Very few quarterbacks have the Fantasy upside that Daniels has, which is why he'll get taken as a top-six quarterback in pretty much every league (the less passing touchdowns are worth, the sooner he'll go). Round 5 would be the time to target him in one-QB drafts. Why not sooner? Exhibit A is his entire 2025 season: He had one game over 24 Fantasy points (six-point TDs), four more with 19.7 or fewer, and 10 games sidelined with knee, hamstring and elbow injuries. If Daniels can't overcome injuries, then his upside may never be realized again. However, he showed what that upside looked like when he averaged over 30 Fantasy points in his last six games as a rookie, a stretch that includes a Week 18 dud. Washington's offense will change to a more West Coast-scheme approach under new coordinator David Blough, and trusted receiver Terry McLaurin will be joined by long-time receiving weapon Stefon Diggs to help solidify the receiving corps. It's a judgment call for Fantasy managers who are squeamish about taking players with injury concerns - the more risk-averse you are, the more likely you probably won't take Daniels at his ADP, though someone else in your league will.
Commanders' Jayden Daniels: One possession in preseason
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Daniels played just one possession during the Commanders' three-game preseason slate, failing to complete his only pass.
Daniels suited up for preseason Week 2 at Detroit, but Washington's offense quickly went three-and-out via the aforementioned incompletion, a sack for a loss of 10 yards and an 11-yard Kaytron Allen run. Daniels otherwise remained on the sideline for the rest of exhibition season. After an outstanding rookie campaign in 2024, he endured an injury-plagued 2025, completing just 60.6 percent of his passes for 1,262 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions and rushing 58 times for 278 yards and two more TDs in seven appearances.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Rusty in first game
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Daniels did not complete his sole pass attempt and took a 10-yard sack in Saturday's 17-13 preseason loss to the Lions.
Daniels played just three snaps in Saturday's contest for a quick three-and-out. The quarterback missed a quick pass on first down before following it up with a sack. Daniels missed the last four games of the 2025 regular season with an elbow injury, so it is perhaps unrealistic to expect the quarterback to come out firing right away. The third-year player will likely see a few snaps in Friday's preseason contest with the Ravens to continue his return to NFL form.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Expected to suit up Saturday
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Daniels is expected to be active for Saturday's preseason game against the Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
After sitting out Washington's preseason opener against Miami, Daniels appears on track to play Saturday, along with Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. John Keim of ESPN.com notes that several Commanders starters are playing, but Daniels and the first-team offense may be limited to one or two series in Saturday's exhibition contest.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Not in line to play in Friday's preseason opener
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Daniels isn't slated to suit up for Friday's preseason game versus the Dolphins, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
Other key skill-position players like RBs Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White, WRs Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs and TE Chig Okonkwo are in the same boat as Daniels. Because White, Diggs and Okonkwo all are newcomers to the Commanders this season, Daniel likely will see some exhibition action before Week 1, with his next chance to do so Saturday, Aug. 22 in Detroit.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Impressing early in training camp
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Daniels, per wide receiver Jaylin Lane, has been "elite" in training camp, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington.
The wideout clearly has reason to throw praise at his quarterback, but at the same time it's better than the alternative. The situation has changed for Daniels with Stefon Diggs now in the mix and Laremy Tunsil (triceps) facing an extended absence, but Daniels now has another intriguing target to work with, and since the start of training camp he hasn't had any issues with the elbow injury that cut short his 2025 campaign.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Still learning new offense
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Daniels said Wednesday that he still has a "long way to go" to master the schematic changes implemented by new offensive coordinator David Blough, ESPN's John Keim reports.
