Jahan Dotson’s rookie NFL campaign ended with an exciting cliffhanger, leaving the fantasy football community on its toes for an entire offseason. The Washington Commanders’ offense is starting to show signs of improvement, and the team appears to have a different energy about them in 2023. That said, can Dotson continue to be a factor with uncertainty at quarterback?
2023 Fantasy Football: Jahan Dotson Profile
Recap of 2022 season
There’s no telling what Dotson could’ve become last season if he didn’t miss time from Weeks 5-10. The Penn State product came out firing in 2022, recording four touchdowns in his first four appearances. Dotson performed well, despite quarterback switches throughout the year. He was a solid presence with Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell at quarterback, so it’ll be interesting to see what he can accomplish if the Commanders ever find some stability under center. While Terry McLaurin is deemed Washington’s primary wideout, it was Dotson who led all pass-catchers with seven touchdowns. He eventually became a headache for fantasy managers trying to determine whether or not he was too good to be true, or a must-start when fantasy playoffs got underway.
Updated Washington Commanders outlook
The Commanders likely won’t make an official decision on their starting quarterback until the preseason concludes. At the moment, it appears that the team is very excited about Howell taking over. Head coach Ron Rivera has been impressed with what he’s seen from the 22-year-old this offseason, but the team also has Jacoby Brissett, who started 11 games for the Cleveland Browns in 2022. The upside is certainly there for Howell to produce, but it might wind up being more beneficial to the Washington receiving corps to have a proven veteran like Brissett leading them on routes early on. Either way, their offense will be something to monitor as we get closer to the season.
Best case scenario
The best-case scenario for Dotson is that he can build off of his early NFL success. He has quickly established himself as a reliable and explosive weapon for the Commanders and is a relentless worker in the open field who makes it easier for any of his quarterbacks to get him the football. The hope, though, is that he continues to be a major presence around the end zone. While exceeding seven touchdowns might prove to be a difficult task in a second NFL season, Dotson’s versatile skill set shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Worst case scenario
Obviously, the worst case for Dotson would be undergoing the “sophomore slump” that’s been known to hit many talented first-or second-year players in recent history. Rivera will likely do his best on getting McLaurin back to WR1 fantasy football status this season, and there’s no telling how he’ll shift the offense around to do it. That could lead to a dip in targets for Dotson, or the team opting to run the ball more with Brian Robinson Jr. and Antonio Gibson.
Prediction
Dotson has a “prove it” campaign ahead of him in 2023, which is why fantasy managers peg him as a WR4/5 ahead of drafts. He might turn out to be a strong mid-to-late-round pick, but the McLaurin presence definitely draws concerns. We can expect him to find fantasy relevance once again, though it would be wise to slightly lower expectations on scoring opportunities and overall production.
