The 2021 NFL Draft season has finally come to an end, but that means that dynasty drafts are right around the corner. Now that we know the landing spots for all the fantasy relevant NFL draftees, it is time to start to prepare for your upcoming rookie drafts. If you are a first time dynasty fantasy football player or a seasoned veteran, Mike Devlin and I are here to give you our expert fantasy football advice all season long.
If you are a dynasty fantasy football enthusiast or just love to play regular fantasy football each year, All About the Birds is the place to get your fantasy advice. Mike and I are going to go through our top 10 fantasy rookie QB rankings and who we feel you should target early in dynasty drafts.
Justin Fields- Chicago Bears
Mike- The Justin Fields disrespect just doesn't make sense to me. He was the best QB in his class coming out of High School, he was the best QB throughout his college career, but yet he is the 4th QB selected in the draft. He has elite arm talent, and rare athleticism for a player of his size. I think looking back on this draft class, it will be similar to Deshaun Watson's class where people wonder how he fell as far as he did. The Bears have their franchise QB, and if he starts from week 1, he could be the favorite for rookie of the year and QB1 out of this draft class.
Adam- Justin Fields is the best QB in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, the reason he is not QB1 in these fantasy rankings for me is the stability of the Bears. When it comes to fantasy production, Fields and Lawrence are going to be very similar. However, there is zero guarantee who is starting week 1 for the Bears even though we all know who it is. Also add in the fact that Allen Robinson will not be a Bear next season is very frightening. If the Bears get Fields some weapons, you will have a top fantasy QB with Fields arm talent and quick mobility. If Fields is the day 1 starter and Chicago surrounds him with weapons, then Fields would easily jump Lawrence for QB1 for me.
Trevor Lawrence- Jacksonville Jaguars
Mike- There is no denying the talent of Trevor Lawrence, but he just is not QB1 for me. That is no knock on him, I just think that highly of Fields. He has been highly regarded as "the best prospect since Andrew Luck," and I believe people are setting the expectations a bit too high for him. He will no doubt be a top 10 QB in the NFL because of his amazing arm talent and sneaky athleticism. He will most likely finish as the QB1 from this draft class this season if Fields doesn't begin the season as the starter, but long term I like the prospect of Fields better.
Adam- There is zero question who Jacksonville's starting QB is week 1. Lawrence is a guy who will be able to rack your fantasy teams a lot of points with his arm and his feet. He will rack your team up a lot of passing yards that his interceptions will not even be a factor. When he is not throwing well he can add up some valuable rushing yards to your team. If you are looking for the long term for your dynasty team, there has not been a more valuable player since Saquon Barkley.
Trey Lance- San Francisco 49ers
Mike- I am a huge Trey Lance believer. I think that he is an amazing fit for the Shanahan system, and he has elite weapons around him. Lance is going to be a fantasy favorite throughout his career because of his added ability on the ground as well as through the air. The reason Lance sits here at QB3 is because of the question marks surrounding him. He really only started one season in college at a smaller school against lesser competition. He has limitless potential with his size and skill set, but it is yet to be determined how quickly he will see the field. Lance is a smart investment for a long term dynasty player that could end up being one of the best fantasy QB for the next decade.
Adam- The explanation for Lance is simple. The Kyle Shanahan scheme is designed perfectly for him. Lance has a bigger ceiling than any other player in fantasy football. In his only full season in college, he was absolutely brilliant throwing the ball and there wasn't any throw he could not make. Should also note he has 0 career interceptions. Add in his running back caliber numbers rushing the ball, you have a dream QB for the Shanahan offense and a lot of happy fantasy owners.
Zach Wilson- New York Jets
Mike- Zach Wilson can be a top 5 QB in the league in a few years, or he can easily be sitting on the bench labeled as a huge bust. Wilson is much more of a question mark than Lance is, which is why I have Lance slightly above him. Wilson has elite arm strength, but he has to prove he can be a consistent passing QB rather than just a flashy playmaker. Wilson will be walking into a situation where he can develop with some solid young weapons at the WR position. Wilson is definitely worth taking the chance on in fantasy because the Jets are still the Jets. They are not going to be a very good football team this season, and they will be chucking the ball for a majority of their games which is a fantasy manager's dream at the QB position.
Adam- The Jets do not have the greatest track record of QB's in recent years, and for me that is the big question mark for Wilson. If the Jets decide to change their ways and develop QB's, than Wilson could prove to be a steal. A comparison from a fantasy football point of view for Wilson is Patrick Mahomes. The ability to create plays with elite arm talent and with your feet will be able to see increased fantasy numbers compared to previous New York Jet QB's. For me, Wilson is a guy that can provide solid fantasy numbers but that may not correlate to actual wins for the Jets. Sucks to be the Jets, but great for fantasy owners.
Mac Jones- New England Patriots
Mike- Mac Jones will be a solid NFL QB, but that doesn't always translate to fantasy production. Mac Jones is worth taking a chance on. I don't think he will ever be a bust, but I also don't think he has the highest ceiling either. Consider him a QB2.
