Top 5 Dynasty Fantasy Football Quarterback Rookie Rankings (2023) – Should You Draft Will Levis?
Drafting is a lot harder than anyone suggests, regardless of fantasy football format. It’s probably at it’s most exciting in dynasty fantasy football leagues, but it’s also never more stressful.
You and your league mates have hyped these draft picks for the past year. Heck, in some leagues, it’s been years, as in plural. They were assets, and now you finally get (have to?) use them, so you need to make them count.
Of course, if you own the #1 pick – aside from SuperFlex leagues – you’re likely taking Bijan Robinson. Then again, there’s a pretty good argument as to why you shouldn’t draft Bijan Robinson, but that isn’t what we’re here for.
You clearly need a new passer to build around. And SF or not, you have an early pick and you want to know which incoming rookie quarterback to invest in.
Without further haste, here are my 2023 dynasty fantasy football rookie quarterback rankings. Man, that was a mouthful.
5. Will Levis (Kentucky)
Starting off my 2023 dynasty fantasy rookie quarterback rankings is the polarizing Levis.
I am not an idiot. This guy is the prototypical NFL quarterback. He has the size, the moxie, and an insane arm.
On paper, he absolutely has the tools and upside to be a god in the NFL.
The buzz around Levis is obviously hard to ignore. Even harder to turn a blind eye to, though, is his shaky college production.
Or the fact that he was stuck as a backup at Penn State for an alarming amount of time.
Or that he has been known to put mayo in his coffee.
But really, there’s too much that is troubling about this guy’s profile. Maybe he was just a late bloomer, but there are questions regarding his accuracy, his decision-making has been spotty, and his production in college doesn’t hold a candle to his 2023 NFL Draft mates.
Levis has jaw-dropping arm talent. He’s built like a Greek god. I’m just not sure those two things make him a guy worth investing in long-term in dynasty fantasy football.
He should still be a first round draft pick, but he files into the back-end of my 2023 dynasty rookie quarterback rankings.
4. Hendon Hooker (Tennessee)
How in the hell do I have Hendon Hooker ranked above Will Levis? Well, I’m not a big Levis believer, for one.
I know Hooker is old as hell for a rookie quarterback – and that’s kind of a problem in dynasty fantasy football – but his profile is very compelling.
Hooker displayed good accuracy at Tennessee, and even better decision-making. He put up 58 passing scores against just five interceptions over his last two seasons.
That’s some Aaron Rodgers-level ball protection, my friends.
I’m not alone in being a bit higher on this kid than the field, either.
Not only has he proven himself as a passer, but he also dominated on the ground, racking up over 2,000 rushing yards and 25 scores on the ground throughout his college career.
History does suggest Hooker will be a bust. Older quarterbacks have already developed for the most part, and the window to maximize their potential is a lot tighter.
But Hooker might simply be ready to rock right now. He damn sure was ready to take out Alabama last year.
Hooker is a difficult guy to gauge, so his actual value is obviously going to hinge on when and where he’s drafted.
But physically and production wise, I love this guy for dynasty fantasy football.
3. Bryce Young (Alabama)
Many will rank Young at 1 or 2 in their dynasty rookie quarterback rankings. Based on production and natural passing talent, I can’t hate on that too much.
Young was extremely productive at Alabama, and few will forget his amazing 2021 season.
He wasn’t too shabby in 2022, either. He still put up 32 passing scores to just five picks, and he torched college football while playing against some of the best teams in the nation.
All of that sounds good, but the Crimson Tide don’t have an amazing draft history at the quarterback position.
Even worse, this dude is tiny.
On top of being very small, Young is not a world class athlete. Most smaller quarterbacks at least have elite speed or rushing ability to offset any other physical limitations, but that’s really not the case here.
Does Bryce Young have the arm talent and passing ability to win consistently at the next level? He might, but I think he has a lower floor and ceiling than two other guys ahead of him in my dynasty fantasy football rookie QB rankings.
2. C.J. Stroud (Ohio State)
If we simply want the best pure passer and most dynamic actual quarterback, it’s probably Stroud. Few were as prolific as Stroud, as he dominated the Big 10 over the past two seasons.
Seriously, these numbers are just filthy.
- 2021: 71.9% com, 4,435 yards, 44 TDs, 6 INT
- 2022: 66.3% com, 3,688 yards, 41 TDs, 6 INT
Stroud is nowhere close to the athlete that another uber-hyped guy on this list is, but he’s rather advances as a pure passer.
Size, accuracy, arm strength, poise, pocket movement, and production are all off the charts. Not a believer? Just watch how fluid and reactive this dude can be under pressure.
There are suddenly question marks coming out of nowhere about Stroud’s coachability, but I’m not worrying about any of that.
The reality is Stroud is the best natural passer in this draft, and he’s almost a lock to be a top-3 pick. Where he lands may sway me as far as how much I love him, but I have no question about his ability to be a top shelf NFL passer.
1. Anthony Richardson (Florida)
We don’t know who is going first overall in the actual draft yet. Even once we do, I have to think AR15 is a first round pick, and his physical attributes and upside are simply too good for me to ignore.
I was among the many fawning over his elite athletic traits, and for good reason.
There’s no getting around Richardson’s shaky accuracy and weak college production. However, it’s interesting to take a deeper look at some of his would-be flaws.
Anthony Richardson still has his weaknesses to address, but there’s a lot to unpack there.
Flawed or not, though, Richardson has the best ceiling in this draft class. His rushing floor alone makes him a compelling reach in dynasty drafts, and the guy has an absolute cannon.
If he can cut back the mistakes and improve his accuracy, we have some type of Josh Allen+Lamar Jackson hybrid here. That’s worth overreacting a bit.
Other Dynasty Rookie QBs to Monitor
- Max Duggan (TCU)
- Jaren Hall (BYU)
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson (UCLA)
Listing these other guys here doesn’t mean they suck. Just the opposite, actually, as they’re all good athletes that do offer interesting upside.
They just need the right landing spot.
There’s also Stetson Bennett, but he’s not a big-time athlete and he’s already had some off field drama, so unless someone reaches for him in the 2023 NFL Draft, I won’t waste much time on him.
All the quarterbacks mentioned in this post are viable targets in dynasty fantasy football leagues. Of course, the second the 2023 NFL Draft is over, their value will shift, so adjust accordingly.
Writer at Daily Fantasy Fade
DFS Keanu has been covering fantasy sports, DFS, and props for the better part of a decade, all while fighting The Matrix and a litany of assassins.
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