Fantasy Football 2021 Rookie Rankings: Honorable Mentions
We have had time to digest the NFL draft, peruse depth charts and dig into the picks a bit. Now it’s time for the real work to begin for fantasy owners – preparing for draft season. As always, my prep begins in earnest post-draft, as I start thinking about these newcomers and the effect they’ll have on the existing players. These five rookies probably won’t be super impactful in 2021, but they have a chance. Keep them in mind as fliers when draft day hits later this summer, and keep tabs on their progress throughout the preseason.
Elijah Moore, WR, Jets (Round 2, No. 34 overall)
Moore was mocked often as a late first-rounder, so the fact that the Jets could nab him in Round 2 after securing their franchise QB, and an offensive lineman to assist in keeping said QB upright bodes well for Moore. He’s a smallish, very quick slot receiver who posted massive production as a junior at Ole Miss (86 receptions, 1,193 yards, eight touchdowns). The Jets receiving corps is lowkey crowded, but his upside skyrockets if they move on from Jamison Crowder at some point before Week 1. If he gets major playing time, he should have full-PPR value.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins (Round 1, No. 6 overall)
It may be surprising to see Waddle here, as he was the second receiver off the board and has scouts drooling over his breakaway speed. He’s an impressive prospect and should make the Dolphins a better football team, but his play style might not translate to elite fantasy production this season. He’s reminiscent of Henry Ruggs, the first WR off the board last year who turned in an extremely boom or bust season for the Raiders (26 receptions, 452 yards, two touchdowns in 13 games). Ruggs posted 40 receptions for 746 yards and seven scores as a junior at Alabama, averaging 18.7 yards per catch. Waddle had 28 receptions for 591 yards and four touchdowns, albeit in just six games as he dealt with injuries, averaging 21.1 yards per catch. They are similarly styled players, and Waddle is also heading to an offense with established talent at the position (DeVante Parker, Will Fuller), as well as a premier pass-catching tight end (Mike Geiscki). Lastly, Waddle reuniting with his former ‘Bama QB Tua Tagovailoa might not necessarily be ideal, as Tagovailoa averaged just 6.2 adjusted air yards per attempt. It might’ve been injury-related, but pairing Waddle with a QB they don’t trust to air it out is a recipe for disappointment.
Zach Wilson, QB, Jets (Round 1, No. 2 overall)
Obviously, the idea of a rookie Jets QB making a real fantasy impact is weird, but if the comparisons to Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers have any merit, Wilson could shock the world right away. He was awesome as a junior, throwing 33 touchdowns against three picks, completing 73.5% of his passes and amassing more than 3,600 passing yards. As fantasy moves further away from pure pocket passers, Wilson becomes even more attractive. With so many QBs able to score with their legs, it’s important that the running game at least somewhat be in a fantasy QB’s repertoire; Wilson is by no means a “running QB,” but he put up 254 yards and 10 touchdowns on 70 attempts last year while clocking a 4.44 40-yard dash at his pro day. Obviously, pro day numbers are to be taken with a grain of salt, but it means that he’s a QB with elite arm talent who has the potential to cover up his rookie growing pains with production on the ground as well.
Trey Sermon, RB, 49ers (Round 3, No. 88 overall)
Sermon is an exciting talent for sure, and the offense is one where he can thrive. The problem is it’s impossible to predict how much playing time he will get. Raheem Mostert is a highly capable and explosive lead back, and Jeff Wilson averaged 4.8 yards per carry when asked to carry the load in Mostert’s absence while also showing a nose for the end zone (seven touchdowns). While Sermon is a superior playmaker to Wilson, he’s probably still behind Mostert on that front, so it’ll likely require an injury or two for fantasy owners to feel comfortable starting him.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions (Round 4, No. 112 overall)
A fourth round pick with less than eye-popping stats in any of his college seasons going to a losing team that just replaced Matthew Stafford with Jared Goff is not really all that appetizing. But hey, these are just honorable mentions right? St. Brown posted a 1,042-yard season at USC as a sophomore, and has a chance to be the Lions’ No. 1 receiver out of training camp. Seriously, his competition is Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman. St. Brown showed real contested catch chops in the Pac-12, so at the very least the Lions will probably involve him in the red zone. This team will suck, but opportunity is king and he can earn it with a good camp.