“Take A Look At The 2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Quarterback Pre-Draft Rankings With Sr. NFL Analyst Justin Mark!”
Ranking rookies at any position is difficult without knowing what team they land on. Some may land themselves in a great spot, where they are the obvious starter right away. Others may find themselves sitting behind a veteran. However, some drafts have started already and you need to know where these guys rank! Let’s take a look at the 2025 Fantasy Football rookie quarterback pre-draft rankings!
1. Cam Ward (Miami)
The clear-cut number-one fantasy football rookie quarterback, despite the landing spot on my rankings, is Miami quarterback, Cameron Ward. He finished his last collegiate year with 39 touchdown passes and an 88.7 QBR. He also had 4313 passing yards and only seven touchdowns.
Through three years of starting, Ward has yet to throw double-digit interceptions. He finished 2024 with a PFF passing grade of 91.7 and a deep grade of 95. It seems likely to me that he gets drafted by the Titans as the number one pick in the draft. While this comes with a lot of pressure, it also usually indicates an immediate starter. That helps him solidify the top spot on the fantasy football quarterback rankings.
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2. Jaxson Dart (Mississippi)
I’m already ready for people to complain about my 2025 fantasy football rookie quarterback rankings by slipping Jaxson Dart into the second spot. I’m not saying the guy sitting at number three can’t be better. However, I think it’ll take the right coach and situation.
Dart, on the other hand, is capable of stepping in right away and making big plays with both his arms and his legs. Out of the rookie quarterbacks, he led in yards per attempt and efficiency rating. That was on top of dealing with the highest drop rate from his receivers.
I also mentioned he can make moves with his legs. Dart racked up 2009 yards in his collegiate career, which translates well to fantasy football. Dart finished 2024 with a PFF passing grade of 91.9 and his pressure grade was slightly higher than Cam Ward’s. He threw for 4,276 yards, 29 touchdowns, and only six interceptions.
3. Shedeur Sanders (Colorad0)
The 2025 fantasy football rookie quarterback rankings get trickier from here on out. Depending on what happens with the rest of the free agency, it doesn’t look like any other teams have a desperate need for a starting quarterback.
Shedeur Sanders lands himself at number three on the list. He’s a polarizing player that gets talked about a lot. Is he over-hyped because he’s Deion Sanders‘ son? Is he getting too much shade because of his hot-head antics and because he’s Deion’s son? It’s hard to say, but also hard to argue with his stats.
In 2023, Sanders threw for 3229 yards, 27 passing touchdowns, and three interceptions. He followed that performance up with 4,133 yards, 37 passing touchdowns, and ten interceptions. He had a better passing percentage than any other quarterback in this rookie class.
However, his depth of target was close to the bottom of this class and he took a lot of sacks. That’ll slow his NFL development if it doesn’t get fixed.
4. Quinn Ewers (Texas)
Just when you thought my 2025 fantasy football rookie quarterback rankings couldn’t be any different than the others out there, you get to number four. Quinn Ewers. This isn’t just for a hot take. I think Ewers has the makings to be a very reliable starter in the NFL, even though I think he won’t get that start this year.
His efficiency was a little up and down last year when he threw for a 65.8% completion rate. He had 3,469 yards, 31 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. However, this improvement year over year has been impressive.
To top that off, he has a cannon for an arm. His deep grade per PFF.com was 92.4, which is equivalent to Jaxson Dart. Do I think Quinn Ewers is a first-round pick in the NFL draft or in your fantasy football drafts? No. However, I do think he’s a second-round pick in the NFL draft and in your Superflex fantasy football drafts.
Ewers needs a little time to develop at the NFL level, but sitting behind a veteran starter like Russell Wilson might be just what he needs to excel at the NFL level.
5. Will Howard (Ohio State)
Next on our 2025 fantasy football rookie quarterback rankings prior to the draft is Will Howard out of Ohio State. One of the things I like most about Howard is that he was able to find success in the grueling schedule that comes with being a top Big 10 team like Ohio State. He’s already played under the pressure.
With all that pressure, last year Howard finished with 4,003 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns, and ten interceptions. He has one of the best deep balls in this draft class and was graded 96.3 by PFF. While he will need to adjust to being under pressure, when he’s behind a good line, he’s one of the best in this class.
He’s also big. Howard is the biggest quarterback in this draft class at 6-4, 236 pounds. There are some criticisms of his hand size, however. Howard really blossomed after transferring from Kansas State to Ohio State. In fact, in 2024 he led this draft class at quarterback ranking and sack rate.
