May 9, 2021
There will be many more 2021 Fantasy Football Rankings and features in the late spring and summer, including tons of 2021 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts, Player Rankings, Sleepers and Busts. I’ll also have an extensive 2021 NFL Fantasy Football Preseason Stock Report.
2021 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Re-Draft
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Najee Harris, RB, Steelers
Pittsburgh’s offensive line is a concern, but Najee Harris will be getting all of the touches in Pittsburgh’s backfield, making him the top fantasy rookie.
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Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase’s production depends on Joe Burrow’s health. Burrow suffered a brutal knee injury last year, but he might be 100 percent early in the 2021 season. Burrow and Chase don’t have to develop any sort of chemistry, which is obviously a positive for Chase’s short-term prospects.
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Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons
I normally ignore rookie tight ends, but Kyle Pitts is a special player. He’ll be a great target for Matt Ryan right away. He’s easily a top-10 tight end despite being a rookie, and his long-term potential is obviously great as well.
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Javonte Williams, RB, Broncos
Phillip Lindsay is gone, while Melvin Gordon was a disappointment last year. It could be the Javonte Williams show in the near future.
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Travis Etienne, RB, Jaguars
If Urban Meyer ever gets around to watching tape of James Robinson, he’ll see that Travis Etienne can’t get all the touches. Etienne will split the workload with Robinson, which will obviously hurt his upside.
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DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles
The Eagles had a barren receiving corps entering the 2021 NFL Draft, so the ultra-talented DeVonta Smith has become the No. 1 by default. He has some chemistry already with Jalen Hurts, which is a plus.
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Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence is the best quarterback prospect I’ve seen in my 21 years of covering the NFL on this Web site. He has it all, and he projects as a great fantasy quarterback for the next 15 years.
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Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins
I don’t quite trust Tua Tagovailoa as much as some of the other young quarterbacks, but he should be able to rebound off his brutal rookie campaign. That said, Tagovailoa has so many options at his disposal, including DeVante Parker, Will Fuller and Mike Gesicki, so it might take Waddle a while to reach his potential.
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Elijah Moore, WR, Jets
Elijah Moore is a speedy threat who could become Zach Wilson’s top receiver. I’m not a believer in Corey Davis, so Moore could be a big producer in New York.
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Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
Kadarius Toney is a dynamic threat, but he’ll have to split so many targets with all of Daniel Jones’ weapons.
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Michael Carter, RB, Jets
Michael Carter is just a fourth-round rookie, but he has a chance to take over as the starter because of a lack of competition on the Jets’ roster.
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Trey Sermon, RB, 49ers
Kyle Shanahan is capable of turning any running back to a star, and Trey Sermon has plenty of talent. Unfortunately, he has to pass Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. on the depth chart.
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Zach Wilson, QB, Jets
Zach Wilson will be an instant starter, which means he’ll be a viable fantasy option because of his scrambling ability. He doesn’t have great play-making weapons around him at the moment, however.
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Justin Fields, QB, Bears
Some deemed Justin Fields to be the second-best quarterback in the 2021 class. He’ll be a nice fantasy producer right away for the Bears because of his scrambling ability. It’s just a question of when he’s named the starter.
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Dyami Brown, WR, Redskins
Dyami Brown is an explosive receiver who will benefit from Terry McLaurin drawing plenty of attention from defenses.
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D’Wayne Eskridge, WR, Seahawks
D’Wayne Eskridge figures to be Russell Wilson’s third receiver in 2021. He has some nice upside because he’ll be more productive in the event that either D.K. Metcalf or Tyler Lockett gets injured.
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Terrace Marshall, WR, Panthers
Terrace Marshall slipped to the end of the second round because of injury concerns. He has a nice long-term outlook, but he’s just Sam Darnold’s third receiver right now.
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Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens
Rashod Bateman doesn’t seem like an appealing fantasy option. He can’t separate, and he’ll be playing in a run-heavy offense.
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Pat Freiermuth, TE, Steelers
It’s tough to trust a rookie tight end not named Kyle Pitts, so I wouldn’t be excited to obtain him in re-draft formats. He’s much better for the long term.