Head coach Dan Quinn said he's pleased with Daniels' progress and has been impressed by his quarterback's processing speed. Blough is an internal promotion after two years as an assistant QBs coach under former OC Kliff Kingsbury, but it sounds like Blough has a different vision for Washington's offense, including less no-huddle and more snaps under center. Daniels reportedly has done well with the footwork while operating from under center, instead pointing to changes in terminology and offensive philosophy as the difficult aspects to master in a new offense. Blough has also mentioned, multiple times, wanting to get the ball to WR Terry McLaurin more often than the Commanders did in past years. That almost goes without saying, given the lack of other proven weapons amidst open competition for roles at WR and RB. The Commanders did at least sign TE Chig Okonkwo away from Tennessee to add some speed, and they've been connected with some of the veteran wideouts still available in free agency.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Not cleared for contact yet
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Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said Friday that Daniels (elbow) hasn't been cleared for contact, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
Daniels will miss his seventh game of the season Sunday against the Giants, but Quinn hasn't ruled the second-year quarterback out beyond Week 15 and once again suggested that he won't be shut down for the season unless he's truly unable to play. In any case, Marcus Mariota will fill in for Daniels once again Sunday.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Appears to aggravate elbow injury
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Daniels exited Sunday's game at Minnesota due to a left elbow injury.
Daniels was donning a sleeve on his left elbow Sunday in his first game action since Week 9, when he suffered an ugly dislocation that resulted in three contests on the sideline. He appeared to aggravate the issue when he got hit on a pass attempt in the third quarter in which the ball popped into the air and was corralled for an interception by the Vikings' Andrew Van Ginkel. Daniels yielded the Commanders offense to Marcus Mariota upon his departure.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Full practice Thursday
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Daniels (left elbow) practiced fully Thursday.
As of Wednesday, Daniels hadn't been cleared for contact following the dislocated left elbow that he suffered Week 9 against the Seahawks, with coach Dan Quinn telling Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post that the Commanders were "going to take it all the way through Friday" to determine his potential to return Sunday at Minnesota. A full practice Thursday indicates that Daniels is on a path to do so, and the team's final Week 14 injury report Friday will reveal how he's listed, or if he has a designation at all. Marcus Mariota would start again this weekend if Daniels isn't able to suit up.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Not yet cleared for contact
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Coach Dan Quinn noted Wednesday that he's optimistic Daniels (left elbow) will "get a lot of reps in practice" this week, but added that he's "going to take it all the way through Friday" in terms of the QB's Week 14 status, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
Regarding what Daniels will do at practice out of the gate this week, Quinn said "we'll have to simulate as much as we can...he has not been cleared for contact." With that in mind, look for the Commanders to list the QB -- who last saw game action in Week 9 -- as a limited participant in Wednesday's session.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Week 14 status TBD
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Daniels (left elbow), who is out for Sunday night's game against the Broncos after being limited at practice this week, has yet to be cleared for contact, but has a "chance" to play next weekend against the Vikings, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, while it remains unclear if Daniels -- who dislocated his non-throwing elbow in Week 9 -- will be available to face Minnesota, the QB has said that, if he's healthy, he would like to play. For now, Marcus Mariota will continue to handle the Commanders' starting signal-caller duties.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Return to practice on deck
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Daniels (elbow) will resume practicing Week 13, but he's not expected to return to the starting lineup in time for Sunday's matchup against the Broncos, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Even if Daniels remains unlikely to retake the field Week 13, it will be encouraging to see him back at practice as at least a limited participant. The second-year quarterback suffered a dislocation to his non-throwing elbow Week 9 versus Seattle and has not played since, with it being reported that Washington would evaluate his health again after the team's Week 12 bye. As such, the extent of Daniels' activity at practice this week may play a significant role in determining his availability, or lack thereof, for the rest of the season. At 3-8 the Commanders have effectively been removed from playoff contention, which could lead the team to simply continue rolling with Marcus Mariota under center rather than risk any further injury to Daniels. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed Monday that Daniels has not yet been cleared for contact, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Set for checkup after bye
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The Commanders plan to re-evaluate Daniels (elbow) after their Week 12 bye before deciding on his availability for the remainder of the season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Washington elected not to place Daniels on injured reserve after he received positive news from medical evaluations earlier this week, when he was told he wouldn't need surgery to address the dislocation to his non-throwing elbow that he sustained in this past Sunday's loss to the Seahawks. However, Daniels was still ruled out for this Sunday's game against the Lions and will also remain out for the Commanders' Week 11 matchup with the Dolphins in Madrid, giving Marcus Mariota at least a two-game run as the team's starting quarterback. Pelissero notes that even if Daniels' left elbow heals up well over the next few weeks, the Commanders' positioning in the NFC standings could be a major factor in whether the second-year quarterback is cleared to play at any point in the final quarter of the season. Entering Week 10, the Commanders sit at 3-6 on the season, and losses to the Lions and/or Dolphins over the next two games could effectively remove the team from playoff contention.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Dislocates elbow, set to miss time
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Daniels sustained a dislocated left elbow in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 38-14 loss to the Seahawks and will be sidelined indefinitely, though the Commanders aren't yet certain whether he'll miss the rest of the season, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.
