X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Fantasy Football Rookie Quarterbacks You Must Have In 2024

It's already the middle of May, and aside from Justin Timberlake memes flooding your "for you feed," that could only mean one thing -- it's fantasy football draft season! It is an excellent time of the year to get in some best ball drafts or conduct a dynasty startup. You may even be amid some rookie drafts as you're reading this (hopefully Superflex).

Sure, it's still early in the offseason, but I love this part of the year so much because the ADP hasn't exactly lined up with some of the talent or player situations just yet. With the unpredictability of football evident, we fantasy gamers should be looking for any edge we can get over our competition. Now is a good time to pounce for the savvy fantasy manager. If you're here reading this, I already know this applies to you -- and I'm committed to giving you that edge, ensuring it is razor-sharp.

Below, I will offer a few must-have rookie quarterbacks to consider during your 2024 drafts. Instead of highlighting Caleb Williams on this list -- a must-have for everyone -- we'll look for other intriguing QB specimens. While this exercise applies most to Superflex drafts, those of you partaking in the 1QB format may want to take a shot on these athletes in the closing rounds where it applies -- particularly if you are inclined to follow the "late QB" strategy. In the words of the great Tony Stark: "Drop your socks and grab your crocs -- we're about to get wet on this ride."

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

After one of the most efficient collegiate quarterback seasons ever -- many expected Jayden Daniels to be the second pick off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft. That notion came to fruition, and Daniels found himself in a great situation for a rookie QB.

While Daniels doesn't tout the same elite offensive weaponry that his draft mate Caleb Williams does, the Commanders have some really solid options in their own right. Jahan Dotson and "Scary" Terry McLaurin are an excellent, dynamic wide receiver duo, and the Commanders spent a good amount of money to acquire Austin Ekeler, fitting Daniels with an elite pass-catching weapon out of the backfield.

Daniels sits at QB16 in our rankings, and he's currently QB17 off the board in Superflex ADP (No. 52 overall) -- 20 selections later than Caleb Williams. With our knowledge of how broken rushing quarterbacks can be in fantasy football, QB17 feels more like an indictment of his floor rather than what he could bring to the table regarding upside.

As a reminder, Daniels rushed for 1,134 yards, adding 10 TDs in his final season at LSU. For that reason, I prefer Daniels over Williams in drafts (at least for 2024), while the rookies almost assuredly suffer some growing pains at the outset of their careers.

There is fair concern about the overall passing touchdown upside for Daniels -- but if he's going to chip in 500 yards and five TDs rushing (not an unrealistic expectation), then we can expect him to have a fairly strong shot to crack the top 12 at his position. Fire him up as a high-end QB2, with massive QB1 upside if the pieces fall into place.

 

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

There was much speculation surrounding the Vikings and whether they would move up to the top five to grab their presumed "guy" in J.J. McCarthy during the draft. Luckily for Minnesota, that wasn't necessary, as it only had to move up one spot from No. 11.

In draft circles, McCarthy was scouted as comfortably a tier down from the big three in the class (Williams, Daniels, and Drake Maye) -- but this is another mobile quarterback who finds himself in an environment rich with playmakers. I still have concerns about McCarthy's collegiate profile, but at No. 93 overall in Superflex ADP, he's worth a shot as a QB2/3 with upside. When under duress, McCarthy can straight-up fly out of the pocket.

Aside from having arguably the best WR in football at his disposal in Justin Jefferson, McCarthy will be throwing to Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson (when he's healthy) -- giving him one of the better sets of offensive weaponry in the league. In addition to his pass-catchers, QB guru Kevin O'Connell stands out as one of the better head coach landing spots for a young, athletic quarterback with untapped potential. I love McCarthy at his current ADP and over the other QBs being selected in this range of drafts (Deshaun Watson / Geno Smith).

 

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

In the NFL and fantasy, one of the best metrics to predict future success is past success. With Bo Nix, we have plenty of that. Despite being the last quarterback selected in one of the most epic QB runs of all time, Nix was a five-year starter in college (three years at Arizona State / two at Oregon).

