Should I start Terry McLaurin? Fantasy Football preview of Commanders WR for Week 1 clash vs. Cardinals

The Washington Commanders are entering a pivotal era in 2023, and Terry McLaurin is projected to be a huge part of their future.

The universally reviled Dan Snyder no longer owns the team, having sold it for $6 billion to Josh Harris. But beyond the new ownership, there are also changes on the field as well.

The 2022 fifth-round pick Sam Howell is entering as the starting quarterback, and he has a new offensive coordinator to guide him in Eric Bieniemy, formerly of the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

On the defensive side, the Commanders have upgraded their secondary with rookies Emmanuel Forbes and Jartavius Martin.

But some pieces have remained — most notably wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who had a career-high 1,191 receiving yards en route to his first Pro Bowl.

---

Terry McLaurin's Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 1

Terry McLaurin vs the Baltimore Ravens

FantasyPros has Terry McLaurin pegged as the No. 53 player and No. 22-25 WR heading into 2023. With him being the only noteworthy pass-catcher in the group so far, expect him to receive a majority of the Washington Commanders' aerial targets.

However, the Commanders' first opponents, the Arizona Cardinals, are the consensus pick to be the worst team in the NFL again, given the benching of their supposedly fully healthy quarterback, Kyler Murray.

This means that McLaurin will most likely split catches with the likes of Byron Pringle and Curtis Samuel.

But with Sean Payton's Denver Broncos and the dominant Buffalo Bills up next, the Commanders will be expected to increase his target count relative to the rest of the corps.

---

Will Terry McLaurin play against the Cardinals? Week 1 update on Commanders' wide receiver

Terry McLaurin against the Houston Texans

During the Commanders' historic 29-28 preseason win against the Baltimore Ravens, Terry McLaurin hurt his right big toe; however, an MRI scan revealed no significant damage. Nevertheless, head coach Ron Rivera stated that the wide receiver would be day-to-day.

However, McLaurin finally returned to practice fully healthy on Friday, all but confirming that he would start on September 10. Rivera could not hide his excitement when speaking to the media:

"It's exciting. From the beginning of this week right up to where we are, Terry has gotten stronger and stronger. I think the rapport that he and Sam (Howell) have is really important to us."

The wide receiver himself also said:

"I'm a fighter. I want to be out there with my guys."

The Commanders-Cardinals game kicks off at 1:00 P.M. ET on Fox.