Though Washington was trailing by 31 points midway through the fourth quarter, Daniels remained in the game before suffering the gruesome injury to his non-throwing arm when he was sacked for the fourth time in the game at the Seahawks' four-yard line. His elbow bent backward on the tackle, and while head coach Dan Quinn didn't provide an immediate diagnosis for Daniels' injury following the game, early tests have apparently ruled out a fracture. The second-year quarterback is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday to confirm the diagnosis, after which a firmer timeline for his recovery should become clearer. At the very least, Daniels looks destined to miss the Commanders' Week 10 game versus the Lions, and a stint on injured reserve -- and a minimum four-game absence -- looms as a likely outcome. Marcus Mariota replaced Daniels late in Sunday's game and would once again be the next man up at quarterback for Washington, having already filled in when Daniels missed three games earlier this season due to knee and hamstring injuries.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Coach confirms left elbow injury
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Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that Daniels suffered a left elbow injury in Sunday's 38-14 loss to the Seahawks, but Quinn didn't have any further updates on Daniels' status, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.
Daniels needed a brace to stabilize his left, non-throwing arm after sustaining an injury in the fourth quarter. A more concrete recovery timeline for Daniels will likely be established following additional evaluation of the injury. Marcus Mariota is set to fill in as the starting QB beginning with Week 10 against the Lions.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Gets back to full Wednesday
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Daniels (hamstring) practiced fully Wednesday.
Coach Dan Quinn told Tashan Reed of The Washington Post earlier Wednesday that Daniels was slated for a full week of practice, and he ended up kicking it off with no restrictions whatsoever in the first session of Week 9 prep. Daniels thus appears as if he'll miss just one game due to the low-grade right hamstring strain that he sustained Week 7 at Dallas. Friday's injury report will unveil whether or not he enters the weekend with a designation ahead of Sunday's contest against the Seahawks.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: To practice all week, per Quinn
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Coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday that Daniels (hamstring) will have a full week of practice in advance of Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Tashan Reed of The Washington Post reports.
Daniels sat out Monday's game at Kansas City due to a low-grade right hamstring strain that he suffered Week 7 at Dallas, allowing Marcus Mariota to get a third spot start of the campaign. On Tuesday, Quinn told JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington that the Commanders "plan on him being a part" of the practice plan during Week 8 prep, but Quinn's comment one day later doesn't mean Daniels necessarily will be listed as a full participant all week. In the end, Wednesday's injury report will reveal whether or not Daniels was able to handle all on-field work.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Set to practice Wednesday
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Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that Daniels (hamstring) had a good rehab session and will participate in Wednesday's practice, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Quinn didn't reveal whether Daniels will be a limited or full participant in Wednesday's session, but the Commanders anticipate the quarterback being on the field in some capacity for each of their three practices this week. If his injured right hamstring holds up, Daniels should start Sunday's game against the Seahawks. The second-year signal-caller missed Monday's 28-7 loss to Kansas City due to a hamstring issue and previously sat out Weeks 3 and 4 while recovering from a sprained knee.
Daniels will test his injured hamstring in workouts on Sunday, and the Commanders think he has a chance to return in Week 9 against the Seahawks, Jay Glazer reported on Fox NFL Sunday.
No matter how the testing unfolds, Daniels will still miss Monday night's game against the Chiefs, but he's made enough progress during the week to create some optimism for next week. Marcus Mariota will start on Monday night in Daniels' stead versus Kansas City.
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Commanders' Jayden Daniels: May miss just one start
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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that there's a "real possibility" Daniels misses just one start with his low-grade hamstring strain.
Daniels has already been ruled out for Monday night's game against the Chiefs due to the hamstring injury he suffered in last Sunday's loss to the Cowboys, but it sounds like he's not looking at any sort of extended absence. Marcus Mariota will be under center against Kansas City, and Daniels would then be in line to return to the lineup in Week 9 at home against the Seahawks.