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Tutu Atwell, WR, Rams
Tutu Atwell is an explosive receiver, but will be stuck behind Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp on the targets list.
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Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson might be able to take Sony Michel’s job as the No. 2 back behind Damien Harris this year.
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Tre McKitty, TE, Chargers
Hunter Henry is gone, so third-round rookie Tre McKitty could take his place. If so, he’ll be a potential TE1 down the road.
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Dez Fitzpatrick, WR, Titans
The Titans lost Corey Davis in free agency, so Dez Fitzpatrick might be able to step in and assume the No. 2 receiver role in the near future.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions
The Lions have nothing at receiver, so it’s possible that Amon-Ra St. Brown could emerge as the top receiver on the roster sometime soon.
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Trey Lance, QB, 49ers
Trey Lance will be a nice fantasy option when he’s named the starter, thanks to his scrambling ability, but it remains to be seen when he’ll get the nod over Jimmy Garoppolo.
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Josh Palmer, WR, Chargers
Josh Palmer is a big receiver whom Justin Herbert will target in the red zone. He could be the No. 2 receiver in a year or two.
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Amari Rodgers, WR, Packers
Amari Rodgers would be an intriguing fantasy rookie if the Packers didn’t screw things up with Aaron Rodgers. It’s difficult to like Amari Rodgers with Jordan Love.
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Rondale Moore, WR, Cardinals
Rondale Moore will be a gadget player for the Cardinals, so he should be ignored in fantasy.
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Mac Jones, QB, Patriots
One NFL team gave Mac Jones a mid-round grade and compared him to Matt Barkley. Ouch! Jones doesn’t have any sort of upside, so he doesn’t project to be a viable fantasy option.
- Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers
- Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Eagles
- Khalil Herbert, RB, Bears
- Cornell Powell, WR, Chiefs
- Tylan Wallace, WR, Ravens
- Brevin Jordan, TE, Texans
- Larry Rountree, RB, Chargers
- Chris Evans, RB, Bengals
- Gerrid Doaks, RB, Dolphins
- Kene Nwangwu, RB, Vikings
- Gary Brightwell, RB, Giants
- Kylin Hill, RB, Packers
- Nico Collins, WR, Texans
- Jaelon Darden, WR, Buccaneers
- Anthony Schwartz, WR, Browns
- Marquez Stevenson, WR, Bills
- Shi Smith, WR, Panthers
- Dazz Newsome, WR, Bears
- Kawaan Baker, WR, Saints
- Michael Strachan, WR, Colts
- Jake Funk, RB, Rams
- Jemar Jefferson, RB, Lions
- Frank Darby, WR, Falcons
- Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Vikings
- Simi Fehoko, WR, Cowboys
- Demetric Felton, WR, Browns
- Seth Williams, WR, Broncos
- Racey McMath, WR, Titans
- Jalen Camp, WR, Jaguars
- Jacob Harris, WR, Rams
- Tre Nixon, WR, Patriots
- Dax Milne, WR, Redskins
- Ben Skowronek, WR, Rams
- Luke Farrell, TE, Jaguars
- Hunter Long, TE, Dolphins
- Zach Davidson, TE, Vikings
- Kylen Granson, TE, Colts
- John Bates, TE, Redskins
- Noah Gray, TE, Chiefs
- Kellen Mond, QB, Vikings
- Kyle Trask, QB, Buccaneers
- Davis Mills, QB, Texans
- Tommy Tremble, TE, Panthers
- Ian Book, QB, Saints
More 2021 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/1 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/5 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/5 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/9 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 6/9 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 5/9 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2021 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts - 9/3 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 PPR - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Half-PPR - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 2-QB - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Touchdown League - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Custom - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rankings - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 9/8 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Articles:
2021 Fantasy Football Stock Report: OTAs, Training Camp - 9/6 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 9/6 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Busts - 8/31 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Value Picks - 8/31 (Walt)
2021 NFL Preseason Game Recaps - 8/30 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Preseason Games - 8/30 (Walt)
2021 Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy Guide - 8/12 (Walt)
NFL Picks - Dec. 11
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11
NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9
2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
