Fantasy Football Update: Jahan Dotson, Jaylen Warren, Gardner Minshew and Kendre Miller
Ted gives an update on another week of NFL news: trades, injuries, coachspeak and more!
With the NFL season just around the corner, this is one of the biggest fantasy football draft weekends of the year. If you’re drafting this weekend, it’s more important than ever to be up to date on the latest news. ADP may not yet have adjusted to some of these factors, and you don’t want to be the person who drafts J.J. McCarthy even though he’s out for the season. Without further ado, let’s look at this week’s biggest pieces of fantasy football news:
Get ready for draft season! Practice Mock Drafts, check out ADPs and get advice for trades with our trade analyzer. Also be sure to check out the 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.
Jahan Dotson Traded to the Eagles
Looking for a more in-depth fantasy analysis of this trade? Check out Morgan Rode's full breakdown!
We finally saw a first-round receiver on their rookie contract get traded, and it wasn’t Brandon Aiyuk. Instead, the Commanders shipped Dotson to their division rival in exchange for a third-round pick.
This move is a death blow to Dotson’s fantasy value. He was already one of the league’s least efficient receivers on a per-route basis in 2023, and now he will be playing alongside two target hogs in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Just as importantly, the fact that he was traded in-division for a relatively low price points to a bigger issue: He’s just not very good.
In terms of other impacts, Terry McLaurin should move a bit up draft boards with Dotson’s departure. He is now the only target of note in Washington, and he might have a legitimate chance to lead the league in target share this season.
There’s also a chance that this opens the door for a different Commander to reach fantasy relevance. Perhaps Zach Ertz will turn back the clock for one more TE1 season. Or maybe he’ll get injured and open the door for rookie Ben Sinnott to emerge as a receiving threat.
Maybe Dyami Brown (a third-rounder in 2021), Luke McCaffrey (Christian’s brother) or Olamide Zaccheaus (great name) will step up as the team’s WR2. With athletic upside and an easier position in which to crack fantasy reliance, Sinnott is the most exciting name, but the most likely outcome is that none of these guys make an impact while Scary Terry racks up targets.
Two Rookie Quarterbacks Confirmed as Starters
I’m combining these two pieces of news because both were widely expected, but the Commanders and Broncos have announced that they will both be starting their respective first-round rookie quarterbacks, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix, in Week 1.
Daniels starting was a foregone conclusion, so he shouldn’t move up based on this news (although he is undervalued). Nix was also a near-lock to start, but not 100%, so it’s good to have it confirmed. He moves up slightly but is still a back-end QB2.
Gardner Minshew Wins Raiders’ QB1 Job
Unlike the other starting QB announcement we got this week, this is an actual piece of news. Minshew, not sophomore Aidan O'Connell, is going to get the first crack at starting under center for Vegas.
In Superflex and 2-QB leagues, where every starting QB is relevant, this makes Minshew worth drafting. However, I wouldn’t recommend relying on him as your QB2. This team is going to be bad, and at least O’Connell is young and on a rookie contract. If and when the Raiders falter, don’t be surprised if they give AOC another shot.
Dennis Allen has Nothing Good to Say About Kendre Miller
This is an update on a story that has been brewing throughout training camp: Kendre Miller is struggling with injuries, and Saints head coach Dennis Allen is clearly sick of it. After implying that Miller might not make the team when he first suffered a hamstring issue, Allen doubled down this week with comments on how Miller has been unable to learn the team’s new offensive system.
Miller was a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but at this point he’ll be lucky to make the Saints’ roster, let alone have a fantasy impact. He’s not worth drafting in even the deepest of leagues.
Jaylen Warren Avoids Major Hamstring Injury
We almost made it through a full week without a major injury, but alas. Warren exited the Steelers’ preseason game against the Bills after just one carry and was initially reported to be set to miss multiple weeks. However, Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday that the injury was not a major concern, while Warren himself said on Thursday that he would even play in this weekend’s game if it were the regular season. While player’s comments on their own health should always be taken with a grain of salt, it appears Warren will be ready to go by Week 1.
With that in mind, I wouldn’t move him, or anyone else, up or down your draft board because of this injury. However, this, just like the injury to Jahmyr Gibbs last week, is another reminder of why we chase ambiguous backfields.
If Warren had missed extended time, that would have been a huge boost to Najee Harris’ upside — the same applies in reverse, as well as to any other backs on teams that are currently projected to use multiple talented RBs.
#2024-fantasy-football
