It’s one month in, and while we have some answers, it may feel like more questions have arisen. While some rookies have broken out like Omarion Hampton and Ashton Jeanty, others are still awaiting their turn. Here we’re going to check in and see if some rookies are worth waiting on, trading, or benching, and what their long-term outlook looks like.
Travis Hunter, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
It’s been a frustrating ride with Travis Hunter thus far, but things might be looking up. In a week four win over the San Francisco 49ers, Hunter logged three receptions for 42 yards on five targets. While his stats are far from ideal, he did log only nine defensive snaps, suggesting they may focus more on getting him involved offensively.
A big problem here, beyond Hunter’s and Trevor Lawrence’s struggles, is that the Jaguars are winning games defensively and with the run game. Through four weeks, Jacksonville is 3-1 and ranks 5th in points allowed and 4th in rushing yards per game.
The hope has been that Lawrence and this offense would start to click, but they’ve been winning despite not being at their best. Last season, the Jaguars’ offense, especially Brian Thomas Jr., was constantly in catch-up mode. Even if they didn’t perform, they would make up points in garbage time against prevent defenses.
It’s a completely different story in 2025, which does not bode well for the passing game. Lawrence, Thomas, and Hunter could all see better days, but their game scripts aren’t likely to help them find consistency for fantasy.
You can firmly keep him on the bench for now, but we aren’t too far off from him being a drop candidate. I’d attempt to hold onto him until he has a big week and trade him high, but it may not be worth the space in shallower leagues.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
Tetairoa McMillan has had the exact opposite issue as Hunter. Thus far, McMillan has rarely come off the field, is seeing plenty of targets, and looks fantastic when he gets the ball. Despite everything lining up nicely, including game scripts, McMillan is only WR31 in half-PPR.
This situation is partially frustrating because everything should be working, but it just isn’t. McMillan is a talented player who is getting plenty of opportunities, but the Carolina Panthers’ offense hasn’t been good. Without Jalen Coker and amid Xavier Legette’s struggles, McMillan finds himself as the only true receiving threat for defenses to focus.
But the prevalent issue has been quarterback Bryce Young. Thus far in 2025, Young has looked more like the rookie version of himself than the breakout version we saw at the end of last season. Young is in the bottom four in QB rating, QBR, and adjusted yards per attempt. It’s been an ugly start for Young, who must turn it around if McMillan wants to return good value.
There should still be hope that we will eventually see more aggressive play, similar to what we saw late last year, which could lead to a true McMillan breakout. For that reason, he’s a true hold while still being a weekly FLEX consideration.
Matthew Golden, WR, Green Bay Packers
We saw plenty of good from Matthew Golden over the past two weeks without Jayden Reed. Two straight 50+ yard games with seven touches a piece is reasonable production for a young player and a reason for optimism going forward. However, it’s not quite what we’ve been looking for.
Against a vulnerable Dallas Cowboys defense that saw Green Bay score 40 points, Golden was essentially an afterthought. After his massive 46-yard catch to start the game, he only scrounged up 17 more yards on five touches following that. With an ideal matchup, Golden didn’t have his breakout.
At the very least, he’s surpassed Dontayvion Wicks in total receptions and yards despite hardly getting the ball over the first two weeks. There is absolutely an upward trajectory here, but the ceiling looks to be in question. He should eventually get into the endzone, which will give you a good week, but hefty usage seems unlikely.
It’s not great timing for managers, but hopefully the early bye week will be good for him and the overall health of this offense. It’s worth holding out to see if he can truly catch his stride down the stretch, but if you can move on from him as part of a trade package, I would gladly do so.
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots
It was a heartbreaking Week 4 for TreVeyon Henderson managers who were hoping that his increased workload last week would lead to a more prominent role. Not only did that not happen, but he actually had his lowest snap count of the season. He continues to look impressive in limited touches, but that hasn’t yet led to more trust from the coaching staff.
Henderson is being held down by a true running back by committee. It’s one thing to see Rhamondre Stevenson be the clear starter in this offense, but Antonio Gibson is also seeing plenty of work.
Henderson is a player I was extremely high on through the off-season, so it’s been just as frustrating watching him get a small slice of the work. If three combined fumbles between the other two backs didn’t earn Henderson a higher snap count, it’s hard to envision him getting the work needed to be a viable play.
That means for now, he’s a hold or a sell depending on how your team sits. If he hasn’t killed you, I’d still hold on and wait for an end-of-season streak. If you’re struggling, unless you have other backs worth playing and you can afford to hold, it’s worth trading him for a more reliable option.
R.J. Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos
R.J. Harvey, much like Henderson, was locked into a committee that was suppressing his fantasy viability. Unlike Henderson, Harvey is trending in a positive direction, providing plenty of optimism.
In a blowout win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night, Harvey set career highs in carries, receptions, yards, and snap count. 18 total touches went for 98 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Tyler Badie, who took a majority of backup work in week 1, has gone two straight weeks with minimal usage.
Harvey has successfully taken the backup role and has broken off a few explosive plays. This is promising, but for now, it’s hard to take away too much from a game that was basically out of hand by halftime. Moreover, J.K. Dobbins looks excellent, currently fourth in the league in rushing yards, just ahead of Bijan Robinson.
Harvey is an excellent stash play for the long term and has the potential to emerge as a viable FLEX/RB2. Dobbins is unlikely to go away, but his injury history and Harvey’s upside make him an ideal hold and trade-for candidate.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders
This year’s preseason hype darling hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. When Austin Ekeler went down to injury, the excitement around the idea that Bill would take over this backfield was hard to contain. Instead, his workload has remained largely unchanged.
His best game this year was in week one with Austin Ekeler, where Jacory Croskey-Merritt logged 10 rushing attempts and a 32.9% offensive snap count. The last two weeks, his numbers have hovered at nine touches and a 35% snap count. Even without Jayden Daniels, his role has remained stagnant.
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As of now, he currently leads running backs in success rate and is second in yards per attempt. I wouldn’t fall into the trap of efficiency stats from backup usage, but it is promising to see him find early success. That hasn’t resulted in any extra snaps, but it may suggest more in the future.
Croskey-Merritt is absolutely worth the hold, but expectations for now should remain low. Against worse run defenses, and if Jayden Daniels returns, then you can give him flex consideration. If you can talk him up and package him as part of a trade, then I’d highly consider that as well.
