Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin has been a reliable fantasy football producer but never really displayed a high upside. Having endured poor quarterback play his entire career, could better things be on the horizon in 2024? Where does his dynasty value stand?
Terry McLaurin’s Dynasty Outlook
Whenever I hear someone talk about McLaurin, I always have the same immediate reaction: “He’s fine.” I don’t mean that to be a knock on McLaurin. He’s a talented player.
But for his entire career, he’s been fine.
Terry McLaurin is out there running angry 😤
Can the #Commanders pull off the comeback? 👀#HTTC
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 24, 2023
McLaurin burst onto the scene as a third-round rookie in 2019. He caught 58 passes for 919 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 13.7 fantasy points per game.
The threshold for rookie wide receivers taken in the first three rounds is 500 yards. If they don’t reach 500, the hit rate drops to below 10%. But when they reach 900, that’s rarified air and usually an indicator of elite talent. McLaurin should be better than he is. By no means has McLaurin been bad since then, but he’s pretty much been the same guy.
In his sophomore season, McLaurin averaged 14.9 fantasy points per game, finishing as the overall WR20. It looked like he was trending upward, making him a sought-after dynasty asset at the time. But in his three seasons since, he hasn’t come close to replicating those numbers.
MORE: Dynasty Rookie Draft Strategies
McLaurin has been a consistent player for his entire career. Specifically, over the past three seasons, he’s averaged between 12.3 and 13.5 fantasy points per game. You know what you’re getting with McLaurin. He’s never going to be the reason you lose. He’s also never going to be the reason you win.
While McLaurin has been consistent, there’s no way to spin last year as anything other than a disappointment. His 12.3 points per game was the lowest mark of his career. He saw a career-low 21.6% target share. His 1.57 yards per route run ranked 57th in the league, and he only commanded a target on 20.3% of his routes run, 46th in the league.
In McLaurin’s defense, he has yet to enjoy any sort of high-level quarterback play. But in a season where he played on the highest-volume passing offense in the league, fantasy managers justifiably expected more.
McLaurin’s Dynasty Ranking
Where does McLaurin sit in the dynasty WR landscape? Here are Katz’s latest rankings, featuring where McLaurin lands in comparison to other top names at the position.
1) Justin Jefferson | MIN
2) Ja’Marr Chase | CIN
3) CeeDee Lamb | DAL
4) Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET
5) Marvin Harrison Jr. | FA
6) Puka Nacua | LAR
7) Garrett Wilson | NYJ
8) Tyreek Hill | MIA
9) Malik Nabers | FA
10) Drake London | ATL
11) A.J. Brown | PHI
12) Chris Olave | NO
13) Jaylen Waddle | MIA
14) Michael Pittman Jr. | IND
15) Rome Odunze | FA
16) Rashee Rice | KC
17) Brandon Aiyuk | SF
18) DJ Moore | CHI
19) DK Metcalf | SEA
20) DeVonta Smith | PHI
21) Tank Dell | HOU
22) Nico Collins | HOU
23) Tee Higgins | CIN
24) Zay Flowers | BAL
25) Jordan Addison | MIN
26) Brian Thomas Jr. | FA
27) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA
28) Deebo Samuel | SF
29) Jayden Reed | GB
30) Davante Adams | LV
31) Amari Cooper | CLE
32) Mike Evans | TB
33) Christian Kirk | JAX
34) Xavier Worthy | FA
35) Marquise Brown | KC
36) Diontae Johnson | CAR
37) Cooper Kupp | LAR
38) George Pickens | PIT
39) Troy Franklin | FA
40) Terry McLaurin | WAS
41) Chris Godwin | TB
42) Keenan Allen | CHI
43) Calvin Ridley | TEN
44) Stefon Diggs | BUF
45) Josh Downs | IND
46) Dontayvion Wicks | GB
47) DeAndre Hopkins | TEN
48) Adonai Mitchell | FA
Should You Trade McLaurin in Dynasty?
Are you considering trading McLaurin? Our free PFN Trade Analyzer allows you to find the best trade offers to make in seconds!
McLaurin is now entering his sixth NFL season. Based on his experience in the league, he shouldn’t be at the point where dynasty managers are considering trading him because of his age. However, he’s going to be 29 years old in 2024.
Compare that to McLaurin’s teammate from last season: WR Curtis Samuel (now on the Buffalo Bills) is heading into his eighth professional season. Yet, he’s nearly a full year younger than McLaurin.
It’s difficult to call McLaurin either a buy or a sell because of the unique combination of his age, high floor, and low ceiling. You know he’s not going to fail you, having never finished worse than a WR3. But he’s also never even finished in the top half of the WR2s.
START TRADING: Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Value Chart
If you do trade McLaurin, he is likely not going to be the centerpiece of any deal. He’s the guy you add as the solid option to make a deal work. Whether you’re on the buying or selling side, we can go all the way back to the beginning of this article for how you should feel about McLaurin … and that is … ”fine.”
The argument for trading for McLaurin, however, is the projected upgrade at head coach and play calling and the estimated step forward at QB, with Washington currently holding the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. As always, though, it’s a gamble.
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