these days, it’s crucial for the Patriots to get a talented defender on the outside who can cover. They drafted Christian Gonzalez in the first round with the 17th overall pick. He got the start in his very first game and recorded seven tackles, five were solos, a 71.4% solo rate, one TFL, one QB hit, one sack, and one PBU. Add all that up and Gonzalez led all IDP rookies with 24.3 fantasy points. He’s a must-start option in specific position leagues and worth rostering in all other IDP formats.
#2 Will Anderson Jr, DE, Houston
There is a new regime in Houston and they went all in with their first draft class! They drafted not one but two cornerstone players with back-to-back picks (2nd & 3rd overall) in CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. Anderson has been a monster in college football the past two seasons at Alabama, and now looks to terrorize the QBs of the NFL. In week one he started for the Texans and produced a box score of six tackles, four being solo, a 66.6% solo rate, one TFL, two QB hits, and one sack, which added up to a total of 21.5 fantasy points. We have seen some superstar pass rushers enter the league over the past few seasons and Anderson has the potential to be the best of them all.
#3 Jakorian Bennett, CB, Las Vegas
Mid to late-round rookies tend to take longer to make an impact in the league, but 4th round CB Jakorian Bennett wasted no time getting his career off and running. In fact, Bennett started for the Raiders in week one versus the Denver Broncos and performed very well. Bennett registered seven tackles, all of which were solos, for a total of 19.3 fantasy points. The cornerback position is one that is predominantly streamed by fantasy managers, but in position-specific leagues, Bennett is worth adding to your watchlists. Never react to a one-game performance but keep an eye on him and see if he can replicate this performance and then make your decision.
#4 Brian Branch, SAF, Detroit
The Lions drafted Brian Branch in the 2nd round and in his very first NFL game he made a huge impact. His stat line for the game was three total tackles, two being solos, a 67% solo rate, one PBU, and the biggest play of the game, which was a gift-wrapped interception, in which he returned fifty yards for a touchdown. His fantasy point total for the game added up to 19.3 points. While the Lions seemingly have a log jam at safety, the talent that Branch has will make it hard for them to keep him off the field. Don’t go expecting the big plays every week, but his playmaking ability will be huge for your fantasy teams.
#5 Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Chicago
The Chicago Bears were in this same position last year and they drafted Kyler Gordon. They also have Jaylon Johnson who they drafted in 2020 has been good but not great. The Bears don’t have a cornerback with the size and talent of Tyrique Stevenson who they drafted out of Miami. He got the start in week one for Chicago and tallied six tackles, five being solos, an 83.3% solo rate, and one TFL, which adds up to 17.1 fantasy points. Again remember that the cornerback position is one that is very deep, but Stevenson is one that is worth rostering, just be patient and don’t overexpect.
#6 Trey Hawkins, CB, New York Giants
Who? Exactly! A rookie the Giants drafted in the 6th round from Old Dominion. If you watched the horrific performance that New York displayed on Monday night then you know that there weren’t many bright spots if any. With that said rookie Trey Hawkins got the start and put together a decent box score of seven tackles, five being solo, for a 71.4% solo rate. In the world of fantasy football that added up to a total of 16.3 fantasy points. Hawkins is the fourth cornerback on the list already, so you see how deep the position is. He’s not a player that I am rostering at the moment due to the depth of the position.
#7 Ivan Pace Jr, LB, Minnesota
At number seven we have our first true linebacker, Ivan Pace Jr, and the first undrafted rookie to be on this list. Pace Jr graded out with the third highest impact score of 2.961 in my IDP rookie grade system. The Minnesota Vikings signed the UDFRA and all that he’s is impress day after day. In week one versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he recorded eight tackles, six being solos, a 75% solo rate, and one QB hit. That stat line would add up to a total of 14 fantasy points. If he’s available in your league go get him now, whether that’s off waivers or in a trade, and enjoy the rewards.
#8 Christian Izien, CB, Tampa Bay
Back-to-back undrafted rookies being on the IDP rookie recap, is not something anyone had on their bingo cards for week one. The Buccaneers is a team that is transitioning from being a championship contender to a retooling team. They signed the undrafted Christian Izien who they fell in love with during training camp. He didn’t start but did play 36 defensive snaps and produced a box score of three tackles, two solos, a 67% solo rate, one interception that he returned for 14 yards, and one PBU. This was an unexpected surprise for a team that has some depth and cap issues, and his 13.8 fantasy points were a surprise for fantasy managers.
