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Early 2021 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Pre-NFL Draft

RotoBaller's top 80 fantasy football rookie rankings for 2021 NFL rookies. These early staff rankings are from before the NFL Draft and include RB, WR, TE, QB.

You can also read our updated 2021 fantasy football rookie rankings: post-NFL Draft, which was released after the conclusion of the NFL Draft.

Welcome back RotoBallers! Below you will find our staff's early 2021 fantasy football rookie rankings (top 80). These rankings are being released before the 2021 NFL Draft so things will of course change. Adjustments to these rookie rankings will be made all offseason long, so check back regularly for updates. You can also see our other dynasty rookie rankings and analysis articles, including NFL Draft coverage and NFL rookie breakdowns.

Three of our lead fantasy football analysts - Pierre Camus, Brandon Murchison and Phil Clark - have analyzed last year's college football season and the NFL offseason moves - they are ready to rock. Below you will find their consensus staff rookies ranks for 2021 fantasy football, which will be updated regularly up until the season. Feel free to click those links and give these fine gentlemen a follow, or let them know how much you love or hate their rankings. Be sure to also check out our 2021 fantasy football rankings dashboard. It will soon be loaded up with tons of other great rankings including early PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, Standard rankingsBest Ball rankings and Dynasty League rankings. Bookmark that page, and prepare for all of your drafts.

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

NFL Rookie Rankings for Fantasy Football (Pre-Draft)

You can also read our updated 2021 fantasy football rookie rankings: post-NFL Draft, which was released after the conclusion of the NFL Draft.

Tier Rank Player Name Pos
1 1 Najee Harris RB
1 2 Ja'Marr Chase WR
1 3 Kyle Pitts TE
1 4 DeVonta Smith WR
1 5 Trevor Lawrence QB
1 6 Travis Etienne RB
2 7 Jaylen Waddle WR
2 8 Javonte Williams RB
2 9 Rashod Bateman WR
2 10 Rondale Moore WR
2 11 Kenny Gainwell RB
2 12 Michael Carter RB
2 13 Terrace Marshall Jr. WR
3 14 Elijah Moore WR
3 15 Amon-Ra St. Brown WR
3 16 Justin Fields QB
3 17 Chuba Hubbard RB
3 18 Zach Wilson QB
3 19 Kadarius Toney WR
3 20 Trey Sermon RB
3 21 Trey Lance QB
3 22 Tylan Wallace WR
3 23 Pat Freiermuth TE
4 24 Jermar Jefferson RB
4 25 Kylin Hill RB
4 26 Seth Williams WR
4 27 Amari Rodgers WR
4 28 Nico Collins WR
4 29 Brevin Jordan TE
4 30 Khalil Herbert RB
4 31 Tamorrion Terry WR
4 32 Dyami Brown WR
4 33 Kyle Trask QB
4 34 Mac Jones QB
4 35 Jaret Patterson RB
4 36 D'Wayne Eskridge WR
5 37 Tutu Atwell WR
5 38 Demetric Felton WR
5 39 Shi Smith WR
5 40 CJ Verdell RB
5 41 Rhamondre Stevenson RB
5 42 Master Teague RB
5 43 Javian Hawkins RB
5 44 Sage Surratt WR
5 45 Hunter Long TE
6 46 Marquez Stevenson WR
6 47 Elijah Mitchell RB
6 48 Dazz Newsome WR
6 49 Pooka Williams RB
6 50 Rakeem Boyd RB
6 51 Dez Fitzpatrick WR
6 52 Anthony Schwartz WR
6 53 Kellen Mond QB
6 54 Marlon Williams WR
6 55 Sam Ehlinger QB
6 56 Trevon Grimes WR
7 57 Ihmir Smith-Marsette WR
7 58 Jamie Newman QB
7 59 Damonte Coxie WR
7 60 Josh Imatorbhebhe WR
7 61 Jaelon Darden WR
7 62 JaTarvious Whitlow RB
7 63 Deon Jackson RB
7 64 Johnathan Lovett RB
8 65 Brady White QB
8 66 Reggie Roberson Jr. WR
8 67 Tanner Morgan QB
8 68 T.J. Vasher WR
8 69 Shakif Seymour RB
8 70 JD Spielman WR
8 71 K.J. Costello QB
8 72 Feleipe Franks QB
9 73 Whop Philyor WR
9 74 Mekhi Sargent RB
9 75 Eli Stove WR
9 76 Zac Thomas QB
9 77 Ian Book QB
9 78 Zach Smith QB
9 79 Brock Purdy QB
9 80 Brennan Eagles WR


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More Fantasy Football Analysis


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Sam Hauser

Available Against Knicks
Collin Sexton

Active Against Wizards
Neemias Queta

Good to Go on Thursday
Derrick White

Cleared to Suit Up Against Knicks
Blake Coleman

Unavailable Thursday
Stephen Curry

Ruled Out Against Lakers on Thursday
Quinton Byfield

Cleared to Play Thursday
Thomas Chabot

Makes Surprise Return Thursday
Jaylen Brown

Out Thursday
Luke Hughes

to Miss Rest of Season
Stuart Skinner

Faces Devils Thursday
Joel Embiid

Undergoes Surgery for Appendicitis
Nazem Kadri

to "Miss Some Games" With Finger Injury
Seth Jones

to Miss Rest of Season Due to Broken Foot
Corbin Carroll

Dealing With Hip Injury, Not Expected to Miss Much Time
NFL

Jordyn Tyson to Hold Individual Workout on April 17
Brent Rooker

Exits Early on Thursday Due to Apparent Injury
NFL

No New Injury Issues for Francis Mauigoa
Travis Hunter

to be "Limited Participant" During Offseason Workouts
Carolina Panthers

Denzel Boston Visiting With Panthers on Thursday
Mark Andrews

Ready for More Opportunities in 2026
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Part of a Muddled Giants Backfield Heading into 2026
Chimere Dike

