Rookie Quarterback Sleepers: Rookie QBs With Massive Upside in 2021 Fantasy Football Season

Rookie quarterbacks have been fantastic values in fantasy football recently. We've seen a rookie QB deliver a top-10 fantasy season in back-to-back years now. Justin Herbert did it in 2020, and Kyler Murray pulled it off in 2019.

Best Rookies for Fantasy Football

Point being, rookie QBs are coming into the league and producing faster than ever. It's highly unlikely that all five first-round QBs come in and produce right away, but recent history has shown that one or two of those guys is likely to produce a top-10 season.

With that in mind, here are the top three rookie QB sleepers for the 2021 fantasy football season.

Fantasy Football Rookie Quarterback Sleepers

3. Zach Wilson, New York Jets (ADP: QB29)

Trevor Lawrence is far too highly-touted to be considered for this list. But No. 2 pick Zach Wilson is being overlooked right now. GM Joe Douglas has assembled the best situation for a New York Jets' quarterback we've seen in a while. The offensive line is solid. The pass-catchers aren't going to blow you away, but they all fit into pretty well-defined roles. And the presence of Elijah Moore does raise the ceiling of that group. If healthy, Wilson is a lock to start all 17 games for an underrated offensive unit. Wilson didn't do anything spectacular in Week 1 of preseason action, but he proved he belongs and showcased a live arm. He's a fantastic late-round flyer, particularly in two-QB or superflex leagues.

2. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (ADP: QB19)

With the way he looked in his first taste of preseason action, it's safe to say Justin Fields is going to be flying up draft boards. The rookie went 14-of-20 for 142 yards while adding 33 rushing yards and 2 total TDs. It's going to be hard to keep him off the field. And when he does inevitably win the Chicago Bears' starting job, he'll offer real QB1 potential. Matt Nagy schemed a top-12 season from Mitchell Trubisky back in 2018. It's hard not to wonder what he could do with Fields – especially in an offense that includes Allen Robinson, David Montgomery and second-year breakout candidate Darnell Mooney.

1. Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers (ADP: QB21)

No other rookie QB has the ceiling that Trey Lance does. Playing for the San Francisco 49ers, he's got an elite offensive line, a top-10 skill-position group and the best offensive mind in football calling the shots. The last time we saw Kyle Shanahan leading an offense with a true dual-threat QB was 2012, when Robert Griffin III finished as the overall QB5. Of course, there's real downside here, too. Lance is generally believed to be the most raw of the five first-round QBs, and we truly have no idea when (or if) he'll take the starting role from Jimmy G. But whenever he does, he'll immediately become one of the most intriguing assets in fantasy football.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.