Five Biggest Questions:
1. Will Jayden Daniels replicate or even surpass his near-elite rookie campaign?
2. Are Brian Robinson Jr. and/or Austin Ekeler weekly fantasy starters?
3. Will Washington and Terry McLaurin agree to a contract extension?
4. Is Deebo Samuel a streamable WR?
5. Can the aged Zach Ertz maintain fantasy relevance?
Here's what I wrote about Washington's franchise quarterback ahead of his rookie campaign last July:
"Jayden Daniels isn't merely one of many young QBs in this league. He's the culmination of every ill-timed injury, misplayed contract negotiation, and wasted draft pick this franchise has endured these past 32 seasons. He's a former Heisman Trophy winner with NFL-ready dual-threat abilities. I believe after this year, the Bears will wish they'd drafted him instead of Caleb Williams. Daniels is a great bet to beat his QB13 ADP. For now, I've got him just inside the top 12. But if he looks the part in August, I'll probably push him into the top 8."
Daniels went on to post QB5 numbers (QB6 in points per game) while co-leading Washington to its highest win total (12) since 1991 -- the year they last won the Super Bowl. They won their first playoff game in 19 years. Then won again before losing in their NFC championship matchup against the eventual SB-winning Eagles. On paper, they'll have a tougher schedule than they did last year. But that shouldn't impact their fantasy outlook too much. Daniels is primed to remain near-elite or better.
The main drama facing this team concerns Terry McLaurin's contract. Now he wants to be traded. And/or he's issuing the demand to compel Washington to get a deal done. Too soon to worry. It's highly unusual for a title contender (seventh-best odds according to Vegas) to unload its best receiver. Last year Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, and Brandon Aiyuk all pushed for favorable contract extensions. At the time, I wrote something about how Chase and CeeDee were so integral to their respective team's playoff hopes that it would be absolutely shocking if they weren't paid. McLaurin -- though older -- has similar leverage. Whether for public relations reasons or to ensure this team can make another title push (or both), McLaurin should get much/most of what he's asking for. His WR16 ADP is entirely reasonable.
The recently acquired Deebo Samuel (WR38 ADP) is a fantasy enigma. Aside from his 2021 breakout campaign (21.2 points), he's averaged 16.2 points once and 13.0 points or less in every other season. My confidence in him is stuck in neutral. Aside from McLaurin, his target competition will include Noah Brown (WR140), 2024 third-rounder Luke McCaffrey (WR105), Michael Gallup (WR166), and/or fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane (WR164). There's no obvious #3 in that group, and it's quite possible none will exceed 500 receiving yards.
At tight end, 34-year-old Zach Ertz finally stayed healthy last year, reminding us that he's still great at football. He also netted the sixth-most TE red-zone targets, as well as the sixth-most inside the opposing 10. That contributed to a robust seven touchdowns. He was also #2 on the team with 91 targets. None of those numbers are easily replicable. Some would correctly argue that a regression is already baked into his TE18 ADP. But we cannot ignore 2024 second-rounder Ben Sinnott (TE51), even if the market chooses to. That doesn't mean people should draft Sinnott. It *does* mean that Ertz's status as one of Daniels' top targets isn't guaranteed.
And the backfield will run it back, as everyone's returning from last season: Brian Robinson Jr. (RB30 ADP), Austin Ekeler (RB44), Chris Rodriguez Jr. (RB141), and Jeremy McNichols (RB120). I'm fading the 30-year-old Ekeler, though I'm also not overly excited about Robinson's ceiling. In the seven games when Robinson didn't score last year, he was essentially unstartable in five of them. Betting on an RB you needs to score to be relevant is a risky proposition.
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