Fantasy Football: What to expect from Ashton Jeanty, Tetairoa McMillan and more top rookies this NFL season

It always starts with the rookies. That’s where the passion lives for me. College football and fantasy football blending together in the perfect storm. The new toys. The unproven stars. The ones we’ve watched dominate Saturdays and now get to watch shake up Sundays.

Every single week this season, I’ll be here breaking down the rookie class. Who’s rising. Who’s falling. Who’s getting the kind of usage that matters. And even if a player didn’t pop in the box score, I’ll always give you one stash — a rookie worth holding before your leaguemates catch on.

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But before we dive into those week-to-week breakouts and breakdowns, we’ve got to start with expectations. So for Week 1, I’m focusing on the big names. The highly drafted rookies. The ones walking into opportunity from the jump.

Let’s take a look at the top rookie RBs and WRs heading into 2025 and make some early calls on how they’ll finish.

We’ll revisit this later. Could be dead right. Could be hilariously wrong. That’s part of the fun. Let’s talk ball.

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders

Let’s cut to it: 1,075.5 rushing yards is the Vegas line for Ashton Jeanty’s rookie year. That number is light and we’ve got both history and context to back it up.

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Start with the setup: Chip Kelly is calling plays. The same Chip Kelly who, in just two seasons in Philly, gave LeSean McCoy 626 carries, resulting in 2,926 yards and 19 touchdowns. In 2013, McCoy led the NFL with 1,607 rushing yards and nearly 540 more through the air. Kelly’s entire offense runs through the RB1 and Jeanty isn’t splitting time — he is the guy.

Now let’s talk about Jeanty himself. He forced 151 missed tackles in 2024 at Boise State and caught 67 passes across his final two college seasons. He’s not just a bruiser — he’s a workhorse with hands, explosion and vision. The Raiders drafted him top 10 and paired him with a competent quarterback in Geno Smith, a TE1 in Brock Bowers and enough spacing threats like Dont’e Thornton to keep defenses honest. This is a classic volume plus talent setup.

And when you stack Jeanty’s projection next to some of the best rookie backs in recent memory?

• Bijan Robinson (2023): 976 rush yards

• Todd Gurley (2015): 1,106 rush yards (in 13 games)

• Saquon Barkley (2018): 1,307 rush yards

• Ezekiel Elliott (2016): 1,631 rush yards

Jeanty doesn’t need to be Zeke. But he can absolutely be Saquon-lite or, at worst, land in the Gurley range. That’s 250-plus touches and a clear shot at 1,200-plus yards in a Chip Kelly system that historically leans top five in rush attempts per game.

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Omarion Hampton, RB, Chargers

The Chargers used a first-round pick on Omarion Hampton. You probably wouldn’t know it based on how the fantasy world is talking about him.

It’s like folks forgot this team made a major investment in the North Carolina workhorse. And now he walks into one of the more intriguing backfield splits in the league with a respected vet in Najee Harris and one of the best quarterbacks in the game in Justin Herbert. Add in a receiving group featuring Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen and other rookie receivers and this offense is built to move the ball.

Greg Roman’s scheme fits Hampton like a glove. His offenses have ranked top five in rush attempts per game in six of his last seven full seasons. He schemes downhill concepts that punish defenders; gap, power, counters. We’ve seen him do it with Frank Gore, LeSean McCoy, Mark Ingram and now, he gets a 220-pound hammer with pass-catching chops in Hampton.

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Yes, Najee has been cleared to play. But the juice isn’t there. Hampton has the size, burst and versatility to flash early and earn more work as the season progresses. I’m not projecting a takeover in Week 1, but a 1A-1B split that tilts toward Hampton by midseason? Absolutely. He’s a rock-solid RB2 with RB1 spike-week upside.

TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Patriots

Let’s be clear. New England wasn’t a bottom-barrel run team last year but it wasn’t far off when it came to efficiency. The Patriots finished 13th in rushing yards per game (115.8) and ranked 10th in 10-plus yard runs (58). But once you dig into the metrics that actually matter for sustained success? It gets shaky.

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They were 23rd in success rate, 27th in rushing EPA and had a 17.5% stuffed-run rate. This offense had production — it just wasn’t consistent or explosive.

Now, let’s talk about Ramondre Stevenson. He’s had a role. He still does. But in 2024?

