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When is Jayden Daniels coming back? Will Jayden Daniels play again this season? Read about Jayden Daniels' return date and injury updates for 2026.
Welcome back to the Jayden Daniels injury update trilogy, and this week we will be reading the "Return of Daniels" to hopefully bring a close to our injury update series.
The Commanders are coming off a brutal, injury-riddled Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in London. However, team morale remains hopeful with the franchise quarterback's return on the horizon.
When will Daniels make his return? Will Daniels make his return in Week 5? Let's dive in!
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Jayden Daniels Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Expectations are growing that Jayden Daniels will be starting for the Washington Commanders in Week 5 against the division-rival New York Giants, with reports all trending in that direction.
“There is zero doubt he [Daniels] is starting against the Giants,” JP Finlay of NBC Washington said on the "Beltway Football" podcast Wednesday.
Daniels was listed as a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, and the plan is for him to take all of the practice reps leading into Sunday’s game.
Jayden Daniels throwing again today. Expected to be a full participant in practice. https://t.co/R21ZuYUXTp
— John Keim (@john_keim) October 7, 2026
The franchise quarterback will wear a brace on his left elbow the rest of the season to help limit the chances of reinjury.
“I’m going to embrace the brace, not worry about it too much,” Daniels told John Keim of ESPN. “It’s my non-throwing arm, so, I think as long as I got the right one to attack, I’ll be all right.”
The brace will keep his left elbow slightly bent to limit extension of his left arm and serve as a shell to help protect it from impacts.
Daniels wore a slim and less restrictive brace last season after his first left elbow dislocation. It provided basic support but allowed a much greater range of motion, which unfortunately didn’t prevent him from reaggravating the injury against the Minnesota Vikings.
The bigger, stiffer brace is expected to lock the elbow joint at a safe angle and prevent the arm from reaching positions where a dislocation could occur. Daniels wasn’t a fan of wearing a brace last year, but his mindset has changed dramatically when JP Finlay of NBC Washington asked him about it.
“Hell yeah, I want to play football, so I'm going to make it part of me,” Daniels said.
The 25-year-old will provide a desperately needed boost to the Commanders offense, which struggled to move the ball and get in the end zone in Week 4. The team lost backup quarterback Marcus Mariota in the contest and only put 13 points on the scoreboard.
“He [Daniels] gives us that spark, that extra juice knowing we’ve got our guy back there,” tight end Chig Okonkwo said.
The key for Daniels will be staying healthy to remain on the field. The team plans to emphasize teaching him how to protect himself during practice, according to Finlay. Daniels has missed 12 games over the last two seasons due to multiple injuries, and has played five full games during that stretch.
However, Daniels only missed one game between high school, college, and his rookie season in the NFL.
Jayden Daniels Fantasy Football Outlook
Jayden Daniels can be inserted back into starting lineups as a QB1, assuming he starts on Sunday. In the last five games he’s fully played, he is averaging 19.7 points, which would place him as the QB7 in points per game last season.
Jayden Daniels runs it in for the TD!
WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX One
https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt https://t.co/FU16BZMmAj— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025
Daniels was well on his way to reminding the league who he is as a dynamic player before dislocating his elbow in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. He was 11-of-17 for 96 yards and one touchdown pass through the air, and had 69 rushing yards on seven carries for 14.74 fantasy points in the first half.
Specifically for Week 5, the New York Giants defense has been an average matchup for fantasy quarterbacks in 2026. They are averaging 19.8 points per game to the quarterback position while surrendering, on average, 212.3 passing yards and just over two touchdowns a game, according to ESPN.
The Giants defense will also be without its leader, Brian Burns, on Sunday and the remainder of the year due to an ACL tear in Week 3. Remember, Daniels' major injuries have been upper-body injuries to his non-throwing arm. They haven't been to his lower body (his legs) or his throwing arm, so the injuries shouldn't impact his ability to be a dynamic playmaker.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Terry McLaurin, and Stefon Diggs. But don't worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 5. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help you make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we'll tell you who to start ... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 5 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 5.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
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Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 5 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 5 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 5 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 5 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs compared to others:
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