Cam Ward Leads 2025 Rookie Quarterbacks For Fantasy Football Fans To Watch

Michael Fabiano | Feb 28, 2025

Cam Ward could be the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but will he make a fantasy football impact in Year 1? / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The 2024 NFL season gave us something we haven’t seen in 12 seasons … three rookie quarterbacks who scored more than 250 fantasy football points. That trio was Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Caleb Williams. The last time that happened was in 2012 when Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck all reached that total in their first NFL campaigns.

What’s more, it’s the first time we had two first-year field generals (Daniels, Nix) score more than 300 fantasy points in the same season. This isn’t the norm, however, as there have only been 12 rookie quarterbacks to score more than 250 fantasy football points in NFL history! So, what we saw with Daniels and Nix, and to a lesser degree Williams, was quite the statistical outlier.

If we dig a little bit deeper, we’ll find that just 23 quarterbacks (minimum 10 starts) have put up more than 200 fantasy points in their first NFL season. That success has come mostly in the last 13 years, as 20 have come since 2011 and 11 have scored at least 200 points since 2018.

So, while fantasy managers have reason for some optimism with the 2025 draft class, it’s also still out of the norm for a first-year quarterback to score at least 250 fantasy points. With that being said, let’s take a look at five of the top prospects at the position. This class isn’t spectacular on paper, but there are some players who could have some 2025 value.

All Positions: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends

Top Fantasy Football Rookie QBs to Watch at Combine

Cam Ward, Miami, FL: Ward is coming off a breakout season with the Hurricanes, leading the nation in touchdown passes (39) while finishing second in passing yards. He also had a career-high 67.2 completion percentage. He ranked first in passing grades among all quarterbacks on PFF. Ward is a mobile quarterback, but he’s not Jayden Daniels in terms of being an elite rushing fantasy asset. With some work, he can be a solid NFL starter for fantasy managers.

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado: Sanders produced a tremendous final season at Colorado, throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. Only Ward had more scoring strikes. A very accurate passer, Sanders completed 74 percent of his throws in 2024. He also worked in Pat Shurmur’s offense, so he has a head start in terms of developing NFL fundamentals. While he isn’t going to throw at the Combine, Sanders’ accuracy and NFL arm make him intriguing.

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss: Dart figures to be this year’s major draft riser at the quarterback position. He produced career bests in passing yards and completion percentage in 2024, and he was one of the most efficient field generals in the game. Dart, who graded second behind Ward on PFF, was also effective on RPOs and designed runs … he rushed for an average of 499 yards with 12 total touchdowns at Ole Miss. That’s big in fantasy land.

Jalen Milroe, Alabama: Milroe is seen as a project at the NFL level in terms of his skills as a passer, but he certainly has fantasy potential. That’s due in large part to his running chops, which were evident in the 726 yards and 20 touchdowns that he scored on the ground in his final collegiate campaign. Milroe also has a strong arm, so some fine-tuning in terms of his accuracy and decision-making under pressure could make him a future fantasy asset.

Quinn Ewers, Texas: Ewers’ numbers at Texas don’t jump off the page, but he was reliable in the stat sheets over his final two years, which were full of ups and downs. He won tough road games at Alabama and Michigan but was also briefly benched in 2024 in favor of Arch Manning in a loss to then-No. 5 Georgia. Ewers is unlikely to make much of a fantasy impact in Year 1, so most of his appeal will come in dynasty formats as a long-term flier.