• Six fumbles — more than any RB in the league

• Just 22 10-plus yard runs (26th out of 44 qualified backs)

• Bottom-tier explosiveness metrics

That’s not a profile you fade explosiveness for. It’s one you complement or replace.

Enter TreVeyon Henderson, the electric back from Ohio State who brings real juice. He was one of college football’s most dangerous backs in space, racking up explosive plays and turning ordinary runs into house calls. Everything coming out of camp says the Patriots know what they’ve got. Henderson’s being used on swing routes, screens, motion — even kick returns. They want the ball in his hands.

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Henderson scored in the preseason and showed burst. He draws the Raiders in Week 1, a defense that gave up chunk plays to backs all year. The role is there. The talent is obvious.

I’m not projecting a full takeover. But in a 1A-1B backfield, TreVeyon is the one with real fantasy upside. He’s a weekly RB2 play with RB1 spike potential based on his dual-threat ability. And if Stevenson coughs the ball up again, don’t be surprised when Henderson becomes the lead.

This is one rookie worth betting on early because by midseason, he might be the one carrying rosters into the playoffs.

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Buccaneers

Let’s set the table. The Tampa Bay offense turned everything it touched into fantasy gold last year.

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Baker Mayfield led the NFL in passing touchdowns. Cade Otton quietly finished top-12 among fantasy tight ends. Chris Godwin was a WR1 for half the season. Mike Evans went for another 1,000 yards and double-digit scores. Even Bucky Irving thrived. This offense had juice — and it’s still humming.

But it’s also beat up.

• Chris Godwin is out at least a month

• Jalen McMillan is dealing with a neck injury and could miss most of the season

We knew Egbuka could ball. He operated out of the slot at Ohio State with elite efficiency and was a consistent separator in tight windows. Tampa drafted him in the first round for a reason. Now, he’s got the opportunity, the system and the quarterback — yes, Baker Mayfield — to make an immediate impact.

He’s going to be featured. This offense isn’t about to run through Sterling Shepard or Taisun Johnson. It’s Mike Evans, Bucky Irving and Emeka Egbuka. Period.

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Let’s say Godwin only misses four games. That’s still a quarter of your fantasy season. Plenty of time for Egbuka to establish himself. And when he does? He’s not going away.

He’s being drafted like a WR3. That’s the floor. My expectation? Egbuka finishes as a fantasy WR2 in 2025 with legit room to finish even higher.

Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Panthers

The Panthers didn’t waste time showing how they feel about Tetairoa McMillan. Second wide receiver off the board at No. 8 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Then, they traded Adam Thielen back to the Vikings this past week. That’s not just confidence — that’s a signal.

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Bryce Young? From Weeks 8 through 18, he led the NFL in big-time throw rate. He had multiple top-10 fantasy finishes while throwing to Thielen and Xavier Legette. Now, he gets a size-speed freak in McMillan who can separate and dominate in the red zone.

Jalen Coker is hurt and on IR. Legette will play the Z. The rest of the WR room is David Moore and Jimmy Horn Jr. T-Mac is walking into uncontested alpha opportunity. You saw it in preseason. Bryce was already looking his way in the red zone.

Would I be shocked if he hits 150 targets as a rookie? Not at all. He’s got the size, the route tree, the hands and now the role. My expectation? A rock-solid WR2 season with top-12 spike weeks.

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Travis Hunter, WR, Jaguars

Travis Hunter was the first wide receiver drafted in 2025 and the Jaguars traded up to get him. Since Day 1, the talk has been about whether he’d play offense or defense.

The answer? Both. But make no mistake, new head coach Liam Coen isn’t about to turn him into a full-time DB. He’s listed as a starting wide receiver and everything out of camp has pointed toward him being a weapon on offense.

This is the same system that featured Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan in the screen game. And now it gets Hunter, a one-of-one athlete who doesn’t need elite route-running to pop. He’s dangerous in space. He’s electric with the ball. And he’s tied to a quarterback in Trevor Lawrence who knows how to feed a playmaker.

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Hunter won’t be consistent. But when he hits? He’s going to hit hard. Travis Hunter is the exact type of risk-reward swing that wins you a week — and maybe more. I think Hunter finishes this season as a boom-bust WR3.