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The Washington Commanders are entering the 2024 season with a dynamic mix of talent at the wide receiver position. While Terry McLaurin remains the undisputed leader of the pack, the battle for the WR2 spot is heating up.
Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Luke McCaffrey each bring unique skills to the table, making the decision not so straightforward. In this article, I’ll break down each contender's strengths and weaknesses, analyzing who might emerge as Washington's second option in the passing game.
I have written each player's analysis in the order of the likeliness of them winning the WR2 position. Let’s take a closer look at each of their fantasy football outlooks below!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
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Jahan Dotson 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
Dotson had an underwhelming 2023 season. He had 49 receptions, 518 receiving yards, and scored four touchdowns. These numbers burned fantasy owners and have completely tarnished his reputation as a solid, reliable mid-round pick. Last year, Dotson finished outside the top 50 fantasy wide receivers 10 total times. Although Dotson’s value has plummeted, there is still some hope for him.
Firstly, Dotson is a former first-round pick (in 2022) and had an exceptional college career at Penn State. He now gets a chance to play with the Commanders' new offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury, and their new quarterback, reigning Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. With Kingsbury's creative offense and Daniels' absurd skills, Dotson may find new ways to get open and contribute to the team’s scoring.
Have you seen enough from Jahan Dotson to say he is a legitimate WR2? #Raisehail pic.twitter.com/DgZMwq9tmE
— 𝒞𝑜𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝑀𝒾𝓉𝒸𝒽 ♱ (@WorldwideHaven) August 16, 2024
Another two significant reasons why there is hope for Dotson in 2024: the departure of Curtis Samuel and Dotson's versatility. Curtis Samuel, who was the Commanders’ clear WR2 last season, now plays for the Buffalo Bills. Samuel had 91 targets last season, so now there essentially are that many more targets up for grabs.
Dotson also has experience out wide and in the slot, which should allow him to see more snaps in 2024. His versatility to play any receiving position is something that gives him an edge over the other two players mentioned in this article.
Even though Dotson does have fantasy value, be careful not to take him too early on. Try and snag him in one of the later rounds of your draft, or keep an eye on him for the first few weeks if he is in the available player pool.
Olamide Zaccheaus 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
Zaccheaus is a 27-year-old wide receiver who signed with the Commanders this past offseason. While Zaccheaus has shown flashes of potential in the NFL, his most productive years were with the Falcons earlier this decade, where he had 406 yards in 2021 and 533 yards in 2022.
Although he has managed to find a role in the NFL for five years now, he has never accumulated enough snaps/targets to be a relevant fantasy player.
Look at the hit Jeff Driskel takes right after he delivers this dart to Olamide Zaccheaus
Driskel was the Commanders second best quarterback out there today I was impressed #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/G7ckVU8pPw
— Mason Kinnahan (@Mason_Kinnahan) August 11, 2024
Some things he does have going for him, though, are a successful training camp with Washington up until this point and a history with the team's head coach, Dan Quinn. When discussing the team's search for a WR2, Quinn highlighted Zaccheaus, expressing admiration for the veteran wideout. Quinn and Zaccheaus used to work together in Atlanta during 2019-2020.
If Zaccheaus somehow manages to beat out Dotson for the WR2 spot on the Commanders, his fantasy value would increase to a late-round draft pick or potential streamer. For now, though, hold off on doing anything too brash and pay attention to more news regarding Washington’s camp.
Luke McCaffrey 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
McCaffrey was the 100th overall pick in this past year's NFL Draft. McCaffrey is a quarterback who converted positions and is more on the raw side when it comes to being a true standout receiver. Because of this relatively late switch, McCaffrey is not all that versatile of a wide receiver (yet) and almost exclusively lines up from the slot.
Congrats Luke on playing in your first @NFL Football Game. Proud of you! Loved meeting your @Commanders teammates & their families after the game as well. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/DpzQANli1j
— Ed McCaffrey (@87ed) August 12, 2024
McCaffrey's fantasy impact this season will be relatively low. He has an uphill battle ahead of him as a fourth-round rookie competing against two more experienced players in camp. Additionally, targets will be shared with Zach Ertz, rookie Ben Sinnott, and the versatile Austin Ekeler, making it even more challenging for McCaffrey to make a significant impact.
McCaffrey is more of a long-term investment and certainly does have value in dynasty leagues. While some believe McCaffrey could legitimately contend for the No. 2 receiver spot this season, I am quite skeptical.
Right now, there is no reason to draft McCaffrey, especially over Dotson, in season-long drafts. Leave him on the waiver wire and monitor how the first half of the season goes, then you can revisit and reevaluate.
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