Week 1 always brings the hope and enthusiasm of a new rookie class. It’s when all the offseason hype finally meets reality. Sometimes that reality is electric, like Emeka Egbuka scoring two touchdowns in his NFL debut. Sometimes it’s not as flashy but still encouraging, like Travis Hunter leading his team in targets right out of the gate.
And then there are times when the box score leaves you questioning everything you thought you knew.
This piece isn’t about crowning a rookie with a gold jacket or burying them after one game. It’s about level setting. Who flashed in a real way, who stumbled out of the gate and who might be the right bet to stash before the rest of your league figures it out. Let’s get into it.
Risers
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Commanders
All summer, there was buzz about whether Jacory Croskey-Merritt would even see the field early. By kickoff, Chris Rodriguez was a healthy scratch and Croskey-Merritt had a real shot to prove himself. He didn’t waste it. The rookie finished RB11 with 14.2 fantasy points on just 29% of snaps. He toted the rock 10 times for 82 yards and scored a touchdown, with much of that coming on one long run that reminded you why he was hyped in the first place.
The most important piece? He was the only Washington back to get a carry inside the 10 and he cashed it in.
Austin Ekeler still logged nearly half the snaps and nine opportunities, but Croskey-Merritt looked like the more explosive runner. The advanced numbers back it up — he posted +42 rushing yards over expected and handled two high-value touches. Ekeler still matters, but Croskey-Merritt is earning real trust quickly. This wasn’t a gadget cameo, it was proof that he can be the guy when the Commanders need a play.
Dylan Sampson, RB, Browns
The rushing numbers don’t pop: 12 carries for 29 yards at 2.4 yards per clip. But Dylan Sampson’s fantasy stock shot up because of what he did as a receiver. He ran 16 routes, caught all eight of his targets and turned them into 64 yards. That made him RB15 on the week and a weapon in PPR leagues. Joe Flacco isn’t scrambling and he’s not pushing the ball deep. If it’s not there, he’s checking it down — and Sampson is the direct beneficiary.
Beyond the volume, the efficiency was ridiculous. Sampson finished third in the NFL in yards after catch over expected and forced seven missed tackles, tied with Nick Chubb for the most in the league. Jerome Ford turned six touches into eight total yards while Raheim Sanders barely got on the field. With Quinshon Judkins arriving soon, the odd man out looks like Ford, not Sampson. This debut screamed sustainability in a role tailor-made for fantasy.
Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jaguars
At first glance, Bhayshul Tuten’s Week 1 usage looked like a red flag. He played just 6.3% of snaps, saw three carries for 11 yards and zero targets while Travis Etienne Jr. dominated the workload and LaQuint Allen mixed in. But context matters — and the Tank Bigsby trade to Philadelphia completely changes the outlook. That 19% snap share and five touches Bigsby logged are now up for grabs, and there’s no clearer candidate than Tuten to take them.
Etienne’s role as the lead back is solidified, but the Jaguars still want a change-of-pace option to pair with him. Tuten’s burst and playmaking profile fit that role perfectly. Instead of being boxed into a four-back committee, he now finds himself in a potential two-man rotation alongside Etienne, with Allen sprinkled in.
It’s not about what he did in Week 1, it’s about the opportunity that just opened up. If you wrote Tuten off too early, now’s the time to reevaluate.
Faller
Matthew Golden, WR, Packers
Expectations were high for Matthew Golden, but the usage didn’t deliver. He ran 13 routes, caught two passes for 10 yards and ended with just 3.6 fantasy points. His Trinity Score — which measures usage and involvement — was 2.52. Compare that to Romeo Doubs (6.37) and Jayden Reed (5.76), and you see the problem. Reed commanded a 22.7% target share, Doubs had 18.2% with 36.4% of the air yards, while Golden was stuck at 9.1% of targets and just 10 air yards.
Green Bay’s offense looked a lot like 2024 — efficient, spread out, but without a clear downfield identity. Doubs ran 17 routes, Reed 12, Dontayvion Wicks nine, and Golden’s 13 put him in the mix but not the focal point. Tucker Kraft also saw work at tight end, further eating into opportunity.
Until Golden’s Trinity Score climbs, his ceiling is capped. For now, he’s a faller after Week 1.
Stash
Elic Ayomanor, WR, Titans
Ignore the 3.3 fantasy points. The usage is what matters. Elic Ayomanor ran 28 routes, saw seven targets and posted a 28% target share in his debut. His Trinity Score checked in at 6.66, showing he was featured like a starting wideout even if the box score didn’t reflect it. Add in his 45.9% air yard share — 133 of Tennessee’s passing yards — and you see why this is a player to stash now before the breakout comes.
Calvin Ridley is the alpha in this offense with a 32% target share and Trinity Score of 7.2, but Ayomanor was right behind him. That’s not rookie usage, that’s legit No. 2-wideout usage. Cam Ward and this passing game will take time to gel, but if Ayomanor is commanding this level of volume in his first game, the production will follow. This is exactly the type of rookie bet you make in September that pays off in October.
The Final Word
Croskey-Merritt proved he belongs, Sampson carved out a receiving role tailor-made for fantasy, and Tuten’s situation improved dramatically with Tank Bigsby out of the way. Golden didn’t meet expectations in his debut, while Ayomanor’s usage makes him a stash before the breakout hits.