Fantasy Football 2021: Drafting Next Level Rookies

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Fantasy Football is all about strategy. Knowing which players to draft and when to draft them is vital. Most fantasy football owners will stick with drafting veterans for the first three rounds. However, there is a way to outsmart those fantasy football owners by drafting a rookie early on with a tremendous amount of upside. Some may call this strategy a little too bold for their liking but there are instances in which drafting a rookie can give a fantasy football owner an edge over the competition. If this sounds a bit too crazy or silly, look at the numbers from last year’s rookies among other top rookies.

Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson had among the best all-time performances for any rookies in NFL history. While it may not be often to pick an early steal like this in any fantasy football league, there is a way to know in advance which rookie may have a performance like this. Jefferson caught 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns last season. The keys are watching game film and understanding scheme fit.

Steelers’ receiver Chase Claypool caught 62 passes for 873 yards and nine touchdowns which isn’t bad for a rookie receiver. Fantasy Football owners would’ve benefited from having Claypool as a substitute. Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins had a solid rookie season with 67 catches for 908 yards and six touchdowns. Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb had 74 catches for 935 yards and five touchdowns. He likely would’ve posted better numbers if it weren’t for Dak Prescott’s injury.

Sometimes, fantasy football owners draft running backs in the first two rounds. Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor out of Wisconsin was expected to have big numbers in his rookie season. He was the star of the show and there were reports early on that he would start over Marlon Mack at some point. Taylor rushed for 1,169 yards and 11 touchdowns.

On the other hand, some rookies seemingly come out of nowhere and shock the league. Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson was the waiver wire pickup of the year. No fantasy football owner in his or her right mind would’ve drafted James Robinson. However, Robinson was one of the top rookies last year. Robinson rushed for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns.

Even the rookie quarterbacks can shine! Not many would be willing to start a rookie quarterback over a veteran in any league. Generally, a rookie quarterback shouldn’t start right away in fantasy football. It’s best to wait and see how they perform. Justin Herbert performed very well last season with 4,336 passing yards and 31 touchdowns.

There are a few rookies to keep an eye on this year. There will be a tough choice to either draft Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence or San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance out of North Dakota State. Miami Dolphins’ receiver Jaylen Waddle could be a steal if healthy. The best rookie receiver in terms of production will probably be Ja’Marr Chase since he and Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow are familiar with each other’s skills and have trust right away. Baltimore Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman could be a middle to late-round steal as well. Keep Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith in mind as a middle to late-round steal as well.

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It may be a good idea to take a chance on Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris. However, it may not be a good idea to draft Jaguars’ running back Travis Etienne since he’ll split carries with Robinson. It would be wise to keep Etienne in mind for a waiver pick up though.

Drafting rookies that can start or add depth to your team will be an important part of building a championship team.