Jeff Ratcliffe’s 2021 NFL Rookie Rankings

All the cards are on the table. The 2021 NFL Draft is in the books, so it’s time to dive in to our 2021 dynasty fantasy football rookie rankings. Below you’ll see every rookie who was either drafted or signed as an undrafted free agent. In total, that’s healthy 183 players.

Obviously, most of these guys will never even sniff the fantasy radar, but we like to be thorough here at FTN. These rankings are for 1QB leagues, but don’t worry if you’re in 2QB or superflex formats. You’ll also see the player’s superflex overall ranking listed in parentheses.

( Check out all our rankings on the FTN Rankings page .)

2021 Dynasty Rookie Rankings A look at my rankings ahead for rookies in fantasy and synasty fanatsy football.

Tier 1 – The elite options 1. Najee Harris , RB1, PIT (4) 2. Ja'Marr Chase , WR1, CIN (5) 3. Kyle Pitts , TE1, ATL (6)

These three players will be instant-impact fantasy options with lengthy shelf lives. Harris figures to be an immediate three-down option for the Steelers. Chase gets paired back up with Joe Burrow and should slide right in as the Bengals’ top target. And Pitts has the potential to redefine what we think of as a fantasy tight end.

Tier 2 – High-ceiling long-term options 4. Travis Etienne , RB2, JAX (8) 5. DeVonta Smith , WR2, PHI (9) 6. Javonte Williams , RB3, DEN (10) 7. Jaylen Waddle , WR3, MIA (11) 8. Elijah Moore , WR4, NYJ (12) 9. Trevor Lawrence , QB1, JAX (1) 10. Trey Sermon , RB4, SF (14) 11. Trey Lance , QB2, SF (2)

This group comes with more question marks, but all of these guys have high fantasy ceilings. Etienne and Williams will be in committees to start their career, but both have three-down potential. Smith, Waddle and Moore all offer upside at receiver. Lawrence and Lance are the best fantasy bets at quarterback and should be viewed as the top two picks in superflex leagues. As for Sermon, the Ohio State product landed in the ideal spot for his skillset and got a major fantasy boost in the process.

Tier 3 – Question-mark high-ceiling options 12. Rashod Bateman , WR5, BAL (15) 13. Terrace Marshall Jr. , WR6, CAR (16) 14. Michael Carter , RB5, NYJ (17) 15. Rondale Moore , WR7, ARZ (18) 16. Kadarius Toney , WR8, NYG (19) 17. Amon-Ra St. Brown , WR9, DET (20) 18. Justin Fields , QB3, CHI (3) 19. Kenneth Gainwell , RB6, PHI (21) 20. Amari Rodgers , WR10, GB (23) 21. Josh Palmer , WR11, LAC (24)

Poor landing spots or incomplete fantasy profiles punctuate this tier, but we still have plenty of fantasy upside with these guys. This is likely who you’ll have on the board when the second-round rolls around in your rookie drafts.

Tier 4 – Middle-round dart options 22. Chuba Hubbard , RB7, CAR (25) 23. Nico Collins , WR12, HOU (26) 24. Zach Wilson , QB4, NYJ (7) 25. Dyami Brown , WR13, WAS (27) 26. Rhamondre Stevenson , RB8, NE (28) 27. Khalil Herbert , RB9, CHI (29) 28. Elijah Mitchell , RB10, SF (30) 29. D'Wayne Eskridge , WR14, SEA (31) 30. Tylan Wallace , WR15, BAL (34) 31. Anthony Schwartz , WR16, CLE (35) 32. Pat Freiermuth , TE2, PIT (36) 33. Tutu Atwell , WR17, LA (37) 34. Kylin Hill , RB11, GB (38) 35. Jermar Jefferson , RB12, DET (39) 36. Mac Jones , QB5, NE (13) 37. Brevin Jordan , TE3, HOU (40) 38. Javian Hawkins , RB13, ATL (41) 39. Jacob Harris , WR18, LA (42) 40. Seth Williams , WR19, DEN (43)

Dynasty rookie drafts rarely have much depth available in the middle rounds, and that’s certainly the case in this year’s drafts. The well seems to dry up as we get into the end of the second round. If players don’t fall, you’ll likely going to be throwing some darts in Rounds 3 and 4.

