Another week and more disappointments! There’s not a lot of time left before managers face do-or-die matchups, so we must figure out which rookies we can trust and which ones we can’t.
Unfortunately, it won’t always be that simple. Here are the big rookie names and whether we should panic or not.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Panic Meter: Medium-High
Things are not going well in Las Vegas right now. While rookie Ashton Jeanty has avoided being on this list for the last few weeks because he’s gotten just enough production, things don’t seem to be improving for the Raiders’ offense.
They were heavy underdogs against the Kansas City Chiefs, but what unfolded Sunday morning took a lot of wind out of fans’ and managers’ sails. A 31-0 thrashing that was even more embarrassing than that. The Raiders weren’t just non-competitive; they were hopeless.
Coming off a season high in carries and touches last week, Jeanty has been leading the charge for a few weeks now, which includes a 138-yard game against Chicago in Week 4. Dealing with a poor line in front of him, Jeanty has shown more than enough juice to be the core component of this offense that desperately lacks identity.
Raiders had 30 offensive plays vs the Chiefs
12 in the 1st Quarter
Ashton Jeanty touched the ball once in those opening 12 plays
There’s no (positive) identity to this team right now
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) October 21, 2025
The problem is this is now the Raiders’ third double-digit loss, and their second by 30 points or more. While Jeanty is getting some usage in the passing game, he’s doing most of his work on the ground. In competitive, one-score games, he’s seeing plenty of work and is being leaned on. In these losses, they’re struggling to keep up enough to get Jeanty the ball.
We’re seeing the worst of two issues here. Not only are the Raiders not good enough to fully utilize their young RB, but the offensive problems are also holding back his upside, even when he does get the ball. It’s brutal to have to consider benching him if the matchup is poor, but seven touches and 34 yards against the Chiefs is enough to have killed some managers this past week.
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots
Panic Meter: It’s Over
There is no more panicking when it comes to TreVeyon Henderson. It’s over — time to give up. My buddy in my main league, who knew I was high on him before the draft, offered him to me for $5 FAAB. Even worse, I declined it because I didn’t have the bench space.
In the second week without Antonio Gibson, the RB who made this a three-man rotation throughout the beginning of the season, Henderson returned nine total snaps, two touches, and five yards. In half-PPR leagues, Henderson was the 72nd highest scoring RB on the week, behind players like Hunter Luepke, C.J. Ham, and Kyle Juszczyk, all full-backs.
On the other hand, this now makes a talented player with high draft stock a buy low. His value has absolutely cratered, and his manager likely wants nothing to do with him anymore. Is there a chance he has a second-half emergence? It’s unlikely, but worth the shot if you have a free bench spot.
RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos
Panic Meter: High
Why must Sean Payton tease us so? Harvey’s usage remains baffling, as he caught a crucial touchdown that helped spark the Denver Broncos’ insane comeback against the New York Giants. However, despite four rushes and a target, those two yards on the score were the only ones he’d gain on the day.
His snap counts remain around his season average of ~20-25%. He hasn’t seen substantial touches since the Week 4 blowout over Cincinnati. The upside is teeming with Harvey in this offense, but his role is not conducive to fantasy.
His role could change at any time, but managers are holding the bag until that eventually happens. The Broncos have been winning and don’t have their bye until Week 12, so I wouldn’t expect a change anytime soon.
Travis Hunter Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Panic Meter: Medium (and lowering?)
Did we finally see Travis Hunter have his breakout game? Against the Rams in London, Hunter only moonlighted on defense as he finally set career-highs on offense to the tune of 14 targets, eight receptions, 101 yards, and a touchdown. Considering he hadn’t even come close to those numbers previously, this is obviously cause for optimism, right?
Yes and no. This game got out of hand quickly as the Rams took control with a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, and a 21-0 lead by halftime. To this point, Hunter had three targets but no receptions. Down 28-0 to start the fourth, Hunter would accumulate four receptions, 71 yards, and his first touchdown.
Hunter is clearly talented, so I don’t mean to besmirch his accomplishments. However, this was actual garbage time production by a team forced to pass to catch up. Now, this very well could roll over into more trust and targets down the line, especially if Brian Thomas Jr. were to miss any time. But managers will have to wait until Week 9, with their bye this week, to see if that happens.
Hunter has always been a player worth holding onto for this kind of upside. But if you can sell him now at his highest, I’d attempt to do so. The Jaguars’ offense is still a work in progress, and Trevor Lawrence is still inconsistent. This team wants to run and play good defense to win if they can, so betting on garbage time production isn’t the soundest move.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
Panic Meter: Medium (and lowering?)
Despite playing two friendly matchups over the past two weeks, Tetairoa McMillan hasn’t been trending the right way. After receiving a minimum of eight targets per week, he’s only had five in each of the games against the Cowboys and the Jets. That’s turned into just three catches and ~30 yards per game. A pair of touchdowns at least salvaged the Dallas game, but the Jets game was far more disappointing.
A few issues persist and likely will throughout the season. McMillan is taking a majority of the attention in the passing game, and until Jalen Coker or Xavier Legette can make a difference, defenses will single him out. This is also a team that’s running the ball effectively and now splitting carries between two RBs they clearly like. This is a bad, run-heavy, low-volume passing offense.
But, until this week, another prominent issue was Bryce Young. The third-year and former first-overall pick has not had the renaissance most were hoping for after he strung together a streak of good games last season. After he’s continued to struggle, he’s now gone down with a high-ankle sprain. Andy Dalton is the backup QB in Carolina and could very well be the difference between a breakout and continuous struggles for McMillan.
The Panthers sit at 4-3, even with their woes on both sides of the ball. If Dalton plays well in relief, I’d expect him to stay in until he loses the job. A competent QB who will sling the rock to their best weapon is very much a reason for hope with McMillan. Young’s injury could keep him out for anywhere between one-to-five weeks, so we should get a good sample size of how this offense operates with Dalton at the helm. This should be a good time to try to buy McMillan.
