Fantasy Football Injury Update: Terry McLaurin’s Knee Injury Aids Stefon Diggs, Treylon Burks, and a Sleeper

Terry McLaurin suffered what is expected to a season-ending knee injury in Week 6 against the 49ers. How does McLaurin's injury affect Stefon Diggs and the other wideouts on the Commanders in fantasy football?

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) and Washington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs (3) take the field before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Washington Commanders fell to 1-4-1 with a Week 6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and Terry McLaurin sadly suffered a knee injury. While McLaurin will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to confirm it, Ian Rapoport revealed that the veteran wideout is believed to have sustained a serious and season-ending knee ailment.

#Commanders WR Terry McLaurin, who was carted off in an air cast last night against the #49ers, is feared to have suffered a serious and season-ending knee injury. He’ll have an MRI today. pic.twitter.com/TOs0bxGoNu

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 20, 2026

With McLaurin likely sidelined for the rest of the way, Stefon Diggs becomes the clear No. 1 target for Jayden Daniels. Treylon Burks and rookie Antonio Williams are also expected to see increased playing time.

How does McLaurin’s injury update affect the Commanders’ WR room from a fantasy football perspective?

All stats used in this article are from PFF or Sumer Sports unless stated otherwise. Fantasy rankings and fantasy point totals are courtesy of FantasyPros.

Fantasy Impact

Stefon Diggs, WR, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs (3) scores a touchdown during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After missing Week 5 due to an injury, Diggs returned to score 16.4 fantasy points in Week 6 against the 49ers. Entering Week 7, Diggs is the WR21 in fantasy points per game (13.9).

The Commanders have spread the ball around in David Blough’s first year as the team’s offensive coordinator, but Diggs leads the team in target share (23.2%). While Diggs could potentially become a trade candidate if Washington continues to struggle, his upside improves with McLaurin’s injury.

Treylon Burks, WR, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks (13) attempts to make a catch as San Francisco 49ers defensive back Deommodore Lenoir (2) defends during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With McLaurin exiting early on Monday night, Burks posted season-high marks in targets (6), receptions (4), and receiving yards (66). The former first-round pick appeared to have the trust of Daniels once McLaurin left the game, though Burks also went to the locker room late in the fourth quarter after landing on the ground on an attempted catch.

Along with Burks struggling to display consistency throughout his career, it remains to be seen if he suffered an injury that’ll force him to miss any time. Therefore, be wary of being too aggressive trying to sign Burks in fantasy leagues.

Antonio Williams, WR, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders wide receiver Antonio Williams (14) makes a catch as San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green (0) defends during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Williams is a more enticing waiver wire option than Burks after leading the Commanders in snaps (45) and routes run (35) in Week 6 against the 49ers. While Williams hasn’t scored more than 10.0 fantasy points since producing 16.4 fantasy points in Week 1, his skill set seems more fantasy-friendly than Burks.

Besides the Commanders being more incentivized to get Williams more playing time as a rookie in McLaurin’s absence, the first-year WR has the 11th-highest catch rate (75.0%) among the 68 WRs with 20-plus targets this season.