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Updated Rookie Rankings - Fantasy Football Drafts

RotoBaller's updated fantasy football rookie rankings for 2021 fantasy football drafts. Use our updated rookie rankings to target the highest-upside NFL rookies.

Welcome back RotoBallers! Below you will find our staff's updated fantasy football rookie rankings for the 2021 NFL season. These rankings are a great resource for you to use in your fantasy football drafts, whether it's a redraft league or a dynasty league. Having a rookie draft, or just looking for the highest-upside rookie to target in drafts? Just reference the list below.

These fantasy football rookie rankings will continue to be updated until Week 1, so be sure check back regularly for updates. You can also see our ongoing rankings analysis articles discussing players to target and avoid in your fantasy football drafts. Be sure to also check out our entire 2021 fantasy football rankings dashboard. It's loaded up with our rankings for all other league formats and scoring settings including:

Three of our lead fantasy football analysts - Pierre Camus, Brandon Murchison and Phil Clark - have analyzed the NFL offseason moves, recent injuries, and preseason action. Below you will find their consensus fantasy football Half-PPR rankings for 2021 fantasy football drafts. Feel free to click those links and give these fine gentlemen a follow, and let them know how much you love or hate their rankings.

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Updated Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings

Rankings table below last updated on September 5th, 2021

Tier Rank Player Name Pos
1 1 Najee Harris RB
1 2 Kyle Pitts TE
1 3 Ja'Marr Chase WR
1 4 Javonte Williams RB
1 5 DeVonta Smith WR
1 6 Trevor Lawrence QB
2 7 Jaylen Waddle WR
2 8 Elijah Moore WR
2 9 Justin Fields QB
2 10 Trey Sermon RB
2 11 Trey Lance QB
2 12 Michael Carter RB
2 13 Kenneth Gainwell RB
3 14 Terrace Marshall Jr. WR
3 15 Rashod Bateman WR
3 16 Amon-Ra St. Brown WR
3 17 Mac Jones QB
3 18 Zach Wilson QB
3 19 Rhamondre Stevenson RB
3 20 Rondale Moore WR
3 21 Chuba Hubbard RB
3 22 Dyami Brown WR
3 23 Nico Collins WR
4 24 Josh Palmer WR
4 25 Amari Rodgers WR
4 26 Kadarius Toney WR
4 27 Pat Freiermuth TE
4 28 D'Wayne Eskridge WR
4 29 Elijah Mitchell RB
4 30 Tutu Atwell WR
4 31 Kylin Hill RB
4 32 Tylan Wallace WR
4 33 Jacob Harris TE
4 34 Seth Williams WR
4 35 Brevin Jordan TE
4 36 Demetric Felton WR
5 37 Larry Rountree III RB
5 38 Chris Evans RB
5 39 Jermar Jefferson RB
5 40 Ihmir Smith-Marsette WR
5 41 Hunter Long TE
5 42 Jaret Patterson RB
5 43 Khalil Herbert RB
5 44 Dazz Newsome WR
5 45 Dez Fitzpatrick WR
6 46 Jaelon Darden WR
6 47 Kyle Trask QB
6 48 Kene Nwangwu RB
6 49 Kellen Mond QB
6 50 Noah Gray TE
6 51 Anthony Schwartz WR
6 52 Marquez Stevenson WR
6 53 Josh Imatorbhebhe WR
6 54 Davis Mills QB
6 55 Jake Funk RB
6 56 Frank Darby WR
7 57 Sage Surratt WR
7 58 Pooka Williams Jr. RB
7 59 Tommy Tremble TE
7 60 Shi Smith WR
7 61 Cornell Powell WR
7 62 Kenny Yeboah TE
7 63 Javian Hawkins RB
7 64 Tamorrion Terry WR
8 65 Tre' McKitty TE
8 66 Mekhi Sargent RB
8 67 Cade Johnson WR
8 68 Sam Ehlinger QB
8 69 Austin Watkins WR
8 70 Shane Buechele QB
8 71 T.J. Vasher WR
8 72 Ian Book QB
9 73 Simi Fehoko WR
9 74 Stevie Scott III RB
9 75 Deon Jackson RB
9 76 Marlon Williams WR
9 77 Trey Ragas RB
9 78 Feleipe Franks QB
9 79 Whop Philyor WR
9 80 Dax Milne WR
9 81 Rakeem Boyd RB
9 82 Trevon Grimes WR
9 83 Jamie Newman QB
9 84 Brennan Eagles WR
9 85 Reggie Roberson Jr. WR
9 86 K.D. Nixon WR
9 87 Raheem Blackshear RB
9 88 Johnathan Lovett RB
9 89 JD Spielman WR
9 90 JaTarvious Whitlow RB
9 91 Eli Stove WR
9 92 Brady White QB
9 93 Shakif Seymour RB
9 94 K.J. Costello QB
9 95 Damonte Coxie WR
9 96 Vavae Malepeai RB
9 97 Zach Smith QB
9 98 Zac Thomas QB