Tier 5 – Late-round flier options 41. Dez Fitzpatrick , WR20, TEN (44) 42. Hunter Long , TE4, MIA (45) 43. Jaelon Darden , WR21, TB (46) 44. Demetric Felton , WR22, CLE (47) 45. Kene Nwangwu , RB14, MIN (48) 46. Larry Rountree III, RB15, LAC (51) 47. Kellen Mond , QB6, MIN (22) 48. Frank Darby , WR23, ATL (52) 49. Simi Fehoko , WR24, DAL (53) 50. Noah Gray , TE5, KC (54) 51. Chris Evans , RB16, CIN (55) 52. Ihmir Smith-Marsette , WR25, MIN (57) 53. Jalen Camp, WR26, JAX (58) 54. Dazz Newsome , WR27, CHI (59) 55. Cornell Powell , WR28, KC (60) 56. Marquez Stevenson , WR29, BUF (61) 57. Jake Funk , RB17, LA (62) 58. Jaret Patterson , RB18, WAS (64) 59. Shi Smith , WR30, CAR (65) 60. Tre Nixon , WR31, NE (66) 61. Kyle Trask , QB7, TB (32) 62. Davis Mills , QB8, HOU (33) 63. Racey McMath , WR32, TEN (67) 64. Pooka Williams Jr., RB19, CIN (68) 65. Dax Milne , WR33, WAS (69) 66. Bennett Skowronek , WR34, LA (70) 67. Michael Strachan , WR35, IND (71) 68. Kawaan Baker, WR36, NO (72) 69. Ian Book , QB9, NO (49) 70. Jamie Newman , QB10, PHI (50) 71. Stevie Scott III, RB20, NO (0) 72. Rakeem Boyd , RB21, DET (0)

Late-round rookie picks rarely hit in dynasty leagues, so don’t be afraid to shoot for the moon in Rounds 5 and 6 of your rookie drafts.

Tier 6 – Likely undrafted but worth monitoring options 73. Sage Surratt , WR37, DET (0) 74. Tamorrion Terry , WR38, SEA (0) 75. Marlon Williams , WR39, HOU (0) 76. Zach Davidson , TE6, MIN (0) 77. Tre McKitty, TE7, LAC (0) 78. Tommy Tremble , TE8, CAR (0) 79. Deon Jackson , RB22, IND (0) 80. Jhamon Ausbon , WR40, PHI (0) 81. Trevon Grimes , WR41, PHI (0) 82. Jonathan Adams Jr., WR42, DET (0) 83. Sam Ehlinger , QB11, IND (56) 84. Feleipe Franks , QB12, ATL (63) 85. John Bates , TE9, WAS (0) 86. Cade Johnson , WR43, SEA (0) 87. Brennan Eagles , WR44, DAL (0) 88. Kylen Granson , TE10, IND (0) 89. Shane Buechele , QB13, KC (0) 90. Trey Ragas , RB23, LV (0) 91. Whop Philyor , WR45, MIN (0) 92. Austin Watkins , WR46, SF (0) 93. Tyler Vaughns , WR47, IND (0) 94. Tarik Black , WR48, IND (0) 95. Damon Hazelton , WR49, HOU (0) 96. T.J. Vasher , WR50, DAL (0) 97. Caleb Huntley , RB24, ATL (0) 98. Gary Brightwell , RB25, NYG (0)

Many of these players will not be drafted, but we should still keep our eyes and ears open just in case any of them manage to surprise.

