2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Quarterback Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Quarterback Rankings

If this isn’t your first rodeo around the Vendetta Universe, you already know how I’m going to lead off here. Everyone else out there echoes the same stuff and takes the path of least resistance. VSM is here to give you the best and most accurate information in the industry. We’re taking our fantasy football content to another level this year, and the rookie rankings will help you get familiar with the new incoming players. Without further ado, let’s get right to those 2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Quarterback rankings!

This list features a combination of redraft and dynasty. The color coding will help guide you to that path of victory.

Color key:
🟩 = Target
🟨 = Monitor
🟧 = Caution
🟥 = Avoid

10: Riley Leonard (Indianapolis Colts)

🟥 Redraft: Emergency stash only if chaos hits | 🟥 Dynasty: Deep Superflex stash only
You hope for rushing, but the throwing just isn’t there. Surprised the Ravens didn’t pick him. Reeks of Trace McSorley gimmick stuff.
Shades of: Ehlinger 2.0 (profile) with a better PR team — straight-line QB draw merchant with little juice through the air. He’s not as bad as Ehlinger, but still in that same tier. Will never be a long-term starter, but on the off chance he plays, there could be rushing floor appeal.

9: Will Howard (Pittsburgh Steelers)

🟥 Redraft: Fade | 🟨 Dynasty: Weak upside flyer
Pathetic Combine. Welcome to the Tomlin QB graveyard. He’s not Roethlisberger special despite having some size elements to overcome that.
Shades of: Blake Bortles (profile) if he forgot how to party — big frame, bigger questions. Late developer with too many throwing inconsistencies. Avery Johnson made him leave K-State. Has some QB draw queen elements to him but when you watch him throw the ball, it’s like someone left a stinky fart. He’s from Pennsylvania, so that’s cool, I guess.

8: Kyle McCord (Philadelphia Eagles)

🟥 Redraft: Irrelevant barring injury | 🟨 Dynasty: Mild intrigue if traded
Led FBS in passing post-transfer but locked into a backup role. McCord could be useful if moved to a team later if he has a hot run after an injury to Jalen Hurts.
Shades of: Baker Mayfield (profile) without the moxie — same inconsistent mechanics, worse feel, and none of the fire to bail himself out, whippy arm, peaks in college were top tier. Pitt game was a nightmare but had real performances, and improved since Ohio State days. Pure pocket guy but clearly a tier above guys at the East-West. Something, not nothing. I may be too low, but when is this guy actually going to see the field?

7: Dillon Gabriel (Cleveland Browns)

🟥 Redraft: Ignore | 🟨 Dynasty: Break glass in case of apocalypse
Small. Arm doesn’t scare anyone. May start games… but it’s still Cleveland. This line of demarcation type stuff without the special.
Shades of: Burger King fries Bryce Young (profile) — undersized, off-script tendency, but lacks the twitch and polish. Given his size, not a statue, but probably not a threat. Going to have to slide early against NFL guys. You’re lucky if you get one stretch of time similar to what Case Keenum had with the Vikings, and it will come far after the first guy takes him in rookie drafts only to give up on him by the time that might happen.

6: Jaxson Dart (New York Giants)

🟨 Redraft: Monitor, but QB3 range at best | 🟧 Dynasty: Trap upside, low floor
Lane Kiffin covered up a lot. Eye level collapses under pressure, footwork vanishes. With and without Tre Harris? Two different players.
Shades of: Mitch Trubisky (profile) with more denim — wants to run, thinks he’s better at it than he is, and has no idea what his feet are doing, combined with poor eye level. USC transfer who got run out by Caleb Williams. The Florida game was awful. Do you trust Joe Schoen as an evaluator? Do you want to be on his side? Does anyone want to bet it’s Austin Simmons > Dart five years from now?

2025 NFL Scouting Combine: Quarterback Notes

5: Shedeur Sanders (Cleveland Browns)

🟧 Redraft: Monitor only | 🟩 Dynasty: Hold long term
Teddy Bridgewater on steroids. His sack problem won’t hurt you in fantasy. Natural thrower, not a true runner, but enough pocket shake to survive.
Shades of: Teddy B (profile) with a better arm and no o-line — pocket playmaker in a terrible environment. Cleveland situation limits early returns. He’s not a runner, but not a statue. Natural thrower, bad sack habits, but that won’t matter in fantasy. Be smarter than the loud casuals. Listen to me. I give you the truth, not the BS. I’ve been ahead of everyone here since day one.

4: Quinn Ewers (Miami Dolphins)

🟨 Redraft: Tua handcuff only | 🟩 Dynasty: Long runway, real ceiling
Played through a torn oblique. Can layer throws when healthy. May never be an elite rusher, but there’s enough here for a late breakout path.
Shades of: Andy Dalton with more arm, Uncle Rico flashes (profile) with Texas tattoos — rhythm passer, surgical short-to-intermediate, and sneaky functional athlete when healthy. Needs to drive the ball more down the field, but think a lot of what limited him was injuries. Hard to look good when you have a torn oblique. Recruiting profile is undeniable, held off Arch Manning for two years, and games vs. Alabama/Michigan are undeniable.

3: Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints)

🟨 Redraft: Sleeper watch if he clicks early | 🟩 Dynasty: Deep value for early QB-needy teams
I don’t care what anybody says, he was the best QB at the Senior Bowl. Age scares people, but he’s tough, smart, and could start right away. Kellen Moore will air it out. He’s ready to go right now and is probably even an upgrade over the Derek Carr we saw last year.
Shades of: Mac Jones (profile) if he lifted and stopped doing the sour puss thing — quicker release, less pout, better mobility, and won’t fold if the pocket leaks. Has an injury history but we can sell later when everyone else figures out this is more than a Desmond Ridder.

2: Jalen Milroe (Seattle Seahawks)

🟨 Redraft: Late-round best ball spice | 🟩 Dynasty: Stash with nuclear upside
Fastest QB in the class and it’s not close. Massive arm. If Sam Darnold falters (which I don’t think he will but is it longer than a two-year thing?), Milroe could be an immediate fantasy problem with his legs. Academic Heisman winner proves he’s no dummy and has a chance to have that lightbulb moment.
Shades of: Randall Cunningham (profile) if you rebooted him in the SEC — long strides, bazooka arm, streaky, but physically unmatched when the game opens up. Jalen Hurts, Alabama, without the Lincoln Riley Oklahoma stuff oozed into him. Shows PTSD of Anthony Richardson, but don’t think it’s cause he’s a knucklehead. Just more inaccurate than you want. His rushing is undeniable, and it’s coming in red zone packages.

2025 NFL Draft Quarterback Rankings

1: Cam Ward (Tennessee Titans)

🟩 Redraft: Deep sleeper | 🟩 Dynasty: Buy and hold
Draft capital matters less than ability… and Ward has both. Never forget, it matters how they play, not where they’re picked. If you’re smart, you knew he had the talent part since Washington State. The Titans will throw under Brian Callahan, and teammates will rally behind him. Has leadership and the second play adaptability factor to become a real high level franchise quarterback.
Shades of: Steve McNair (profile) if you ran him through an Air Raid filter: Also, some early Dak Prescott stuff? Calm, quick, sharp. Underrated mover with plus processing and the juice to make second-reaction throws.

The dope at NBC Sports can say whatever he wants, despite the fact that you need subtitles to understand him. This isn’t jumping on late. Ward makes the second play, can run, quick processor. This helps Ridley… A lot.

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