So which newcomers showed signs of life and which were truly disappointing? In this new series, I’ll give you three newbies whose stocks are rising and three that have experienced a downturn in the past two weeks, as well as one name to watch. Welcome to the Rookie Stock Watch for Week 15.
Stocked on: Shedeur Sanders, QB CLE
I feel the need to clarify here that I don’t think Sanders is the long-term answer for the Browns at quarterback, but it’s impossible to deny that he had his strongest performance yet against the Titans in Week 14. Sanders finished this week as the fantasy QB2 as he threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns, setting up a score on the ground.
He is one of only three players this year to have over 300 passing yards, three passing TDs and a rushing score in the same game, but more importantly, he was announced as the Browns’ starting QB for the remainder of the season. That means he has a chance to prove himself worthy of the Browns by not selecting an early QB in the 2026 draft and becoming their full-time future QB1. It puts the future in Sanders’ hands. If he can win enough games to keep them from picking him enough in the upcoming draft, he can control his own destiny and earn enough confidence to at least compete for the starting job in 2026. It’s just the beginning, but Sanders earning the starting role is the first step to becoming a fantasy-relevant player.
Stock down: Matthew Golden, WR GB
The entire wide reception area was healthy for the first time this season in week 14 and it was noticeable. Golden saw one target and played just five snaps. We were concerned about how he would fit into this offense compared to Jayden Reed and Christian Watson, but Golden was also beaten by Romeo Doubs, Dontavyion Wicks and Bo Melton, who was a defensive back all training camp! The Packers’ first-round pick to convert into their WR6 is a terrible sign for his future in the NFL and we’ve reached the point where it’s easy to label Golden as a bust unless he makes a big leap in 2026, but the road isn’t great for first-round receivers who don’t catch a touchdown in their rookie year.
Stock: Harold Fannin Jr, TE CLE
Fannin is the clear number one option in Cleveland right now. He now officially has the joint-highest targets on the team, tied with Jerry Jeudy, and they are both nearly 40 targets away from the next option in David Njoku. Fannin is the TE6 of the season through 14 weeks, with six finishes in the top 12, including a TE1 overall finish against the Titans. He also ranks fourth in rookie receiving yards, putting him ahead of fellow rookie TEs Oronde Gadsden and Colston Loveland.
Fannin is demonstrating the ability that saw him finish as the top receiver in college last year. His tackle breaking and YAC have immediately translated to the NFL, and we’re reaching a point where we have to consider him in the same conversation as the top two rookie TEs in Loveland and Tyler Warren. Even if Cleveland’s quarterback situation remains as fluid in his second year, Fannin has shown he can single-handedly open up the playbook, and is easily on his way to becoming a top-five dynasty TE.
Stock Down: Tyler Warren, TE IND
On the other hand, Warren may be ahead of Fannin in receiving yards, but he has had just one finish as a top 12 fantasy option since week nine. Warren started the season incredibly well as the top receiving option on the Colts, but his production has dropped due to the lack of manufactured touches. His 3.7 PPR points in Week 14 were his lowest mark of the season so far, despite seeing six goals. The other option for Warren now is the QB play, with Daniel Jones ruled out for the rest of the season and Philip Rivers seemingly coming in to guide the Colts in their playoff run. Jones’ injury is even more of a problem, as his status in week one of 2026 is in doubt as an impending free agent. Part of the concern about Warren was his lack of a consistent quarterback option, and those concerns have now been doubled with Jones ruled out and the Colts potentially in the hunt for another Week One starter for next season.
After watching Warren at Penn State…maybe he could be that starter? (I’m kidding)
Stock on: Luther Burden, WR CHI
My husband finally breaks out. Burden had not seen more than four goals in a match through the first ten weeks of the season. He’s seen at least five in every game since, adding a rushing touch in three of those weeks. The advantage isn’t quite there yet, but with 11.17 yards per touch in Week 14, Burden is on his way to a complete breakout. He hasn’t been able to overtake DJ Moore in a snap, but Burden has defeated Moore in three of the last four weeks. The changing of the guard is imminent – this could be your last chance to buy a share of Burden before he steps into a do-it-all role in Chicago.
Stock down: Bhayshul Tuten, RB JAC
Tuten had a significant clumsy problem in college. In his final two seasons at Virginia Tech, he put the ball on the ground nine times, and it was seen as a problem in the NFL. Fortunately, it hadn’t happened in his time in the NFL thus far, but after losing the ball in the Jaguars’ win against the Colts, Tuten didn’t play any more offensive action for the rest of the day. Ball security is an incredibly important skill and Tuten may get even less playing time, with LeQuint Allen having better ball security and being a significantly better pass protector. With Travis Etienne serving as the workhorse in this offense, Tuten’s stock is visibly dropping, with a lack of explosive flashes to maintain some edge.
One to watch: Jack Bech, WR LV
A few weeks ago I wrote that Bech was almost droppable in all formats as he struggled to see consistent playing time and only had one match with more than two goals. In week fourteen, the switch seemed to turn around as Bech saw six targets, caught them all, and played 82% of the snaps for the Raiders. Even more impressive, we saw hints of the physicality Bech displayed during his time at TCU. It’s not enough to say that Bech will develop into anything, but they are signs of life that we certainly haven’t seen in the first half of the year.
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