PlayerProfiler is home to award winning dynasty rankings and tools. Our Dynasty Deluxe package includes complete Dynasty Rankings, Rookie Rankings, Trade Analyzer, Draft Planner, Mock Drafts, and more. Check it out. Below, Joel Ybarra revisits Jayden Daniels‘ 2024 fantasy season, and his value in dynasty.
Jayden Daniels is one of the biggest stories of the 2024 fantasy season. Drafted as QB10 off the board on Underdog in the preseason, Daniels finished as the QB5 in fantasy points per game. Not only is Daniels a valuable fantasy quarterback, he has shown poise running the Commanders during the regular season and the playoffs, and has the team in contention for an NFC Championship. On the strength of one of the best rookie QB seasons ever, the rookie out of LSU has lodged himself in the discussion for a top-five quarterback in fantasy and the NFL.
Jayden Daniels Fantasy Profile
Daniels was drafted in the top-10 in fantasy drafts, ahead of Caleb Williams, largely due to his rushing ability. He ran for 1,133 yards in his final college season, giving indication of his ability to provide high-floor fantasy production when he reached the NFL. Fantasy gamers may have had pause because of Daniels’ slight frame, but that proved to be an overstated risk.
The rushing production was tantalizing, but Daniels’ passing prowess was an undersold part of his profile coming into the NFL. The rookie recorded the highest pass efficiency rating (208.0) of all-time his final season at LSU, per sports-reference.com. After playing six years in college split between USC, Arizona State and LSU, he came into the NFL an experienced passer. He threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first season in the NFL, numbers that compare with Lamar Jackson‘s 2023 MVP numbers (3,678 yards and 24 TDs) last season.
Daniels Among Rookie Quarterbacks
By comparison, Jackson threw for 1,201 yards and six TDs in his rookie season. (Jackson is Daniels’ Best Comparable on PlayerProfiler). C.J. Stroud was one of the most sought-after fantasy QBs coming off his 2023 rookie season. Daniels’ passing numbers stack up with Stroud’s 4,128 pass yards and 26 touchdowns as a rookie. The LSU product’s passer rating is No. 4 all-time for a rookie, just behind Dak Prescott, Robert Griffin III and Stroud.
Daniels’ passing numbers also outshined those of Williams (3,541 pass yards, 20 TDs), the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft. Daniels’ rushing production surpassed all other QBs in their rookie seasons. His 891 rush yards were the most by a rookie in NFL history.
Daniels’ Value As An NFL QB
Especially after Daniels led the Commanders to the NFC Championship, it is not too early to evaluate his place among the NFL’s top quarterbacks. Daniels was No. 8 in True Passer Rating (104.7) on the season and No. 3 in QBR (72.4). He was also No. 6 with 0.13 EPA per Dropback among qualified passers, per Next Gen Stats. With his rushing prowess and the potential growth coming off his rookie season, count Daniels as a top-six NFL quarterback capable of keeping the Commanders in contention for the life of his rookie contract.
Jayden Daniels’ Value in Dynasty Fantasy Football
The top six fantasy quarterbacks in dynasty rankings coming into the 2024 season were some mix of Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud and Joe Burrow. Daniels had a more productive 2024 fantasy season than Mahomes, who finished outside the top-10 (No. 11) in PPG scoring at the position.
Daniels’ rushing production coupled with his already-competent command of an NFL offense lands him at QB3 in PlayerProfiler’s dynasty rankings, behind Josh Allen and Jackson and ahead of Jalen Hurts. The former Heisman winner’s rushing and passing ceilings are both higher than Hurts’. That puts him in the elite tier with Allen and Jackson. All three have sky-high ceilings in both phases of the game. In dynasty superflex, Daniels is a hold, or a buy. If a fellow league manager wants to sell high and tier down off the rookie for a lower-ceiling quarterback-plus, then take advantage!
See all Joel’s PlayerProfiler articles here.
