Latest Fantasy Football Injury Update for Jayden Daniels Lowers Ceiling of Commanders’ Wide Receivers

Jayden Daniels won't undergo surgery on his dislocated elbow and won't be placed on injured reserve by the Commanders right now. What does this mean for Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs in fantasy football?

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) leaps to avoid a tackle by Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs (13) while running with the ball during the second half at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fans of the Washington Commanders and fantasy football managers who have Jayden Daniels held their collective breath when the dynamic signal-caller was carted off on the final play of the first half of the team’s Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Daniels was quickly diagnosed with a dislocated elbow (the same elbow he dislocated last season), though it was undetermined how much time he’d miss.

Although Daniels won’t be active in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks, general manager Adam Peters revealed that surgery isn’t being considered for Daniels right now, and he won’t be placed on injured reserve.

Commanders GM Adam Peters said Friday morning that "as of right now surgery is not on the table" for Jayden Daniels (elbow) and that the team "has not discussed" placing him on IR.

Via @JPFinlayNBCS pic.twitter.com/ke2GVZxiZ7

— RotoWire Fantasy Football (@RotoWireNFL) September 25, 2026

With Daniels being week-to-week as he recovers from his elbow injury, let’s discuss how that affects Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs 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

Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant (2) breaks up a pass intended for Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) in the end zone during the second half at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Expectations were high for McLaurin entering the 2026 campaign with a healthy Daniels returning and the addition of offensive coordinator David Blough. However, McLaurin enters Week 3 as the WR79 in fantasy points per game (5.2).

Terry McLaurin in 8 games with Marcus Mariota playing 20+ snaps and 24 games without

TPRR 0.31 vs. 0.20
YPPR 2.99 vs. 1.91
14.3 FP/G vs. 13.9
12.85 XFP/G vs. 12.96

Thank you Game Splits Tool @FantasyPtsData pic.twitter.com/3iBXJFKSeH

— Chris Wecht (@ChrisWechtFF) September 22, 2026

Among wide receivers with 10-plus targets this season, McLaurin has the worst catch rate (30.8%) and ninth-fewest yards per route run (0.93), despite having a 20.6% target share. Although McLaurin has performed well with Mariota under center in recent years, he’s an extremely risky option in fantasy until Daniels returns, especially in Week 3 against a stout Seattle Seahawks defense.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs (3) catches a ten-yard pass for a touchdown thrown by quarterback Jayden Daniels (not pictured) against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Diggs has proven to be the better option in fantasy football through the first two weeks, producing as the WR11 in fantasy points per game (18.6). Besides Diggs pacing the Commanders’ offense in target share (23.8%), the experienced wideout leads the team in red-zone target share (36.4%), which he’s turned into three receiving touchdowns.

Jayden Daniels connects with Stefon Diggs for the TD!

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— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026

It’s still early in the season, but Diggs was seemingly building a decent rapport in his first year with Daniels. While Diggs’ floor in fantasy football is a bit safer than McLaurin's given his role, his viability is now more matchup-dependent than before.