2021 Pre-Draft Rookie Fantasy Rankings: Quarterback
The quarterback position is one of the more interesting aspects of fantasy football. League format and scoring settings can change the valuation of the position significantly. There are plenty of leagues in single quarterback formats where the waiver wire has players worthy of being started in plus matchups, whereas in superflex formats, the waiver wire is almost always picked bare. For those playing superflex, the lowest price you can often pay for a young, promising quarterback is selecting him in your rookie draft.
Tier One: The Elite
Since his days of being one of the most highly touted college recruits we’ve ever seen, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence is a player who has been on the radar of fantasy managers everywhere for quite some time. He has ideal size for the position, has enough athleticism to buy himself time when the protection breaks down and has incredible arm talent. After throwing 90 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions in his three-year career at Clemson, Lawrence looks set to be a long-term starter at the position, presumably for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not far behind Lawrence in the recruiting class of 2018 was Ohio State’s Justin Fields. After spending his freshman season at the University of Georgia, Fields transferred to Ohio State and took the Big Ten by storm. He has a cannon for an arm and is an incredibly dynamic runner with the ball in his hands. While he is not a run-first quarterback, we know all too well the cheat code quarterbacks with rushing ability can be in fantasy football.
Tier Two: Productive Starters
There is no player at the quarterback position that did more to help their draft stock in 2020 than Brigham Young University’s Zach Wilson. He is willing to push the ball downfield regularly and throws the ball outside the numbers with extreme confidence. The ability to rush the football will never be his calling card but he has enough athleticism to create when things go off-script. He was able to chip in ten rushing touchdowns in the 2020 season despite being smaller than some of his peers in this class. Projecting an NFL career for a small school prospect can be frightening but North Dakota State University’s Trey Lance is oozing with potential at the next level. Not only has he played in a pro-style offense but he has the rushing upside fantasy managers crave. Even though he only played one showcase game in 2020, his 2019 production was otherworldly as he threw 28 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Another player with one entire season as the starting quarterback rounds out the second tier - Alabama’s Mac Jones. After not seeing a ton of playing time in his freshman or sophomore seasons due to the players ahead of him, Jones enjoyed a coming-out party of his own in 2020. A drop-back passer who has been critiqued for benefitting from a top-notch supporting cast, Jones has the smarts and traits to translate to the pro game early on in his career.
Tier Three: Superflex Stashes
The draft and stash is king when it comes to quarterbacks in superflex leagues. Though he will take some time to develop if he’s going to see the field as a starter in the NFL, Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond has put some jaw-dropping throws on tape. It will take him landing in a suitable scheme, but he has an intriguing set of traits if given time to develop. The supporting cast present at the University of Florida helped Kyle Trask enjoy a career year for the Gators in 2020. He’s unlikely to be a day one selection in the NFL draft. Still, after throwing 43 touchdowns and just eight interceptions this past season, it feels inevitable he will see meaningful snaps in the future for a team looking for their quarterback of the future. After opting out of the 2020 season following his transfer to Wake Forest, Jamie Newman has the skillset worthy of a late-round gamble in rookie drafts. He has limited starting experience at the collegiate level and will likely not see the field in the immediate future. He has plenty of arm talent and the athletic upside worth stashing as a developmental option in superflex leagues.
QB | RB | FB | WR | iWR | TE | LT | RT | OG | OC | DT | NG | 3-4 DE | 4-3 DE | 3-4 OLB | 4-3 OLB | ILB | CB | iCB | FS | SS
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