Terry McLaurin Fantasy 2024
Every NFL offseason there are free agent signings and NFL Draft picks that turn heads and get fantasy managers excited about the season. The excitement can either be surrounding one particular player and the situation they now find themselves in or about what that player may or may not mean for other assets around him. That latter point is what this article is about. While Terry McLaurin didn’t have any movement himself, the Washington Commanders could look like an entirely different team in 2024 which could benefit everyone. Let’s look at what we may be able to expect from “Scary” Terry this season.
McLaurin has been largely quarterback-proof since entering the NFL in 2019. He has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving every year except his rookie season when he had 919 yards. Interestingly enough, his rookie season saw him have the highest touchdown total of his career with seven. Since then, he has not had more than five receiving touchdowns in a season. Being a perennial 1,000-yard receiver is even more impressive when you look at the stable of quarterbacks throwing him the ball: Case Keenum, Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Carson Wentz, Sam Howell, and Jacoby Brissett. That’s not exactly a list of top-tier talent, yet McLaurin has found success. From a real-world football perspective, McLaurin has been productive, even if this production has come in a way that was often frustrating and underwhelming for fantasy managers. But things could be looking up for McLaurin in 2024.
Let’s start with the addition of rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Daniels is one of the most exciting rookie prospects this season and arguably the most exciting player on the Commanders. In his final season at LSU, Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and scored 40 touchdowns through the air. He also threw just four interceptions. Those numbers would be impressive enough, but on top of that, Daniels added 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Without taking a single snap in a regular season NFL game he is already drawing comparisons to Lamar Jackson. If McLaurin can average 76 receptions, 1057 yards, and five touchdowns with mid-to-low level talent at QB, then his numbers could skyrocket playing alongside Daniels.
Terry McLaurin’s ADP is currently at #72 overall and #33 among wide receivers in PPR formats. This puts him near the end of the 6th round in 12-team drafts. Earlier in the summer it was around #58 overall, so he is beginning to become a huge value in fantasy drafts. McLaurin is being drafted as a low-end WR3 and could be more of a WR2 with upside. Yes, there is some competition for targets with Jahan Dotson, rookie WR Luke McCaffrey, Zach Ertz, rookie TE Ben Sinnott, and Austin Ekeler. But McLaurin should still be the clear No. 1 target in this offense. The one caveat is that with a dual-threat QB, the Commanders may run more than usual. But I still anticipate Head Coach Dan Quinn and Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to rely heavily on Daniels’ arm, both because he’s fully capable of being an elite passer and to lower the risk of injury. McLaurin is becoming one of my favorite late-round targets as someone who could (and should) easily outperform his ADP. I view him much closer to a top 20-25 WR than a top 35-40 one.
