Daniel Jones was once my arch-nemesis in the fantasy football world. Who would want a quarterback in fantasy football that could barely throw for 3,000 yards? That person was me. The biggest Daniel Jones hater at one point. Now, I am writing an entire article about why Daniel Jones can be a top-five quarterback in fantasy football. Oh, it’s true, it’s damn true. That was paying homage to Kurt Angle, and now it is time to dive head first into Vanilla Vick and his top-five finish in 2023.
Daniel Jones’ Path to a Top-Five Fantasy Finish
Rushing upside
Times have changed in the fantasy football space. The more a quarterback runs, the more it intrigues fantasy managers. The fantasy points come from the passing yards and touchdowns, with the rushing upside is the icing on top of the cake. Jones was the QB10 in ppg in 2022 with a career-high 708 rushing yards. He rushed for 1000 yards in his first three years.
This is a credit to how lethal Jones can be running and a credit to head coach Brian Daboll and how he designed the offense for Jones to be successful. Jones was fourth amongst quarterbacks in total rushing yards and was 38th overall amongst all players.
All in all, the best part is that Jones will get to continue rushing the way he has been, since Saquon Barkley will be back for another year. It is somewhat difficult keeping track of Barkley and Jones, who most teams will focus on as arguably the best running back in all of football.
Passing upside
In addition, the most interesting thing about Daniel Jones finishing as a QB10 in 2022, was that he threw for just 15 touchdowns. He finished higher than better passers such as Justin Herbert, Aaron Rodgers, and Jared Goff. This excites me because of what the Giants have done this off-season.
The Giants traded for Darren Waller, a tight-end who has dealt with injuries the past two seasons, but has TE1 in his range of outcomes in 2023. Waller is talented enough to receive 140-plus targets. It has been reported that Waller and Jones have been clicking on all cylinders in camp.
Just like Travis Kelce is the WR1 on his team, Waller will be the same for Jones and the Giants.
The Giants also drafted Jalin Hyatt, the speedster out of the University of Tennessee. It is said he beat The Flash in a race, but that is still to be determined. Hyatt gives Jones a receiver that he can throw deep to and be a legit game-changer for this New York Giants offense.
Furthermore, Daniel Jones and his passing upside with new weapons added will boost the confidence of the franchise quarterback who also signed a new deal after the success of 2022. With just 15 passing touchdowns, Jones was QB9 overall and QB10 in ppg.
If Jones threw just six more touchdowns in 2022, that would have put him at QB5 on the year. Now, the fifth-year quarterback has the best weapons of his career and has had his rushing ability taken to a new level.
Final thoughts
Daniel Jones has a career-high of 24 passing touchdowns set in his rookie season. In 2023, Jones will be looking downfield more to Hyatt and Waller, leading to a new career high in passing yards and touchdowns. Jones, currently going as the QB14 with an ADP of 108 (round 9) is my favorite value at the quarterback position.
Draft a stellar team in rounds one through eight and then land Jones, who could finish as high as players such as Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, and Josh Allen in 2023.
For more great rankings and analysis, make sure to check out our 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit!
GIVEAWAY ALERT! 🚨📷
We are excited to be launching another giveaway, where ONE lucky winner will receive an Official NFL Justin Herbert Signed Jersey!
DETAILS TO ENTER BELOW! pic.twitter.com/0nMqnWMJ4w
— Fantrax (@Fantrax) August 3, 2023