Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders officially named No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels as their starting quarterback on Monday, according to head coach Dan Quinn. What had been expected all along is finally official, and Daniels will make his NFL regular-season debut in the Week 1 opener on Sept. 8 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 23-year-old former LSU star has looked good in his two preseason performances and went 10-for-12 for 78 yards while running for 13 yards on two carries in Saturday's preseason game against the Miami Dolphins. Daniels has looked like a seasoned veteran while running the offense in training camp heading into his first NFL season, and his dual-threat abilities at the position will give him quite a bit of fantasy upside right away. His receiving corps beyond Terry McLaurin is a little suspect, but Washington's backfield should help take plenty of pressure off him. Daniels will be a high-end QB2 target with QB1 upside in the right matchups in 2024.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jeff Driskel went 11-for-15 with 82 passing yards and added 45 rushing yards on the ground on Saturday evening. With Marcus Mariota resting, Driskel served as the backup to Jayden Daniels and played quite well through the majority of the game. This performance could have solidified him as the No. 3 QB in the offense, as he threw for 87 yards last week against the Jets. Sam Hartman (shoulder) served as the No. 4 QB last week but did not play Saturday evening due to a shoulder injury. This opened the door for Trace McSorley to play in the final quarter. Driskel showcased his rushing upside on Saturday evening by picking up a nice 41-yard carry on his first drive. In the passing attack, Driskel connected with third-round pick Luke McCaffrey twice for 30 yards. In addition, he found veteran Jamison Crowder three times for 25 yards. Both McCaffrey and Crowder are shaping up to serve as depth options to begin the regular season but could eventually earn a role later on. Mariota clearly has the backup spot locked up to begin the regular season, putting Driskel in no better position than 3rd on the depth chart. There is no foreseeable route where Driskel carries any fantasy relevance right now, and it would require some injuries to find his way to anyone's roster in 2024, especially in non-superflex leagues.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. led the rushing attack with the first-team on Saturday evening as he totaled 22 yards on three carries. The Alabama product was the lead back on the opening drive of the game but ceded those duties to Austin Ekeler on the second possession with the starters. While Ekeler only saw one target go his way on Saturday and did not have a rushing attempt, he will still have a large role in the Washington offense as he almost split the first-team snap counts with Robinson. Seeing that the Washington starters logged two full possessions, fantasy managers could expect Robinson and Ekeler to alternate drives in the regular season as they did on Saturday evening. However, given Ekeler's ability to succeed as a pass catcher, he could eventually serve as the go-to third down option while Robison handles the early down work. Nonetheless, this may be a difficult running back room to predict for fantasy this season as they may hinder each other's production. If Jayden Daniels can continue to showcase his elite potential, this offense may be able to produce two reliable running backs, even in a potential 50-50 split.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown shined once again on Saturday evening and is making a strong case to be the No. 2 wideout in the nation's capital. On Saturday, Brown saw three targets from Jayden Daniels, which tied Terry McLaurin for the most looks from the rookie quarterback. Brown caught all three of these targets in the opening drive for 19 yards. Earlier this week, head coach Dan Quinn expressed that there is still an open competition for the No. 2 wide receiver spot on the depth chart and currently, Brown may be in the lead. Last week, Brown caught 55 yards, which was highlighted by an impressive 42-yard catch. Fantasy managers should continue to pay close attention to how Brown finishes the preseason, as he could be a steal in deeper leagues this fall.

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels performed well in his second professional game on Saturday evening against the Miami Dolphins. He went 10-for-12 with 78 passing yards and 13 yards on the ground on two attempts. The former number-two overall pick led the offense for two possessions compared to just one last week. On the first possession, he hit Dyami Brown for three catches and Terry McLaurin for two. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. shined in the second drive, but Daniels did complete two nice passes to tight end John Bates for 20 total yards. Fantasy managers should continue to pay attention to who Daniels targets in the final preseason game, as he is clearly building a connection with Brown, who caught 55 receiving yards last week. The former Heisman winner will be a popular pick in redraft leagues at his 105.6 Yahoo! ADP, given how poised he has looked through his first two professional games.