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Washington Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels (ribs) has been one of the best players at his position in the league this year, both for fantasy football and in real life. He's thrown for 1,610 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions, adding 372 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
He's currently the QB2 overall in fantasy, and has four games of 20 or more fantasy points. He's been a steady, efficient, and productive player. He's also transformed his offense to one of the most efficient in the league, all as a rookie with zero NFL experience so far.
Unfortunately, he was forced out of his Week 7 game early with an injury. So is Jayden Daniels hurt or healthy, and will he return to play for Week 8?
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Jayden Daniels Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Daniels exited Sunday's contest with a rib injury he sustained after a drive on which he ripped off a 46-yard run. On a following play, he went down and grabbed at his midsection, clearly wincing in pain. He tried a few throws and clearly wasn't able to do them without significant pain, after which he went to the sidelines and threw his helmet in frustration.
Ian Eagle takes you through Jayden Daniels' injury-filled 1st Qtr pic.twitter.com/Jhnsb8b1yD
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 20, 2024
Head coach Dan Quinn described Daniels as "week-to-week" and emphasized that while they want him to play, they'll take all the necessary precautions to protect his health. He expressed hope that the rookie would be able to play in Week 8, but didn't show confidence that he would.
HC Dan Quinn provides a status update on QB Jayden Daniels: pic.twitter.com/Bffwl6EJPo
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 21, 2024
It's worth noting that it would be directly against Washington's interests to rush him back quickly. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota played well in his place. Fantasy managers should be prepared for at least a one-week absence. Quinn said he didn't expect the ailment to be long term.
Jayden Daniels Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 8
It seems more likely that he won't play. But if he does, he's a must-start even against a tough Chicago Bears defense. It's rare to see a quarterback play with the kind of poise Daniels has, and the rushing upside is massive for fantasy. Rushing yards are worth 2.5 times the points as passing yards, and rushing touchdowns 1.5 times those of passing touchdowns.
I wish Jayden Daniels would’ve instead ran towards the outside in which he could’ve went all the way for the TD or at least have gotten out of bounds…pic.twitter.com/bCse2uoJZr
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) October 21, 2024
The former LSU Tiger has a bad habit of not doing enough to protect himself while rushing, though. It's something he'll need to fix if he wants to stay healthy. When healthy, though, he's obviously a top-five player at his position and is gunning for an Offensive Rookie of the Year award, so he should always be in your starting lineups.
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