Jayden Daniels

NFL player. Position: QB. Team: WAS.

Quick Facts

Position: QB
Team: WAS (Washington Commanders)
Bye week (2026): 7
FantasyPros PPR rank (pulled 2026-05-21): 52

2026 Outlook

FantasyPros considers Daniels a top-5 fantasy QB but flags a significant regression from his remarkable 2024 rookie year. After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year with 3,568 passing yards, 25 TDs, 891 rushing yards, and 6 rushing TDs in 2024, Daniels played only 7 games in 2025 due to elbow, knee, and ankle injuries. When healthy, he was notably less efficient as a passer: 6.7 yards per attempt and 60.6% completion in 2025 (down from 7.4 YPA and 69.0% in 2024). His rushing effectiveness also declined—while he maintained aggressive intent (8.3 rushing attempts per game vs 8.7 as rookie), yards per carry dropped from 6.0 to 4.8. The Commanders' lack of proven pass catchers behind Terry McLaurin is an additional concern. FantasyPros rates him as a top-5 option but acknowledges he's "less appealing" as an investment than he was as a rookie. (per Best Quarterbacks for Fantasy Football 2026)

Commanders' dual-threat QB returning from injury (played only 4 games in 2025) after strong rookie campaign in 2024. Healthy Daniels has demonstrated top-5 QB ceiling with elite dual-threat metrics (15% designed rush rate, 12% scramble rate) that help unlock the running game. Paired with healthy Terry McLaurin and new TE Chig Okonkwo under new OC David Blough's uptempo, play-action heavy scheme. (per 2026 Fantasy Football Breakout Offenses: Which Teams Are Primed to Surprise?)

New OC Blough (influenced by Ben Johnson's Lions system) is implementing significant scheme changes: moving from nearly all-shotgun/no-huddle to more under-center calls with huddling, heavier personnel groupings, fewer three-wide sets, and more varied route concepts. Daniels called Blough's creative mind and offensive design "fun" and "awesome" during early OTAs, indicating comfort with the new system (per Daniels moves past 'miserable' 2025, embraces the grind). Terry McLaurin participated in offseason work after skipping 2025 due to contract dispute, and rookie Antonio Williams primarily lines up in the slot.

Role / Depth Chart

Starting QB for Commanders. No backup competition mentioned.

Injury Status

Healthy heading into 2026. Played only 7 of 17 games in 2025 due to knee, hamstring, and shoulder injuries. Returning with improved health and refreshed mindset after calling 2025 "miserable" and expressing passion to return to the field.

Recent News

2026-05-28 — Eagles 2026 schedule: Game-by-game predictions for Philadelphia (Eagles 2026 schedule: Game-by-game predictions for Philadelphia)
2026-05-15 — Bold Predictions for Every Outcome of Colts' Crucial 2026 Campaign (Bold Predictions for Every Outcome of Colts' Crucial 2026 Campaign)
2026-05-31 — 4 NFL post-June 1 trades to watch for (4 NFL post-June 1 trades to watch for)
2026-05-14 — 49ers release full 2026 schedule. Here’s an instant analysis of each week’s game (49ers release full 2026 schedule. Here’s an instant analysis of each week’s game)
2026-05-14 — Titans 2026 Schedule Announced (Titans 2026 Schedule Announced)
2026-05-31 — 8 NFL Trades We’d Like To See After June 1 (8 NFL Trades We’d Like To See After June 1)
2026-05-15 — Los Angeles Rams 2026 schedule: Game-by-game breakdown and predictions (Los Angeles Rams 2026 schedule: Game-by-game breakdown and predictions)
2026-05-31 — NFC Notes: Andrew Thomas, Commanders, Eagles, Giants (NFC Notes: Andrew Thomas, Commanders, Eagles, Giants)
2026-05-28 — SI's 2026 Ranking of the NFL’s Coach-QB Duos (SI's 2026 Ranking of the NFL’s Coach-QB Duos)
2026-05-25 — Will Adam Peters bring Brandon Aiyuk or Stefon Diggs to Washington? (Will Adam Peters bring Brandon Aiyuk or Stefon Diggs to Washington?)

Open Questions

(scoped to this player — pulled from Fantasy Football Open Questions)

Sources

(receipts — every claim above should link to a source here)