Team Profile
Washington Commanders
-
13.8% 6thOff DVOA
-
33.7% 5thPassing DVOA
-
2.8% 8thRushing DVOA
-
6% 25thDef DVOA
-
13.2% 24thDef Passing DVOA
-
-1.9% 26thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
-
Points For27.5 6th
-
Points Against23.7 22nd
-
Yards Per Game374.0 5th
-
Yards Allowed Per Game322.0 11th
Washington Commanders wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus signed with the organization this offseason on a one-year, $1.28 million contract. His salary would suggest he's not guaranteed to make the roster, but Ben Standig of the Athletic believes he is close to being a lock. "The first three (wide receivers) are locks, and Zaccheaus probably adds that distinction over time," Standig wrote. Zaccheaus has collected 104 of his 171 targets for 1,492 yards and 10 touchdowns through his first 72 career games with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. It'd be a surprise if he's a fantasy football contributor in 2024, but it sounds like he could occupy the WR4 role behind Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Luke McCaffrey under new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has reportedly been impressive this offseason, but not all organizations want to start their rookie quarterback right away. The No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of LSU could sit behind veteran Marcus Mariota to begin his career, though Commanders reporter Ben Standig believes that will not be the case. "Daniels' development is the story. The competition for Week 1 starter isn't," Standig wrote. "Quinn will maintain lineup battle talk. There's a daily progression coaches have planned for the rookie, yet it's clear the dual-threat talent is the clubhouse leader to be QB1 thanks to his sizzling potential and Mariota's limitations." Daniels threw for 40 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,100 yards in his Heisman-winning 2023 campaign, and if his skills translate to the next level, he's a future high-end QB1 in fantasy football in the making. He's being selected as a high-end QB2 in preseason drafts, but if he starts right away and plays all 17 games, he has a clear path to beating his ADP.
Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn, who is heading into his fifth NFL season in 2024, has positioned himself as an early leader among New England Patriots receivers this offseason. Osborn will need to build on his offseason progress in training camp this summer, but he was usually first through drills during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp. ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss believes that Osborn, slot receiver Demario Douglas and rookie second-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk could easily be the team's top three targets to open the year if everyone is healthy. And Kendrick Bourne (knee) is expected to be healthy as he returns from a torn ACL and should be part of the mix as well. The 27-year-old Osborn should be used as more of a traditional receiver in New England, but he still has a ways to go to become fantasy relevant in standard 12-team redraft leagues.
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler was an elite fantasy football producer for a few of his seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, but last year was disappointing for the veteran and fantasy managers. Ekeler posted 179 attempts for 628 yards and five touchdowns and caught 51 passes for 436 yards and one touchdown en route to an RB26 finish in PPR leagues. He was selected as a top-three running back in PPR formats, so it was far from ideal. However, the former undrafted free agent is confident he will bounce back in 2024. "You're going to get the best version of myself always, no matter what," Ekeler told NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. "There's been this controversy out there, like, 'Oh Austin said he doesn't want 300 carries, 'cause that's what the Chargers said.' I've never had that many carries ever. So, I don't know why everybody's in an uproar. It's not that I don't want to touch the ball. It's the way that I've had the most production is when I'm able to split between catching and running the ball. If I'm healthy, I'm going to be on the field and I'm going to be producing." The 29-year-old is slated to share the backfield with Brian Robinson this season, but as long as he maintains the clear pass-catching role out of the backfield, he should be a weekly flex option in PPR and half-PPR setups. He is usually available after the top 25 running backs are selected.
Washington Commander rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the second overall pick in this year's NFL draft, has done nothing but impress this offseason as he heads into his first year in the league in 2024. Daniels has yet to face a live pass rush, but what he's done to this point has been impressive nonetheless. The Commanders hope the former Heisman Trophy winner can bring stability under center in D.C. Teammates and coaches say that the 23-year-old signal-caller is ahead of schedule in learning the offense. "He's further along than you probably should be," head coach Dan Quinn said. It remains to be seen if he'll continue to look this good in training camp and the preseason, but Daniels' pedigree and dual-threat ability should make him fantasy relevant in his first NFL season as a QB2 in superflex leagues if he beats out Marcus Mariota for the starting gig.