Nix improved each year, with his yards per attempt and completion percentage steadily climbing until culminating in an impressive super-senior season. In his final year at Oregon, Nix completed 77% of his passes for 4,508 yards and a stellar 45:3 TD:INT ratio. A knock on Nix is that many of his pass attempts were behind the line of scrimmage, but this is also a player who rushed for 510 yards and 14 TDs in 2022.

Perhaps the most enticing thing about drafting Nix is his draft-day price. The QB is sitting at No. 131 in Superflex ADP -- selected a few picks after Daniel Jones and a few before presumed backups Justin Fields and Gardner Minshew II. That is a bottom-of-the-barrel price for an accurate QB teamed up with Sean Payton, and Payton will be looking to make some noise after a disappointing first season as Broncos head coach.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cole Perfetti1 hour ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Karel Vejmelka1 hour ago

Earns Victory On Sunday
Jordan Kyrou1 hour ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins2 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers
Cale Makar2 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Dmitry Kulikov2 hours ago

Injured On Sunday
NASCAR4 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecked at Las Vegas, but Showed Promising Speed
Alex Bowman4 hours ago

Recovered From Loose Wheel to Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric4 hours ago

Won Stage 1, but Loose Wheel Foiled Victory Bid
William Byron4 hours ago

Lost Las Vegas Race on Strategy, but Still Expanded Points Lead
Ryan Preece4 hours ago

Earned Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish at Las Vegas
Mookie Betts9 hours ago

Won't Play In Tokyo Series Against Cubs
Tee Higgins9 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase9 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski9 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun10 hours ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon10 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray10 hours ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić10 hours ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post10 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry10 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.12 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White12 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey12 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.12 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.12 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant12 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith12 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton12 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin13 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins13 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez13 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner13 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma13 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam13 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard13 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo13 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh13 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis13 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins13 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold13 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews14 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin15 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson15 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad15 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil15 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich15 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech15 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman15 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter15 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish16 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt16 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.16 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar16 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada16 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
Atlanta Falcons17 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons17 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers17 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams18 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Joey Gallo18 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke18 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee18 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler18 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano18 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland19 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis19 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías19 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera19 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
New York Jets20 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders20 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush20 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens23 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks23 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.23 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain1 day ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield1 day ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott1 day ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov1 day ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron1 day ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli1 day ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar1 day ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones1 day ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez1 day ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar1 day ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano1 day ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Jordan Mason1 day ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge2 days ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster2 days ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell2 days ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich2 days ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers2 days ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman6 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Kaleb Johnson - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: Best, Worst Picks In Rounds 1-4

You don't want to draft the below players, trust me. There are busts in every year's rookie class, and while some of them are tough to predict, others show clear signs that they aren't worth their capital. Many players have great fortune in college, playing on great teams that elevate their production and thus the […]


Matthew Golden - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Draft

2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings: Top 5 Rookies

Last year’s wide receiver class was one of the best in recent history, totaling three top-10 picks and seven prospects coming off the board in the first round. Many have called this year’s class a massive downgrade compared to last year’s unit. Yet, the 2025 wide receiver draft class has several impressive prospects. There might […]


Brenton Strange - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire, TE Streamers, NFL DFS

Winners and Losers of 2025 NFL Free Agency in Fantasy Football

NFL Free Agency has been quite the frenzy. At RotoBaller, we track it all for you right here! It might not always feel like it, but there have been a ton of impactful moves. And with every move comes a fantasy football impact, right? This article takes a look at some of the top winners […]


Jaylen Wright - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Breakouts: Running Back Sleepers For 2025

The running back position is in constant flux in Dynasty fantasy football, as depth charts are constantly shuffled around, teams often decide to move on from productive players and replace them with cheaper or younger options, and players have their first good seasons in their careers. We're mostly concerned with that last point -- RBs […]


Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Tight Ends to Buy or Sell (2025)

It's tough to find good tight ends in dynasty fantasy football. Unfortunately, it's also very easy to be stuck with one that sticks around in the doldrums of low production. Such is the case for many TEs, and even those who have good seasons here and there often lack consistency year over year. It's not […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers - Fantasy Football Outlooks from Florio

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlook (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]