The incoming crop of rookies from the NFL Draft adds even more potential options into the draftable pool for fantasy football, making these fantasy football rookie rankings that much more important. Whether you are looking to add first-year options to your team or just interested in what this group brings to the table, these are the best fantasy football rookies that you should be targeting this year in your drafts.
Whether you are in a super-flex / 2 quarterback league or just a standard league, each of these players will offer some sort of benefit to you when drafting your squads. With some rookies needing to earn time and prove to their teams that they were worthy of being drafted, some production may need to be waited on – but by year’s end, you will still be able to reap the benefits of investing in these rookies.
Top Fantasy Football Rookies
10. Mac Jones
QB – New England Patriots
With the New England Patriots having brought Cam Newton back as an option for QB, they decided to take the fifth and final QB of the first round by drafting Alabama’s Mac Jones, who could very easily take the reins of this team early on this season. With Newton still looking like the starter in camp and reps, it looks like Jones may be fighting an uphill battle at this point.
However, head coach Bill Belichick is not necessarily a patient coach at this point in his career and may look to develop Jones on the fly, which can help expedite his fantasy value early in the year – plus, with the team’s public stance on Newton’s thoughts towards the COVID vaccine, it may open up an opportunity for Jones to take over.
9. Zach Wilson
New York Jets
The biggest profile offensive rookie added to the New York Jets this year, QB Zach Wilson has a lot on his shoulders as he enters his first season – but no other burden is heavier than the one that Broadway casts upon the Jets’ QB.
Wilson is being handed the starting job right out of the gate, offering up a glimpse at his talent right away, which will also come with its lumps. But having the BYU rookie’s draft stock not be super high, especially in redraft leagues, can help preserve some late-round value if you are looking to take a stab at a lottery ticket.
8. Javonte Williams
RB – Denver Broncos
Drafted as the eventual RB1 for the Denver Broncos, UNC rookie Javonte Williams looks to be the best Tar Heel RB to be drafted this year (ahead of NYJ’s Michael Carter). Plus, with Melvin Gordon III heading into his final season of his deal and his checkered injury history, Williams will factor into this offense right away.
The Broncos are holding a QB battle between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater, placing even more importance on having a strong running attack, something that has commonly been a 1-2 man punch in the past. With Phillip Lindsay having left town, Williams can fill that change-of-pace role behind and alongside Gordon, offering up potential FLEX value on a weekly basis with RB2 upside.
7. Ja’Marr Chase
WR – Cincinnati Bengals
Taken as the highest wide receiver in this year’s draft, LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase enters a Cincinnati Bengals’ offense needing to fight for targets right away amongst Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. Having a collegiate relationship with QB Joe Burrow certainly helps boost his stock, but Chase has struggled throughout camp and does not look like the dominant college WR that he was drafted to be.
The Bengals were in desperate need of adding offensive line talent early to help protect Burrow, but having gone with Chase instead, the onus falls on the rookie wideout to perform early on. His draft stock will likely follow his name and not his potential, so make sure not to reach on Chase – if anything, he should be the third wideout taken in this offense in most draft formats.
6. DeVonta Smith
WR – Philadelphia Eagles
Like Chase, Alabama’s DeVonta Smith was selected to become his new team’s leading wideout. But what differs between the two is that Smith enters a home-run situation, as the Eagles are completely devoid of any serviceable WR options that can consistently get open for Jalen Hurts.
Smith, like Chase, enters the pros already having a pre-established relationship with his QB, as he was at Bama when Hurts was as well. Plus, with Smith having shown out in both camps and the preseason so far, the sky's the limit for the rookie WR, even if those pundits do not believe that his ‘skinnier build’ will hold up this season.
Keep an eye on his MCL sprain that he suffered in camp however, as there is potential for a flare-up for him. But the fact that he returned as soon as he did with not much of a ramp-up needed means that he looks to be full speed yet again.
5. Justin Fields
QB – Chicago Bears
Probably the biggest surprise of the first round was the Chicago Bears moving up to grab their rookie QB of the future in Justin Fields, even with having signed veteran Andy Dalton in the offseason. What Fields has been producing so far has coaches and fans alike excited, but he certainly has more work to do if he wants to work his way up to earning valuable starting time this year.
With Fields slated to play a good chunk of the final preseason contest for CHI and Andy Dalton being named the Week 1 starter, the QB pecking order looks to be fleshed out in Motown. But at some point, Fields will be forced into action and you will be able to see why you actually used a later-round selection to draft him.
Figure around Weeks 4-6 to be when Fields ends up seeing his first major tastes of action for the Bears – AKA do not draft Fields as your QB1 starter.
4. Kyle Pitts
TE – Atlanta Falcons
Possessing some of the craziest pre-draft hype for a rookie tight end in the history of the NFL, Kyle Pitts joins the Atlanta Falcons’ offense hoping to take the lion share of targets vacated by the Julio Jones trade. But this offense revolves around Calvin Ridley, and Pitts will need to earn whatever he gets, potentially capping his fantasy relevancy.
The hype has translated into an inflated average draft position (ADP), going off the board as the TE4, ahead of the likes of Mark Andrews and T.J. Hockenson. If his ADP deflates a bit then go ahead and grab him, but reaching for him as an unproven prospect could be a bit of a risk here – but a smart one.
3. Trey Lance
QB – San Francisco 49ers
Trey Lance’s path to starting as a rookie is just as murky as Fields’ is, but with Jimmy Garoppolo likely on his way out at some point this year, Lance will wait in the wings until his number is called. But, with the San Francisco 49ers having gone through an unexpected down year last year, going for upside over consistency may be the path Kyle Shanahan wants to take.
The Niners have a ton of offense talent and Lance has shown that he can be the QB they need in preseason so far, so adding him with an eye towards an influx of work later in the year is exactly the kind of upside-thinking you need to have when looking for a late-round sleeper.
QB – Jacksonville Jaguars
Being handed the starting job right out of the gate (Gardner Minshew be damned), Trevor Lawrence has a full plethora of weapons at his disposal as a rookie under Urban Meyer. Even with the season-ending injury that RB Travis Etienne suffered, their rushing attack is in good hands with James Robinson.
Lawrence is able to throw passes to DJ Chark, Marvin Jones, and Laviska Shenault Jr., three solid options that can help him get his feet under him early on in the year – having Lawrence slated inside the top 20 QBs this year is an easy ranking, with the potential for him to finish inside the top 15 a likely outcome.
1. Najee Harris
RB – Pittsburgh Steelers
The easy selection for the highest-upside and top fantasy football rookie entering the league this year is Najee Harris, the starting back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. As PIT leans into what likely will be Ben Roethlisberger’s final season, Harris will be counted on early and often to help take pressure off of his shoulders.
Buyer beware, however – while rookie backs typically come at a discount, Harris carries an average price tag of the RB10, meaning that you will need to pay up into the second round for an unproven option. The upside that Harris has is unmatched in this draft class and makes for a smart investment, but passing on more sure-fire options to go for the home run could cost you some points in the long run.
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