Is Terry McLaurin or Deebo Samuel the WR1 for the Commanders in Fantasy Football? Who Should I Draft?

Is Terry McLaurin or Deebo Samuel the WR1 for the Commanders? Joey Pollizze tells you which Commanders wideout to draft this season in 2025 fantasy football leagues

The Washington Commanders were the most surprising team in the NFL last season. They went 12-5 in the regular season and eventually lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. 

Following that successful season, the Commanders improved their offense by trading for Deebo Samuel Sr. Samuel will now join Terry McLaurin in Washington to form an electric wide receiver duo. 

But is McLaurin or Samuel the WR1 for the Commanders? Which player should fantasy managers select in drafts? Let's dive in and find out. 

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Terry McLaurin 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

Since entering the league in 2019, McLaurin has had some rough quarterback play. Case Keenum, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, and Sam Howell were just some of the quarterbacks he had in his first five NFL seasons. However, the emergence of Jayden Daniels helped the wideout have a breakthrough fantasy campaign. 

McLaurin finished as the WR6 in half-PPR formats behind an 82-catch, 1,096-yard, 13-touchdown season. While it's safe to assume that the 29-year-old will have some touchdown regression, he should be a strong WR2 option for fantasy managers in 2025. Daniels should improve as a passer in his second NFL season, which should only help the wideout's fantasy value.

#Commanders All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin was not at practice today as offseason workouts continue. He had been a full participant previously and is entering the final year of his contract.

Worth monitoring as Phase 3 of Washington’s program kicks off in under a week… pic.twitter.com/JgQAh4eC6y

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 21, 2025

After averaging 15.8 PPR fantasy points in 2024, it's hard not to love McLaurin in fantasy this year. Although he might lose a handful of targets to Samuel each game, the six-year veteran will continue to see plenty of opportunities in this offense. He will once again be the team's go-to deep threat target after leading them with 1,561 air yards a season ago.

Deebo Samuel 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

Samuel comes over to Washington following six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. There were plenty of ups and downs for him over the years, which included a career-worst season in 2024. The 29-year-old only caught 51 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns across 15 games for the 49ers. 

However, Samuel fits perfectly in this Washington offense. Daniels was at his best when he got the ball out quickly last season, and his air yards per attempt (7.4) ranked 23rd amongst all quarterbacks. Given that the former Pro Bowler is one of the best wide receivers after the catch, he should get a lot of opportunities near the line of scrimmage. 

49ers trading WR Deebo Samuel to the Commanders for a 5th-round pick. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/V5hiStDf66

— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2025

As a result, Samuel has the potential to be a strong WR3 option, with weekly WR2 upside. He finished as the WR12 in half-PPR back in 2023, and the Commanders will likely use him all over the field. Given that Washington ran a lot of designed screens last year, the new Commanders playmaker could be in for a bounce-back season. 

Who Should I Draft in Fantasy Football?

Both of the Commanders' wideouts should be solid fantasy options in 2025. McLaurin already has a strong connection with Daniels following his breakthrough season, and Samuel fits perfectly with what Washington wants to accomplish on offense. Nevertheless, McLaurin is the WR1 in this offense. 

He has totaled over 1,000 receiving yards in five straight seasons and will continue to be Daniels' go-to target in the passing game. While Samuel should fill in nicely in this Washington offense, McLaurin will lead the team in both targets and receiving yards. That makes the 2024 Pro Bowler the better fantasy pick in drafts. 

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