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Terry McLaurin has been one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL for years now. His 2025 campaign is going to look quite different, though.
After years of steady play, the Washington Commanders receiver felt deserving of a lucrative contract extension. The Commanders have yet to give him that deal, which has led to the receiver skipping training camp and even requesting a trade.
McLaurin's future with the team is in doubt, which puts his fantasy football outlook for the upcoming season in an interesting place. So what do fantasy football managers need to know about McLaurin before the start of the 2025 season?
Terry McLaurin's 2024 fantasy football statistics
McLaurin has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards every year since his rookie season, which gives him a five-year streak of doing so. Last year, McLaurin racked up 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns. He played a vital role in turning the Commanders' offense into one of the best units in the NFL and one of the best offensive teams in Commanders history.
Of course, Jayden Daniels also played a big part in transforming Washington. The former Heisman winner was the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he had one of the best rookie seasons of all time. McLaurin was his security blanket and favorite target.
The always steady receiver from Ohio State had 267.8 PPR fantasy points and 185.8 standard fantasy points last season. Those were the seventh and fifth best marks among receivers, respectively.
Terry McLaurin's 2025 fantasy football projections
If he plays, McLaurin could be in for an even bigger year than last season. That is a big if, though. Nearly everybody assumed that McLaurin's trade request was just to force the Commanders' hand and secure the $30 million-plus-per-season deal the receiver is looking for.
More recent reports suggest that McLaurin's relationship with the Commanders is worse than anticipated, though, and both sides are still far away from reaching an agreement.
Furthermore, a number of teams around the league have reached out with interest in making a trade for the star receiver. Even if/when McLaurin does return, he may be out of shape and lacking the chemistry he had with Daniels last season due to his extended time away from the practice field.
The Commanders would be smart to get a deal done with their star receiver soon. Although they traded for Deebo Samuel in the offseason, McLaurin is better suited to rack up the receptions in Washington. Samuel is a yards-after-catch specialist, but he isn't as crisp a route runner as McLaurin is.
If McLaurin plays the full season with the Commanders, he is projected to secure 86 catches for 1,151 yards and seven touchdowns.
It'll be tough to replicate his touchdown production from last season with Samuel in town and Daniels a threat to run the football, but year-two improvements from the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year could mean more targets for McLaurin.
Terry McLaurin's Fantasy football receiver rankings
McLaurin is the 36th-ranked fantasy player overall and the No. 16 receiver, according to fantasypros.com. His average draft position is 39.5, meaning he will be available in the fourth round of most fantasy football drafts. For someone so consistent, this projection is somewhat low.
However, drafting McLaurin comes with a great risk because of his current hold-in. Furthermore, his ceiling isn't as high as some of the other elite receivers in the NFL. He is seemingly good for 1,000 yards every season, but he always barely exceeds that number, and regression as a scorer is a possibility in 2025.
Even so, if the Commanders figure out McLaurin's contract/trade drama, he is a player who PPR fantasy managers can count on for around 16 points every week. His reliability means he can far outproduce his expected draft slot.
