Ashton Jeanty remains the crowned jewel of last season’s rookie class, while players like Emeka Egbuka, Tetairoa McMillan, Colston Loveland, and Harold Fannin Jr. all became high-end fantasy football assets.
Every manager should have an interest in those names, to some extent, but who are the second-year players to target with a chance to break through this season? Keep reading to find out.
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Fantasy Football Second-Year Players to Target
Luther Burden III (WR – CHI)
When reports surfaced during training camp that DJ Moore and Ben Johnson had conversations about the receiver’s attitude and body language, it felt as though Moore’s tenure in the Windy City would blow away sooner rather than later. Luther Burden’s rookie season further cemented Moore’s fate.
A training camp injury led to a slow start for Burden, who failed to hit a 50% snap share through the first nine weeks of the season. From Week 10 onward, however, Burden cleared a 50% snap share in every game and was the WR23 over the rest of the season and WR29 in PPR points per game (PPG) during that time span. Over the last four games Burden played, he was the WR10 in PPG with 324 yards and a touchdown across those four games.
Burden’s dynamic playmaking ability translated from college to the NFL as well as the Bears could have hoped, as the rookie finished third among receivers in yards after the catch per reception (7.3) and third in yards per route run (2.79). He was second in target separation at 2.63 while generating the seventh-best fantasy points per route run mark at 0.55 and the 10th-most fantasy points per target at 2.13.
It’s unclear who will emerge as the Bears’ No. 1 WR between Burden and Rome Odunze, but the ability to separate, create yards after the catch and post highly efficient metrics is a great sign for a rookie, particularly in a Ben Johnson offense.
Cam Skattebo (RB – NYG)
Perhaps the most eventful offseason of any team, the Giants have been rather busy over the last few months. Not only did they land the big fish of this coaching cycle in John Harbaugh, but Big Blue also made many changes to its roster. One position they did not alter, however, is running back, where they will return Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary.
Consider this a win for Skattebo, as the bulldozer enters his second season in the NFL. The fourth-round pick was in the process of taking over the Giants’ backfield before an ankle injury wiped out the second half of his season.
Prior to the injury, Skattebo was the RB8 through the first seven weeks of the season. If we remove Week 1, in which the rookie saw just four touches, he was the overall RB6 and RB8 in PPG from Week 2 through Week 7.
Skattebo has a nose for the end zone, thanks to his strength and low center of gravity, evidenced by his seven touchdowns in seven and a half games. With the Giants’ offense trending upward, he may need to purchase real estate in the end zone this season, with how often he will be visiting the painted area. When Skattebo was healthy, he saw 92% of the Giants’ red-zone carries and 100% of the carries inside the 10-yard line.
The 215-pound back’s success isn’t exclusive to the end zone, however, as he generated the sixth-most yards created per touch among running backs last season. He was ninth in fantasy points per opportunity and posted a Pro Football Focus (PFF) receiving grade of 82.7, the sixth-best mark, while landing the 17th-best rushing grade.
Skattebo saw at least two targets in each of his games played while averaging 4.3 per game. He’s the favorite for early-down work in the Giants’ offense, but the touchdown equity and pass-catching ability make him a potential breakout player this season.
Omarion Hampton (RB – LAC)
The Chargers faced an astonishing number of injuries last season, including an Omarion Hampton ankle injury that kept him sidelined for eight weeks. When he was healthy, Hampton faced an uphill battle running behind a depleted offensive line. Still, he finished the season as the RB12 in points per game with 15.1.
Hampton created the 11th-most yards per touch and finished 11th in yards after contact per attempt while handling a bell-cow role with 17.3 touches per game. His PFF rushing grade of 84.8 was the eighth-best mark in the league, and he now teams up with Mike McDaniel, who has a history of elite running back production.
The Chargers brought in Keaton Mitchell, but at 190 pounds and with an injury history, he figures to be a lightly used weapon out of the backfield. Kimani Vidal filled in admirably for Hampton last season, but his skill set pales in comparison to that of Hampton.
The second year running back will likely dominate the workload again, this time behind a healthy offensive line and with a coordinator who churns out RB1 seasons on an annual basis.
Oronde Gadsden II (TE – LAC)
Another Charger I expect to receive the Mike McDaniel boost is tight end Oronde Gadsden. Jonnu Smith, Darren Waller and Greg Dulcich can all attest to McDaniel’s offense boosting the tight end production, but Gadsden doesn’t necessarily need the help.
As a rookie fifth-round pick, Gadsden emerged as a major weapon for the Chargers, tallying 664 yards and three touchdowns. His 164 receiving yards in Week 7 were the most by a rookie tight end in 40 years.
Gadsden finished the season fourth at the tight end position in yards per target and third in yards per reception. He saw the third-most deep targets at the position, proving his ability as a downfield option and a perfect complement to Justin Herbert.
The Bolts added Charlie Kolar this offseason, which may scare some fantasy drafters away and keep Gadsden’s cost affordable. Kolar is primarily a blocking tight end, which may work in Gadsden’s favor, as it will free him up to play more of a slot role in 12 personnel, allowing him to get downfield. The Chargers are going to score a lot of points this season, and Gadsden will be a major factor in that
Matthew Golden (WR – GB)
Admittedly, you may need to squint a bit to see the vision with Matthew Golden. He netted just 361 yards in 14 games and was unable to find the end zone until he exploded for 84 yards and a touchdown in a playoff loss to the Bears. The Packers let Romeo Doubs walk this offseason and traded Dontayvion Wicks, opening the door to a larger role for Golden.
While the Packers haven’t had a true No.1 receiver since Davante Adams, they’ve been deep at the position for the last few years, resulting in a frustrating rotation. Golden played fewer than 50% of the snaps in half of his games and missed a couple of contests due to wrist and shoulder injuries, further stunting his development.
Yet, the Packers feel comfortable and confident enough to increase Golden’s role as he’ll operate on the outside with Christian Watson, while Jayden Reed sticks to the slot. This allows Golden to play consistently in 2-WR sets, as Reed is almost exclusively limited to 3-WR sets.
A look beyond the box score provides a rosier outlook on Golden’s potential as well. We saw many big plays fall just short due to penalties or an errant pass from Jordan Love, as evidenced by his catchable target rate of just 70.5%, which ranks 49th among all receivers.
We know Golden is a speed demon with his 4.29 40-yard dash, which places him in the 99th percentile, and that showed up in his target separation of 2.07, which is the ninth-best mark. It wasn’t all speed with Golden, however, as his contested catch rate of 66.7% was the seventh-highest rate, albeit on a small sample of six targets.
Perhaps more noteworthy was the gap between Golden’s true catch rate of 93.5% and his actual catch rate of 65.9%, substantiating the claim that Golden made many tough grabs on lackluster ball placement from his quarterback.
Many managers are already convinced that Golden is a bust, making him an affordable investment with an opportunity for strong returns.
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