Fantasy Football Player Notes

Is it far-fetched to think that we might get a rebound from Daniel Jones in 2024 after his ugly, injury-shortened season in 2023? Optimists will note that Jones finished QB9 in fantasy points per game in 2022, fueled by 708 rushing yards and seven TD runs. They'll also point out that with the Giants spending the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft on Malik Nabers, Jones will have a true No. 1 receiver for the first time in his professional career. The pessimists will note that in the six games Jones played last year before getting hurt, he posted a dismal passer rating of 70.5, with two TD passes and six interceptions. They'll add that Daniels has averaged fewer than 7.0 yards per pass attempt in all five of his NFL seasons. The ceiling for Jones may be higher than some fantasy managers realize, but it's entirely possible that Jones will stumble early in the season and be replaced by Drew Lock.

With first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy out for the season with a torn meniscus, Sam Darnold is expected to be the Vikings' starter throughout the 2024, barring injury or a clamitous stumble. Perhaps we shouldn't dismiss the possibility of stumble, given that Darnold's tenures with the Jets and Panthers went poorly. In fairness, Darnold was saddled with mediocre supporting casts for some of his early NFL seasons, and the playcalling of Adam Gase (Jets) and Matt Rhule (Panthers) probably didn't do Darnold any favors either. A healthy dose of skepiticism is probably warranted when assessing Darnold's fantasy value, considering that his 78.3 career passer rating is lower than the career passer ratings for Desmond Ridder (84.1) and Drew Lock (79.5). But Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is regarded as a passing-game wizard, and Darnold will get to work with the WR duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Darnold also runs a bit, too. No one is drafting him to be a fantasy starter, but Darnold is a potentially useful backup who could become an appealing waiver option at some point this season.