Washington Commanders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

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.

New York Giants tight end Lawrence Cager has hauled in just 19 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns through the first 20 games of his NFL career, but after the retirement of Darren Waller, he could earn legitimate playing time in 2024. According to Giants reporter Jordan Raanan, Cager has capitalized on his opportunities this offseason. "It looked this spring like Cager and fourth-round pick Theo Johnson will be asked to fill that pass-catching role," Raanan wrote. "Both received some first-team reps and made plays in what primarily serves as a passing camp. Coach Brian Daboll even mentioned that Cager was 'probably one of the most improved players throughout the offseason,' which could open the door for him to make a significant contribution this season." Expectations should be tempered for the 26-year-old, but there are unexpected tight-end breakouts every year, so his performance at training camp later this summer should be monitored.

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.

The Washington Commanders and second overall pick Jayden Daniels agreed to terms on a four-year, $37.75 million fully guaranteed deal on Friday that includes a $24.3 million signing bonus, according to his agent. The young quarterback out of LSU is the highest pick of this year's NFL draft to sign their rookie deal to this point. While Daniels is technically competing for the starting gig in his rookie season in 2024 with veteran Marcus Mariota, most people are projecting Daniels to win the competition and start right away in Week 1 in D.C. The 23-year-old dual-threat signal-caller has all the physical skills to have success at the next level in an offense without much proven talent at the receiver position beyond Terry McLaurin. Aside from durability concerns, Daniels has the makeup to have a seamless transition to the NFL, immediately making him relevant in two-QB, superflex leagues in 2024.

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota has been splitting first-team reps with first-round rookie Jayden Daniels this offseason, according to head coach Dan Quinn. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2015 by the Tennessee Titans signed a one-year deal with Washington at the start of free agency, and he could be the short-term starter if the team wants Daniels to sit for the first few weeks of the 2024 campaign. Although Mariota has struggled to keep a starting job, he has underrated fantasy football upside thanks to his rushing skill set. In 13 games for the Atlanta Falcons in 2022, Mariota averaged a respectable 15.8 fantasy points per game behind 2,219 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 438 rushing yards, and four rushing touchdowns. He's a must-stash option in Superflex leagues, and fantasy managers might get one or two QB1 weeks out of him if he's the starter to begin the Dan Quinn era in Washington.