Washington Commanders 2026 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin And More

If ever there were a team that wanted to flush a bad season, it's the Washington Commanders. After a surprise trip to the NFC Championship Game the previous season, in 2025 Jayden Daniels played in just seven games, with only three of those games with WR1 Terry McLaurin. The running game was a rumor, as was the defense. You get the picture. A return to health would be a great start for 2026. Ian Hartitz and Dwain McFarland bring you everything you need to know about the Commanders for fantasy football with their 2026 fantasy football cheat sheet, highlighting their fantasy football rankings and more.

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Washington Commanders 2026 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

• 2025 Record / Rank in PPG: 5-12 / 20.9 (22)
• 2026 Proj TDs per game: 2.2 (rank: 20)
• Head Coach: Dan Quinn
• Offensive Playcaller: David Blough (new)
• Projected Plays Per Game: 60.8 (rank: 19)
• Projected Dropback Rate: 61.5% (rank: 9)
• Matthew Freedman’s Projected Win Total: 7
• Offensive Line Grades: C
• Key Departures: Austin Ekeler, Deebo Samuel, Chris Rodriguez, Zach Ertz
• Key Additions: Rachaad White, Antonio Williams, Kaytron Allen

Commanders Fantasy Football Rankings and Depth Chart

QB: Jayden Daniels (QB5)

RB: Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB38) | Rachaad White (RB40) | Kaytron Allen (RB53)

WR: Terry McLaurin (WR25) | Antonio Williams (WR68) | Treylon Burks (WR118)

TE: Chig Okonkwo (TE18) | Ben Sinnott (TE55)

2026 Fantasy Football Overview for the Washington Commanders

Jayden Daniels was one of just four rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to average 20+ fantasy points per game, but the encore produced just 16.2 (QB18). Of course, Daniels dealt with knee, hamstring, and elbow injuries in the first nine weeks of the season and had his No. 1 WR active for only three of his seven starts. For the love of the fantasy gods—please stay healthy, Mr. Daniels.

The Commanders re-engineered their backfield this offseason by signing veterans Rachaad White and Jerome Ford, and by drafting Kaytron Allen. Throw in the departure of Chris Rodriguez to Jacksonville, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt could feasibly have another decent chance of wrangling away a solid workload. Credit to the artist known as Bill for averaging the NFL's 12th-most rushing yards over expected per carry as a rookie.

Terry McLaurin largely dealt with one rough quarterback after another during the first five years of his career … and then caught 13 touchdowns and finished as the WR15 in PPR points per game with Daniels in 2024. Maybe the soon-to-be 31-year-old veteran has already played his best football, but it's tough to be too pessimistic about his on-paper projections when he and his QB are healthy. Antonio Williams will slot in as the WR2 in this offense. We apologize to the dozens of dynasty managers who are keeping a candle lit for Treylon Burks.

The Commanders brought in former Titans TE Chig Okonkwo to presumably work as their new go-to pass catcher at the position in place of Zach Ertz. While Okonkwo never gained even 600 yards in a season during his four years in Tennessee, he's flashed some very fun YAC upside and could reasonably work as the No. 2 option in this passing game. That profile isn't so different than Isaiah Likely (complimentary).

Washington Commanders Utilization Notes 

Jayden Daniels averaged 21.1 fantasy points as a rookie in 2024, but his 2025 season was marred by injuries. It is hard to provide much analysis on a season in which Daniels played 100% of the snaps only twice. However, he posted an elite scramble rate of 18% and collected a healthy 9% rush share in games played. That is the same sort of profile that made him a star on a larger sample in Year 1. Daniels projects as a top-5 option and is one of the few QBs with a realistic shot at finishing No. 1 overall.