Last season, a few guys didn’t just disappoint us… they straight-up ghosted our fantasy rosters. They sold us on league-winning upside, then left us staring at a season-long “read” receipt while we scoured the waiver wire for scrap. But hey, it’s a new year. They are back in the facility with fresh coach-speak, shiny offseason hype videos, and promises that things will be different this time around.
So what’s the move? Do we give them another shot, or is it time to finally change the locks?
Welcome to Makeup or Breakup: Fantasy Football Edition. First up on the relationship couch: Jayden Daniels.
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Heading into 2025, managers treated Daniels like the ultimate QB cheat code. He was going off the board as the QB3, usually costing a mid-third-round pick. Honestly, it made sense at the time. The guy was coming off a monster Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign that carried Washington all the way to the NFC Championship. He looked like the next elite dual-threat fantasy stud. Instead, he handed managers a QB18 finish in PPG and wrapped up as the overall QB34.
What Went Wrong?
Daniels just could not stay on the field. The injuries hit early and kept coming:
- Week 2: Knee sprain
- Week 7: Hamstring strain
- Week 9: Dislocated elbow
To make matters worse, the rest of the offense disintegrated around him. Terry McLaurin missed seven games with a quad issue, Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles in Week 2, Zach Ertz suffered an ACL tear in Week 14, and Deebo Samuel continued his fade into irrelevance.
Even when Daniels did play, he looked a step slow compared to his rookie year. His completion percentage dropped by 6.5%, his timing was off, and the offense couldn’t sustain drives. The injuries were obviously a major factor, but the entire unit took a massive step backward.
A New-Look Offense
Washington finished 2025 ranked 22nd in points per game and 24th in passing yards. That disaster led to a coaching shakeup, with QBs coach David Blough replacing Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator.
Blough is expected to incorporate far more under-center concepts and play action. That is a massive adjustment for Daniels, who has operated almost exclusively out of the shotgun since high school. The logic is clear enough: protect the QB, build in easier throws, and buy back some efficiency. We have seen this transition work before: Kyler Murray’s efficiency spiked in Arizona once they got less predictable and used more under-center looks. The catch? Blough has never actually called plays at the NFL level. Asking a young QB and a first-time play-caller to learn a new system together is a pretty volatile gamble.
On the bright side, the offensive line took some massive strides. Washington allowed only 37 sacks last year, a huge drop from the 50 they gave up in 2024 and the 65 in 2023. The real test now is whether they can keep that momentum going after losing center Tyler Biadasz.
The Reinforcements
Washington skipped the flashy headline moves this spring, but they quietly patched up the holes to give Daniels a fighting chance.
Chig Okonkwo
Jayden Daniels to Chig Okonkwo.
How many TDs will this connection have this year?@DCNewsNow #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/2dUIFaVdIl
— Jake Rohm (@jakerohm) June 9, 2026
Replacing Zach Ertz with Chig Okonkwo completely changes the dynamic at TE. Let’s be real: Ertz was giving us absolutely nothing after the catch. Chig is one of the more explosive athletes at the position, but he’s spent his career stuck in football purgatory. Tennessee never gave him stable QB play, dragging him through a rotating carousel of “it’s complicated” situations with Ryan Tannehill, Joshua Dobbs, Will Levis, Mason Rudolph, and Cam Ward. While Ertz was dependable, I expect Chig to be an upgrade for the Commanders.
Rachaad White & Jerome Ford
With Brian Robinson gone, the backfield gets a total makeover. Rachaad White is the fascinating piece here because he gives Daniels a legitimate, high-volume receiving option out of the backfield (something this offense lacked the second Ekeler went down). Plus, we get an Arizona State reunion. White and Daniels already have established chemistry from their college days, and that kind of built-in comfort level matters when plays break down and a young QB needs a safety valve. Ford will slide in as the rotational hammer to keep everyone fresh.
