Home » Why I Grabbed Jahan Dotson in Every Fantasy Football Draft

Why I Grabbed Jahan Dotson in Every Fantasy Football Draft

Bryan Rockwood

Publish Date: September 5, 2023

In every fantasy football season there is always that one name that keeps staring at you in every draft. There’s that one player that just seems too good to pass up, and then you keep grabbing them each and every time. Suddenly you realize that any roster without that player just looks incomplete. It’s at this moment you come to terms with the fact you now have a “my guy”, a “ride or die”, or a “favorite player”

For me this year, it’s Washington Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson.

The 2022 1st-round selection from Penn State is heading into his second year poised to break out in a big way. Because I’m ~~lazy~~ a down-to-earth kind of guy, I don’t to dive too deep into the advance wide receiver stats – there are some really awesome sites around the community that would probably explain it better anyway. I’m here to give broader picture as to why Doston should be one the main wide outs you want to target as both a mid-round draft pick, and as a potential trade-for target early this season.

Why Do I Love Jahan Dotson in 2023?

He’s an INSANE Value at his ADP

One of my favorite reasons to grab Jahan Dotson is his price tag. Jahan Dotson is a (NFL level) first round talent that sits at an affordable price for fantasy managers. Even this late in the draft season, Dotson is hanging out around the 7th and 8th round. With how drafts are panning out this year most teams will be grabbing two top receivers well before the 7th round. While this means Dotson is typically a flex play on your roster, this is exactly why he is such a great value in drafts. Dotson gives you a potential WR2 sitting in your flex spot without having to sacrifice an earlier pick.

Personally, I think you could be getting an absolutely elite talent on a huge discount because of his team.

These middle rounds are where championships are made. Having a high-upside receiver like Dotson at the ready gives you a massive advantage over your league mates. If one of those top receivers you drafted early on end up missing time, Dotson slots in and should easily serve as a great replacement.

He Knows How to Get in the Endzone

Scoring touchdowns is a skill. And Jahan Dotson is very talented in that regard.

I had Dotson on my bench last season knowing that rookie wide outs typically gain value at the end of the year. For a team that only had one relevant receiver with Terry McLaurin, I figured Dotson would be involved sooner rather than later. Little did I know he would make his mark right away.

Sitting there on my bench was a rookie wide out with two opening game touchdowns. Normally this would be impressive yet forgettable. There are plenty of one-week wonders out there that never perform again. Dotson, however, decided to score the following week and again in Week 4. Four touchdowns in four weeks. If that doesn’t grab your attention then I don’t know what will.

Unfortunately Dotson then missed the next five games, and the next three games it was clear he wasn’t really 100%. When he did come back at full strength, he was just right back at it again with the TDs. He scored three more touchdowns before the season ended. Seven touchdowns in twelve games is fantastic for a WR2, let alone flex.

Dotson should become a touchdown machine once again in 2023. Defenses will need to figure out both Dotson and McLaurin, and more often than not Dotson will have the better matchup. Most importantly for #1 on the Commanders, he will have a new signal-caller slinging the ball.

His QB Play Should be Improved This Season

I want people to remember that Sam Howell came out of the 2021 season with a first round draft grade. All three seasons at UNC he had 3000+ yards passing, two of which he threw for 30 or more touchdowns. His draft stock fell after a down year but he’s looked electric in his limited amount of action. He heads into the season with the starting role and could very much be the QB the Commanders offense needs to put up a fight in the stacked NFC East.

The most promising moment from this preseason was the series just before half-time when the Commanders played the Baltimore Ravens. Howell targeted Dotson five times in the same drive. Notably this was directly after McLaurin came out of the game due to a turf toe injury – prior to the injury, Dotson was targeted twice.

What this tells me is that Howell does have the trust of Dotson when the game shifts dramatically. This is probably the most “vibe” based analysis in this article, but we have seen in the past that quarterbacks and wide receivers need to have trust to excel. We’ve also seen QBs lose trust in receivers, and the receivers simply disappear for fantasy.

High Expectations for a Year Two Receiver

Maybe this article came out a little too late for players to scoop up Dotson in a draft, but there’s still some time to grab him via trade. There’s even a slim chance that he’s out there on your waiver wire right now (he’s currently 87% rostered on ESPN).

I do truly think Dotson ascends as a legitimate top 24 receiver this season if McLaurin stays healthy. If Scary Terry does miss time, Dotson could even break through to top 15. Again I don’t have numbers to back this up but sometimes you can just feel it. I’ll be betting on Doston all year long.