Steve Slaton—Chris Johnson: Rookie Report

I am going to give it away at the beginning…but I told you so!

Last week, I predicted we would see Donnie Avery in Marc’s weekly rookie rankings at some point this season. Well, after hanging 163 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots in week eight, Avery makes his much-anticipated debut.

What I won’t give away in my little intro is how high he debuted in the rankings. By the way, that was Avery’s fourth good fantasy performance in a row. The kid is smokin’.

There is a bunch of activity in this week’s Rookie Report. There is a new player in the top five, while some others have fallen from poor performances and those pesky bye weeks.

And will Chris Johnson finally take over that coveted top spot?

Honorable Mention: Eddie Royal, WR, Broncos

I still really like Royal, but he is one of those bit by the bye week. He didn’t play his way out of my top five, but others played their way into it. He will get another shot at it this week versus the Miami Dolphins.

5. Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons

I know Ryan scored the most points of his young career this week against the Eagles. Most of that, however, was because he had to throw because he was behind due to some interceptions. Oakland is coming up, so look for Roddy White to burn former Falcon DeAngelo Hall a few times.

4. DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles

Jackson is starting to cool off a bit, but he still had 72 yards receiving on only three catches. This is still worth a spot in the top five. With the return of Brian Westbrook, Kevin Curtis, and Reggie Brown his touches have been limited, but he is still making big plays evident by his 26 yards-per-catch average.

3. Donnie Avery, WR, Rams

The Rams are finding the complement to Torry Holt. Avery has made big touchdown catches two weeks in a row and is becoming a go-to guy for Marc Bulger. Avery is showing quickness and the ability to get open which is why he has moved here to the No. 1 rookie wide receiver.

1. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans/Chris Johnson, RB, Titans

Johnson ran for 77 yards and a TD, while Slaton ran for 53 yards and a TD. Slaton has six touchdowns in seven games, while Johnson has five touchdowns in seven games. In most leagues, Johnson has a slim lead on total fantasy points over Slaton.

Johnson has 626 yards rushing with 92 yards receiving, while Slaton has 476 yards rushing with 125 yards receiving. These guys are so close I can’t choose just one. They both have some tough match-ups coming up, but until one of these guys does something to separate themselves this race could go come down to the final week of the season.

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