Terry McLaurin enters his seventh season with the Washington Commanders in 2025, the final year of his three-year rookie contract extension from 2022 that is worth $68.364 million. After redshirting his first season, McLaurin played four additional seasons for Ohio State University and entered the NFL Draft as one of the better wide receivers on the board.
He entered the NFL Draft in 2019, where the Commanders (as the Redskins) drafted him in the third round. In his six seasons in the league thus far, McLaurin has amassed 6,379 receiving yards on 460 receptions and 38 receiving touchdowns, along with 73 yards rushing and no additional touchdowns. He has not attempted any passes.
Last season, Terry McLaurin was a top-ten wide receiver in all league formats. McLaurin slotted in as a WR1 last year once again for the Commanders, but had a career year thanks to a new superstar rookie QB. He and Jayden Daniels built immediate rapport, allowing him to put up great statistical numbers. He should continue to succeed with a clear talent under center, as a focal point in the Commanders’ passing game, and his ability to make impressive catches and plays after the catch, and in the endzone, makes him a true threat each time he touches the ball.
The defense is a bit more shaky, though improving, and Jayden Daniels is already earning his way into the top-tier conversations. Will the second-year quarterback avoid the sophomore slump and help Terry McLaurin remain one of the top receivers in the league?
Terry McLaurin 2024 Stats and Fantasy Production
Terry McLaurin played in all 17 games last season with the Commanders. McLaurin caught 82 of 117 passes thrown his way, for 1,096 receiving yards while recording a career-high 13 touchdowns. He also rushed for two yards in two attempts, with no additional touchdowns. He accumulated no passing or special-teams points.
In 2024, Terry McLaurin was a mid-range WR1 for any fantasy team that drafted him. Using Fantasy Pros standard scoring, Nabers was worth 10.9 points per game for a total of 185.8 points cumulatively. In PPR leagues, those numbers increased a bit to 15.8 points per game for a cumulative total of 267.8 points. In all formats, he scored between the fifth and seventh most points of any wide receiver in the league.
Terry McLaurin was the clear lead wide receiver for the vaunted Commanders offense. Although other receivers earned more targets, McLaurin thrived in big plays and touchdown receptions in key moments. McLaurin is a clear top-ten wide receiver, with the opportunity to climb into the top five with a second stellar season in a row.
Terry McLaurin 2025 Fantasy Outlook
Terry McLaurin enters 2025 healthy and is coming off a career season. Similar to other players in the Outlook series, McLaurin has not had job security past this season with his current team, given that he is in the last year of his contract. McLaurin will look to show teams he has found a level of dominance that he can consistently provide, earning himself one more solid NFL contract as he continues to age.
Terry McLaurin posted great numbers in 2024, with a quarterback that quickly ascended to one of the best ones in the league in Jayden Daniels, earning himself Rookie of the Year. He became a safety net for Daniels when he needed a big play or a score, and that should only continue with more growth from a young offense and quarterback, albeit with a developing defensive staff.
According to Fantasy Pros, Terry McLaurin is projected as the 29th overall pick in standard leagues, 14th among wide receivers. In PPR leagues, he gets a jump due to his number of targets, at number 32 overall and number 17 among wide receivers, and 33 overall, 16 among wide receivers in half PPR leagues. His lower rate of targets when compared to other top receivers makes him less valuable in PPR leagues.
Entering 2025, I expect Terry McLaurin to have an even better year than his last season. With a second season with his quarterback under center, and an improving offense that was already very good last season, McLaurin can continue to gather yards and touchdowns with teams having to guard against the run as well. The Commanders have hopes of making a Super Bowl push after last season’s surprising playoff run, and McLaurin will be essential to that opportunity.
Terry McLaurin should be able to gather 1100-1200 total passing yards, which would be among his career highs, 85-95 receptions, also a career high, and 13-15 touchdowns. On an offense that is working to be among the best in the league, McLaurin should be able to improve on his previous season. He is projected to get drafted somewhere in the late second to early third round. For the 2025 season, this value seems below his actual talent, and he could very easily outperform his expected ADP, but there is inherent risk with any player who is continuing to age and with a young team around him.
Terry McLaurin Dynasty Outlook
Terry McLaurin will be entering his age-30 season this year. While he showed no sign of slowing up last season, the fact remains that he is getting to the point in his career where wide-receiver numbers will soon begin to dip for most players. He could stay near the top of the wide receiver rankings in the short term, but his long-term outlook is far more fuzzy.
Many other good wide receivers in the league can put up solid fantasy points. However, what Terry McLaurin brought to the table last year was big plays and touchdowns. The problem is that it can be a tough play to rely on week in and week out. The positive is that wide receivers age better than running backs, but ultimately, as his bursts start to slow, it is more likely he will become a depreciating asset fairly rapidly from a fantasy perspective, unless a league particularly values touchdowns.
The other red flag for Terry McLaurin is his contract situation. While McLaurin has put up solid and consistent statistics most of his career, and also staying healthy and playing every game for the last four seasons in a row, his best season fantasy-wise was last year due to the massive increase in touchdown receptions. He can put up solid numbers with any quarterback, but he thrived with Daniels, and losing him under center on a different team could cause a dip in stats. That said, he can play as the clear WR1 on a team and still put up numbers, making his talent replicable elsewhere.
Terry McLaurin is a solid player and worth more than his projections in the short term, but he is a risky play in dynasty if you are attempting to build a team for the long haul. Essentially, whether a fantasy player should hold him or try to trade him is entirely based on the direction of the team itself. He will score plenty of points and slot in as one of the better and more consistent WR1s in the league right now, but likely not far into the future.
Teams looking to rebuild should move him, while teams looking for a championship this season should be willing to move future assets for a shot at the title. Owners should be reserved of giving up a lot to acquire him if the asking price is too high, though based on ADP, some teams may actually undervalue him. Ultimately, it is all about what the future looks like for the team, and decisions should be made purely with that thought in mind: top contender, or time to tear down and rebuild.
Final Thoughts
Entering his age-30 season, Terry McLaurin has a long track record, but the success he has had should give fantasy owners confidence that it will continue for the upcoming season. For 2025, he is worth drafting and relying on as a middle-end WR1 option. McLaurin had a great 2024 season with QB Jayden Daniels, and assuming he continues to stay healthy, that pattern should continue. The Commanders are attempting to be back in contention and have a chip on their shoulder to prove last year was not a fluke, so opportunities should come for the skilled WR. McLaurin is no guarantee, but he should still be a pretty safe bet for at least the short term.
