In the first quarter of the Washington Commanders’ blowout win over the Carolina Panthers last week, Rookie of the Year favorite Jayden Daniels injured his ribs on a scramble. He remained in the game for a couple more plays before leaving for good.
Should fantasy football managers expect to be without Daniels this week?
Will Jayden Daniels Be Active in Week 8?
After going down, Daniels was in considerable discomfort. And following a brief trip to the blue tent, he slammed his helmet, knowing his day was done.
Daniels went to the locker room and returned in street clothes to watch Marcus Mariota lead Washington to its easiest win of the season.
During the game, the only real update we got was a tweet from Daniels’ mom.
He's fine #httc
— Mz Jackson (@LovelyMzJackson)
Throughout the week, it sure looked like Daniels was not fine. He didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday before getting in just a limited session on Friday. But the team listed him questionable to see how he responded to further treatment on Saturday, giving him a chance to play.
It appears things progressed well over the weekend, as the Commanders did not elevate Sam Hartman from the practice squad at the Saturday deadline. While it’s still possible Mariota could start with Jeff Driskel backing him up and Daniels as the emergency QB3, it would be highly unusual.
Teams are very careful at quarterback and would not typically risk going into a game with only two healthy options. That was the first sign Daniels might actually be able to go. The second big news came with one of Adam Schefter’s weekly late-Saturday-night tweets.
Signs point to Commanders QB Jayden Daniels playing vs. the Bears, per league sources.https://t.co/cUyej4Cjkr
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
Schefter has missed way more than usual this season (which is typically never), but his reliability still sits strongly at 99%. Yet, when he and Ian Rapoport are on the same page, it’s pretty much a sure thing.
From @NFLGameDay: Optimism is growing that #Commanders QB Jayden Daniels can play today and he’ll workout pre-game to be sure; Plus, a look at some key players with an eye toward the trade deadline. pic.twitter.com/9Gtihxx15z
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet)
At this point, the expectation should be that Daniels will start in what is a highly anticipated showdown between the No. 2 overall pick and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.
Daniels’ Fantasy Outlook in Week 8
Daniels has been one of the best quarterbacks in fantasy all season. He’s averaging 53 rushing yards per game and has scored 20+ fantasy points in all but one game this season (excluding last week’s early exit).
If Daniels starts, you’ll have a hard time benching him. However, this matchup is not an easy one.
The Chicago Bears have an elite defense and are allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. This will easily be the toughest test of Daniels’ young career.
The Commanders are at home, and this game has a decently high 46-point total. They will score, and Daniels’ rushing upside will keep his floor high. Still, fantasy managers have concerns about his mobility and how well he can push the ball downfield with the injury.
Those concerns are fair, but it’s hard to imagine the Commanders, of all teams, especially in light of what happened over a decade ago with Robert Griffin III, allowing Daniels to play if they had any real concerns.
All signs point toward Jayden Daniels starting against the Bears today.
For the people worried that he's being rushed, I have a hard time believing he'd be cleared if he wasn't completely OK. This is a conservative staff with injuries. In my opinion, Daniels playing is a tell…
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen)
Even in a tough matchup, start Daniels this week.
