September 19, 2025
Washington Commanders wide receiver
Terry McLaurin will be without his star quarterback
Jayden Daniels as they take on the Raiders at home in Week 3. McLaurin has had a slow start to the season after his holdout during training camp, with even reception on 13 targets for 75 yards in the two games. However, that is still more than what McLaurin had after the first two games of his career-best 2024 season, when he had only eight catches for 39 yards. The situation is obviously different this season now with
Marcus Mariota set to start in Week 3, but McLaurin was very productive in a limited sample with Mariota last season. In nearly a full game together against Carolina, McLaurin led the team in receiving, catching all six of his targets for 98 yards. Then, when Mariota entered for the second half of Week 18 against the Cowboys, Mariota peppered McLaurin with easily a team-high eight targets in that small time for seven catches, 57 yards, and a game-winning touchdown. With the need to get McLaurin going and in rhythm early, combined with Mariota's trust in him, it could be a good bounce-back spot for the Washington receiver. He should be confidently started as a WR2 this week against Las Vegas.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 19, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt appears set to lead the team's backfield in Week 3 against the Raiders. With
Austin Ekeler out for the season, Croskey-Merritt is expected to start and handle the most carries after touching the ball just four times in Week 2's loss to the Packers. The rookie has been super productive and dynamic on his touches this season, earning the highest rushing grade among all running backs, per PFF. He burst onto the scene with 10 rushes for 82 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut against the Giants and closed the game out with an explosive 42-yard rush on the team's final drive of the game. Third year back,
Chris Rodriguez Jr. will be back in the fold now and could take away some early down work as well as short yardage and goal line carries with his hammer running style. And then veteran
Jeremy McNichols will fill in for Ekeler and handle most of the pass-down responsibilities. Croskey-Merritt will continue to have to earn trust in pass protection and other areas without the ball before being thrust into an every-down role. With
Marcus Mariota filling in for an injured
Jayden Daniels, Croskey-Merritt can still be fired up as an RB2 against the Raiders in Week 2.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 19, 2025
Washington Commanders wide receiver
Noah Brown (groin) has been ruled out for the Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Unsurprisingly, Brown will be sidelined after not practicing since exiting early during last Thursday's game against the Green Bay Packers. For now, Brown should be treated as day-to-day, but he could be headed towards a stint on the injured reserve.
Jaylin Lane and
Luke McCaffrey figure to split up playing time as the third wideout in Washington. Neither player has done much on the field this season and aren't ideal streaming options right now.
--Andy WebbSource: John Keim
September 19, 2025
Washington Commanders quarterback
Marcus Mariota has been named the starter for the Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Jayden Daniels (knee) was able to practice on Friday, but the Commanders will take the cautious approach and hold him out of this game. Last season, Mariota tossed four touchdowns without any interceptions while throwing for 364 yards in four appearances with Washington. He's not a great long-term option, but is serviceable for a game or two. Mariota could offer QB2 value given his success with the team last season.
--Andy WebbSource: Mike Garafolo
September 19, 2025
Washington Commanders quarterback
Jayden Daniels (knee) has officially been ruled out for Week 3 on Sunday against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders, according to The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov. Things were trending this way since earlier in the week when head coach Dan Quinn said that Daniels wouldn't practice until at least Friday. He missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday and wasn't seen on the field on Friday, either, so veteran
Marcus Mariota will officially make his first start of the year against his old team. The Commanders are erring on the side of caution with their second-year signal-caller, but Daniels could also be in danger of missing the Week 4 game against the Atlanta Falcons due to a knee sprain that he suffered in the Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Mariota, who will be making his first start since 2022, will be a low-end QB2 option for those desperate in superflex leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
September 19, 2025
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that "all signs" point to Washington Commanders veteran quarterback
Marcus Mariota getting the start for Week 3's meeting with the visiting Las Vegas Raiders. There was some hope that star QB
Jayden Daniels (knee) would be healthy enough to suit up on Sunday, but the Commanders will exhibit a bit of caution with their young signal-caller, and rightfully so. It's been nearly three seasons since the 31-year-old drew a start, and the Commanders' offense takes a step or two back with him at the helm. Las Vegas' defense has been stellar against opposing rushing attacks thus far, yielding the fourth-fewest yards per game on the ground (70.5), so the veteran may be forced to air it out in his return.
--Alex CiullaSource: Tom Pelissero
September 19, 2025
The Athletic's Nicki Jhabvala predicts that Washington Commanders running back
Chris Rodriguez Jr. should get an opportunity to impact the field when his team lines up with the visiting Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Rodriguez Jr. was a healthy scratch for the team's first two contests, but Jhabvala credits that more to game-day roster construction than an indication of talent. While an accurate touch share can't be predicted, the 25-year-old figures to work in tandem with both rookie rusher
Jacory Croskey-Merritt and veteran
Jeremy McNichols. As of now, Croskey-Merritt should be favored for early-down work, with McNichols handling most of the passing situations and Rodriguez Jr. mixing in for both.
