Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Scares Fantasy Football Analyst

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels may not be a prime option for fantasy football this season.

Aug 25, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) warms up before playing a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

The opening kickoff of the Washington Commanders regular season is now under double-digits as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and first-year head coach Dan Quinn lead the team to the Sunshine State to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 8th.

We now know what the Commanders' roster will look like following roster cuts earlier this week and for Jayden Daniels the pressure now mounts to perform up to the standards that landed him as the second overall pick in this past April's NFL Draft.

READ MORE: Washington Commanders GM Adam Peters Praises Jayden Daniels' Weapons

As is tradition for every NFL season, the fantasy football world is also getting underway with fantasy leagues across the country getting ready to draft or in the midst of drafting. Daniels isn't likely to be one of the first quarterbacks off the board, however, his ceiling is high enough to give him a look.

The unknown surrounding how Daniels will perform as a fantasy quarterback is warranted. For Yahoo! Sports fantasy analyst Kate Magdziuk, the unknowns about Daniels scare her as she has him ranked fairly high in her quarterback rankings heading into 2024.

"There's been no shortage of absurdly lofty praise for the Commanders' No. 2 pick out of LSU — especially from me. Jayden Daniels lit the NCAA on fire in 2023, totaling 3,812 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and 4 INTs paired with another 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. In short, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner was absolutely unstoppable," wrote Magdziuk.

"Though his transition to the NFL may not be as smooth as the one we're projecting for Caleb Williams given the playmakers (or lack thereof) around him, his rushing upside will provide fantasy football managers an extremely high ceiling regardless of his floor as a passer. I have aggressively ranked him as my QB7 in comparison to his expert consensus ranking of QB11, even going as far as to say that a finish ahead of Anthony Richardson wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility."

READ MORE: Commanders Quarterback Makes Jersey Number Change

Daniels put up prolific numbers throughout his collegiate career at LSU and much is to be expected from the rising star in his first professional season. However, it is best to tamper expectations when it comes to Daniels as he is a rookie on a brand new team with multiple new nuances to learn. Combine that with the fact that the physicality and speed of the game increases at this level and Daniels will likely have some growing pains along the way.

Despite the challenges Daniels will face, he should be a fairly competent fantasy quarterback thanks in large part to his dual-threat abilities to keep defenses honest.

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Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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