MNF Rookies to Watch: Emeka Ebuka and several others featured in a pair of Monday games

In a pair of Monday Night Football matchups, the early game sees the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road against the Houston Texans. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka will be the featured rookie in this matchup and is coming off an outstanding professional debut with a pair of touchdowns. The Texans have a tandem of wide-outs from Iowa State in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who started a bit slow last week, but could increase their production as the year moves on.

The late MNF game of the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers will feature several rookies, and two that could be fantasy impact players in Week 2. The Chargers have running back Omarion Hampton and wide receiver Tre Harris, while the Raiders have a trio of first-year players. Las Vegas has running back Ashton Jeanty and a pair of receivers in Dont’e Thornton and Jack Bech.

Tampa Bay’s Emeka Egbuka Looks to Continue Hot Start to Career

A very popular player in fantasy drafts this summer, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka is making good of the hype after a terrific Week 1 performance against the Atlanta Falcons. The 19th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft caught four passes for 67 yards, including those two scores, one of which ended up as the game winner.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield has already spoken glowingly of the rookie, and with veteran Chris Goodwin and second-year Jalen McMillian still out of action, Egbuka should be a must-start for fantasy managers.

He heads into Week 2 as FantasyPros.com’s 21st-ranked wide receiver in standard leagues, as well as in those that credit full points for receptions. He finished Week 1 with 19.6 standard points, which was fourth for the position and fifth in PPR leagues with 23.6.

Texans have two rookie receivers looking to become a heavier part of Houston’s game plan in Week 2

Jayden Higgins was the 34th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a very comparable player to Houston’s Nico Collins. Higgins was minimally targeted in Week 1, with just three looks, making a pair of receptions for 32 yards. He may not be a must-start just yet in weekly fantasy leagues yet he could be a savvy option in DFS leagues. Higgins is going for $6,400 on DraftKings Sportsbook and could be a solid showdown play.

Fellow rookie and college teammate Jaylin Noel has the potential to be fantasy relevant as we get deeper into the season, but does not yet warrant fantasy consideration. Noel only saw 17 snaps on offense, but for those curious, he costs $1,200 in showdown. As for Harrison, he only saw one target last week, making an 11-yard reception, and not yet a fantasy-relevant player. His value in DFS is $2,000.

Hampton Looks To Improve on Week 1 Outing

In his NFL debut last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, Hampton was underwhelming with just a 3.2 yards per carry average on his 15 attempts for a total of 48. He caught both of his targets for another 13. As per FantasyPros.com, Hampton is the 17th-ranked running back for Week 2 in standard leagues and 19th in PPR formats. He should be in any fantasy lineup as at the very least a flex option.

The Raiders did a solid job in Week 1 against the Patriots and their ground attack, holding New England to 60 total rushing yards on 18 attempts, but Hampton could make for a quality DFS play. In DraftKings showdown leagues, he costs $7,800.

Raiders Feature a Pair of Receivers with Potential

The Raiders have a rookie receiver duo that could become fantasy impact players as the season progresses. Thornton has a great mix of size and speed and hauled in a pair of passes last week for 45 yards. He displayed big play potential with his 22.5 yards per reception. Thornton entered Week 2 as the 70th-ranked wide receiver on the FantasyPros.com standard chart and may be a solid DFS buy if looking for an economic option. In DFS on DraftKings, Thornton will cost $4,000.

As for Bech, he caught his only target for 23 yards and may not be ready for fantasy managers to rely on him just yet. Bech is ranked 100th in Week 2 standard rankings for wide receivers as per FantasyPros.com and his price in showdown is $3,200.