What’s one trick to succeeding in your fantasy football league? It’s finding rookies who are going to make an immediate impact. Think about it, these are guys with no track record in the league, so nobody knows where to draft them. But if you can pick up one or two rookies that have been overlooked, you can get a huge leg up on the competition. Ahead of the 2021 season, here are five rookies who look ready to make an impact in fantasy football leagues.
Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals
In fairness, there is some concern with Chase after he sat out the 2020 college season during one of his peak years of development. On the other hand, he already has great chemistry with his quarterback after he and Joe Burrow won a national championship together in 2019.
Plus, with Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins, teams won’t automatically put their best corner on him, so he’ll have opportunities to do damage.
Najee Harris, Steelers
For starters, Harris is going to immediately step into the starting lineup for the Steelers. The likes of Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland aren’t huge threats to take carries away from him.
Harris is also a bruiser of a running back who will fit in with the Steelers right away and rack up the yards after contact. He also has underrated hands, which will be key because the aging Ben Roethlisberger is going to do a lot for checking down than we’ve seen in the past.
Rondale Moore, Cardinals
Moore is going to be more of a deep sleeper in drafts because he may not hit the ground running in Arizona. While undersized, the guy has incredible talent.
Watch for him to make tons of plays in the slow, especially with opposing teams focused on DeAndre Hopkins and AJ Green on the outside.
Travis Etienne, Jaguars
If you listen to what Urban Meyer says, he’s going to use Etienne in a variety of ways. The translation is that the Jags will give him as many touches as possible. It also doesn’t hurt that he has a previous relationship with quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Etienne was a threat to take it to the end zone every time he touched the ball in college, which should translate to plenty of explosive plays in the NFL.
Devonta Smith, Eagles
Do you really think one of the few wide receivers to win the Heisman in college football history isn’t going to make an immediate impact in the NFL? There’s no question that the Eagles need help at wide receiver, so there will be plenty of opportunities for Smith to catch the ball.
He’s also a little familiar with Jalen Hurts from their days at Alabama. In short, there are a lot of factors pointing to Smith having a productive rookie year.
Javonte Williams, Broncos
While he might have to share carries with Melvin Gordon, Williams rushed for over 2,000 yards at North Carolina between the 2019 and 2020 seasons while sharing carries with Michael Carter.
That didn’t stop Williams from averaging 7.3 yards per carry and scoring 19 touchdowns in 2020. He’s an explosive back and he’ll be ready to make an immediate fantasy impact as a rookie.