--Alex CiullaSource: Nicki Jhabvala
September 19, 2025
Washington Commanders beat writer Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic predicts a 40-45% chance that Commanders quarterback
Jayden Daniels (knee) suits up for Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Daniels suffered a knee sprain during the team's Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. It's worth noting that Jhabvala also writes that he "doesn't have a good sense" of Daniels' status for Week 3. Still, Daniels has not practiced yet this week heading into Friday, and it could make sense for the team to be cautious with their young superstar this early in the season. If Daniels cannot play, veteran quarterback
Marcus Mariota would take over under center for Washington. Even if Daniels does suit up, he may not be able to do much damage with his legs, which could limit his effectiveness against Las Vegas. Daniels would remain a must-start fantasy quarterback if he's active, but fantasy managers should be preparing for him to miss Week 3.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Nicki Jhabvala
September 18, 2025
Washington Commanders wide receiver
Noah Brown (groin, knee) missed another practice on Thursday and is trending toward missing Week 3 action this Sunday against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders. Brown has not practiced at all since injuring his groin/knee in last Thursday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers. The 29-year-old has one more chance to practice on Friday, but at this point, it's not looking good for him playing this weekend. In the Week 1 win over the New York Giants, Brown recorded just two grabs on three targets for 27 yards, and he had one catch on four targets for a nine-yard gain in Week 2 before he was injured. Brown is a distant No. 3 in Washington's offense behind
Terry McLaurin and
Deebo Samuel Sr. and should probably be on the waiver wire in 12-team fantasy leagues. If he sits in Week 3, rookie
Jaylin Lane,
Luke McCaffrey, and
Chris Moore will battle for WR3 targets.
--Keith HernandezSource: Commanders.com
September 18, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Jeremy McNichols (hamstring) practiced in full on Thursday after being limited in practice on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury. He appears to be on track to play in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders. McNichols has recorded four carries for 25 yards through the first two weeks of the season. However, he could be in for significantly more playing time in Washington now that
Austin Ekeler (Achilles) will miss the remainder of the season. McNichols finished 2024 with 288 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns, and the majority of his production came in the five games that Ekeler was unable to play. McNichols could be worth stashing in deeper leagues while the Commanders' new backfield mix takes shape.
--Will BradySource: Washington Commanders
September 18, 2025
With
Austin Ekeler (Achilles) sidelined, Washington Commanders running back
Chris Rodriguez Jr. is set for an expanded role in Week 3. He now slots in as the change-of-pace option behind
Jacory Croskey-Merritt and could see steady early work, especially if QB
Jayden Daniels (knee) is limited against a fierce Raiders pass rush led by Maxx Crosby. Still, fantasy expectations should be tempered -- Las Vegas has allowed just 3.2 yards per carry and 70.5 rushing yards per game, making Rodriguez more of a deep-league stash than a plug-and-play option this week.
--Shaun AlbinSource: Commanders.com
September 18, 2025
Washington Commanders quarterback
Jayden Daniels (knee) is missing a second straight practice on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Daniels suffered a knee sprain in the Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers last Thursday night and is trending toward missing the Week 3 contest this Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. The 24-year-old has a shot to return to practice on Friday, but the Commanders are expected to err on the side of caution with the second-year signal-caller. Veteran backup
Marcus Mariota is preparing to start this weekend, and it was telling that Washington had him available to speak to the media on Wednesday, and not Daniels. Fantasy managers should be preparing as if Daniels will not be available for Week 3. Don't be so sure that he'll make it back for Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons, either.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
September 18, 2025
Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said the challenge for rookie running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt will be "playing without the ball." "Every time he's touched it, good things happen," but Kingsbury stressed that pass protection or just running his routes properly is a "big deal." However, the OC said he's "impressed by his work ethic." Washington's top pass-catching back, veteran
Austin Ekeler, is out for the year after tearing his Achilles in the Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Croskey-Merritt has averaged an impressive 7.1 yards per carry on his 14 rushing attempts in his first two NFL games, but he's failed to reel in his two pass-game targets, and it sounds like he has work to do before being trusted in obvious passing situations going forward.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. will have a role with Ekeler out, but it might be
Jeremy McNichols who gets the first shot in passing situations, starting in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - John Keim
September 18, 2025
Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said that quarterback
Jayden Daniels (knee) is "preparing mentally" on Thursday ahead of the Week 3 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday. "Marcus is taking the reps and Jayden is preparing mentally," Kingsbury said. When asked for a specific update on the health of Daniels, Kingsbury didn't have one, but he did say the team has full confidence in backup
Marcus Mariota. Daniels suffered a knee sprain in last Thursday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers and will not practice before Friday, at the earliest. While Washington hasn't ruled Daniels out this weekend, all signs point to them erring on the side of caution and holding him out. Fantasy managers should have already picked up a backup QB this week if Daniels was the only signal-caller on your roster going into the week.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Washington Post - Nicki Jhabvala
September 18, 2025
Washington Commanders quarterback
Jayden Daniels (knee) is trending toward the wrong side of questionable heading into Week 3. Daniels suffered a knee sprain in the Week 2 loss to Green Bay, and while the team hasn't ruled him out, the signs aren't encouraging. Backup
Marcus Mariota handled Wednesday's press conference duties, which is a signal that the coaching staff may be preparing him to start. The Commanders are mindful of history, especially after the Robert Griffin III saga, where rushing a young ascending QB back from a knee injury ended poorly. Head coach Dan Quinn said that Daniels is not expected to practice until Friday, as he continues to rehab his knee. With a long season ahead and a winnable matchup against the Raiders, the team has every reason to play it safe. At this point, Daniels looks more likely to sit than to suit up in Week 3.
--Nathan HarveySource: Ian Rapoport - NFL Network
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