In ESPN’s most recent fantasy football quarterback rankings, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was the third-best fantasy quarterback behind only Josh Allen with the Buffalo Bills and Lamar Jackson with the Baltimore Ravens.
Daniels had a down year last season, playing in only seven games with only eight touchdown passes in that span. Multiple injuries marred his season and ultimately derailed the Commanders' entire season. Now, the fantasy experts with ESPN seem to believe he will make a comeback this season.
There are a lot of reasons to believe Daniels will have a much more productive season this year. He has a talented wide receiver duo in Stefon Diggs and Terry McLaurin, and there is no question Washington has a deep running
back room. Daniels is also a strong runner, which adds to his fantasy value.
What fantasy managers need to be concerned with are injuries. While Daniels did not miss a single game as a rookie in 2024, he had three separate injuries in 2025 - a left knee sprain in September, a right hamstring sprain in October, and a left elbow dislocation in November that he aggravated in December. These injuries certainly raise questions about his durability.
His durability questions also stem from how he plays. Daniels is a physical player who will fight for the extra yard whenever he can, and while physicality is incredibly important in the NFL, particularly as a quarterback, Daniels needs to do a better job prioritizing his health. That is what makes him a bit of a risky pick as a starting quarterback in fantasy.
So, for fantasy owners who are willing to take the risk and draft Daniels, it might be smart to also draft a backup quarterback in one of the last rounds who can put up decent production just in case he misses any time this season.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: ESPN ranks Commanders QB Jayden Daniels among top five fantasy quarterbacks
