Dynasty Fantasy Football: Post-Draft Rookie Quarterback Rankings for 2025

For most fantasy football leagues, the season ended months ago.

For some, the fun is largely just beginning. "Dynasty" or "keeper" fantasy football leagues are becoming more popular as NFL fans shift to a year-long, macro outlook of the league by retaining their favorites stars and players every year.

The most important aspect of these leagues is the yearly rookie draft. You'll cut a few underperformers from the roster to make room for incoming rookies as the potential stars of tomorrow. Just last season, teams could have gone from the bottom of the league to the top with selections of Jayden Daniels, Bucky Irving, or Ladd McConkey.

With the 2025 NFL Draft having come and gone, we know where this year's top rookie prospects are settled and where their draft capital was exercised. Especially with quarterbacks, landing spot and opportunity mean a ton to fantasy viability. We've seen talented prospects wash completely out of their first dysfunctional destination.

How should you prioritize your options if you need a quarterback in this year's rookie draft?

Note: These rankings and projected rounds are for 12-team, half-PPR "superflex" or two-quarterback leagues, emphasizing the quarterback position. Positionally mixed post-draft rookie dynasty rankings are also available.

Post-Draft 2025 Dynasty Rookie Quarterback Rankings

1. Cam Ward, Titans

Projected Round: Early-to-Mid 1st

It's a perfect storm if you're picking somewhat early and need a quarterback. This year's high-end skill talent isn't amazing outside of first overall, and there's one truly appealing passer in the whole class.

Cam Ward went first overall in April to the Tennessee Titans for the same reason, giving Tennessee an impact starter at the position right away. Ward was third in Heisman voting after 4,313 passing yards, 39 passing scores, and an 88.7 QBR with the Miami (FL) Hurricanes last season.

Though extending plays behind the line of scrimmage is Ward's thing, he's not a rusher at the position. He had just 204 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground in 2024, which is why some are a bit queasy about his true fantasy upside.

Seeing his use of mobility similar to C.J. Stroud, I have no issues taking him anywhere besides the 1.01. If you've got the 1.01 and need a quarterback, consider trading Ashton Jeanty to a team picking behind you rather than just selecting the quarterback.

2. Jaxson Dart, Giants

Projected Round: Late 1st to Early 2nd

My colleague Jim Sannes' quarterback prospect model is on a heater, so I take its recommendation of Jaxson Dart pretty seriously.

Dart's age (21.3), experience (45 games in college), and efficiency (86.3 QBR) were all elite, and in my world slanting toward tape, his was impressive. His ability to throw on the run and under pressure is pretty special.

Of course, the concern for Dart stems from his alma mater, the Mississippi Rebels. Lane Kiffin is notorious for elite QB production that doesn't translate to the next level. As Sannes notes, there are distinct differences in Dart as a prospect, though -- especially in obvious passing situations.

The New York Giants saw enough in Dart to trade back into the first round at 25th overall and snag him. The Ringer's Todd McShay doesn't think it's crazy that Dart might exit the preseason as New York's QB1 over two bridge options.

If that's the case, this special analytical prospect might have an earlier chance than expected of putting pen to paper.

3. Shedeur Sanders, Browns

Projected Round: Late 2nd to Late 3rd

It'd be disingenuous to rank Shedeur Sanders as my No. 9 overall prospect in the draft and bail just because April's proceedings went as poorly as possible for him.

For reasons largely outside his play with the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders dropped to the fifth round. As we'll discuss later, he wasn't the only signal-caller to fall due to his celebrity-to-viability-as-a-starter ratio, but his chance to win the Cleveland Browns' starting job -- as I hypothesized before the draft -- is still present.

Of course, he'll have to beat a crowded room to do it. Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and fellow third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel are all on the roster, but Sanders' strengths as an accurate (76.2% completion in 2024), well-adept passer should pair well with Kevin Stefanski, who helped Case Keenum and Kirk Cousins overcome similar athletic deficits.

Sanders is a polarizing prospect. He might go way earlier or way later in some leagues based on the consensus perception of his ability. In most superflex leagues, he's a dart throw that will probably be made around the second turn.

4. Jalen Milroe, Seahawks

Projected Round: Early 3rd

In terms of "chances to work out as an NFL starter," Jalen Milroe might actually be sixth in that set of rankings. However, this is fantasy football, where Milroe could shine if everything goes according to the Seattle Seahawks' plans.

Seattle used a third-rounder to select the lump of clay who drew comparisons to Lamar Jackson as a rusher from the position. Milroe ran for 726 yards and 20 touchdowns as the Alabama Crimson Tide's starting QB a year ago.

However, accuracy concerns at the next level only grew as he finished two of his last three college games under 50.0% completion. The short-to-intermediate stuff is especially troubling.

After Justin Fields and Anthony Richardson didn't pan out well with similar concerns in the top five, Milroe's draft selection seems appropriate for a similar gamble. As is the case with those two, he should be dynamite in fantasy whenever he's on the field.

I'd especially look to target Milroe as a contender in the late third with an aging QB room. He might spend two full seasons -- or never see the field -- behind Sam Darnold.

5. Tyler Shough, Saints

Projected Round: Mid-to-Late 2nd

Similar to Sanders, my bed is made here. I'll have to lie in it.

It's unnerving in a weak class to put just one of two immediate starters at No. 5, but Tyler Shough would be quite the historical outlier. I thought it was insane for the New Orleans Saints to spend the 40th overall pick on such an outlier, and a second-round pick in dynasty might be equally reckless.

