Is Jayden Daniels the Next Dual-Threat Star QB? | Dynasty Fantasy Football Profile
Taking a look at Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' play so far and looking at him as a potential long-term dynasty star.
It’s time for another dynasty fantasy football article, but instead of looking at some of the top performers from week 3 and so far this season, we are going to solely focus on Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
We’ll break down his numbers so far, his outlook for the rest of this season and then evaluate him as a long-term fantasy option. Let’s get right to it!
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Season Stats
Daniels was the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but not many believed he’s enjoy a better rookie season than Caleb Williams because of the teams they were drafted to. Through three games, Daniels looks like the favorite to be Rookie of the Year.
Daniels was 17-of-24 passing in his NFL debut against the Buccaneers in week 1. His completions went for 184 yards, and he didn’t throw a touchdown or interception. Daniels showed off his dual-threat ability by rushing for 88 yards and two scores on 16 attempts.
In a week 2 clash against the Giants, Daniels was 23-of-29 passing for 226 yards, but again no scores or picks. He added 44 rushing yards on 10 attempts and picked up his first win.
Daniels’ best game was in a week 3 upset win over the Bengals. He was 21-of-23 passing for 254 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Daniels had 39 rushing yards and a score on 12 attempts.
Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has made life easy on Daniels, but Daniels has also shown good accuracy on some deep passes. Daniels’ 80.3 completion percentage won’t last forever, but the team also isn’t going to overcomplicate things, meaning Daniels should retain a pretty high completion percentage this season.
His passing yardage and touchdowns don’t stand out, but having no interceptions is definitely a positive for a young quarterback. Daniels’ biggest asset as a fantasy player is his legs, and that can make him a fantasy star for a long, long time.
Daniels’ Fantasy Outlook for the Season
Daniels is already the No. 2 fantasy quarterback, trailing only Josh Allen. QB play is down overall, so to have Daniels amongst the leaders as a rookie should only make dynasty owners who roster him that much more excited for the long haul.
In terms of what Daniels has ahead of him this season, there’s a mix of favorable and tougher matchups. He’s got a C+ grade on the FantasySP QB Strength of Schedule page.
While there’s a bunch of quarterbacks with better schedules ahead, because Daniels can use his legs to score fantasy points too, he’s a better starting option than he appears on that page.
Take Daniels’ week 4 matchup against the Cardinals for example. Arizona’s defense represents a slightly above-average matchup for Daniels, but the rookie quarterback is projected for the third-most fantasy points among all QBs.
Take note of the quarterbacks that are projected for the most points each week - they are almost always dual-threat options. Of course, Daniels isn’t the fantasy star that Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Kyler Murray are, but he’s quickly worked his way into the conversation.
I’m all in on starting Daniels every week, regardless of the matchup. Even if he has a poor showing, I’m not taking Daniels out of my lineup until a negative trend appears.
Daniels’ Long-Term Fantasy Outlook
I was one of the fantasy owners who really liked Daniels coming out of college. I didn’t expect Daniels to look this good this quick, so that’s just an added bonus.
Checking around on some dynasty sites that rank quarterbacks, Daniels is already a top-10 option on almost every one. I’ve seen him inside the top five a couple times.
I’m not ready to put him inside the top five, but I’d safely have him inside the top 10, and he could crack the top five by the end of the season with more strong play.
What should be even more appealing for Daniels’ dynasty outlook is the current state of the offense around him. There’s really no star player among the skill position players, unless you want to call Terry McLaurin one.
Outside of McLaurin, the team’s next best receiver is probably rookie Luke McCaffrey. You can bet the Commanders will add to that position over the next few years, which should only make life easier on Daniels.
Washington has a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield with Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler, but it’s definitely not the best RB duo in the league. I’d expect the organization to replace Ekeler with a young back in the next year or two.
Daniels has been sacked nine times this season, which is tied for the ninth-most in the league so far. Some of that falls on Daniels, but the o-line could also improve this season and in the seasons to come.
What I’m getting at is that Daniels is already succeeding, and the offense around him could definitely get better over time. That makes him a starting option in all league types already, but a great dynasty asset to invest in.
If you drafted him, absolutely hold on to him and don’t try to sell high. If you want to trade for him, good luck, because it’s going to cost an arm and a leg and probably force you to mortgage the future. If you are a quarterback away from being a yearly championship contender in your dynasty league, I’d be going all in for Daniels.
This kid is for real, and he’s going to be a superstar for years to come.
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