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Should you draft Cameron Ward, Jaxson Dart, or Tyler Shough in fantasy football in 2025? Dan breaks down the fantasy outlooks for these rookie quarterbacks.
The 2025 season is here, which means it is time to transition our thinking from winning the draft to winning our weekly matchups. One big advantage fantasy managers have is that they can nail down a late quarterback that has the potential to put up big fantasy points.
Waiting on quarterback allows fantasy managers an opportunity to load up at other positions to optimize their fantasy lineup. Identifying a rookie quarterback with a later ADP who has the upside to provide high-end fantasy scoring is a quick way for the strategy to succeed.
The 2025 rookie class didn’t have an abundance of quarterback talent, but there are still rookies that could be fantasy relevant this season. Are there any of the rookie quarterbacks that can allow fantasy managers an opportunity to deploy the “late round quarterback strategy” in this class? Should you draft Cameron Ward, Jaxson Dart, or Tyler Shough? Read below to find out.
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Cameron Ward Fantasy Football Outlook
The Titans selected Miami’s Cameron Ward with the first overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward was a solid prospect during his two seasons with Washington State (6,968 yards, 48 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions) before having the best season of his career in 2024. He completed 67.2% of his passes for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his final college season after transferring to Miami.
A fun part of watching Cam Ward is his willingness to fire the ball over the middle of the field. He has a lot of comfort throwing benders and digs, and progressing to them, too. pic.twitter.com/ku0F6uBWF0
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) March 11, 2025
Ward emerged as the top quarterback in the draft class throughout the offseason thanks to his strong arm and improvisational ability. He landed with the Tennessee Titans to hopefully upgrade them from Will Levis and make the most of an upgraded offensive line, respectable run game (Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears), and intriguing pass catchers (Calvin Ridley, Chig Okonkwo, and Tyler Lockett).
The Titans wasted no time naming Ward the starting quarterback for the 2025 season (a season-ending injury to Levis certainly didn’t hurt), giving him a clear runway to fantasy relevance. There were plenty of ups and downs throughout the preseason for the rookie (10 of 19 passing for 145 yards), but he consistently flashed the arm talent that made him an enticing first-round pick.
Tennessee is not nearly as loaded at the skill positions as other teams, but they have enough for Ward to have a strong rookie season. At the very least, he has a legitimate WR1 (Ridley) and other ancillary weapons, along with a strong offensive playcaller (Brian Callahan), who can make his life easier as a rookie.
Jaxson Dart Fantasy Football Outlook
Jaxson Dart averaged a 65.7% completion percentage, 3,539.0 passing yards, 24.0 touchdowns, and 7.3 interceptions per season during his three years at Ole Miss. However, his final season got him firmly on the radar as a potential first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
In his final season, Dart completed 69.3% of his passes for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns with six interceptions. According to PFF, he was second in the 2025 draft class in big-time throw rate (6.7%) and first in average depth of target (12.3).
Jaxson Dart has easy arm strength and has tape full of big time throws like this one. Accuracy and power and stemming from a snappy, quick release.
There isn’t a throw he can’t make and he knows it. pic.twitter.com/7yTDyUx73e
— David Syvertsen (@Ourlads_Sy) April 27, 2025
It became clear that Dart was gaining traction as a potential first-round pick as the draft process unfolded. Ultimately, that came to fruition when the Giants traded back into the first round to select the quarterback with the 25th overall pick.
The rookie looked excellent when given opportunities throughout the preseason. Dart completed 32 of 47 pass attempts (68.1%) for 372 yards and three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He frequently looked poised in the pocket and was not afraid to take shots on the field when he saw his receivers in one-on-one matchups.
It has been clear throughout the offseason that Russell Wilson would begin the season as the starter for the New York Giants. But Dart showed that if the team struggles or Wilson gets hurt, he can play at the NFL level and take control of the starting job.
If that happens, Dart will enter an offense that has an alpha receiver on the perimeter (Malik Nabers), reliable middle of the field weapons (Wan'Dale Robinson and Theo Johnson), and deep threats that can capitalize on his arm strength (Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt).
We don’t know for sure how many games Dart will start (if any), but he has a ton of potential if his number does eventually get called this season.
Tyler Shough Fantasy Football Outlook
Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough emerged as somewhat of a cult hero throughout the draft process. Shough entered college in 2018 at Oregon and backed up Justin Herbert. After that, he suffered through a litany of season-ending injuries throughout his playing career at Oregon and Texas Tech.
Shough landed with Louisville for his final collegiate season, stayed healthy, and flashed the ability that made him a four-star recruit seven years ago. Shough completed 62.7% of his passes for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. His film showed a quarterback who had the ability to make throws on all levels of the field and the mobility to extend plays.
One thing that stands out when watching Tyler Shough is that he's a good thrower while on the move. Especially when working to his left.
He's a flexible athlete and flashes creativity as a thrower. pic.twitter.com/9agD33oMnw
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) March 26, 2025
However, there were also clear issues when it came to making plays under pressure. His age, injury history, and inconsistency ultimately landed him in the second round with the New Orleans Saints.
Shough’s rookie season outlook got a bump when Derek Carr unexpectedly announced his retirement this offseason. The move immediately thrust Shough into a competition with 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler for the starting job in 2025.
There were definite flashes throughout the preseason and generally solid play (66.7% completion percentage for 333 yards, one touchdown, and one interception). However, the issues he had entering college (poise under pressure) appeared enough that the Saints ultimately decided Rattler would be the best option next season.
Now, Shough is stuck developing behind Rattler to start the 2025 season with no indication of whether or not he will play. If he does get an opportunity, the Saints do have an interesting offensive environment for first-year head coach Kellen Moore.
New Orleans features a strong offensive line and plenty of strong pass-catching weapons in Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Juwan Johnson. They also have a bad defense, which would lead to plenty of high-volume passing games in negative game scripts.
Final Verdict
When it comes to fantasy football, deciding which rookie quarterback to draft is actually fairly simple. In 1-QB leagues, the only quarterback worth drafting for 2025 to start the season is Cameron Ward. He’s the only rookie starting in the NFL in Week 1 and is surrounded by a strong offensive line and receivers who can maximize scoring.
In SuperFlex formats, fantasy managers can also take a shot on Dart or Shough in the later rounds. Both rookies could easily make starts this season, even if they didn’t do enough in the preseason to win their respective starting jobs. Both quarterbacks flashed throughout the season, and neither will require a high-draft pick to secure as a QB3 on your bench.
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