You’ve seen the grades for all the first-round picks (if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?), and the winners and losers from Thursday night’s opening 32 selections of the 2021 NFL draft.
Now? Even though the fantasy football season is months away, it’s time to focus on how the first round impacted what you’ll do in the fall.
Yes, a lot can change between now and then with OTAs, injuries and roster cuts. But consider this your early introduction to each of the fantasy-relevant players from Thursday and how to slot them into your draft in the not-too-distant future.
Away we go:
QB Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars (No. 1)
You know the hype. Per our Steven Ruiz, he’s the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck. And if we’re going off of that comparison, may I remind you that Luck had 4,374 yards, 23 touchdowns and five scores on the ground his rookie year?
Let’s also remember that Lawrence now has DJ Chark, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault and two solid running backs in James Robinson and rookie Travis Etienne. He may end up with more help before the draft is over.
So even in re-draft leagues (and obviously in keeper leagues) I’d take him as my second QB with the hopes that he’s productive right off the bat.
QB Zach Wilson, New York Jets (No. 2)
The Jets are better at wideout than they were last year thanks to the addition of Corey Davis. But Wilson isn’t the surefire home run that Lawrence is, and the Jets’ line still needs more work. So I’ll say he’s also a speculative late QB pick in deep leagues, but one you may send to the waiver wire quicker than you think in re-draft.
QB Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers (No. 3)
A prediction: Lance will NOT start this season over Jimmy Garoppolo.
So here’s what’s going to happen in non-keeper leagues. Lance will sit on the waiver wire for a while, and then the Niners will make some noise about switching in Lance. And then Lance might win you a title while throwing to George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons (No. 4)

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I know the hype. I know that he’s one of the most physical specimens at the position who could end up being an all-time great.
But first-year tight ends take time to break out, even for the Kyle Pitts of this world. It took a year for T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant, right?
That said, tight end is mega-shallow. So here’s my take: if you’re thinking about Pitts, also consider taking another back-end tight end like Logan Thomas or Jonnu Smith.
WR Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals (No. 5)
I used to be bearish about rookie wideouts, but no more. And now that he’s joining his former LSU teammate Joe Burrow, I’m bullish on Chase, even with the presence of Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins in Cincy. Chase could ultimately end up being a WR3 in fantasy this year, especially if the Bengals trail a lot week to week.
WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins (No. 6)
Another reunion, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing to Waddle. I love the idea of Waddle long-term, but for now, he’ll slot in behind DeVante Parker and Will Fuller. Also: Mike Gesicki caught six touchdowns last year.
So while I’ll certainly look at Waddle in late rounds, my expectations in Year 1 are low in fantasy.
WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
Hmmm. Here’s a case where he’s immediately the No. 2 or 3 option, although we have to factor in Miles Sanders catching balls out of the backfield to go along with Jalen Reagor and Dallas Goedert. Still, the talent and opportunity for big plays is there. I think he’s a sleeper pick late who could explode.
QB Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (No. 11)
Andy Dalton is going to be on a short leash. A VERY short leash. And that means we could see Fields sooner than you think. Given what he can do on the ground and the fact that he’ll be throwing to Allen Robinson, I’d say this is sort of like Justin Herbert last year — you may want to draft him and stash him in the hopes that he’ll start by like Week 4.
QB Mac Jones, New England Patriots (No. 15)
My guess: Cam Newton plays all year and Jones learns. Maybe he’s a keeper league pick? Beyond that, I’m not taking a shot at him in 2021.
WR Kadarius Toney, New York Giants (No. 20)
The Giants are actually pretty full at pass-catcher with Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, John Ross and Evan Engram all there. And that’s before I mention that Saquon Barkley catches passes, too.
So, yeah, I don’t think he’s going to be fantasy relevant this year.
RB Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 24)
You may not like the pick from a real-world football perspective, but Harris is probably the top back in Pittsburgh now, and that means he’s immediately a top-15 RB, maybe even higher than that.
RB Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 25)
Oy. Sorry to those of you who had James Robinson as a keeper.
That’s really where I’m going with this. Robinson and Etienne may form a 1-2 punch, which caps any value for Etienne.
That said, there are a few factors to consider: Etienne may end up being a PPR RB as the pass-catching back for Urban Meyer. And I doubt Meyer would spend a first-round pick on a running back he doesn’t plan on using. Plus, injuries at RB happen aplenty. So go ahead and draft him in the middle rounds (especially in PPR) and see what happens.
WR Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens (No. 27)
A quick reminder that the Ravens run a lot and that Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown are in town. In really deep leagues, you could draft him, but I’m not so sure if there’s a ton of value there in his rookie season.