Oh, those fantasy rookie outlier seasons sure are fun when they happen. The 2016 season was fun when Ezekiel Elliott came in like a supernova with 1,631 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on his way to RB2 status that season. 2018 was a blast for fantasy managers who took a chance on Saquon Barkley and the Giants’ star rookie delivered 2,028 total yards and 15 touchdowns to finish as the RB2.
Those incredible rookie seasons happen, though they are far from the norm. Last year brought us Kenneth Walker III and Tyler Allgeier, opening in backup roles only to take advantage of opportunities to finish with 1,000-yard seasons.