Depth Chart Gems

Rookie fever is upon us and it's time to start looking for those late-round gems that could surprise us. Many fantasy football managers tend to get overexcited about rookies (myself included) and while we want to believe they will always work out, most years we get our heart broken by someone—I'M LOOKING AT YOU, MATTHEW GOLDEN!

There were obvious winners from this NFL Draft, players that landed in ideal situations or just have no one ahead of them on the depth chart. But, there's always a handful that surprise us once the season begins and it's our job to try and weed out those players to give you an edge. This is why we're going to focus on some late-round potential gems today. Because everyone knows about Jordyn Tyson and Jadarian Price, but what about the other rookies that could potentially have a path to playing time?

These aren't sure-fire bets, but we can always tell ourselves a story about how some of these rookies could rise up depth charts: veteran injuries, a better fit in the offense, etc. Below are some rookie names that have stood out to me so far, either based on the depth chart, Rookie Super Model score or veterans who I don't necessarily believe in. 

Antonio Williams | WR | Commanders

The Commanders drafted Antonio Williams with the No. 71 overall pick and he landed in a barren wide receiver room outside of Terry McLaurin, a perfect starting point for us to focus on for fantasy. There's a path for Williams to emerge as the primary slot target for Jayden Daniels this season, even if this team ends up still signing someone like Brandon Aiyuk. McLaurin is the only WR on the Commanders’ roster who saw a target share above 12% last season. He has a great opportunity and should be looked at as an upside WR3 in fantasy drafts.  

Nicholas Singleton | RB | Titans

When the Titans didn't land Jeremiyah Love they decided to hold off on selecting an RB until Nicholas Singleton came back to them in the fifth round. At Penn State last season, Singleton had 32 rushes of 10 or more yards and locked down 102 receptions during his college career. Is this the cleanest landing spot? No. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are still on this team, but both are free agents next season (keep that in mind for dynasty). Pollard finished last season on a high-ish note, but Spears has both struggled to stay healthy and reach his full potential. There's a chance Singleton has a prominent role in 2026.

Jonah Coleman, RB (Broncos)

I can feel Dwain and Ian rolling their eyes at me right now, but hear me out! J.K. Dobbins has an injury history and even though RJ Harvey came through with 7 touchdowns last season, he was very inefficient when leading as the Broncos’ RB1. Jonah Coleman can play on all three downs and he's not a zero in the passing game (he caught 87 passes in college). Sean Payton hates our fantasy teams, but this was not a great sign for Harvey. 

Brenen Thompson, WR (Chargers)

This is a deep pull, but that's why this newsletter is about late-round gems! Brenen Thompson will only be taken in the deepest of leagues and is a good flier for rookie dynasty drafts, because it's obvious that new OC Mike McDaniel absolutely loved this guy. Clear path? Not really, but the vibes are immaculate. McDaniel put together a fast squad in Miami and that's what this pick in Thompson represents—he ran a 4.26 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He's a perfect fit for McDaniel's speed-oriented offensive philosophy, we'll just have to see what kind of role he can carve out.