Adam- Mac Jones is a guy that I feel will be a good NFL QB, but will not be a QB that fantasy owners love. Fantasy owners love QB's who can provide solid numbers in the air and on the ground, and Jones won't provide you anything from the ground game. However, he can provide big numbers through the air for your teams. I would not rely on him in a 1QB league. In a 2QB league, he can provide some much appreciated depth.
Kellen Mond- Minnesota Vikings
Mike- Kellen Mond to the Viking is a very interesting/intriguing landing spot. I think Mond has the talent and the tools to be a starter in the NFL, but he has to become more consistent in his decision making and throws if he wants to every be a Franchise guy. I think Mond is a good mid-round investment who could turn into the next Dak Prescott.
Adam- People told me that I was crazy when I said that Minnesota could draft a Kirk Cousins replacement in this years draft. Mond was brought in to be the back-up, but could see the field much sooner than some expect. Mond's arm talent is up there with the top QB's in this draft. Justin Jefferson and Kellen Mond's arm strength is a fantasy owner's dream. He is a guy who is going to need 2-3 years to develop before he has the potential to be a starting QB in this league. If you are sitting in mid rounds and he is available, he is worth the pick, even if he does not start year 1.
Davis Mills- Houston Texans
Mike- Mills is one of those guys who has the elite arm talent, but hasn't shown any consistency in his college career. He only has 11 starts in his career, so there isn't much tape on him at the college level. He was a very highly rated QB coming out of High School, and we will see what he can develop into at the professional level. He might be walking into the best scenario for a QB that wasn't drafted in the first round. Deshaun Watson has the legal issues surrounding him, and nobody knows what will happen there. That could leave just Mills and Tyrod Taylor as the only QB's in Houston. We could possibly see Mills suit up this season as the QB1 faster than we do Fields, Lance, and Jones.
Adam- For all we know, Mills might be Houston's starting QB week 1. This is the only reason why he is so high on my rookie rankings. Mills is a pocket passer and will not provide any rushing yards, however he has unbelievable arm strength, but that is about it. If you are desperate for a QB, the idea that Mills could start for the Texans early on, could make him a solid back-up plan for your team. Do not rely on Mills as your QB1 if you have other options, only take him if you are DESPERATE for a QB.
Kyle Trask- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike- Trask is a developmental player. Brady might not be showing it, but he is aging. Trask is a guy that you can add in fantasy as a "just in case" scenario. His landing spot is the reason he ranks where he does, but other than that, his skillset doesn't jump off the screen while watching his tape.
Adam- There is no hiding that Trask was brought in to be the back-up to Brady. The big reason Trask may seem appealing, is the simple idea that Brady is old and could be more injury prone or maybe even retire in the next decade (probably not, TB is playing until he is 50.) If Brady does go down, Trask would be inserted into an offense with top fantasy players like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown.
Jamie Newman- Philadelphia Eagles
Mike- Jamie Newman is one of the players who opted out this past season, and his draft stock took a hit because of it. Jalen Hurts is going to be the starter this season, there is no doubt about that. I have never been a fan of teams having their starting QB and their backup QB be completely different players. If Hurts was to get injured, your entire offensive scheme has to change for Joe Flacco. This is where Newman comes into play. His skillset is similar to Hurts, and if there ever is an injury situation, we could see Newman get a shot to play. When you start to get deep into the QB position for rookies, you aren't ever going to find a sure thing. This is one of those players you take a shot on and hope it works out.
Adam- An undrafted rookie in the top 10? The only reason he went undrafted was his lack of film and he has not played in a couple years. There is no guarantee that Jalen Hurts is the long-term QB of the future. Newman is a guy with the right development and weapons he could move into the starter for the Eagles or the Eagles could trade him to a team that needs a QB. Newman is a guy I would put on my Taxi Squad and if he becomes a starter, you have a solid back-up on your team. He is another player that has low risk with drafting late in rookie drafts and can have a high reward.
Sam Ehlinger- Indianapolis Colts
Mike- Ehlinger is a college football fan favorite for sure. He is walking into a perfect landing spot for his development. Carson Wentz is an injury prone player, and Ehlinger could end up seeing the field at any point. He is a career backup, but if he had the chance to play, he would be starting for a very good offense that Philip Rivers somehow found success in in his last season. If you have Carson Wentz on your team, I would suggest picking up Ehlinger as well as some insurance.
Adam- There is zero guarantee that Carson Wentz will be the starting QB for the Colts for all 17 games. As Eagles fans, we all saw that Carson did the last time a QB was brought in to back him up. Ehlinger is very much a long term pick-up. He may see the field or he may not. If Carson goes down, Ehlinger would be inserted into a great offense and have many weapons to rack up fantasy points.
The QB's in fantasy football are always the most popular player on your team. However, any seasoned fantasy football owner would say the RB position is always the most valued. If you can get a hold of a tier 1 RB, you are golden. Mike and I's next Top 10 will look at this year's RB class!
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