The Washington Commanders will once again have to play without Jayden Daniels, as he suffered a dislocated left shoulder against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Daniels is expected to undergo imaging today and will talk to several experts over the next few days to see what the next steps will be for him. There's no telling when Daniels will return to the field, but for the time being, Marcus Mariota is set to be the starter.
The Commanders have seen a lot of Mariota over the past year after Daniels dealt with several injuries last season. There's no question that he's familiar with the system, but things will be a bit different with him controlling the offense and not Daniels.
Fantasy-wise, it's hard to see many of their key players on offense see a rise in their numbers with Mariota. Terry McLaurin will probably see a dip in his numbers, as well as Stefon Diggs, but it could simply depend on the matchups during the week. Mariota may find a safety blanket within the passing game, and Diggs is known as a possession receiver.
Article Continues BelowDiggs had a good game against the Dallas Cowboys, and he could continue that if Mariota keeps finding him for however long he's QB1.
There's a good chance that Mariota relies on the run a lot, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt's fantasy numbers could see a rise. Whether that's out of the backfield or dumping it off to him in the flats, Croskey-Merritt may see a lot of work in the offense for the next few weeks.
As for Mariota himself, no one is expecting him to come in and have big performances every week. It's a plus that he can use his legs like Daniels, but his impact just won't be the same. It might be best for fantasy owners to stay away from Commanders players until Daniels returns so they can get the best out of them.