Open Nav
Show Navigation
Show Menu
FANTASY FOOTBALL NEWS

Jayden Daniels Saves Rough Start, But Should You Worry?

By Matt Schauf | Updated on Mon, 25 Nov 2024, 12:10 AM EST
Jayden Daniels Headshot

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels was on his way to a poor fantasy outing through most of Sunday's loss to the Cowboys, but turned it around in the fourth quarter. He wound up with 275 yards and 2 TDs passing, plus 74 yards and another TD on the ground.

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

Daniels' ground score came less than halfway through the third quarter. But his first TD pass didn't come until just 3:02 remained in the game.

Daniels followed that by running for the 2-point conversion, and then adding his final TD on an 86-yard Terry McLaurin catch-and-run.

The game would have gone to OT if K Austin Seibert had hit the extra point after the McLaurin TD.

Here's What to Like

Daniels' play.

Washington's first TD drive not only found the QB running it into the end zone. Daniels rushed on four of the possession's final six plays.

And their other two scoring drives came in 2-minute-type situations. That scenario limits the playbook and tends to rely quick execution.

Here's What to Worry About

Kliff Kingsbury.

The Washington OC got asked in a press conference early this week about the history of his offenses falling off in the second half of seasons -- and it was clearly news to him.

"I would have to see what you're talking about historically, references," Kingsbury said. "But I don't have any plans to do anything to break that trend that I know of."

The fall-off has been real, though.

Kingsbury's Cardinals teams (2019-22) ranked sixth in the league in points per drive through Week 8. That fell to 20th from Week 9 on.

This year's Commanders averaged 392 total yards across the first nine games, with Week 1 the only time short of 300.

Washington then went for just 242 and 264 yards, respectively, against the Steelers and Eagles before Sunday's mostly poor showing against a bad Dallas defense.

What Lies Ahead

Week 13 holds another favorable matchup against Tennessee. That plus Daniels' talent will keep him inside our top 12 at QB for the week.

But Washington's offensive performance there will inform our expectations for the other side of the team's Week 14 bye.

Make sure you have a replacement for that bye week at least. And try to roster an alternative for Week 16, when Daniels gets a rematch with the Eagles.

Matt Schauf Author Image
Matt Schauf, Editor
Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.
Week 14 IDP Hits

Week 14 IDP Hits

12:45am EST 12/8/24

The Titans face a number of questions on defense this week. But that leads a list of potentially impactful injuries around the league. Let's dig in ...

Read More »
Premium Content Premium ContentWeek 14 DraftKings Tournament Picks

Week 14 DraftKings Tournament Picks

9:32pm EST 12/7/24

Week 14 DraftKings tournament builds start with deciding whether to pay up for Saquon Barkley. Let's dig into that situation -- and break down the top stacks and positional plays.

Read More »
Week 14 Fantasy Football Running Back Preview

Week 14 Fantasy Football Running Back Preview

10:52pm EST 12/6/24

How high does Tony Pollard sit in the RB rankings in this six-team bye week? Who else can you count on amid myriad injuries? Let's run through the position.

Read More »
Compare Plans » Compare Plans »
THE 2024 ROOKIE GUIDE IS HERE! UPDATED POST-DRAFT
Trade Values • Model Scores • Analytics • Sleepers • Busts & More