Jayden Daniels is dealing with a knee injury and his status is in question for Sunday’s Week 3 matchup with the Raiders, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Commanders are 1-1 heading into Week 3, and Daniels has gotten off to an underwhelming start. The second-year quarterback has completed just 59.7% of his passes and is averaging a low 6.0 YPA. Daniels ranks 18th out of 34 quarterbacks in passer rating. Terry McLaurin has directly been affected by Daniels’ inefficiencies, as the receiver is averaging just 7.3 FPTS per game this season.
If Daniels sits Sunday, Marcus Mariota will be in line to start at quarterback. While the veteran is averaging a strong 7.6 YPA in the last three seasons, Mariota is a major downgrade for McLaurin. The 31-year-old is a backup at this point of his career and lacks chemistry with McLaurin. Furthermore, the Commanders will likely rely on their running game if Daniels is out, with Jacory Croskey-Merritt possibly leading the way with Austin Ekeler (Achilles) done for the season.
Also, the presence of Deebo Samuel is a problem for McLaurin. Samuel has been heavily utilized this season, leading Washington with a 26.1% target share while McLaurin has an 18.8% target share.
McLaurin could be in store for another quiet outing if Daniels is sidelined Sunday. While sitting him in your season-long fantasy leagues is a tough pill to swallow, you very well could have a better option on your bench to start. As for DFS, McLaurin will come with very low ownership if Daniels is out and while that is intriguing, he won’t be a risk worth embracing if Mariota is starting.
After opening as a six-point favorite over the Raiders on DraftKings Sportsbook, the Commanders are now a three-point favorite for this contest.