Antonio Williams
Washington also spent a third-round pick on Clemson WR Antonio Williams, who was low-key one of the best route-runners in this rookie class. Behind McLaurin, the depth chart is wide open for Williams to step right into the slot and earn meaningful targets early. Williams isn’t a strong WR2 by any means, however, which leads us to rumors of the Commanders adding a vet.
The Rumor Mill
Washington has been linked to both Stefon Diggs and Brandon Aiyuk all offseason, but the vibes between these two scenarios could not be more different.
Pairing Diggs with Terry McLaurin would give the Commanders an immediate pair of high-end separators. Love him or hate him, the guy produces. Diggs quietly posted another 1,000-yd season for New England last year, helping them reach the Super Bowl before losing to Seattle. The smoke around DC is getting real. For a QB looking to bounce back, adding a veteran route technician like Diggs would be a massive win. The betting markets seem to agree, consistently putting Washington near the top of his likely landing spots.
Odds to land FA WR Stefon Diggs, per @Kalshi
Commanders — 41%
Texans — 38%
Patriots — 27%
Ravens — 19%
Chiefs — 16% pic.twitter.com/aSlR354etl— Kalshi Football (@KalshiGridiron) June 4, 2026
If management wants to prove they are ready to compete, pushing the chips in for Diggs is the exact kind of statement move they need to make.
Aiyuk, though? Hard pass. I don’t see how he solves their current problems, and honestly, it feels like he is trying to speak this rumor into existence himself. The social media antics are getting a little tired… between the Instagram selfies in a Commanders hat and the constant venting about his “situationship” with San Fran, it’s giving desperation. Do the Commanders really want to bring that sort of noise into a rebuilding locker room? Besides, we haven’t seen Aiyuk play real football in a very long time. Between his ACL rehab and his holdout from the Niners last season, there is no telling what kind of game shape he is actually in. The college reunion narrative with Daniels feels more like Aiyuk’s fantasy than reality.
The bottom line: Could a trade happen? Sure, it’s the NFL. But drafting Daniels under the assumption that a savior WR is walking through that door is a recipe for disaster.
Final Verdict: Time to Make Up
If you got burned by Daniel’s injury-shortened sophomore campaign last year, it is completely understandable to feel some hesitation. However, letting that frustration cause you to pass on him at his current ADP is a mistake. The rationale for why fantasy managers need to bury the hatchet and buy back in comes down to a few major factors:
1. The “Cheat Code” Rushing Floor
The biggest reason to make up with Daniels is that his rushing profile remains an absolute fantasy cheat code. Even during last year’s injury-plagued season, he averaged enough rushing volume and TD production to maintain a highly reliable floor, posting over 16 fantasy points in every single appearance where he played at least 40 snaps.
Even if the Commanders pull back on his designed runs by 25% this year to protect his long-term health, projections still put him on pace for roughly 110+ rush attempts. At an efficient yard-per-carry average, he is still favored to cross the 600-to-700 rushing yard mark, a threshold that instantly elevates any QB into the high-end QB1 conversation.
2. Aggressive “Buying the Dip” Value
Because of how his 2025 season wrapped up, his draft cost entered the summer at a massive discount, sitting way down in the mid-60s overall. While savvy managers have steadily driven his ADP back up into the late-30s/early-40s as draft season heats up, he’s still being valued way closer to his floor than his actual ceiling.
The players going in this range just do not offer the same kind of elite, lineup-altering advantage as Daniels at this cost. We are talking about guys like Rome Odunze, Bhayshul Tuten, Jadarian Price, and Marvin Harrison Jr. Every single one of those players comes with major question marks, and honestly, none of them offer the week-winning upside that Daniels brings to your roster.
3. Tier 1 Overall Ceiling
When Daniels is healthy, he possesses game-breaking, league-winning upside. His rookie season proved that he can effortlessly drop 20+ fantasy PPG. The injury risk is real due to his slender build and aggressive play style, but in fantasy football, you win championships by chasing elite ceilings. Daniels gives you an elite dual-threat engine at a fraction of the cost of the Tier 1 QBs.
Lock in Jayden Daniels at an injury discount in Round 5. This is exactly how championships are won.
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