Remember the days of fantasy football when you selected a running back with your first pick in fantasy drafts and waited until later rounds to find a quarterback?
Those days are gone. Wide receivers, tight ends and quarterbacks often go in the early rounds of fantasy drafts these days, with dual-threat quarterbacks being the most intriguing players. So, while someone like Kyler Murray may not be considered a top-five NFL passer, he’s much more valuable in fantasy football because he is equally as dangerous as a runner as he is as a passer.
Chances are, if you’ve owned Bills quarterback Josh Allen in recent seasons, you’ve done well in fantasy football.
Could Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels be the next fantasy icon?
Bleacher Report recently named five players who are undervalued heading into fantasy drafts that could help you win your league. Daniels was ranked No. 1. Using data from FantasyPros.com, Daniels is ranked as the No. 11 quarterback — 103rd player overall — heading into fantasy drafts.
(Anthony) Richardson could also be a league-winning pick if he stays healthy and continues that output, but managers are incurring a lot of risk by selecting him in the fourth or fifth round. Daniels is a far safer selection due to his polished passing skills and history of staying on the field.
While Daniels does have a slightly lower ceiling than Richardson, the risk of him struggling is far more tolerable in the eighth or ninth round. There’s always a chance he hits a rookie wall, but Washington’s projected starter is too talented and has too many ways to contribute to truly bust for fantasy purposes.
Daniels should be firing on all cylinders by the time the fantasy playoffs roll around. He could win leagues for managers who believed in his potential to become a top-five QB right out of the gate.
Don’t buy the talk that Washington head coach Dan Quinn has yet to name Daniels the starter. Barring an unforeseen injury, Daniels is Washington’s quarterback. And even if he gets off to a slow start as a passer, he will find ways to fill up the stat sheet.
If you miss out on one of the top veteran stars, don’t be afraid to pull the trigger on Daniels. He could reward you in December.