Doug Martin looked like a stud until he had eight carries for 33 yards last week.
Inconsistent rookies burned me in one league last week when I had to decide between Alfred Morris and Ryan Williams, who remains technically a rookie since he missed all last season due to injuries.

I went with Williams, figuring Arizona would have a better chance against Miami than Washington would against Tennessee and thus the Cardinals would likely run more with the lead and get the ball to Williams. Well, the Cardinals struggled but still got the ball to Williams, who had just 26 yards on 13 carries. Meanwhile, Washington played with the lead and got Morris the ball 21 times for 113 yards and a touchdown.

There’s no longer a debate between those two as Morris is putting up consistent numbers and is almost exclusively getting the running-back carries for the Redskins. Williams is also the main back, but has struggled in three of his first four games. Morris is now set as my RB2 and I trust him against most match-ups.

Here’s a look at some other rookies on the rise.

Ronnie Hillman | RB | Denver: He has passed Knowshon Moreno as the clear No. 2 back in Denver behind Willis McGahee, who is always an injury risk. Hillman got 10 carries and 12 total touches last week and totaled 63 yards of offense. You’re not starting him yet, but he’s a good handcuff if you own McGahee.

Brandon Bolden | RB | New England: The rookie from Mississippi had a breakout performance against Buffalo with 16 carries for 137 yards and a touchdown. He seems to have passed Danny Woodhead as the No. 2 running back in New England and everyone knows that Bill Belichick loves to mix up his running backs so there could be more big days ahead for Bolden. It’s tough to trust him enough to play him yet, but he’s another handcuff to grab if you have room on your bench because he could step in if Ridley gets hurt or struggles to be the feature back for the first time in his career.

Justin Blackmon | WR | Jacksonville: We finally got signs of life from the first-rounder, who had six catches for 48 yards last week after totaling just four catches for 31 yards in his first three games. He’s not a deep threat right now, but I do think he will continue to be more involved in the offense. I have him stashed on a roster, but not willing to start him just yet.

Mikel Leshoure | RB | Detroit: Like Ryan Williams, he is technically a rookie because he missed his first season due to injury. He was picked up in most leagues after rushing for 100 yards in his debut. His second effort was not as good with 13 carries for 26 yards, but I would feel okay playing him as a flex because he is the unquestioned feature back for the Lions. It’s also nice to see him get four catches in each of his first two games.