2025 Fantasy Football Rookie QB Rankings: Pre-NFL Draft Top 10 Rookie QBs

April 19, 2025

Matt's top 10 fantasy football quarterback rankings and NFL draft rookie rankings for 2025. Draft these rookie QBs in fantasy football drafts: Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, and more.

Soon enough, all eyes will be on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when he says, "The Tennesse Titans are on the clock."

However, we aren't there yet, and fantasy football managers are looking to gain the upper hand on the competition and gain insight with every mock draft they can consume. Isn't it great?

With that said, let's get to work with the fantasy football top 10 rookie quarterbacks for the 2025 season ... predraft edition. For a deeper dive into dynasty strategy, rankings, and trade tactics, be sure to check out our complete Dynasty Fantasy Football Guide.

NFL Rookie Rankings for Fantasy Football (Pre-NFL Draft)

Rookie rankings are from before the NFL Scouting Combine and before the NFL Draft

Pre-NFL Draft Top 10 Fantasy Football Rookie QB Picks

10. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame

As of right now, Riley Leonard is going undrafted in fantasy football drafts and is probably still sitting on the waiver wire, but there is a good chance that NFL teams have more love for Leonard than fantasy enthusiasts or even members of the media.

Before transferring to Notre Dame, Leonard posted 17 wins with Duke and even threw for 2,967 yards, ran for 99 yards, and finished that campaign off with 33 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

In his lone season in South Bend, he ran for nearly 1,000 yards and produced 17 touchdowns on the ground, along with the 21 touchdowns he threw for and the 2,861 passing yards. Leonard is a fighter, a player who keeps plays alive, and a dual-threat under center.

Ball placement doesn't get much better than this on the touchdown pass from Riley Leonard. pic.twitter.com/YZFVQ40QhD

— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) February 13, 2025

9. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

Regardless of what you have heard, size does matter. If it didn't, then Dillon Gabriel would be much higher on this list with the kind of production he has had throughout his career. At the combine, Gabriel measured in at 5-foot-11. Sure, Fran Tarkenton, Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, and Doug Flutie have found success in the NFL, but they are the outliers.

Gabriel could put his name in the hat; there is a path to success, but it needs to be the right situation. Gabriel has the tools, the arm talent, and the experience to be successful. Some scouts have even admitted that his arm talent alone is better than that of Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart.

8. Will Howard, Ohio State

Like Gabriel and Leonard, Will Howard is often undrafted in fantasy rookie drafts ahead of the NFL Draft. That may change after April 24, but Howard is more than a speculative add in Superflex formats.

It seems wild that Howard doesn't get a little more love coming off a season where he threw for over 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns and helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship, but here we are. In a watered-down quarterback class, Howard has the potential to float near the top of the rankings, pending the draft capital spent to acquire his services. There will be a team that falls in love with the kid.

7. Kyle McCord, Syracuse

Kyle McCord transferred from Ohio State after throwing for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns. At Syracuse, he threw for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns. That's quality production.

Once McCord gets in a rhythm, he's next to unstoppable. McCord isn't just a dink-and-dunk passer. He ranked third in the FBS with a 52.6 percent deep ball completion rate and fourth in tight window accuracy among his draft peers, connecting on 18.7 percent of such throws.

McCord has a quick release, an aggressive mindset, and is not afraid to challenge defenses down the field. Over the last season or so, McCord's mechanics and footwork have improved, which may have him closer to Ward and Sanders than many would lead you to believe.

Kyle McCord made some throws in 2024 pic.twitter.com/yrWtwFJ0n5

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) February 25, 2025

6. Quinn Ewers, Texas

Two things stand out when talking about Quinn Ewers. First, the arm talent is undeniable. Ewers can do anything you ask, especially if he can get into a rhythm. He can flick that wrist from multiple arm angles and deliver a dime. Watch the Alabama and Michigan tapes. Unfortunately, he needs to become more consistent. In three seasons at Texas, Ewers completed 64 percent of his passing attempts for 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns.

Second, this kid's mental makeup is second to none. Ewers had Arch Manning behind him at Texas and the media scrutiny surrounding him every day. He played with an oblique injury much of the season, but he did not make excuses and went out there and balled out.

5. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

As the NFL Draft nears, the Jalen Milroe hype is again picking up to the point where some believe he could go in the first round. In the last two seasons at Alabama, Milroe threw for 5,678 yards, ran for another 1,254, and totaled 71 touchdowns, showing off his Konami Code abilities.

Like Ewers, Milroe needs to become more consistent, but he is an exceptional athlete with the ability and talent to make every NFL throw. He's Michael Vick on steroids. Fantasy managers will need to decide if his elite upside is worth the gamble after watching two seasons of Anthony Richardson's struggles.

4. Tyler Shough, Louisville

At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Tyler Shough is everything you could want in a prototypical pocket passer, which is a throwback these days. Shough not only has the size, but he also has the experience as his collegiate journey began in 2018 and he is coming off a 3,195-yard passing season in 2024.

Shough will make some throws that may make you question your very existence. There are some beauties, some real "how did he do that" type throws, as he has a lively arm that not only hits with velocity outside of the numbers but also has some touch when attacking downfield. This is evidenced by his 59 percent accuracy rate on throws to the sticks, tops in this year's draft class.

The arm angle & release + placement on this throw from Tyler Shough. Basically sidearm underhand flicks it roughly 20 yards and in between two defenders

pic.twitter.com/eUckCLXMZg

— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) April 4, 2025

3. Jaxson Dart, Mississippi

Don't look now, but there are mock drafts out there with Jaxson Dart coming off the board ahead of Shedeur Sanders. It's not a knock on Sanders; it's an indication of how good Dart and his arm talent are.

Dart has all the traits NFL teams are looking for. He's mobile, a good decision-maker, accurate, and has the arm talent to make all the throws. Put that all together, and he can play within the system and make unscheduled throws when needed. Dart is a first-round talent who projects to land in a more favorable spot than the quarterbacks currently ranked ahead of him.

2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

No one is going to question Shedeur Sanders' accuracy or mental makeup. Both are tried and true in every regard. From a clean pocket, Sanders completed 81 percent of his passes. Sanders also had a 70 percent on-target rate on throws greater than 10 yards, which was the second highest in this draft class.

Haters can hate all they want; you can view his confidence as a negative, but the truth is that Sanders has been in the spotlight since he picked up a football, and success has followed. Sanders turned a Jackson State program around, despite taking 58 sacks in two seasons. Then, over the next two seasons, he helped turn the Colorado program around, despite eating another 94 sacks during that tenure.

1. Cam Ward, Miami

All roads currently lead to Tennessee for Cam Ward. Ward's production is unmatched in many regards. The 104 career touchdowns during his time at Washington State and Miami are an FBS record. In three seasons, Ward threw for 11,281 yards and ran 406 yards. If you want to add his numbers from his time at Incarnate Word, that passing yardage goes to 18,189 yards, and those touchdowns top off at 178.

There is a reason for those video game numbers, as Ward possesses a laser for an arm; you cannot teach what he has. He also adds that running element that fantasy managers drool over. There are red flags, but the upside is too much to pass up.  

Cam Ward’s love of ripping tight window throws over the middle of the field…Dak coded (complimentary) pic.twitter.com/lO2A1i9jZl

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) April 1, 2025

Just Missing: Kurtis Rourke, Seth Henigan, Max Brosmer, Brady Cook

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