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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.




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

LeBron James

Available Versus Sacramento
Zion Williamson

Ruled Out Versus Clippers
Shelby Miller

Officially Placed on 60-Day Injured List
Kevin Love

Resting Monday Against Nuggets
Jacob deGrom

is Nearing Spring Debut
Tristan Vukcevic

Could Miss Game Vs. Houston
José Soriano

Jose Soriano has Start Pushed Back
John Collins

Cleared to Play Sunday
Bobby Miller

Being Viewed as Reliever
Brandon Clarke

to be Re-Evaluated in Two Weeks
Walker Jenkins

is Diagnosed with Hamstring Strain
Caleb Martin

Returns Against Thunder
P.J. Washington

Naji Marshall Ruled Out Sunday
Kyshawn George

Could Miss Game Against Houston
Baylor Scheierman

Cleared to Play Sunday
Rui Hachimura

Set to Return Against Kings
LeBron James

Questionable Against Kings
Jonathan Drouin

Unavailable Sunday
Darcy Kuemper

Won't Play Monday Due to Illness
Andrew Mangiapane

Oilers Place Andrew Mangiapane on Waivers
Jabari Smith Jr.

Still Out on Monday
Uvis Balinskis

Out Sunday
Jalen Johnson

Back on Sunday Night
Dmitry Kulikov

Comes Off Injured Reserve
Mark Stone

Exits With Injury Sunday
Deni Avdija

Remains Out on Sunday
Zach Edey

to Undergo Another Ankle Surgery
Merrill Kelly

"Optimistic" About Being Ready by Opening Day
Gabriel Moreno

Can Gabriel Moreno Put Together a Fully Healthy Season in 2026?
Mark Vientos

May Be Limited to Part-Time Role in New York
Kyler Murray

Likely to be Released
Noah Cameron

Can Noah Cameron Repeat His Breakout 2025 Season?
Justin Steele

"Full-Go" on Throwing, Still Eyeing May or June Return
Travis Etienne Jr.

Not Expected to be Franchise-Tagged
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Planning to Release Aaron Jones Sr.?
Samuel Basallo

is Returning on Sunday
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Sign Oliver Marmol to Two-Year Extension
Thomas White

is Diagnosed with Oblique Strain
Carmen Mlodzinski

to Compete for Starting Rotation Spot
Tyler Reddick

Could Make History at COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Still the Favorite at COTA
Christopher Bell

Will Be Tough to Beat at COTA
Jacob Melton

is Returning on Sunday
AJ Allmendinger

Could Contend at COTA
Connor Zilisch

Carries Plenty of Upside for DFS at COTA
Chase Elliott

May be A Strong Contender Again at COTA
Chris Buescher

Is Nothing But Consistent at Road Courses
Ross Chastain

May Be An Underrated Competitor for the Win at COTA
William Byron

Is William Byron a Viable DFS Option for COTA?
Carson Hocevar

Needs Clean Race at COTA
Nick Suzuki

Enjoys Three-Point Night Against Capitals
Rasmus Dahlin

Collects Three Points Saturday
Kyle Larson

Could be A Decent DFS Option for COTA Lineups
Joel Kiviranta

in Concussion Protocol
Joel Eriksson Ek

Available Sunday
Ryan Blaney

Could Ryan Blaney be A Sleeper DFS Option for All Formats for COTA?
Mark Scheifele

