Ultimate Rookie Report Week 17 2025

It’s unlikely you started these players in your fantasy championship, but here are the top 5 rookie PPR producers. I included “started” percentages from a sports app called Sleeper, just to prove how unlikely it is that they helped you.

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5. Colston Loveland (21.4) 55%

Colston Loveland was the most used rookie during championship week and he did not disappoint. Loveland had six catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. He has been up and down all season long, but he really came in clutch when managers needed him the most. The Lions come to Chicago on Sunday and are ranked 19th in pass defense this year, if you’re in one of those leagues that go the full season.

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4. Tyler Shough (21.9) 33%

Do I need to keep beating the drum for Shough? This week, he completed 22 of 27 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns. He didn’t get as many rush yards as he usually does (four carries for six yards), but nobody is perfect. In the eight games he started this season, he led two fourth quarter comebacks and three game winning drives. In six of those eight games,  Shough scored more than 17 points. Since becoming the starter in week 10, he’s averaging more points per game than Dart, Nix, Hurts, Mayfield, and Herbert, just to name a few. Not bad at all for a quarterback drafted in the second round that nobody thought much about. Shough faces the 11th ranked passing defense of the Falcons on Sunday.

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3. Jacory Croskey-Merritt (22.5) 23%

I always love a Bill sighting. Eleven carries, 105 yards, and two touchdowns against a swiss cheese Dallas defense. The Eagles have a surprisingly poor run defense…so poor that they are tied with the Cowboys. Maybe we’ll see Bill here again next week.

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2. Jaxson Dart (25.1) 47%

Remember Jaxson Dart? He’s not the healthiest of QBs, but he is very exciting. In the First Overall Pick in the 2026 Draft Bowl, Dart led the Giants to victory (but defeat? A toilet bowl is very confusing)! Dart completed 22 of 30 passes for 207 yards. He did all of his damage in the run game, toting the ball nine times for 48 yards and two touchdowns. The Giants could be a lot of fun if their skill players come back moderately healthy next year. The Cowboys come to town next week. We already talked about their run defense, but they are also dead last against the pass, and that was before they cut one of their starting corners in Trevon Diggs.

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1. Luther Burden III (27.8) 22%

The man started in the fewest fantasy rosters on the countdown this week put up the most points! Looking at his game log for the year, I wouldn’t touch him in a championship either. 

It’s really telling when a player puts up 27.8 points but they average 8.6 points per game. This column isn’t for the whole season though, at least not today, so we’re going to give Burden his flowers .Fighting for the one seed in the NFC, Burden caught eight passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. The Detroit Lions 20th ranked defense comes to Chicago this upcoming week, but I wouldn’t play Burden unless I had no other choice.

I’m sorry about this coming out so late. With the holidays I’ve been busy despite being off, and I have a toddler running around. I just completely lost track of what day it was. I hope every one of you readers won your championships. If not, better luck next year. 

I’ll have an article up next week and will follow these guys through the playoffs where applicable. I’ll also squeeze an award show in there sometime, too. If this is where I lose you because there is no fantasy relevance at this point in the season, thank you for reading and enjoy your offseason.

@MeLlamoMoron 

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