#9 Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Washington
The Washington Commanders surprised a lot of people when they drafted Emmanuel Forbes in the first round with the 16th overall pick. While it may have been a shock that they took him that early, it definitely addressed a need for their defense. Forbes is a smaller corner (6’0”/180 lbs) so how well he can hold up is a concern but not his talent. He started his first game as a pro and registered three tackles, all solos, one TFL, and one PBU, which added up to 13.3 fantasy points. Forbes is a decent taxi squad option in position-specific leagues.
#10 Lukas Van Ness, DE, Green Bay
It’s a new era in Green Bay without Aaron Rodgers and this team looks completely different from what we have seen in the past. Defensively they continue to add youth and they drafted Lukas Van Ness with the 13th overall pick to pair with star Rashan Gary. They still have veteran Preston Smith who will eat into his reps for now, Van Ness is the future. Van Ness played 35 defensive snaps (47%) and produced a box score of two tackles, both solos, one TFL, one QB hit, and one sack for a total of 13 fantasy points. Van Ness will have some big games and some clunkers this year, but once he gets consistent reps he’ll be an impact star player.
#11 Byron Young, DE, LA Rams
The Los Angeles Rams sold their soul and their draft picks for a Super Bowl and it worked. Unfortunately, their roster has no depth at all and a lot of aging players. They finally started to have some picks available to replenish with and they used a 3rd round pick on DE Byron Young from Tennessee. He would get the start in week one and would play 43 defensive snaps (84%). His stat line for the game would be as follows, four tackles, three were solo, a 75% solo rate, two QB hits, and ½ a sack. When added up that came out to a total of 12.8 fantasy points. The Rams needed a young (no pun intended) pass rusher and Aaron Donald could retire at any time, so getting Young was the perfect fit for them. He’ll have some good and some bad fantasy games, but be patient as he’s the future in LA.
#12 Karl Brooks, DT, Green Bay
The Green Bay Packers are the first team to have multiple rookies on the IDP rookie recap. I mentioned above with Van Ness, that they were getting younger defensively. They drafted Devonte Wyatt last year to anchor the interior of their defensive line and now they get a blue-collar worker to pair with him, in Karl Brooks, who they drafted in the 6th round. Brooks was a star at Bowling Green and he’ll be a star in Green Bay. Efficiency is his game and that showed in week one. He played 29 defensive snaps (39%) and recorded one tackle, a solo, one TFL, one QB hit, and one sack for 12.5 fantasy points. If you need a DT in a position-specific league, then Brooks is a player you’re gonna want. Stash him on your taxi squad until he’s ready to take over.
#13 Jalen Carter, DT, Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Eagles got a player who many felt was the top overall player in the draft, but due to some off-the-field issues he slipped to ninth and the Eagles snatched him up. Georgia North as Philly is quickly being known as, has drafted multiple Georgia Bulldogs and Carter could be the best of them all. Philly is loaded along the defensive front but Carter still managed to play 40 defensive snaps (50%). His box score for the game was one tackle, a solo, one TFL, and one sack for a total of 12.5 fantasy points. Just as important but doesn’t show up as far as fantasy points is that Carter also had three QB hurries and five pressures. He’s going to be a beast at DT in position-specific leagues. The next Aaron Donald? Maybe, we’ll see!
#14 Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Arizona
An interesting college player who earned a start in week one for the Arizona Cardinals. Clark a sixth-round pick out of Louisville, who surprisingly played every defensive snap in the game (71/100%). Clark registered three tackles, all being solos for a total of 8.3 fantasy points. Very interesting to me that he received the full workload of defensive snaps and if that continues or is close to it, he’s a player that I’ll add to my watch list and keep a close eye on.
This was an interesting and informative week one list. Cornerbacks were the dominant position on the list as they made up seven of the 14 players (50%). Defensive ends were next with a 21.4% (3 of 14) share of the list. Defensive tackles were next with two of the 14 (14.2%) players on the list. The Green Bay Packers were the only team to have multiple rookies make the list this week. Trends and statistics of lists can be useful tool for tracking and seeing the trends.
Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to email or dm me with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy.