After Derek Carr's retirement, NOLA will likely start the 26-year-old, who is two weeks older than established NFL veteran Trevor Lawrence. Shough's age isn't the concern alone, though. It's age combined with the fact he posted just a 75.5 QBR as a one-year starter in college, completing just 58.3% of his passes against the Louisville Cardinals' three ranked opponents last year.

Shough is definitely a "scouts" type of guy. He's tall, mobile, has a big arm, and is extremely polished above the shoulders after spending seven years in college football. There are just a ton of historical concerns around him becoming a top-shelf NFL starter.

6. Will Howard, Steelers

Projected Round: Mid 3rd to Early 4th

If you missed out on Ward and Dart but need a prayer at QB this season, Will Howard might be the guy.

Howard's opportunity is there. The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the season with just he and Mason Rudolph in the quarterback room as what once seemed inevitable, signing Aaron Rodgers, seems to become a bit more unlikely by the day. If Rodgers signs, the sixth-rounder might never play a meaningful NFL snap -- but that's baked into this low projected acquisition cost.

There wasn't a quarterback in FBS who ended their season better than Howard, who posted a 75.2% completion rate with 287.5 yards, 2.0 touchdowns, and 0.5 interceptions per game in the College Football Playoff as the Ohio State Buckeyes won the national title.

At 23.6 years old, Howard is a bit on the older side as a prospect with what's considered an unspectacular arm. However, his size, mobility, and football IQ were on display earlier this year at OSU.

Could he come in as a Day 3 pick and never look back from the starting job? It's not totally unprecedented, per Dak Prescott's story. He's the final QB worth drafting in four-round formats.

7. Quinn Ewers, Dolphins

Projected Round: Undrafted

Shedeur wasn't the only quarterback to tumble from their projection. Quinn Ewers declared early off the Texas Longhorns' SEC title, but he didn't get scooped up until the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins.

Reports for Ewers were similar to Sanders' issues, dubbing the gunslinger "too much of a celebrity to hold a clipboard." Here's the thing, though. I'm not sure how long he'll have to hold a clipboard.

Miami was a sneaky landing spot for any quarterback given Tua Tagovailoa's injury history. The data says Ewers or the much-maligned Zach Wilson, competing for the backup job, should have a chance to start at some point in offense schemed by Mike McDaniel with De'Von Achane, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle at his disposal. It could be worse!

Ewers averaged 8.0 YPA and threw 31 touchdowns despite battling an ankle injury last season at UT. He's definitely got arm talent. It's ironic he's battling with Wilson when I see pocket presence as his biggest weakness. He took 58 sacks in his last two college seasons.

For true rebuilding teams in deeper leagues, Ewers might be worth a roster spot. I'd really consider him as a handcuff to Tua in that sort of format, too.

8. Riley Leonard, Colts

Projected Round: Undrafted

If the Indianapolis Colts are turning to Riley Leonard at some point in 2025, things have gone terribly wrong, but I still like him eighth-best of this group.

Leonard was a sixth-round pick for a team that'll otherwise have Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones battling for its starting job. Both have histories of injuries and poor play. Could the season get away from them so considerably that the rookie gets a shot?

In terms of football character, Leonard is the top of the food chain. He willed the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the title game on the back of 906 rushing yards and a school-record 17 rushing TDs by a quarterback. The problem was that Leonard failed to pass for 200 yards in nine games last season, and his two back-breaking interceptions were the reason they lost in Week 2 to the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Notre Dame hid Leonard's inability to throw, which doesn't bode well for NFL future. The Colts are taking on the big, mobile project, but he profiles to be a longshot to become even a successful backup. I don't seem him as overly fantasy-relevant.

9. Dillon Gabriel, Browns

Projected Round: Mid-to-Late 4th

In addition to these rankings, Dillon Gabriel will be ranked well below Sanders within most fantasy sources despite going two rounds before him in April.

We'll never find out the truth about why the Browns selected their two rookie quarterbacks where they did, but rumors are that Cleveland's brass wanted to get out in front of a push by the owner to draft Sanders by overdrafting Gabriel. That didn't stop Jimmy Haslam. Either way, you're just not going to find many talent evaluators who think Gabriel has a better chance of being a long-term NFL starter than Shedeur.

At 5'11" with just a fine arm, Gabriel's upside in the NFL is as a high-level distributor. That's probably more of a backup you'd like to upgrade. Sanders' physical tools are better. Gabriel just had a phenomenal pre-draft process above the shoulders when Sanders' clearly wasn't ideal for many teams.

Among the two rookies, the long-term answer for Cleveland's QB conundrum is perhaps most likely "neither," but it's definitely more probable to be "Shedeur" than it is "Gabriel." The circus of competing with another high-profile rookie in camp doesn't exactly help these two's chances, either.

10. Brady Cook, Jets

Projected Round: Undrafted

Hey, we've all got a super sleeper, right?

I'm not exactly putting my money where my mouth is with Brady Cook. He'll be on zero of my dynasty rosters come Week 1. I just think the undrafted free agent is worth a shout in this brutal QB class when none of the other selected players have a prayer at immediate playing time.

Cook battled injuries during 2024 after a 2023 season with the Missouri Tigers that was much better. His QBR dropped from 77.6 to 76.3. His completion rate dropped 3.5 percentage points. If healthy to build on those numbers instead of decline, I think he could have been drafted.

The New York Jets might keep him around. There are still a few questions in a room with Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor -- even if Cook isn't likely to answer them. Both have lengthy injury histories as scramblers, too.

At 6'2" with tons of experience and an elite athleticism score, Cook has a lot working in his favor. This mention is probably more valid as a "don't forget about him" streaming option down the line should he win the QB3 job and injuries wreck New York's QB spot.

Which futures stand out to you this offseason? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.