JaydenDaniels

News: 4 days agoDaniels completed 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and added 51 rushing yards on 16 carries in the Commanders' 45-31 divisional-round win over the Lions on Saturday night.

Spin: The Commanders shocked the NFL world by going into Ford Field and emerging with a victory, and Daniels was unsurprisingly the centerpiece of that effort. The seemingly unflappable rookie set the tone for the night in the first half by leading four scoring drives that totaled 24 points, capping off two of them with touchdown passes of 58 and five yards to Terry McLaurin and Zach Ertz, respectively. Daniels then filled a more subdued role in the second half but had the luxury of playing with a lead throughout, and he engineered a pair of long marches that took a total of nearly 13 minutes off the clock and culminated in Brian Robinson and Jeremy McNichols one-yard rushing touchdowns. In the process, Daniels became the first rookie in NFL history to top 300 total yards in two playoff games, and he'll look to put together a fitting encore in the NFC Championship Game against either the Rams or Eagles on Sunday, Jan. 26.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Daniels was selected second overall by the Commanders in April's draft, and he may be more valuable in fantasy than the quarterback who went first (Caleb Williams), thanks to his elite running ability. Daniels not only compiled 10 times as many touchdown passes as interceptions while winning the Heisman Trophy in 2023, he also rushed for more than 1,100 yards and 10 more scores. Washington is a good landing spot for Daniels, with savant Kliff Kingsbury directing the offense and ample offensive options around him. Daniels probably slips outside the QB1 options on draft day, but he may end up there by season's end.