Jayden Daniels took the NFL world by storm, finishing as the QB5 in his rookie season in 2024 as the Commanders went to the NFC Championship Game. Multiple injuries ruined his 2025 sophomore season, as he only started seven games and left a few of them early. Will he stay healthy in 2026? What is the Jayden Daniels fantasy football outlook for the upcoming season?
Jayden Daniels Fantasy Football Outlook 2026
Recent Production
Daniels got off to a slow start in 2025, finishing outside of the top 10 quarterbacks in each of his first two games. He then missed the next two weeks before returning in Week 5, where he had another performance outside the top 15. Week 6 was his best game, scoring over 21 fantasy points and finishing as the QB5. He left the Week 7 game hurt, causing him to miss the Week 8 game. He returned once more in Week 9, before leaving that game injured. He played one more game in Week 14 before the Commanders decided to shut him down for the season.
He only started seven games last season and left three injured, meaning he only played the entire game start to finish four times. In just one of those four times did Daniels finish as a top ten fantasy quarterback. This was a very disappointing year for Daniels and the Commanders.
2026 Jayden Daniels Fantasy Outlook
The first order of business for Daniels to have fantasy football success is his health. He played the entire season in 2024, so he showed that he can do it. Regression to the mean suggests that Daniels will play in a lot more than just seven games in 2026, although the Commanders will have to be more careful with him.
Washington’s receiving room lost Deebo Samuel. There have been a lot of trade rumors connecting Brandon Aiyuk to the Commanders, but that move has not been made yet. After Terry McLaurin, the receiving room is not great for Washington. Rookie Antonio Williams will join Treylon Burks, Van Jefferson, and Jaylin Lane as the WR2 for the team. They did sign tight end Chig Okonkwo to be the starter. The addition of Rachaad White brings in a good pass-catching back out of the backfield to pair with Jacory Croskey-Merritt. With a lack of superstars in the offense, Washington will have to rely on Daniels to be their guy.
Jayden Daniels Fantasy ADP
According to FantasyPros ADP, Daniels is the fifth quarterback being drafted in fantasy football drafts this summer. He is being drafted as the 70th overall player, so at the end of the seventh round in 10-team leagues and in the sixth round in twelve-team leagues. The four quarterbacks ahead of him are Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye, and Joe Burrow. Daniels is just ahead of Jalen Hurts, who is at 74.
The sixth or seventh round is actually a reasonable range to draft Daniels this year, after he was being drafted in the third or fourth round last season, after his great rookie year. I do expect these ADPs to rise as the summer continues for quarterbacks as a whole, but currently, this is a great price for Daniels.
Should You Draft or Pass on Jayden Daniels in 2026 Fantasy Football?
I am passing on Daniel this year in fantasy football. Daniels, being a rushing quarterback, gives him a lot of injury risk, and the Commanders will need Daniels to do a lot in an offense that is lacking star power, except for him. Even though Daniels most likely will not be as injured as he was in 2025, there is a good chance he misses a couple of games. Even in the games where he was fully healthy, he did not put up good fantasy performances.
There are so many other great options later in the draft, such as the 10-13 range that consists of Dak Prescott, Trevor Lawrence, Matthew Stafford, and Patrick Mahomes. It is best to wait on the quarterback this season in the early rounds and draft an elite wide receiver or running back instead, and get a good quarterback later in the draft.
Unfortunately, it is a pass on Jayden Daniels’ fantasy football in 2026.