Howard doesn’t run a lot, but he did compile 26 rushing touchdowns in his career. As long as that tush-push isn’t banned, Howard could have sneaky fantasy football value once he gets the start. You saw how he played in the College Football Playoffs and National Championship.
6. Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)
Dillon Gabriel is the hardest player for me to place in the 2025 fantasy football rookie quarterback rankings. It’s hard to argue with his production and the flashes shown on tape. However, he’s also a little undersized at 5-11 and is older than a lot of the draft class.
Two counters that, however, just look at his stats. His passer rating has been 114.6 or better the past two years. He’s thrown for 30 touchdowns two years in a row and has never had over six interceptions. While the average depth of target is shorter, he’s very accurate and is good at finding his 3rd or 4th options in his reads.
Last year, Gabriel threw for 3,854 yards. His deep grade from PFF is 94.7, and he has a better pressure grade than the top five quarterbacks on this list. Part of that is his ability to find those third and fourth options.
Gabriel also isn’t afraid to use his legs, having scored 33 rushing touchdowns over his college career. I don’t expect he’ll get a start this year unless an injury happens. However, Gabriel could develop into a decent quarterback in the right situation.
7. Jalen Milroe (Alabama)
The 2025 fantasy football rookie quarterback rankings from here on out is really tough. These guys likely need everything to fall into place nicely before they’re fantasy football-relevant. They’ll need an injury to the starter and to get in the right scheme. However, in deep Superflex leagues, you have to keep them in mind.
At number seven I have Jalen Milroe. I’ve seen him as high as three on some lists. However, the number of Alabama quarterbacks that have had long-term success in the NFL are far and few between. Something about going from that system to the NFL just doesn’t translate. However, that was when Nick Saban was running things. Perhaps we’re in a new era.
Either way, I’m not sure that starts with Milroe. He has a big arm and has all the physical traits. However, he’s very inconsistent and needs a lot of development time in the NFL level. With all these new quarterbacks popping up each year, it’ll take a coach and GM with the right belief in him to give him the time.
8. Kyle McCord (Syracuse)
Next on the 2025 fantasy football quarterback rankings is Kyle McCord out of Syracuse. McCord had one of the best deep grade rankings from PFF at 96.4. He’s got a big arm and finished 2024 with 4,760 passing yards and 34 touchdowns. He did have 12 interceptions, however.
McCord is also pretty good under pressure. Like I said with Milroe, he’ll need the right team and the right situation in order to see a lot of playing time early on in his career. He feels like more of a solid back-up for the next few years.
Though, he could surprise us. McCord played very well opposite Cam Ward late in the season. He won’t run for many yards as he’s a true pocket quarterback. However, he has NFL arm talent and is a true gun-slinger.
9. Kurtis Rourke (Indiana)
Next on our 2025 fantasy football rookie quarterback rankings prior to the draft is Kurtis Rourke. Despite five years of playing experience, he’s a project. However, he’s from a talented family. Just look at his brother, Nathan Rourke, and what he has accomplished in the CFL.
Rourke had a good season last year in Indiana, throwing for 3,042 yards, 29 passing touchdowns, and only five interceptions. He received a passing grade from PFF of 90.2. However, he doesn’t have the arm strength of a guy like Kyle McCord.
Rourke will start as a backup and likely stay there unless he can up his arm strength and game-play. He’ll be a good handcuff to your quarterback as I think he’ll be able to get a QB2 spot on a roster, even if it is in a year or two.
10. Riley Leonard (Notre Dame)
I couldn’t complete my 2025 fantasy football rookie quarterback rankings list without including the quarterback that made it to the National Championship. You may remember the beating he took against Ohio State. I remember the toughness and tenacity he showed while taking that beating, rushing for a ton of yards, and getting up after every hit.
Riley Leonard will take some development time if he wants to be a starting quarterback. However, his tough, dual-threat ability makes him really intriguing. He had 1,011 rushing yards last year and 17 rushing touchdowns. If a starter goes down and he is the next man up, his fantasy football stats could be really good, whether his passing stats are or not.
The Rest:
11. Tyler Shough (Louisville)
12. Brady Cook (Missouri)
13. Seth Henigan (Memphis)
14. Max Brosmer (Minnesota)
15. Graham Mertz (Florida)
Don’t forget to check out our other great Fantasy Football and NFL Betting content before you go! Thanks for reading my 2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Quarterback Rankings article!
