Terry McLaurin and Jayden Daniels injury updates are a bad sign for fantasy football, while Bill Croskey-Merritt receives a positive update for the Washington Commanders.
Nearly a month into the NFL season, and we are starting to see injuries pile up for fantasy football. In our nation’s capital in particular, the Washington Commanders’ offense has been completely picked apart. Following the potential career-ending injury for Austin Ekeler, we have seen several key players hit the injury report: Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin and Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
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On Friday, we received negative Terry McLaurin and Jayden Daniels injury updates that they will miss the Week 4 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. However, there is a bit of positivity in the backfield, as Bill Croskey-Merritt should be able to suit up.
Jayden Daniels Injury Update
We last saw Jayden Daniels on Thursday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers, and it wasn’t good. The Commanders’ offense showed zero creativity or aggressiveness, looking like they did not want to be on the field. This narrative was quickly forgotten by most, however, due to the Jayden Daniels injury, and the brutal injury to Ekeler as well.
While not overly serious, Daniels was diagnosed with a sprained knee. This ultimately kept him from playing last week. The newest injury update is that Daniels did not practice on Friday, meaning the second-year quarterback is out for Week 4 as well.
Filling in for him would be Marcus Mariota. The NFL somehow always makes these storylines happen perfectly, as this is a revenge game for Mariota against his former team, as well as a revenge game for Dan Quinn, Washington’s head coach. Mariota played well in the Commanders’ 41-24 victory last week, completing 15-of-21 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. The veteran showed he can still scoot as well, running for 40 yards and a touchdown.
While this will be a tougher task against the Atlanta Falcons’ defense, Mariota is still a streaming option for you at quarterback if you need to fill a spot. Check out my Week 4 fantasy football rankings as well (will see the next update on Saturday).
Terry McLaurin Injury Update More Serious
It has been a weird journey with this Terry McLaurin injury. Initially, and still, listed as a quad injury for the Commanders’ WR1, many are saying this is more serious. Over the past week, McLaurin has sought multiple opinions on his injury. This includes a visit to renowned core muscle specialist Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. The trip raised eyebrows, as Meyers specializes in sports hernias and complex groin issues that can sideline players for months. However, positive news emerged Thursday: McLaurin will not require surgery.
This is great news, but McLaurin is still listed with only a quad injury. Does he have something more that the Commanders are hiding? Who knows, but after missing practice all week, McLaurin is out this week, and he is at risk of missing Week 5 as well.
Washington’s next divisional game is in Week 7 against the Cowboys. If McLaurin has multiple injuries, it could make sense to hold him out until then. Given this timeline as well, it makes sense why he has not been put on IR (would miss a minimum of four games).
Without Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown in the lineup, Chris Moore played a bit more last week (second-most WR snaps in Week 3). However, the rookie Jaylin Lane had the highlights and would be the most intriguing player to watch. The rookie can absolutely fly, so any touch he receives could be a house call. However, the top receiver for Washington will undoubtedly be Deebo Samuel. The veteran leads the receivers with eight looks per game, per the FlurrySports Opportunity Index. However, his air yards per game (22.7) means a high-yardage total may not be in the cards, and he would need a touchdown to be a great fantasy start.
Bill Croskey-Merritt Injury Update is Positive
After seeing a bit more work in Week 3, Bill Croskey-Merritt was added to the injury report due to knee soreness. He had at out of practice early in the week, which is concerning for a rookie who already had some injury questions. However, the rookie RB did return to practice on Friday. He appears to be in line to play in Week 4.
However, it’s tough to feel overly optimistic about Croskey-Merritt. Getting added to the injury report after nine touches for 31 yards, to me, does not indicate a bell-cow running back. I had this opinion of him since we first heard his name; so, take that opinion with a grain of salt.
What we do know is that last week’s game script worked perfectly in favor of the rookie, and he played under 40% of the snaps. Chris Rodriguez Jr. led the backfield in carries (11), and Jeremy McNichols made the biggest play, with his 60-yard touchdown run. McNichols, in particular, is an intriguing sleeper in this backfield. He is trusted in pass protection, and he has the receiving ability to replace what they lost with Ekeler. If this game is close or if they are trailing, expect to see McNichols on the field more than last week.
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