The Washington Commanders are going to look a lot different on the field in 2024 than they have in years past. But, one familiar face that people will recognize is star wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, McLaurin has been as consistent of a producer as there is at the position despite less-than-ideal circumstances when it comes to the quarterback position.
He has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in four straight seasons, missing it only as a rookie when he had 919 yards in 14 games. His durability has been impressive, as McLaurin has not missed a game since the 2020 campaign.
It will be fun to see what he can do now that he has a great quarterback to work with. The Commanders used the No. 2 overall pick on reigning Heisman Trophy winner and LSU star, Jayden Daniels.
Having Daniels under center will be an upgrade for the entire offense. A true dual threat, he is going to put pressure on opposing defenses with his arm and his legs.
That is great news for McLaurin, who is a name to keep an eye on in Fantasy Football. In the opinion of Daniel Dopp of ESPN, his stock is on the rise this offseason.
“Only three teams have a lower projected win total (6.5, per ESPN BET) than the Commanders. This is a team that will be “playing from behind” more often than not, so it’s finally time to see what McLaurin can do with a real quarterback. I recently moved him up into my top 30 wide receivers (highest among ESPN rankers) and, since he’s coming off the board at the end of Round 9 as a WR4, I’m buying the value on him this season,” Dopp wrote.
Garbage time for a wide receiver on a team that is projected to be losing is a gold mine for Fantasy Football owners. Based on projections for the 2024 season, McLaurin is going to benefit from that along with almost zero competition for targets.
With former first-round pick Jahan Dotson being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, there is no established No. 2 option at wide receiver behind McLaurin. Olamide Zaccheus, Dyami Brown and rookie Luke McCaffrey are currently battling it out for the pecking order behind him.
None of those players are going to eat into McLaurin’s target share, as he could be in for a monster season. The only thing that would cut down on his hype train would be if the Washington Commanders made a trade for a player, such as Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers.
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