Expected to Play Sunday
Chase Briscoe

Should DFS Players Roster Chase Briscoe at COTA?
Adam Wilsby

Exits Early Versus Stars
Gage Goncalves

Hurt in Saturday's Loss
Russell Westbrook

Off Injury Report Sunday
Kawhi Leonard

Set to Play Against Pelicans
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Is A Favorable Value Option for COTA DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs

Could Ty Gibbs Be A Rosterable DFS Play for COTA?
Michael McDowell

Is Michael McDowell A Favorable DFS Option for COTA?
Donovan Mitchell

to Miss Third Straight Game
Joel Embiid

Sidelined Three Games with Oblique Injury
Cooper Flagg

Remains Sidelined Sunday
Cale Makar

Scores Twice Versus Chicago
Connor McDavid

has a Three-Assist Game
Keston Hiura

Exits After Getting Hit by Pitch
Leo De Vries

Exits Early on Saturday
Kyle Stowers

is Dealing with Minor Hamstring Strain
Cody Bellinger

Dealing With Back Injury
Corbin Carroll

Likely to be Ready for Opening Day
Vladislav Namestnikov

Out Week-to-Week
Nino Niederreiter

Recovering From Surgery
Colton Parayko

Doubtful for Sunday
Zach Benson

Activated From Injured Reserve
Anthony Cirelli

a Game-Time Decision Saturday
Roope Hintz

Remains Out Saturday
Starling Marte

Royals Agree With Starling Marte
A.J. Brown

Patriots "Have Explored Trade Talks" Involving A.J. Brown
Lone'er Kavanagh

Set For UFC Mexico City Main Event
Brandon Moreno

Looks To Bounce Back
David Martinez

Set For UFC Mexico City Co-Main Event
Marlon Vera

In Dire Need Of Victory
King Green

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Zellhuber

Aims To Snap Two-Fight Skid
Felipe Bunes

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Édgar Cháirez

Edgar Chairez A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
George Pickens

Cowboys Not Interested in Trading George Pickens
Ashton Jeanty

Not in Line for Workhorse Role in 2026?
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Give Anthony Richardson Sr. Permission to Seek a Trade
Kyler Murray

Prefers to be Released
Derek Carr

"Strong Belief" That Derek Carr is "Very Serious" About Unretiring
Andy Dalton

Is Andy Dalton Available for a Trade?
Keith Mitchell

Making The Comfortable Return to PGA National
CFB

Chandler Morris Suing NCAA for Seventh Year of Eligibility
Chris Kirk

Searching for a Spark at Cognizant Classic
Brooks Koepka

Making Third PGA Tour Start at Cognizant Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Steady Option at Cognizant Classic
Seamus Power

Seeking More Green in Florida
PGA

Haotong Li Back From a Break as Florida Stretch Starts
Stephan Jaeger

Trying to Put Four Rounds Together in Florida
PGA

Nico Echavarria Again Attempting to Make the Weekend
Patrick Fishburn

Looking for a Spark at Cognizant Classic
Blades Brown

Set for Cognizant Classic Debut
Michael Thorbjornsen

Looking to Bounce Back at Cognizant Classic
Maxx Crosby

Raiders Expect Maxx Crosby to Return
Billy Horschel

Looks to Improve Season at Cognizant Classic
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Falcons Place Franchise Tag on Kyle Pitts Sr.
Joe Highsmith

Returns to Defend at Cognizant Classic
Quinshon Judkins

Out of Walking Boot, Will be Ready for Training Camp
Breece Hall

Jets Will Use Franchise Tag on Breece Hall if Extension isn't Reached
Joel Dahmen

Needs Better Consistency Heading Into The Florida Swing
Daniel Berger

Looks to Improve Putting as PGA Tour Begins Its Florida Swing
Kirk Cousins

Falcons Plan to Release Kirk Cousins
Zach Ertz

Plans to Return for 14th Season
Davis Thompson

Struggling to Find Birdies as Florida Looms
Tom Kim

Not Quite Cutting It in 2026
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF