The Washington Commanders will face the Chicago Bears in Week 8. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding QB Jayden Daniels.
Is Jayden Daniels Playing in Week 8?
Jayden Daniels would be a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year honors if the 2024 NFL season ended today. However, the Washington Commanders quarterback is currently sidelined with a rib injury after taking a hard first-quarter hit in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers.
Daniels was replaced by backup quarterback Marcus Mariota on Washington’s second drive. While he was ruled out for the rest of Sunday’s game, Daniels returned to the Commanders’ sideline in street clothes.
A smiling Jayden Daniels returns to the sideline pic.twitter.com/bYuuJc9oOT
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 20, 2024
Subsequent updates on his condition have been positive. Daniels’ mother tweeted, “He’s fine,” in reference to her son’s injury. Meanwhile, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported that tests revealed no fractures to Daniels’ ribs.
On Monday, head coach Dan Quinn labeled Daniels “week to week” ahead of Washington’s Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears. “We’re hopeful he can play, but we’ll also make sure to take every precautionary step and do it smartly for the player and the man,” Quinn said.
While Quinn was optimistic about Daniels’ Week 8 status earlier in the week, the rookie quarterback did not participate in practice on Wednesday or Thursday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Daniels would attempt to practice on Friday. However, the rookie signal-caller ultimately could not participate. Quinn and the Commanders consider Daniels a game-time decision for Week 8.
“We will assess how he responds to the work that we did over the next 48 hours,” Quinn said. “But we really pushed it today.”
NFL Network has suggested that Mariota will likely start against the Bears on Sunday. Washington’s QB2 carved up the Panthers’ sieve of a defense in Week 7, completing 18 of 23 attempts for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Chicago’s defense — which ranks No. 2 in EPA against the pass — represents a much stiffer test.
Daniels has been the NFL’s most efficient quarterback through seven weeks, ranking No. 1 in EPA per dropback (0.27). He’s also third in passing success rate (52.1%), indicating he’s consistent on a down-to-down basis.
We’ll continue to monitor the Commanders’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Jayden Daniels in Week 8?
If you roster Jayden Daniels, you probably don’t need me to tell you that he left early last week and his status is unknown for Week 8. In the meantime, the team has gone out of its way to say how cautious they will be with their franchise centerpiece.
At this point, Daniels is matchup-proof, so if the Commanders play him, you do the same. He hardly played last week, and yet, he still extended his streak of consecutive games with a 30+ yard run or multiple touchdowns to three straight (and four of his past five).
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 8 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Jayden Daniels’ Fantasy Points Projection in Week 8
Daniels is projected to score 18 fantasy points in Week 8. This includes 228.4 passing yards, 1 passing touchdowns, and 0.6 interceptions. It also includes 5 rushing attempts for 37.8 yards and 0.3 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Jayden Daniels’ Week 8 Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 8:30 AM ET on Sunday, January 12. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Wild Card Superflex Rankings.
Wild Card QB PPR Rankings
1) Josh Allen | BUF (vs. DEN)
2) Lamar Jackson | BAL (vs. PIT)
3) Jalen Hurts | PHI (vs. GB)
4) Jayden Daniels | WAS (at TB)
5) Baker Mayfield | TB (vs. WAS)
6) Sam Darnold | MIN (at LAR)
7) Bo Nix | DEN (at BUF)
8) Justin Herbert | LAC (at HOU)
9) Jordan Love | GB (at PHI)
10) Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs. MIN)
11) Russell Wilson | PIT (at BAL)
12) C.J. Stroud | HOU (vs. LAC)
13) Justin Fields | PIT (at BAL)
14) Kenny Pickett | PHI (vs. GB)
15) Jimmy Garoppolo | LAR (vs. MIN)
16) Kyle Trask | TB (vs. WAS)
17) Devin Leary | BAL (vs. PIT)
18) Nick Mullens | MIN (at LAR)
19) Mitchell Trubisky | BUF (vs. DEN)
20) Marcus Mariota | WAS (at TB)
21) Jarrett Stidham | DEN (at BUF)
22) Easton Stick | LAC (at HOU)
23) Davis Mills | HOU (vs. LAC)
24) Malik Willis | GB (at PHI)
Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders Insights
Chicago Bears
Team: The Bears give away just one first down via penalty per game this season (tied for the third-fewest; only the Steelers and 49ers allow fewer).
QB: Caleb Williams took a few games to look like the prodigy he was sold as, but we are moving in that direction:
Weeks 1-3:
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- 59.3% completion percentage
- 5.3 yards per attempt
- 65.3 passer rating
- 13.7 pressure passer rating
- 0.5 touchdown-to-interception rate
Weeks 4-6:
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- 74.1% completion percentage
- 8.5 yards per attempt
- 122.8 passer rating
- 109.6 pressure passer rating
- 7.0 touchdown-to-interception rate
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Offense: The scheming hasn’t been effective for the Bears – only the Browns are averaging fewer yards per play in first quarters than Chicago this season.
Defense: The Bears are the only defense in the league this season to have allowed a touchdown to the slot.
Fantasy: There is one running back who has strung together three straight top-six finishes at the position this season, and his name is D’Andre Swift.
Betting: The Bears are coming off their bye and have seen five of their past six games on extra rest go under the total (average difference to the projected total: -5.3 points).
Washington Commanders
Team: The Commanders lead the NFL with a plus-66 point differential. It’s Washington’s best point differential through seven games since 1991, the season of their last Super Bowl title.
QB: Jayden Daniels is averaging 8.4 yards per pass this season, a rate only Brock Purdy topped in 2023.
Offense: Last week was the third time the Commanders have posted at least a 52% success rate in a game this season. The rest of the NFL has done that six times combined, and no team has done it more than once.
Defense: The Commanders allow 9.4 yards per fourth-quarter pass, the second-most in the league (Jaguars).
Fantasy: Brian Robinson Jr. has been a top-25 running back in every game he has played this season, but be careful – he’s gone consecutive games without a target and four straight without a 20-yard rush.
Betting: When rookie QBs oppose one another, the home team has covered six of the past eight.