2022 Fantasy Football: Ranking the top five rookie QBs for redraft and dynasty
Fantasy expert Jacob Gibbs provides an in-depth analytical breakdown for the exciting 2022 rookie class of QBs.
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The 2021 NFL Draft class brought massive prospects such as Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields into the Fantasy fold, but it was Mac Jones who had the best rookie campaign. Lance was the only rookie QB that we did not get much of an extended look at -- even Davis Mills surprisingly found himself in a starting role long enough to record 394 pass attempts.
It's unusual to have a handful of rookie QBs starting, and the 2022 quarterback class provides a sudden reminder of that.
The only QB selected in the first round, Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett has a chance to start for the Steelers if Mitchell Trubisky falters. Pickett's data profile from his time at Pitt wasn't overly exciting, but he showed enough in his breakout 2021 campaign to convince an NFL team to use a first-round selection on him. If you're betting on which QB is the most likely to be Fantasy relevant in Year 1, Pickett's draft capital and an offensive skills group including Diontae Johnson, Najee Harris, Chase Claypool, and Pat Freiermuth would seem to make him the overwhelming favorite.
A dark horse threat to challenge Pickett for Fantasy relevancy as a rookie is Atlanta's Desmond Ridder, who has only Marcus Mariota standing between him and a starting gig. Ridder brings more rushing upside than Pickett, and he has his own set of dangerous playmakers in Kyle Pitts and Drake London.
A few other dual-threat rookie QBs capable of making noise in Fantasy-land if they should get an opportunity to start in 2022: Tennessee Titans QB Malik Willis, Washington Commanders QB Sam Howell, and Carolina Panthers QB Matt Corral. It's unclear whether Corral will have any real shot at reps as a rookie in the immediate aftermath of the Baker Mayfield trade (find Fantasy analysis on the implications for Carolina pass-catchers here). If the Panthers enter the 2022 season with both Mayfield and Sam Darnold on the roster, Corral will become an afterthought for anything but deep Dynasty formats.
All in all, the 2022 rookie QB class is one of the least exciting that we have had in some time. Still, though, adding this many quarterbacks with rushing upside certainly has the potential to change the Fantasy landscape. I have two of these rookie QBs ranked inside the top-24 at their position for Dynasty purposes, and four rank inside the top-30. Read on for full rankings and analysis of the 2022 rookie QB class.
Which five rookie QBs should you be prioritizing in season-long and dynasty drafts? And which one is already a Top-15 Fantasy passer? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Jacob Gibbs' top-five rookie QBs, plus get the entire 2021 Fantasy Football Draft Bible, all from an analytics-driven expert who crushed the 2020 season!
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