Schefter: Daniels expected to play vs. Lions

Breer adds that third-year Commanders WR Luke McCaffrey has “taken another step.” Perhaps this receiving corps is slightly better than one may have thought a few months ago. Both players are behind WR Terry McLaurin and WR Stefon Diggs, who has “immediately stepped into a leadership role” on his new team, but receiving depth is a plus for QB Jayden Daniels.

One of the bigger storylines out of Commanders camp this offseason has been the switch to a scheme that is expected to put Daniels under center far more often than he did in his first two seasons with Kliff Kingsbury. Daniels has played 94 percent of his snaps from shotgun since 2024, per TruMedia, which is similar to how he also played in college. According to Jhabvala, Daniels has adjusted well to playing more from under center, saying, “the footwork that so often seems to trip up young quarterbacks doesn’t seem to be an issue at all for (Daniels),” while adding that his timing with his pass-catchers has been “really sharp.” Daniels struggled in his second season as a pro. While a multitude of injuries certainly played a role, he struggled at times with his accuracy last season and was more prone to take off and run than he was as a rookie. With several new additions on offense, Daniels could be in line for a big fantasy season and profiles as a high-end QB1.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter later added that the deal is worth “up to” $12 million over one year. Diggs has been tied to the Commanders by local and national reporters for weeks. After seeing their lack of receiving weapons in training camp for a few days, GM Adam Peters finally pulled the trigger. Diggs will immediately slot in as the team’s No. 2 receiver, ahead of Antonio Williams and a cast of uninteresting veterans. The Pats limited Diggs to a 68 percent route rate last year, but he still managed to hit 1,000 yards via impressive efficiency marks. With Terry McLaurin operating as the Commanders’ No. 1 receiver, Diggs is unlikely to hit four digits again, but he should still offer fantasy managers usable FLEX numbers on a weekly basis.

Perhaps more notable is that Keim pointed out “other free agents don’t appear to be on their radar,” with Brandon Aiyuk presumably the “other” in this scenario. Diggs has long been linked to the Commanders as a potential fit, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported last week that “Washington is intriguing” to Diggs, so there’s a good chance some mutual interest exists. The Commanders’ receiver room is headlined by Terry McLaurin, but behind him is an unproven group in Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, and rookie Antonio Williams. It feels like only a matter of time before the Commanders eventually make a move to upgrade their receiving corps, and Diggs would provide a solid option opposite McLaurin after going for 85-1,013-4 with the Patriots last season.

The opportunity to play with Jayden Daniels and spend a season playing in front of his hometown could be enough to entice Diggs, a DMV native, to join the Commanders. There are reportedly four other teams that have also expressed interest in the 32-year-old receiver, but a signing does not appear imminent at this time. Diggs is nearly two years removed from the torn ACL that ended his 2024 season, and he still managed to post an 85-1,013-4 line in his lone season with the Patriots while appearing on just 55 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. We would expect the veteran receiver to find a new home sooner than later, especially with all teams set to being training camp later this week.

Fowler said a team could sign Diggs ahead of training camp, but didn’t do us the courtesy of naming any of those teams beyond the Commanders. He also pointed at the Ravens as a team that attacks late free agency often. Diggs is one of several unsigned receivers still waiting for a home as we near the start of training camp, and there’s a belief in his camp that he’ll be even better this year now that he’s shed a snap count he was on while managing 2024’s torn ACL recovery.

Per Warren, “the Raiders have a lot more confidence in their wide receiver group than those on the outside looking in,” and that should give Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker a little bit more juice as late-round best ball picks. We’re having a really hard time forecasting where Diggs will land after his respectable 85/1,013/4 receiving line last year off a torn ACL. The Commanders seem to be waiting on Brandon Aiyuk, and only the Ravens and Chiefs have really been mentioned of late as a reasonable landing spot for the veteran wideout.

This comes after Keim spoke with Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough, who may also reportedly double the 23.8 percent of two-tight end sets the Commanders ran last season under Kliff Kingsbury. Keim noted last month that Washington’s offense was running “a lot more” plays from under center during practices that were open to the media this offseason, signaling massive changes to the scheme for Jayden Daniels entering his third season. Additionally, Daniels could see more bootlegs, which could create better opportunities for him both as a passer and as a runner if things break down and he needs to take off and run. Daniels’ sophomore season was marred by injuries and subpar play last season, as he regressed in nearly every metric in the seven games he appeared in, throwing for 1,262-8-3 while completing 60.6 percent of his passes and averaging just 39.7 rushing yards per game. Despite last year’s struggles, there’s hope that the new offense under Blough, coupled with the addition of free agent signings in Chig Okonkwo and Rachaad White, will help Daniels get back to his 2024 form when he won Offensive Rookie of the Year. There’s still a lot to learn about this offense, but Daniels’ rushing upside should keep him safely locked into the upper echelon of fantasy quarterbacks this season.

This comes a month after Diggs was found not guilty in court on charges that alleged he assaulted a private chef last year. Given the league’s review of the matter, Diggs won’t be in danger of suspension, which could spark interest in the 32-year-old free agent. Diggs has been linked to several teams as a possible fit, including the Chiefs, Commanders, and Ravens, while a return to the Patriots seems highly unlikely at this point. In his lone season with the Patriots, Diggs caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. While he’s unlikely to contribute as a true WR1 at this stage in his career, Diggs would be a solid WR2 for several teams in need of help at the position and could still provide an occasional splash week for fantasy managers.

Unlike in recent seasons, McLaurin won’t line up strictly on the left boundary in Washington OC David Blough’s system, Jhabvala said. “I think the multitude of formations and route combinations is going to give all of us flexibility to move around the formation, keep the defense on their toes and have a lot of routes that may look similar at the stem but different at the top,” McLaurin said. “Just having those types of variations in your route tree is just an unbelievable weapon to have as a receiver.” Entering his eighth NFL season and coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign in which he had 38 receptions over ten games, McLaurin will look to bounce back as Washington’s clear-cut No. 1 wideout this season. Before 2025, he had six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons and scored a career high 13 touchdowns in 2024 during Jayden Daniels’ rookie year.