Terry

McLaurin

Blough is taking over as offensive coordinator after the Commanders fired Kliff Kingsbury. His first order of business will be to revive the passing game that thrived in 2024 and flopped in 2025. McLaurin probably won’t average 10 opportunities per game in the literal sense. His career-high in targets per game is 8.9. Still, it’s good to see Blough committed to getting the ball in the hands of his team’s best pass-catcher, even if he’s fudging the numbers a little. McLaurin missed most of the offseason last year in search of a new contract and couldn’t stay healthy when he finally rejoined the team. He appeared in just 10 games and posted a 38/582/3 receiving line on the year. Health permitting, McLaurin should return to the WR2 ranks in 2026.

Coming into the season, McLaurin dealt with contract disputes all the way up to late August, signing a three-year extension before the start of the season. He suffered a quad injury that caused him to miss four weeks prior to re-aggravating the injury in Week 8 and not returning until Week 13. Seeing under five targets in 6-of-10 games this season, McLaurin did not return on his fantasy draft capital, totaling 38 receptions for 582 yards and three touchdowns. It ends up as a lost season for the veteran receiver, dealing with injury with Jayden Daniels also hurt throughout the season. McLaurin will return as Washington’s WR1 for next season with strengths in contested catches and the red zone. He did not return WR3 value this season but will sit on the WR2 borderline with no contract disputes holding him out for the offseason.

It was a quiet afternoon for the entirety of the Washington offense, with the final box scores entirely underselling how poor the team performed against their divisional rivals. The team ran only 41 offensive plays and would have been handily blown out if not for a 72-yard touchdown by rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt and a 41-yard, catch-and-run gain by Deebo Samuel. McLaurin heads into a Week 18 meeting with the Eagles at the tail end of a disappointing fantasy season.

The well-traveled journeyman quarterback will get the nod against Dallas after Marcus Mariota sustained quad and hand injuries in Week 16 against the Eagles. Johnson represents a big-time downgrade for Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and the rest of the Washington pass catchers, even in a matchup against the burnable Cowboys secondary. Look for the Commanders to go run heavy in Week 17, making Chris Rodriguez viable as a flex option in 12-team formats.

It just is what it is at this point. McLaurin and the Commanders’ passing attack was obviously affected by Marcus Mariota (hand) leaving the contest — not to mention Mariota was replacing Jayden Daniels (elbow) in the first place — but it’s not as if the 30-year-old was effective prior to those ailments. McLaurin will be a WR3 for a Week 17 showdown against the Cowboys, and this will go down as one of the most disappointing seasons for a wideout in 2025. If Josh Johnson is the starting quarterback on Christmas, it’d be fair to drop him down considerably lower.

McLaurin’s fantasy day was saved on a 51-yard connection with Marcus Mariota for a score. It was a non-desript afternoon outside of that score, as Washington relied on the ground attack more than Mariota’s right arm. McLaurin’s talent is obvious, but the current situation for the Commanders makes him a WR3 at best.

Were it not for a 28-yard reception on the Commanders’ first possession, McLaurin’s day would have been even more forgettable. Playing with his QB1 for the first time since Week 2, McLaurin and the Commanders failed to find the end zone in the 31-0 defeat. His offensive struggles were only made worse after Jayden Daniels (elbow) exited on the opening drive of the third quarter, but the Commanders looked out of sync for most of the day regardless of who was under center. McLaurin will hope to get right in Week 15’s game against the Giants, where he’ll be on the WR3 radar.

McLaurin was largely confined to key downs in the first half in his first full game since Week 2, but had his number called at greater frequency after the break as the Commanders went into desperation mode in an attempt to end their six-game skid. He would score from 30 yards out in overtime only to see it called by for offensive holding, but made good on the touchdown later on the drive on fourth down from three yards out. McLaurin reminded fantasy managers of his weekly upside ahead of a potential Jayden Daniels return in Week 14.

McLaurin has practiced all week and isn’t on Washington’s final injury report for Week 13. He last appeared in Week 8’s loss to the Chiefs. It’s already a lost season for the Commanders and McLaurin, who has caught just 13 passes for 203 yards and one touchdown in the four games he’s appeared in this season. He’ll profile as a WR3 against a stout Broncos defense with Marcus Mariota under center.

It’s his first such showing since aggravating a quad injury in Week 8. McLaurin has missed the bulk of the previous eight games with the injury but appears to be on the precipice of a return for the Commanders.