After a couple of tough years with the Washington Commanders, Jahan Dotson is now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2024 season. What does this trade mean for Dotson’s fantasy football outlook this season, and should fantasy managers be considering drafting him this season?
Jahan Dotson’s 2024 Fantasy Outlook
- Total Fantasy Points: 139.3
- Receptions: 44.9
- Receiving Yards: 573.1
- Receiving TDs: 6.3
These are PFN’s consensus projections, correct as of August 15. The most up-to-date projections can be found in our Who Should I Draft Tool.
Should You Draft Dotson This Year?
Talented prospects who fail to live up to fantasy expectations within the first two years of their NFL careers can be very difficult for fantasy managers.
On one hand, you can still believe in the player if the situation surrounding the lack of overall production makes logical sense. The flashes we have seen from Dotson on a handful of occasions over his first two years in the league suggest he can be a productive fantasy option in the right situation.
On the other hand, the data surrounding players who finally break out in their third season and sustain that production for the remainder of their career isn’t exactly overwhelmingly favorable.
This happened recently, though, with Houston Texans WR Nico Collins. He failed to register a top 70 fantasy finish through his first two years in the league but jumped all the way to WR12 in year three under a new offensive scheme and the addition of a franchise cornerstone at quarterback.
Prior to Dotson being traded, there was optimism that he could be set for a breakout for exactly the same reason as Collins: a new quarterback throwing him the ball. However, he now heads to Philadelphia, where he will be the third wide receiver and potentially the fifth pass-catching option.
Dotson has still occasionally flashed glimpses of being a difference-maker at the NFL level, with stretches of explosive play and the ability to win against man or zone coverage while running a pretty complete route tree.
Now for Dotson to have any fantasy relevance, he is likely going to need either A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith to get injured. Running as the WR3 will likely put him behind Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley in the offensive hierarchy.
Even if Brown or Smith were to get injured, there is no guarantee that Dotson would be anything better than the fourth option in the passing game. This trade makes a lot of sense for the Eagles but is not good for Dotson’s fantasy value. The fact that the Commanders were willing to trade Dotson to a division rival is also pretty telling about what the new coaching staff thought of him.
Dotson’s ADP was at No. 149 overall in the 13th round as the WR63 off the board, and it made him a very reasonably priced dart throw with plenty of upside entering his third year in the league. However, now that value looks too high, and we may even see that ADP fall before the start of the season.