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Rookies on the rise in fantasy football

Kenneth Dixon, a rookie fourth-round running back out of Louisiana Tech, is set to make his NFL debut for the Ravens in Week 5 after injuring his knee late in the preseason. Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports

Four weeks into the season, Ezekiel Elliott and Will Fuller have quickly become every-week fantasy starters as rookies. But which first-year players should you be keeping an eye on as they continue to develop? Let's run through six players who will get the opportunity to be fantasy difference-makers over the final 12 games of the season.


Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago Bears: I know this isn't the most off-the-wall pick, given that Howard racked up 132 total yards for the Bears last week in his first career start. But I wanted to include him here because he has the skill set to put up double-digit fantasy points every week. We had a third-round grade on Howard coming out of college, so the Bears got good value drafting him in the fifth. After getting 23 of the Bears' 26 carries by running backs last week, Howard is the team's bell cow with Jeremy Langford still sidelined with a high-ankle sprain. Because he runs with great vision and impressive physicality, Howard will make the most of his touches (4.83 yards per carry in Week 4).