Fantasy Value Potentially Limited by What He Offers in Return Game
Chase Brown

an Important Name to Monitor on Day 1 of the NFL Draft
Bijan Robinson

Could Just Be Entering His Prime
Jameson Williams

Consistency the Key to a True Jameson Williams Breakout
Jarace Walker

May Exit Pacers Lineup Again Thursday
Aaron Nesmith

Out for Sixth Consecutive Game
T.J. McConnell

Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell Unavailable Thursday
Dru Smith

Iffy for Thursday
Norman Powell

Questionable Thursday
Sam Hauser

Could Miss Thursday's Game
Neemias Queta

Uncertain for Thursday
Zach Benson

Scores Twice in Comeback Victory
Logan Thompson

Shuts Out the Leafs
Zach Eflin

Undergoes Successful Elbow Surgery, Will Miss Remainder of 2026
Derrick White

Listed as Questionable for Thursday
Tre Johnson

Iffy for Thursday
Jaylen Brown

Iffy to Face Knicks
Bilal Coulibaly

Questionable Against Bulls
Gui Santos

Could Miss Another Game Thursday
Alexandre Sarr

Out Again Thursday
Al Horford

to Remain Out Thursday
J.K. Dobbins

Broncos Prioritized Re-Signing J.K. Dobbins
NFL

Francis Mauigoa to Undergo Additional Imaging on a Back Issue
Kaleb McGary

Retires After Seven Years in the NFL
Jawaan Taylor

Signs with the Falcons
Andrei Kuzmenko

to Be Re-Evaluated in 7-8 Days
Mason Appleton

Won't Play Thursday
Tony DeAngelo

Expected to Return Thursday
John Klingberg

Rejoins Sharks Lineup Wednesday
Alex Lyon

Dealing With Lower-Body Injury
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Back in Action Wednesday
Alex Ovechkin

Won't Decide Future Until Offseason
Cole Ragans

"Should be Good" for Next Start
Reynaldo López

Reynaldo Lopez Handed Seven-Game Suspension
Jorge Soler

Suspended Seven Games, Will Appeal
NFL

NFL Scouts See Plenty of Upside With Drew Allar
NFL

Ty Simpson to Fall into Second Round in NFL Draft?
Cleveland Browns

Todd Monken "Fired Up" About Quarterback Competition
Cleveland Browns

KC Concepcion Visiting With the Browns
Cole Ragans

Diagnosed With Thumb Contusion
Houston Texans

Texans Pick Up Will Anderson's Fifth-Year Option
C.J. Stroud

Texans Exercise C.J. Stroud's Fifth-Year Option
Cole Ragans

Leaves Early on Wednesday After Being Hit in the Hand
Jacob deGrom

Expects to Make his Next Start
Konnor Griffin

Pirates Sign Konnor Griffin to Nine-Year Extension
Parker Washington

Undervalued Despite League-Winning Finish in 2025
Justus Annunen

Ends Predators' 120-Game Streak Without a Shutout
Trevor Zegras

Leads Flyers to Victory Tuesday
Kevin Bahl

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Against Stars
Michael Rasmussen

Likely to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Dmitry Kulikov

Done for the Season After Breaking Finger
Tyrrell Hatton

a Steady Option at The Masters
Justin Thomas

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Masters
PGA

Sungjae Im a Volatile Option at the Masters
Nicolai Hojgaard

Carrying Momentum Into The Masters
Si Woo Kim

in Strong Form Heading to The Masters
Chris Gotterup

Ready to Make His Masters Debut
Patrick Reed

Brings Momentum to The Masters
Jon Rahm

Looks Poised for His Second Green Jacket
Jacob deGrom

Doesn't Have Structural Damage in his Knee
J.T. Realmuto

Leaves Game on Tuesday Due to Bruised Right Foot
Cody Ponce

to Have Knee Surgery, Expected to Miss Six Months
Alejandro Kirk

Facing Six-Week Absence
Jacob deGrom

to Undergo MRI on Tuesday
Mike Trout

Back in the Lineup on Tuesday
Hunter Brown

Diagnosed with Grade 2 Shoulder Strain
Adam Scott

Form Points to Him Competing at Masters
Jordan Spieth

Finding Consistency Heading to Masters
Hideki Matsuyama

Trending In Right Direction For Masters
Cade Horton

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Tommy Fleetwood

a Contender if his Putter Cooperates at The Masters
Jacob deGrom

Pitches Through Knee Issue on Monday
Dalton Rushing

Smacks Two Homers in Rout of Blue Jays
Max Scherzer

Dealing With Forearm Tendinitis, Expected to Make his Next Start
Collin Morikawa

Vegas has Lost Confidence in Collin Morikawa Ahead of Masters Tournament
Ludvig Aberg

One of the Top Plays For This Week's Masters Tournament
Rory McIlroy

Set to Defend his Long-Awaited Masters Victory
Bryson DeChambeau

Looks to Finally Claim a Green Jacket
Patrick Cantlay

Needs Plenty to Go Right at Augusta
Harris English

Playing Solid Golf Heading to Masters
Sam Burns

Bouncing Back Nicely After Slow Start to 2026 Season
Corey Conners

Quietly Putting Together A Strong 2026 Season
Russell Henley

Looks to Bounce Back At Masters
Chris Duncan

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Renato Moicano

Gets Back In The Win Column
Tabatha Ricci

Gets Outgrappled
Virna Jandiroba

Bounces Back
Brendson Ribeiro

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev

Earns First-Round Submission Win
Rafael Estevam

Suffers His First Loss
Ethyn Ewing

Dominates At UFC Vegas 115
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