Who Should I Start? Michael Penix Jr. or Jayden Daniels

Friday, September 11, 8:22 PM

Washington Commanders third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels is coming off a disappointing sophomore campaign that was derailed by injuries. The 25-year-old started only seven games and only played four full games, and his completion percentage fell from the historic 69% mark in his rookie season to 60.6% in 2025. Daniels enters the 2026 regular season fully healthy and motivated to produce with a revamped pass-catching group, headlined by the addition of veteran WR Stefon Diggs, along with third-round rookie WR Antonio Williams, TE Chig Okonkwo, and RB Rachaad White. The loss of star LT Laremy Tunsil (triceps) is a major blow, but Daniels also led Washington to a top-5 offense without him two seasons ago. The LSU product faces a strong challenge on the road in Philadelphia in Week 1, where he last took the field more than one season ago in the 2024-25 NFC Championship Game. Facing the vaunted Super Bowl-winning Eagles defense three times as a rookie, Daniels averaged 24.29 fantasy points per game in those matchups. The Eagles' defense again looks primed to be one of the best in football after allowing the fewest passing touchdowns last season, but Daniels still projects favorably due to his dual-threat ability. Daniels ranks as RotoBaller's QB12 for Week 1.