The NFL season is in full swing. As happens every year, injuries are rearing their ugly heads. As fantasy football managers prepare to set Week 14 lineups, it’s important to stay informed on the latest injury news. Jayden Daniels limited at practice this week due to injury. What is his current status and outlook for this week?
Is Jayden Daniels Playing Week 14?
Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow during Washington’s Week 9 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The injury occurred when Daniels scrambled after faking a handoff and eschewing a pass while trailing 38-7 with just over seven minutes left in the game. When tackled, he braced his fall with his left elbow, which was bent backward.
X-rays were negative and an MRI revealed no structural damage, fueling hope for his return. Daniels was initially feared to need surgery on the dislocated elbow, but he did not and the team decided against putting him on injured reserve. Washington instead opted to re-evaluate him during their Week 12 bye week.
Daniels returned to practice in a limited capacity last week but was not yet cleared for contact. He practiced all week in limited fashion ahead of the Monday Night Football game against Denver but remained unavailable. Head coach Dan Quinn said last week that Daniels would take this part of the process all the way up to Friday before making a decision on his availability.
Daniels was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday to open Week 14 preparations. He was upgraded to a full participant in Thursday’s practice, his first full session since suffering the injury in Week 9. Daniels followed that up by fully participating in Friday’s session as well.
Head coach Dan Quinn announced Friday that Daniels has been cleared for contact and will start Sunday against Minnesota. Quinn said Daniels threw a great week of practice and emphasized the importance of his return for both the quarterback and his teammates. Daniels told reporters Friday that these games are critical for his development as a young player still trying to grow and learn.
Daniels’ Fantasy Football Outlook
We could debate about the rationale that goes into the decision to bring Daniels back, but at the end of the day, that’s not our job. This season, he has a rush TD or multiple passing scores in four of six games, and while it hasn’t looked the same as his standout rookie season, a healthy version of him is a fantasy asset.
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After this week, the Commanders go Giants-Eagles-Cowboys to close the fantasy season. We catch a break with the second Philadelphia game coming in Week 18, and the other three opponents over that stretch don’t scare me in a major way.
We can deal with the Eagles matchup in Week 16 (a Saturday kickoff) when/if the time comes. I’ve got him penciled into my top 12 this week, understanding that this was a non-throwing arm injury that, if he’s comfortable, should only impact his viability for our purposes in a minor way.
— Kyle Soppe, PFSN Fantasy Analyst
