Jalon Daniels Goes From Undrafted to QB1 as Baker Mayfield's Thumb Sidelines Him
An undrafted Kansas rookie takes over a winless Tampa Bay offense Sunday, with Mayfield (39 PPR pts in 3 games) out multiple weeks.
Undrafted rookie's first NFL start on an 0-3 team is a dart throw.
- Mayfield dislocated throwing thumb, out several weeks
- Daniels is 1st undrafted rookie QB to start for Tampa Bay
- 1st Kansas QB to start an NFL game since 1987
- Daniels left KU 2nd in program passing yards (9,282)
- Bucs sit 0-3 entering Week 5 vs Green Bay
Baker Mayfield dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand in Tampa Bay's Week 3 loss to Minnesota, and he's expected to miss several weeks. That hands the keys to Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas who'll make his first NFL start Sunday against the Packers with the Bucs stuck at 0-3.
Mayfield was quietly serviceable for fantasy before the injury — 615 passing yards, two touchdowns and two picks across three games, plus a rushing score, good for 39 PPR points and our #12 QB spot. Now he's shelved, and Daniels leapfrogged veteran Jake Browning (our #46 QB) to grab the job. Daniels has thrown exactly nine rushing yards' worth of NFL action to his name so far — literally one game, minus-1 PPR points.
Who Is Jalon Daniels
A three-star recruit out of Lawndale, California, Daniels started his college career at 17 and spent six seasons at Kansas through COVID and injury waivers. His signature moment came in 2021, when he torched 30-point-favorite Texas for three passing touchdowns and a rushing score in a 57-56 overtime upset. He left Lawrence second in school history with 9,282 passing yards and 67 touchdowns.
The resume is a mixed bag, though. Daniels went 19-26 as a starter and battled a nagging back injury that limited him to three games in 2023. His best statistical year was his last — a career-high 22 touchdowns and 2,531 yards in 2025 — but draft evaluators flagged his mechanics, accuracy and read progression. That's how a six-year starter ends up undrafted.
The Fantasy Fallout
What's enticing is the scrambling. Daniels posted 439 rushing yards in a single college season, and the Packers aren't an elite defense. But a winless offense, a coach on a warm seat in Todd Bowles, and a quarterback making his first career start is not a setup you trust blindly in fantasy — especially someone who has thrown zero NFL touchdown passes.
Verdict: sit Daniels this week and watch, don't start. If he shows those designed-run legs against Green Bay, superflex and 2QB managers can take a cheap flier. Mayfield owners should stash him on IR and ride it out — this is a multi-week absence, not a season-ender, and he's still the QB1 when healthy.
