2026 Week 8 Fantasy Football Breaking News: Terry McLaurin to IR, Van Jefferson Promoted

According to ProFootballTalk (NBC Sports), the Washington Commanders have officially moved wide receiver Terry McLaurin to injured reserve after he tore his patellar tendon in their Week 6 loss to the 49ers. McLaurin will miss the rest of the 2026 season and is targeting a return in 2027. To fill his roster spot, Washington promoted veteran wideout Van Jefferson from the practice squad.

Terry McLaurin

McLaurin is done for the year — cut him in redraft leagues immediately and free up the roster spot. In dynasty, his value takes a significant hit given the severity of a patellar tendon tear, but he remains a long-term asset worth stashing if your roster allows it. The Commanders kept him on the roster through their bye week, so the IR move is official as of today.

Stefon Diggs

With McLaurin out for the season, Diggs is the clear No. 1 receiver in Washington and the primary beneficiary of this news. He's been averaging 7.6 targets per game in 5 appearances this season — that number should climb with McLaurin's targets now up for grabs. If you don't own Diggs, he deserves immediate attention on the waiver wire (the process by which teams claim free agents in fantasy leagues).

Antonio Williams

Williams is next on the depth chart behind Diggs and has played 55.1% of snaps across 6 games. He's the more realistic waiver target in deeper leagues — McLaurin's departure could push his average of 4.3 targets per game higher. He's a low-end flex streamer worth picking up in 12-team PPR (point-per-reception) formats.

Van Jefferson

Jefferson was signed off the practice squad to fill the roster spot, per the source story, and has appeared in just one game this season. He's a speculative add at best — monitor his role in practice, but don't roster him ahead of Williams or Treylon Burks until he shows he's earning snaps. Burks himself has averaged 3.4 targets per game in 5 games and is a distant third option, but worth a look in very deep leagues if the rest of the unit gets picked over.