With so many promising, young NFL stars to take note of, including the 2021 impending rookie class, we have compiled the following fantasy football dynasty rankings by position.
Please keep in mind while perusing this ranking, the purpose is to focus on younger, fresher players who have many years of football ahead in their careers. These are the fantasy playmakers you want on your dynasty teams for multiple seasons to come.
Be sure to check here often as these dynasty rankings/players will be updated and expanded throughout the 2021 NFL offseason. Enjoy!
Dynasty Quarterback Rankings
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes is pure fantasy gold and has well-earned the top spot in this QB dynasty ranking. Over his three years as a starter, he’s scored 120 total touchdowns, while averaging 4,622 passing yards per season. He’s also one of the most careful quarterbacks in the league, having thrown only 23 interceptions in 1,652 passing attempts.
P.S. Don’t let his ill-fated Super Bowl LV performance sway you one bit. The Mahomes’ magic will return next fall. He might even play with a chip on his shoulder, which should terrify defenses.
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Allen really broke out in 2020, and is now a coveted quarterback to own in dynasty leagues. His total yardage this past season was 4,965 of which 4,544 came from passing. Allen is excelling excellently in this category and his 37 passing touchdowns speak for themselves.
3. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
While Watson’s future with the Texans is up in the air, he is still an elite dual-threat talent at quarterback and one that belongs on dynasty rosters everywhere. After all, Watson is only 25-years-old heading into the 2021 fantasy season. He has plenty of quality play left and is coming from his best career yet when he completed 70.25 of his passes for a league-high, 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns. Note that this came along with only seven interceptions.
As it stands, Watson wants to be traded. That’s okay, because he should remain a fantasy QB stud no matter where he winds up. Even if it is back with Houston..
4. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Murray is a dependable fantasy QB1 more often than not. He’s flourishing as a starter and he can do any defense dirty through the air or on the ground. He last recorded 3,971 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns. And on foot, Murray destroyed his defenders with 819 yards and 11 touchdowns.
He will remain a reliable, dual-threat quarterback to own in dynasty fantasy leagues for years to come.
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert dazzled brightly in his 2020 rookie debut and surprised many with a hefty average of 289 passing yards per game. He also connected with the end zone 36 total times, wow! This is just the beginning for Herbert who is both an NFL star and dynasty star in the making.
Related: NFL Power Rankings – 2021 offseason outlook for all 32 teams after Carson Wentz trade.
6. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
This No. 1 overall pick from 2020 was holding his own as a fantasy QB until he tore his ACL in Week 11. But, he will recover and return to continue his promising career in the NFL. This means many, many future fantasy points from Burrow, who is a reliable QB to build your dynasty around.
7. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson is going to continue earning his dynasty owners fantasy points with his dual-threat efforts. As a passer, he has 7,085 yards and 68 touchdowns accomplished in three years. On foot, Jackson has left many defenders in the dust, finding the end zone 19 times, while averaging 63.2 rushing yards per clash.
8. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
This Clemson standout is highly projected in mock drafts everywhere to be selected No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. If so, Lawrence will start his career as a Jaguar — providing Jacksonville does not trade the pick down. Either way, people are going to fight to get this top-ranked rookie locked up on their dynasty fantasy football squads.
During his three years at Clemson, Lawrence recorded 10,098 passing yards, 90 touchdowns and had just 17 interceptions. On foot, he added another 943 yards and 18 touchdowns.
9. Zach Wilson, BYU
Wilson could be the next quarterback following Lawrence to fall off of the draft board following a stunning junior year. In 2020 Wilson completed 73.5% of his passes for a total of 3,692 yards and 33 touchdowns. Meanwhile, he averaged a mean 11 yards per attempt and tossed only three picks.
Mobile as well, Wilson added another 10 touchdowns in rushing. He will be a top dynasty rookie QB no matter which team targets him come draft day.
10. Justin Fields, Ohio State
Fields is also a 2021 QB prospect expected to be selected first round. If Fields starts, or sits behind a starter, he is a sweet pick and stash in dynasty. This quarterback last surprised by dominating Clemson in the CFP semifinal (49-28).
