2017-18 Donruss Optic: Tatum's Co-Flagship Rated Rookie

2017-18 Donruss Optic sits right beside Panini Prizm in the Tatum rookie conversation. Optic is the chromium version of Donruss — the same reflective Prizm technology, wrapped in the Donruss brand and its signature Rated Rookie design. For a lot of collectors, the Optic Rated Rookie is the card they chase the moment after they’ve secured (or priced out of) a Prizm.

Why this set matters for Tatum collectors

• It delivered a co-flagship rookie during Tatum’s 2017-18 rookie season, carrying the recognizable Rated Rookie logo.
• It runs on the same chromium stock as Prizm, so it has the premium, reflective look collectors want — often at a friendlier entry price than the Prizm base.
• The Holo (silver shimmer) and the colored parallel rainbow — running up through numbered colors to a Black 1/1 — give it real depth for rainbow builders.

We don’t publish print runs or fixed prices — the live eBay links across the site show exactly what these cards are trading for right now.

Optic vs. Prizm

Worth knowing first: Optic shares its card number with the paper base Donruss Rated Rookie — Tatum is #198 in both — so read the brand word in a listing title before you bid, because the two trade at very different levels.

Because both sets share the Prizm finish, they’re natural companions rather than competitors. Panini Prizm is generally treated as the flagship and tends to lead the market; Donruss Optic is the close co-flagship with its own dedicated following, and the Rated Rookie framing gives it a distinct identity. Many serious Tatum collectors keep one of each. For the full rainbow structure on the Prizm side, see Best Jayson Tatum Prizm Parallels and the 2017-18 Panini Prizm set review.

Optic’s own insert program

The Rated Rookie isn’t the only Tatum card in Donruss Optic — the set carries a named-insert program that runs well past his 2017-18 rookie season:

• My House! is an Optic-exclusive insert (it never ran in paper Donruss): a home-arena theme on chromium stock, with Prizm-style Holo and colored parallels layered on top. Tatum’s card number has moved year to year in live listings: #11 in 2019-20, #17 in 2022-23, and #7 in both 2023-24 and 2024-25.
• The Rookies and Rookie Kings are 2017-18 rookie-year inserts that each ran in both paper Donruss and Optic — Tatum is #3 in each, but they’re separate checklists, so a Rookies #3 and a Rookie Kings #3 are two different cards. The Optic printings are chromium and pick up Holo/Silver-style parallels that the paper versions don’t.

Every number above came from multiple live eBay listings, not an estimate. For the rest of Tatum’s Donruss/Optic insert lineup — including the paper-only Franchise Features and Net Marvels families — see Jayson Tatum Donruss Inserts.

Buying it safely

Like every high-profile Tatum rookie, Optic cards are counterfeited and, at the high-grade end, sometimes altered. For anything beyond a low-grade raw copy, buy graded (PSA or SGC) so both authenticity and condition are guaranteed, and always compare sold comps rather than asking prices. If you’re unsure what to look for on a raw card, the how to spot a fake Tatum rookie card guide walks through the reprint, counterfeit, and altered-card tells.

For the wider class, the Jayson Tatum rookie cards top list and the brand-by-brand rookie card checklist put Optic in context next to Prizm, Hoops, and the premium National Treasures RPA. And if you’re weighing what any of these are worth before you buy, start with what a Jayson Tatum card is worth.

Use the eBay buttons below to open live listings for the Optic Rated Rookie, its Holo and colored parallels, and graded copies.