The Washington Commanders are entering year two of their new era and fans are excited about rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who many see to be the cornerstone of their future. Looking at his stats and highlights, you can understand the excitement as Daniels brings plenty to the table as a dual-threat QB.
Daniels has that combination of running and throwing that has fantasy players on edge, but rookie QBs that run the ball are potential risks. The more a QB runs the ball, the more likely he is to invite contact, as was the case for Anthony Richardson in 2023, and there is always concern about how well a player will adjust to the NFL.
Jayden Daniels won the Heisman for his efforts in his final year of College Football, throwing for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in 12 games at LSU. He also ran the ball 135 times for 1,134 yards and a further 10 TDs.
These kinds of numbers are hard to overlook, and it would be a huge shock if the Commanders didn’t utilize his skill set in 2024. The consensus is that Daniels will rush for significant yards every game, which will mitigate any passing concerns in fantasy.
Daniels has an average draft position of No. 101 as the QB13 (as per Fantasy Pros), which means he is a low-risk pick in 2024. If he even has a middling year in the passing game, he should provide enough upside running the ball to be good value at that ADP. What’s more, if Daniels translates seamlessly into the NFL, he could be one of the stories of the season.
What numbers to expect from Jayden Daniels in 2024?
The Commanders have a receiver corps headed by Terry McLaurin, although there are questions about the quality of their depth. The issue with the Commanders is how little noise they have been making for multiple seasons, and that has translated into a lot of doubt in NFL fantasy.
If Washington can pull it together under new HC Dan Quinn, Jayden Daniels could be in contention for the Rookie of the Year Award. At the very least, if he stays healthy it is reasonable to expect him to finish higher than his QB13 ADP. Here is a prediction for Daniels in 2024 if he plays 17 games:
3,500 yards and 18 TDs passing, 650 yards and 7 TDs rushing
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