I rarely like to draw comparisons between pro athletes and those of us who, well, aren't paid to play sports for a living.
But indulge me for a moment by thinking back to your first day of something: high school, college, a job, you name it. There are nerves, there is uncertainty, there is excitement, too. But speaking generally, it's fair to assume that your readiness to handle whatever is in front of you grows as your experience increases.
Now the comparison: Rookies in the NFL can have an immediate and incredible impact. Saquon Barkley was arguably the most valuable player in fantasy football last season. But he was also an exception. We often see NFL players make a notable leap from their rookie season to Year 2. Guys are far more familiar with the speed of the game, they have a full offseason of NFL training under their belt and are simply better equipped to be major contributors -- especially at wide receiver, where the learning curve has proved to be steep.
So using that premise, let's do our annual look at players in their second pro season who profile as possible breakout candidates in 2019.
Before we do, a list of those whose rookie merits were substantial enough to exclude from this list: Barkley, Baker Mayfield, Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, Kerryon Johnson, Calvin Ridley and Phillip Lindsay.
DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers
2018 stats: 55 receptions, 788 yards, 2 TDs
We saw some real signs of stardom from Moore, who snatched 32 catches over the final seven games of his rookie season. What we know about Moore despite a small sample size is that he's reliable and explosive: He had just one drop last season on 80 total targets and -- among 82 qualified wide receivers -- led the league in yards after the catch per reception at an exceptional 7.69 figure, 73.9% above the NFL average for wideouts. The speedy 22-year-old should see more volume with Devin Funchess now in Indianapolis, and he profiles as my favorite of the Panthers' young pass-catchers.
Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals
2018 stats: 43 receptions, 590 yards, 3 TDs
The fact that Kirk was able to make an impact last season for a dismal Arizona offense is anecdotal evidence enough, as the Cardinals averaged just 4.28 yards per play, the worst such rate since 2012. There's nowhere to go but up, yet Kirk still managed at least eight points in seven of his final eight games. That's not a gaudy metric, but if we assume a more fast-paced, voluminous passing game under new head coach Kliff Kingsbury -- whose offenses normally played a massive number of snaps at Texas Tech -- it's reasonable to assume Kirk's numbers will follow. And as a player, there's a lot to like: He is solid after the catch, a technically sound route-runner and has good hands. Kyler-to-Kirk sounds fun.
Derrius Guice, RB, Washington Redskins
2018 stats: Missed season due to ACL tear
There are legitimate health concerns here, part of why I selected Guice as my bust candidate for 2019 based off where he's going in drafts. This isn't an effort to speak out of both sides of my mouth; Guice has an abundance of natural talent that was on display prior to his injury suffered in a preseason game last August. Adrian Peterson was a successful addition for Washington and figures to be in the mix again this season, but if -- if -- Guice is fully healthy and able to handle an expanded role, he's due for fantasy goodness.
Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
2018 stats: 42 receptions, 704 yards, 4 TDs
We saw quite a bit of Sutton last season, as he made an immediate impression during training camp and was thrust into more action after Demaryius Thomas was traded to the Texans. What immediately stood out from Sutton was the big-play ability, as he finished seventh in the NFL with 16.8 yards per reception. He was one of three young wideouts -- DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick, too -- to log extended time for the Broncos. Sutton remains the one whose upside I believe in most, particularly with what seems to be the inside track on the No. 2 job (or even lead job if Emmanuel Sanders is not fully ready for Week 1).
Dante Pettis, WR, San Francisco 49ers
2018 stats: 27 receptions, 467 yards, 5 TDs
Much of what happened in San Francisco offensively last season had to do with the injury to Jimmy Garoppolo. Even so, Pettis made his mark with Nick Mullens (who, yes, did show well in his first NFL action) under center, posting a three-game streak of seven or more targets and a receiving touchdown in each affair. The only players with a longer such streak last season were Antonio Brown, Adam Thielen, Christian McCaffrey and Keenan Allen. Not bad. Neither was Pettis' 17.3 yards per catch, fifth-best among the 212 players with at least 20 catches. The 49ers' offense figures to be more explosive this offseason, which should lend itself to more scores for Pettis.
