Jayden Daniels May Miss Significant Time: Commanders Fantasy Stars Aim to Survive With Marcus Mariota
In this story:
The Commanders have 2025 on repeat. Jayden Daniels is injured, having dislocated his non-throwing elbow for the second time in the past 12 months. The team will be without its star quarterback, and Marcus Mariota will take the reins. Here is everything that we know as of Monday, September 21.
Fantasy Football Impact
The 2025 Commanders played 8 total games with Mariota behind center. The team went 2-6, scoring 22.9 points per game. They were the epitome of average, hitting the bullseye on both the NFL's team-scoring average and the 325-yard-per-game mark.
As a 2025 starter, Mariota averaged 200 yards through the air. He added another 32 on the ground. On a fantasy points-per-game basis, those 8 games would have put Mariota at QB23 in 2025. That would be between Kyler Murray and C.J. Stroud at about 15.5 points per game. It is right about where I will likely rank Mariota in the future.
To compare, Jayden Daniels was often rated as a top-5 fantasy football quarterback. The drop-off is notable, and the 0-2 Commanders will struggle as a result. While Mariota is a scheme fit and a similar play-style quarterback to Daniels, he is not as good.
Mariota's 2025 PFF grade came in as the 24th-best quarterback of 43 qualified quarterbacks. His rushing grade ranked 27th among 30 qualified quarterbacks.
Through two games this season, the Commanders have scored 42 points, or 21 per game. With Mariota, we can imagine the team will continue to score in the low-20s per game under offensive coordinator David Blough.
I do not imagine a drastic falloff for any pass-catcher in this offense. The expected target shares will remain the same for Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, and Antonio Williams. The scheme does not change, and Mariota can be trusted to maintain a quality-enough offense.
McLaurin has generally been deemed a mid-tier WR2 in fantasy football. I had him as the WR12 in Week 2, demanding it on volume (9 targets), but he failed to track them down (2 receptions). He will fall to fringe WR2 status, in that WR20-30 range.
Who was the most efficient receiver on a per-target basis in Week 1?
— Marvin Elequin (@FF_MarvinE) September 16, 2026
Commanders rookie WR Antonio Williams pic.twitter.com/r1IEo5LgNS
Antonio Williams' season is off to a hot start. He is the WR31 in fantasy football, having caught all of his 7 targets over two games for 88 yards and a touchdown. Williams is performing above expectations, and he will be more of a bench stash in case McLaurin or Diggs goes down.
Diggs is doing absolutely what Washington hoped for when they signed him in August. He is the WR10 in fantasy football. Diggs has caught 9 of his 15 targets for a wonderful tally of 3 touchdowns. Diggs will rank around McLaurin on a weekly basis as a fringe WR2. He was my WR38 in Week 2.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt may benefit from a slightly higher expected run rate. However, the offensive efficiency will offset that. He remains a great backup running back on your roster; the RB30 through two weeks.
New Ranking Estimates:
- Marcus Mariota: QB25
- Terry McLaurin: WR25
- Stefon Diggs: WR25
- Antonio Williams: WR80
- Chig Okonkwo: TE20
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt: RB30
- Rachaad White: RB35
Jayden Daniels Injury Status
Injuries provide Dynasty Buying opps as well as Sell Low motivators.
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) September 21, 2026
Buying:
-Caleb Williams, Nico Collins, Zay Flowers immediately before the price rises back to normal
-Kenyon Sadiq while utilization is still low
Sell now:
-Saquon Barkley, Jayden Daniels for what I can get pic.twitter.com/FN8JdUCixK
Daniels dislocated his left elbow. Especially since it is his non-throwing arm, Daniels could aim for a return. He would have to opt against surgery to do so and would require a rehab process that is roughly 5-6 weeks. If Daniels does go this route, he will be at a high risk of re-injury and dislocating that elbow for a third time.
The smart decision for his long-term health would be to opt for surgery. That would eliminate any future likely dislocations. If surgery is opted for, Daniels' season will be over. I would favor that being what happens here, as it makes logical sense for his longevity.
If you own Daniels in fantasy football, plan not to have him in 2026. Do not drop him yet, but make new plans for a QB1.
More Fantasy Sports On SI News:
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.