Six quarterbacks were drafted in the first round in 2024, and Daniels, the second pick, proved to be the best. Strong passing numbers and elite rushing propelled him to QB5 in fantasy and led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. Daniels backed up his pre-draft billing as an accurate passer, ranking 10th in on-target percentage (75.4) and sixth in completion rate (a rookie-record 69.0 percent). He also improved throughout the year, throwing 16 TDs in a six-game stretch in the second half of the season after throwing nine in the first nine games. He finished 14th in YPA (7.4) and 10th in TD passes (25). It was Daniels' rushing prowess that set him apart, however. He set a rookie QB record with 891 rushing yards, and scored six times on the ground. He was sacked 47 times (6th most) despite having the fourth-quickest time to throw (2.68 seconds), but the Commanders fixed the weakest link of their offensive line this offseason, trading for Pro Bowl LT Laremy Tunsil. The Commanders also gave Daniels receiving help by trading for Deebo Samuel, who figures to get a lot of short passes and carries while Terry McLaurin handles a large chunk of the end-zone targets and deep passes. McLaurin had 13 TDs last season, and tight end Zach Ertz is also back in Washington after catching 66 passes. A better supporting cast might mean fewer scrambles for Daniels -- whose 79 last season were 28 more than any other QB had -- but that would also likely translate to more pass attempts. Either way, a spot in the Top 5 of fantasy QBs is likely.