As for his regular season college stats, Fields combined for 6,240 yards and 78 touchdowns, while committing only nine interceptions during his two years at Ohio State.
11. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
We are going to slide in Prescott here at No. 11 due to the fact that his future with Dallas is in question. If Prescott and the Cowboys can iron on his contract situation, and he remains in Dallas, his dynasty fantasy stock will rise. Here, he will continue to work with an elite set of WRs that aided him in becoming the No. 1 ranked fantasy QB ahead of his terrible ankle injury he suffered in Week 5.
With that said, we need Prescott to make a full recovery, as we monitor the status of his future once the 2021 NFL offseason begins.
12. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
With Carson Wentz out of the picture in Philly, the starting job in 2021 should be Hurts’ to lose. In a small rookie sampling while starting ahead of Wentz last year, Hurts proved to be a double-edged sword after racking up 354 rushing yards and three touchdowns in only four games. If he starts for the Eagles, look for more of the same as Hurts earns his fantasy owners points both through the air and on foot.
13. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Those who target Tagovailoa or currently have him rostered, need to be patient. Tagovailoa was thrust in and out of starting and wound up playing in 10 games where he posted 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Despite Tua having an on/off rookie season, head coach Brian Flores said he is “excited about the future with him,” according to ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe. With that said, Tagovailoa is worth a later-round flier in dynasty at least to fill a backup or super flex position for the time being.
Related: Predicting fantasy football sleepers and breakouts for 2021.
Dynasty Running Back Rankings:
1. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Cook is a guy who when healthy, is like a tornado to stop in action. He’s got 4,936 total yards on the books that come with 36 touchdowns accomplished in 43 games. In dynasty, Cook offers a high reward/high risk price tag as an RB who has yet to play a full 16-game slate.
2. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Chubb is a stud. He’s a 25-year-old RB who should produce at a high level for at least another handful of seasons. Even in a 2020 year that limited him to just 12 games (ankle injury), he bounced back and wound up averaging 101.4 total yards per contest. Chubb also scored 12 times and all of this came with him sharing the backfield with Kareem Hunt.
3. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Taylor has a fantastic future ahead even if we don’t know who will be quarterbacking the Colts. Do what you can do to swing getting Taylor to your dynasty rosters. As a rookie, he averaged 77.9 rushing yards per game and scored 12 total times. He’s just getting started.
4. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Kamara is one of the best pass-catching PPR dynasty running backs in the business. In his four seasons, Kamara has averaged 55.7 rushing yards and 47 receiving yards per outing. This comes along with 58 career touchdowns.
Though with Drew Brees strongly leaning towards retirement, Kamara comes with a bit of a “buyer beware” label in what could be a declining dynasty asset.
5. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Henry has been simply incredible for those who have owned him in dynasty leagues the past three seasons. His production has only gone up in this stretch with him last recording a hefty 2,141 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns in 2020.
So, one might ask why is Henry ranked here? We must keep in mind that this ankle breaker just turned 27, so ride him while he’s hot!
6. Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
Fantasy owners of Akers in his rookie year got a bit duped at the beginning. However, the Rams finally their let their youngster roam free, giving us a great sampling of things to come. During a six-week stretch ending in postseason Week 19, Akers averaged 107.5 rushing yards per game, while he scored four times. He’s revved up as a dynasty star in the making — especially with a major upgrade at quarterback in that of the newly traded Matthew Stafford.
7. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
Last year, McCaffrey was the No. 1 overall fantasy pick in the majority of drafts after producing league highs in touches (403), yards (2,392) and touchdowns (19) in 2019. Then thud. Lingering injuries held McCaffrey to only three games in 2020.
Those who draft this dual-threat back moving forward will hope he picks up where is left off. However, CMC has built up quite the mileage in the 51 games he’s played since 2017.
8. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
Dobbins belongs on dynasty teams with the hope the Ravens eventually make him their work horse back. Even with splitting the backfield, Dobbins recorded 925 total yards and scored nine times in his 2020 rookie season. This was not too shabby.
9. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Robinson was a sweet fantasy discovery and he’ll be in high demand just like he was from the waivers in his rookie season. Over 14 games, Robinson averaged 101 total yards per clash and scored 10 times. Imagine his potential with a big upgrade at rookie quarterback this fall.
10. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Barkley is a stud when he’s healthy. At only 24 years of age, Barkley has a long fantasy career ahead if he can stay on the field. He’s rushed for 4.7 yards per attempt since his 2018 draft year, in addition to averaging nearly five receptions per game. In PPR formats, he’s fantasy gold.
Those joining start-up dynasty fantasy leagues for 2021 may see Barkley’s ADP falling slightly, due to that season-ending ACL injury he will be returning from. This makes for the perfect opportunity to swoop in and take advantage.
11. Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team
A 2020 third-round pick, Gibson showed enough upside to be rostered in dynasty formats moving forward. He rushed for and average of 4.7 yards per carry and scored 11 TDs in 14 games. More stability at QB in Washington should help Gibson evolve.
12. D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
Swift was frustratingly drafted too high in 2020 only to be used sparingly (when not injured). Through 13 games, Swift averaged just 47.9 combined yards per game. Thankfully, he had 10 touchdowns.
Looking ahead, the Lions will take on a revamped look with a new coach and Jared Goff as a change at quarterback. It will be interesting to see how this impacts Swift from a fantasy standpoint. The talent is there and Swift is still worthy of a spot on dynasty rosters.
13. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
CEH was a huge bust for those who went all in on this over-hyped 2020 rookie. Some folks even drafted him No. 1 overall (insert eye-rolling emoji here). Moving on, CEH will hopefully rebound from his low-producing 2020 fantasy season.
Setting aside a wonky Super Bowl performance, when everything that could go wrong did, the Chiefs offense is one of the best in the league. So, we would have to hope this results in CEH becoming a valuable dynasty asset down the road.
14. Travis Etienne, Clemson
This amazing Clemson back is one of the top RB prospects heading into the 2021 NFL Draft. He had a stellar four-year run after producing 6,107 scrimmage yards and 72 touchdowns. This is while he was carrying the ball at unreal 7.2 yards per attempt.
Etienne looks to be a guy you definitely want on your dynasty roster no matter which NFL team calls his name.
15. Najee Harris, Alabama
Harris will be very sought after in dynasty drafts following his awesome 2019-20 seasons. Over this time, he produced an amazing 3,419 total yards. He also led the entire NCAA in 2020 with 26 rushing touchdowns.
Coming in at a big 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, Harris will have a bright career ahead with his blend of power, ball-carrier vision and ability to take it to the house from anywhere on the field.
16. Javonte Williams, North Carolina
Williams is targeted to be drafted within the first round, coming from an excellent 2020 season when he led the ACC with 19 rushing touchdowns. Note also that those touchdowns accompanied 1,140 yards rushed at an average of 7.3 yards per attempt. Williams was a dual threat as well, adding 305 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
Related: 2021 NFL mock draft – Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots land quarterbacks in 2021 NFL Draft.
Dynasty wide receiver rankings
1. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
This guy. You want him on your dynasty team. Diggs is in his prime and at 27, he should still have some phenomenal years ahead of him. Diggs simply thrived in his Bills’ debut, turning 127 catches into 1,535 yards and eight touchdowns. With Josh Allen headed for a massive contract extension, this pair could dominate for years to come.
2. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
Hill’s feats never cease to amaze. He’s coming off a career-best 15-touchdown season and he plays with the top quarterback in our fantasy football dynasty rankings. What could be any more ideal?
3. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Jefferson had a fabulous rookie season, making him a top-ranked dynasty receiver heading into 2021. Those who owned Jefferson last year reaped the fantasy rewards from his 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns he made his mark with.
4. D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
D.K. Metcalf is worth a big spend in dynasty football. As a sophomore, he racked up the sixth-most receiving yards (1,303), along with 10 touchdowns. He’s established himself as Russell Wilson’s No. 1 target and he’ll continue to make those amazing big plays that fantasy owners gush over.
5. Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons
Ridley really made a leap in his third year and his stock should soar in dynasty drafts. He last produced 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns as the top WR in Atlanta. Whether or not Matt Ryan gets shipped out, Ridley should retain his dynasty value.
6. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Coming from a decent, 1,112-yard, six-touchdown sophomore campaign in 2019, Sutton played only one 2020 game when he tore his ACL. He’ll be back though — perhaps a little under the radar — which might make him a cheaper grab in dynasty drafts.
Read More: Top 25 potential NFL free agents of 2021
7. A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans
Brown has been very consistent in his first two years. So far, he’s got 2,126 total yards and 19 touchdowns that he snuck in for his dynasty owners. These aren’t astronomical stats, but stable enough that he makes a dependable start every week. It’s worth monitoring, though, to see how this offense performs in 2021 after play-caller Arthur Smith left.
8. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Don’t sleep on Higgins. As a rookie, Higgins logged in with 908 yards and six touchdowns. If Burrow had not been injured, Higgins’ fantasy output likely would have been higher. Higgins is the guy on offense with the freshest legs and hands in Cincinnati.
9. Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Johnson led the Steelers WRs with 144 targets. From this, he recorded 923 yards and found the end zone seven times. Hopefully, Johnson keeps evolving as a handy dynasty asset as Ben Roethlisberger’s career winds down.
Pittsburgh Steelers rumors: Ben Roethlisberger to return in 2021 on one condition
10. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb was extremely impressive as a rookie, posting 935 yards and five touchdowns in less than ideal team conditions. The presumed return of Dak Prescott only boosts Lamb’s stock in fantasy football dynasty rankings.
Dallas Cowboys draft picks: Top options in a strong class, ideal 2021 NFL Draft targets
11. Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
Chase opted out of 2020, but is still the top impending rookie WR in our dynasty fantasy rankings. With a rested season, his name should be called quickly on draft day, as we note his stellar 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns that he tallied in 2019.
12. DeVonta Smith, Alabama
This 2020 Heisman winner won’t last long in dynasty drafts after last catching a ridiculous 117 passes, resulting in 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns, whew! With that said, we can’t wait to see which NFL team turns him into a fantasy stud in 2021.
13. Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team
As McLaurin enters his third year, he hopefully plays with only one quarterback in 2021. He’s got a promising NFL career ahead, after averaging over 1,000 yards in his first two seasons. As such, McLaurin’s fantasy ceiling is high.
Washington Football Team quarterback: 5 best replacement options for 2021
Dynasty tight end rankings
1. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
At 27 and coming from an injury-year, Kittle barely makes our cut as a “young star” to build a dynasty team around. But with the TE position so thin in general, get Kittle on your dynasty rosters while the going is hot. He’s produced solidly in fantasy with an average of 67.5 yards per game.
2. Kyle Pitts, Florida
Pitts had a monster year in Florida, nabbing 43 catches for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. This came in just eight games, folks! He likely won’t last much past the first half of the first round of the NFL Draft. Meaning, he should be a fantasy TE you want on your dynasty roster for years to come.
3. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
We still love Andrews, and No. 3 seems right for him here. He’s a valuable fantasy producer who last recorded 58 receptions for 701 yards and seven touchdowns. Let’s hope that Jackson keeps him relevant from here on out.
4. Noah Fant, Denver Broncos
Fant’s progressing well, and is worthy of a dynasty slot at TE for the time being. He’s averaged 617.5 yards per season, which is pretty solid. Though, he’s only scored three times in each of his two years.
Denver Broncos draft picks: Best 2021 NFL Draft targets, potential draft selections
5. Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers
Let’s hope we are not promoting fool’s gold here. However, with this position so shallow, Tonyan is worth a later-round flier in dynasty after a season that saw him nail the end zone 11 times and post 586 yards.
Green Bay Packers draft picks: Best 2021 NFL Draft targets, potential draft selections