Tier 7 – Long-shot options 99. Luke Farrell , TE11, JAX (0) 100. Brandon Smith , WR51, DAL (0) 101. Branden Mack , WR52, DEN (0) 102. Gerrid Doaks , RB26, MIA (0) 103. CJ Marable , RB27, CHI (0) 104. Spencer Brown , RB28, CAR (0) 105. Rico Bussey Jr., WR53, PIT (0) 106. Josh Imatorbhebhe , WR54, JAX (0) 107. Blake Proehl , WR55, MIN (0) 108. Tim Jones , WR56, JAX (0) 109. Kenny Yeboah , TE12, NYJ (0) 110. Nick Eubanks , TE13, DAL (0) 111. Garrett Groshek , RB29, LV (0) 112. Brenden Knox , RB30, DAL (0) 113. Dedrick Mills , RB31, DET (0) 114. Osirus Mitchell, WR57, DAL (0) 115. Tre Walker , WR58, BUF (0) 116. Myron Mitchell , WR59, MIN (0) 117. Tre Harbison , RB32, CLE (0) 118. Tony Poljan , TE14, BAL (0) 119. Quintin Morris , TE15, BUF (0) 120. JaQuan Hardy, RB33, DAL (0) 121. Mason Stokke, RB34, CAR (0) 122. Isaiah McCoy, WR60, PIT (0) 123. BJ Emmons, RB35, SEA (0) 124. Collin Hill, QB14, CIN (0) 125. Brady White , QB15, FA (0) 126. Briley Moore , TE16, TEN (0) 127. Dylan Stoner, WR61, LV (0) 128. Bailey Gaither, WR62, GB (0) 129. Elijah Stove, WR63, LAC (0) 130. Greg McCrae , RB36, FA (0) 131. Josh Johnson , RB37, FA (0) 132. Cary Angeline , TE17, ARZ (0) 133. Pro Wells , TE18, CIN (0) 134. Austin Trammell, WR64, ATL (0) 135. Antonio Nunn, WR65, ATL (0) 136. Otis Anderson , RB38, FA (0) 137. T.J. Simmons, WR66, TB (0) 138. K.J. Costello , QB16, FA (0) 139. Dylan Soehner , TE19, NO (0) 140. Asim Rose , RB39, FA (0) 141. Mekhi Sargent , RB40, FA (0) 142. Israel Tucker , RB41, FA (0) 143. Landen Akers, WR67, LA (0) 144. Jeremiah Haydel, WR68, LA (0) 145. Connor Weddinton, WR69, SEA (0) 146. Damonte Coxie , WR70, FA (0) 147. Matt Bushman, TE20, LV (0) 148. Miller Forristall , TE21, TEN (0) 149. Artayvious Lynn , TE22, DAL (0) 150. Zac Thomas , QB17, FA (0) 151. Peyton Ramsey , QB18, FA (0) 152. Zach Smith , QB19, FA (0) 153. Hunter Kampmoyer, TE23, LAC (0) 154. Jack Stoll, TE24, PHI (0) 155. Kevin Thomson , QB20, FA (0) 156. Brady Davis , QB21, FA (0) 157. Mike Collins , QB22, FA (0) 158. Sawyer Smith , QB23, FA (0) 159. Luke Anthony , QB24, FA (0) 160. Brock Wright, TE25, DET (0) 161. Ross Bowers , QB25, FA (0) 162. Thomas MacVittie , QB26, FA (0) 163. Jamal Jones , RB42, FA (0) 164. Demario McCall , RB43, FA (0) 165. Tory Carter , RB44, FA (0) 166. Noah Johnson , QB27, FA (0) 167. Kato Nelson , QB28, FA (0) 168. Josh Pederson, TE26, SF (0) 169. Shaun Beyer , TE27, FA (0) 170. J.C. Chalk , TE28, FA (0) 171. John Raine , TE29, FA (0) 172. Warren Jackson , WR71, FA (0) 173. Isaiah McKoy , WR72, FA (0) 174. Javon McKinley , WR73, FA (0) 175. Adrian Hardy , WR74, FA (0) 176. Connor Wedington , WR75, FA (0) 177. Dai'Jean Dixon , WR76, FA (0) 178. Danny Davis III, WR77, FA (0) 179. Theo Howard , WR78, FA (0) 180. Eli Stove , WR79, FA (0) 181. Keyion Dixon , WR80, FA (0) 182. Donnie Corley , WR81, FA (0) 183. Antwan Davis , WR82, FA (0)

Jeff Ratcliffe’s 2021 NFL Rookie Rankings

2021 Dynasty Rookie Rankings

Tier 1 – The...

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