Kalen Ballage, RB, Miami Dolphins
2018 stats: 191 yards, TD, 9 receptions, 56 yards
Ballage's rookie season was one predicated upon patience, as 27 of his 36 carries came during a three-week December stretch. With Frank Gore gone, Ballage is going toe-to-toe with Kenyan Drake for the starting gig, which might actually prevail as a workshare. That being said, his physical traits are hard to miss at 6-foot-2 and nearly 240 pounds with very good speed, and the role might just be savory enough that he becomes a viable weekly lineup cog. His early strong start in training camp has drawn plenty of attention.
Keke Coutee, WR, Houston Texans
2018 stats: 28 receptions, 287 yards, TD
When Coutee played as a rookie, he got the ball. He had four games in which he ran 15 or more routes and was targeted on a massive 27.3% of said routes. The sample size is small, but if that were to have taken place over the full course of the season, Coutee's 27.3% would have been seventh-best among wideouts. He's a slot wideout who can be a vacuum for the football, and he plays with an outstanding quarterback. The last time we saw Coutee, he gobbled up 11 catches for 110 yards in the playoffs against the Colts. Volume will be his friend.
Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys
2018 stats: 33 catches, 507 yards, 2 TDs
We saw Gallup's growth in his rookie season, as he emerged as a vertical threat for the Cowboys with 15.4 yards per reception. In Weeks 1-5, he ran just 14.2 routes per game, a number that ballooned to 30.9 in Weeks 6-17, a clear sign of his progress. He ranked 11th in the NFL in air yards per target last season, and his 31.2% target share on deep passes for Dallas ranked ahead of established deep threat T.Y. Hilton of the Colts. Expect Gallup to remain busy as the No. 2 wideout in Dallas, despite the fact that this is a run-oriented offense. He's an exciting player.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Green Bay Packers
2018 stats: 38 receptions, 581 yards, 2 TDs
There's been plenty of optimism surrounding MVS, who seems like a legitimate candidate to be the second wideout in Green Bay. The argument is simple if such takes place: Aaron Rodgers, back to being healthy, is still one of the best players on the planet, and the numbers for his No. 2 pass-catcher are legit -- in three of Rodgers' past five healthy seasons, Green Bay's second wideout has finished as a top-20 fantasy scorer on a per-game basis. Valdes-Scantling should be a useful weapon in the red zone, where Rodgers owns a 59-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the past three seasons. He flashed quite a bit of talent last season.
Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets
2018 stats: 239 of 414 (57.7%), 2,865 yards, 17 TDs, 15 INTs
It was a rookie season of peaks and valleys for Darnold, exemplified by a pick-six on his first career pass before he guided the Jets to a season-opening win. A foot injury affected Darnold in the second half of the season, but when it finally got right and he returned to the field, it was with a six-touchdown, one-interception stretch of three games. The Jets bolstered their offense with Le'Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder, which should lend itself well to easy yards for Darnold via the short passing game.
James Washington, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
2018 stats: 16 receptions, 217 yards, TD
No team does a better job of finding talent in the NFL draft at wide receiver than the Steelers, as general manager Kevin Colbert has a keen evaluation eye for that spot. Entering training camp, there's a gaping hole at the second wideout spot for Pittsburgh that Washington -- a 2018 second-round selection -- projects to be in the mix for. Should he secure that job, consider that the Steelers have the most passing yards over the past three seasons in the NFL, and over the past five seasons they are fifth in total red zone snaps. The NFL's target leader over the past three seasons (Antonio Brown) is gone, and someone needs to step up. Washington has drawn praise from teammates this offseason for his progress.
Chris Herndon, TE, New York Jets
2018 stats: 39 receptions, 502 yards, 4 TDs
A four-game suspension to begin the season unquestionably affects the value of Herndon, but there's a lot to like about his game based off what we saw last season. He ranked fourth among tight ends in air yards per target (10.3) and seventh in yards per catch (12.9). We noted Darnold's expected improvement earlier in this piece, which will invariably tie to Herndon's game as well. While the Jets did invest in playmakers on offense, there's a clear path for him to dominate the tight end snaps upon his return from suspension and be a middle-of-the-field chains-mover.
Others of note: Anthony Miller, Bears; Trey Quinn, Redskins; Hayden Hurst, Ravens; Dallas Goedert, Eagles; Mark Andrews, Ravens; Mike Gesicki, Dolphins; DJ Chark, Jaguars; DaeSean Hamilton, Broncos; Antonio Callaway, Browns; Deon Cain, Colts; Braxton Berrios, Patriots