With the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Washington Commanders landed a potential franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels.

Daniels completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 6,725 yards and 57 touchdowns against only seven interceptions over the past two seasons at LSU. He was dynamic on the ground as well, picking up 2,019 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on his 321 carries.

It remains to be seen how Daniels’ dual-threat skills will translate to the NFL, but fantasy managers shouldn’t be afraid to bet on him after a comparable first-round passer fared well last year.

Anthony Richardson, whom the Indianapolis Colts chose with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, was thriving before an injury cut his rookie campaign short. Despite having a suspect body of work during his limited tenure at Florida, Richardson still racked up 74.6 fantasy points on only 173 offensive snaps. He’s now being drafted as fantasy’s QB5 with an ADP of 58.

Richardson could also be a league-winning pick if he stays healthy and continues that output, but managers are incurring a lot of risk by selecting him in the fourth or fifth round. Daniels is a far safer selection due to his polished passing skills and history of staying on the field.

While Daniels does have a slightly lower ceiling than Richardson, the risk of him struggling is far more tolerable in the eighth or ninth round. There’s always a chance he hits a rookie wall, but Washington’s projected starter is too talented and has too many ways to contribute to truly bust for fantasy purposes.

Daniels should be firing on all cylinders by the time the fantasy playoffs roll around. He could win leagues for managers who believed in his potential to become a top-five QB right out of the gate.