RADIO
Rachaad White's Inefficiency and Low Volume a Major Concern
Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White appears to be solidified as the team's clear No. 2 option out of the backfield. There was some speculation that he was signed to compete for Jacory Croskey-Merritt's lead-back role, but there was a clear gap between the two in Week 1, as White rushed for just 22 yards on seven carries. His low volume and lack of efficiency make him an unappealing fantasy option going forward. His role as a handcuff makes him a worthwhile stash in most leagues, but he does not belong in starting lineups as long as Croskey-Merritt is healthy. RotoBaller's fantasy football experts agree, dropping him to RB41 in their latest rankings for half-PPR leagues ahead of Week 2.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chig Okonkwo Missing Another Practice on Thursday
The Athletic's Nicki Jhabvala did not see tight end Chig Okonkwo (hamstring) during the media-viewing portion of practice on Thursday. Okonkwo left the Week 1 season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles early on Sunday with a hamstring injury after catching two of his three targets for 16 yards. He did not practice on Wednesday either, so Okonkwo is looking doubtful to play in Week 2 against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys unless he can get back on the practice field on Friday. The 27-year-old former fourth-rounder by the Tennessee Titans in 2022 from Maryland was billed as a potential sleeper tight end in his first year in Washington, but he is off to a bad start after getting injured in the season opener. If Okonkwo is forced to sit out in Week 2, both John Bates and Ben Sinnott will likely split the pass-catching duties at TE for the Commanders. Bates and Sinnott would only be stream-worthy in much deeper fantasy leagues if Okonkwo is inactive against the Cowboys.
Source: The Athletic - Nicki Jhabvala
Source: The Athletic - Nicki Jhabvala
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Takes Early Lead in Washington Backfield
Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt didn't take over the backfield in Week 1, but the rushing split was hard to miss. He carried 16 times for 63 yards and a touchdown against Philadelphia. Rachaad White had seven carries, while rookie Kaytron Allen had four. The snaps were much closer, with Croskey-Merritt at 49% and White at 41%, so White isn't disappearing from this offense. He also caught both of his targets, while Croskey-Merritt's only reception went for minus-seven yards. Still, Washington gave Croskey-Merritt 16 of its 27 running back carries, and he punched in a one-yard touchdown late in the first half. He did put the ball on the ground once, though the Commanders recovered it. Croskey-Merritt was already listed first on the depth chart before the opener. The game told us more than the depth chart did. For now, he looks like the back Washington wants handling most of the rushing work.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Stefon Diggs Looks to Be a Major Piece of Commanders Offense
Veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs saw a team-leading nine targets, which he turned into four catches for 55 yards and a touchdown, in his Washington Commanders debut, and in Week 2, he faces a Cowboys defense that was practically unable to get off the field in the second half of Sunday night's loss to the Giants. Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was not particularly sharp in his first game running David Blough's offense, but Washington operated out of 11-personnel at the league's fifth-highest rate in Week 1, which is an encouraging sign for Diggs, who has seen his slot usage rise in each of the past four seasons. The Cowboys were one of the top defenses to target for fantasy in 2025, and despite an aggressive offseason overhaul, the results were not promising in the season opener, presenting a potentially favorable matchup for Diggs, who comes into the Week as RotoBaller's WR30.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chig Okonkwo Won't Practice on Wednesday
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that tight end Chig Okonkwo (hamstring) will not practice on Wednesday after injuring his hamstring in the Week 1 season-opening loss to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic. It is not a great sign for Okonkwo, but he could still play in Week 2 against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys if he can return to the field on Thursday or Friday. The 27-year-old has real sleeper potential at the tight end position in 2026 in his first year in D.C., but he got off to a slow start last weekend with just two catches for 16 yards on three targets, but getting injured obviously did not help. Okonkwo is shaping up as a hard-to-trust TE2 option for Week 2 in Dallas, but there is still time for him to shake his hamstring injury and play on Sunday. If Okonkwo is limited or out against the Cowboys, John Bates and Ben Sinnott could both be deep-league streaming options for the Commanders.
Source: The Athletic - Tashan Reed
Source: The Athletic - Tashan Reed
Antonio Williams Makes Strong Case for More Work
Washington Commanders wide receiver Antonio Williams made plenty happen with a small Week 1 role, catching all four of his targets for a team-high 64 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 24-22 loss to Philadelphia. The third-round rookie was only on the field for 26 of Washington's 70 offensive snaps, which makes the debut more interesting than the box score alone. Williams had spent much of the offseason working from the slot, and ESPN reported this week that he appears to have a role there that could grow as the season moves along. He gave Washington a reason to consider it. Williams came through on a 33-yard catch on third-and-long before scoring from one yard out late in the fourth quarter. He still has work to do before becoming a consistent fantasy option, especially after such limited playing time in the opener. His stock is clearly moving up, though. Four catches on four chances is a strong first argument for getting him onto the field more often.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kaytron Allen Carving Out Role Despite No. 3 Spot on Depth Chart
Washington Commanders running back Kaytron Allen was able to carve out a role in Week 1, despite ranking third on the depth chart behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White. It wasn't the prettiest or flashiest performance, but his four rushing attempts for 10 yards ranked ahead of many other teams' No. 3 running backs in terms of involvement. It was very encouraging to see the Commanders carve out playing time (10% of snaps) for the rookie in the season opener, as it indicates that his role could only grow going forward. Managers in deeper leagues should consider adding Allen off the waiver wire now, because if his role continues to grow, there will be more competition to get him on fantasy rosters. There's a very real chance that the rookie's fantasy stock will never be lower than it is right now, so managers are advised to get in on the ground floor.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ben Sinnott One to Watch on the Waiver Wire
Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott did not record a single statistic in Week 1. The Commanders lost to the Philadelphia Eagles by a final score of 24-22, but Sinnott was a non-factor in the passing game. According to Pro Football Focus, Sinnott played 18 offensive snaps and 16 snaps on special teams. He played well behind Chig Okonkwo (hamstring), who had 39 offensive snaps, and John Bates, who had 34 offensive snaps. Okonkwo and Bates recorded two receptions each. Sinnott has amassed just 16 receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns throughout his NFL career thus far, but he could have a slightly bigger role going into Week 2 action against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys if Okonkwo's hamstring injury keeps him out.
Source: Pro Football Focus
Source: Pro Football Focus
John Bates on TE Streaming Radar Due to Teammate's Injury
Washington Commanders tight end John Bates only caught two of his three targets for 13 yards in the Week 1 season-opening loss to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday while playing just under half of the offensive snaps. The 28-year-old is not currently rostered in any Yahoo leagues, but the former fourth-rounder from Boise State could find himself on the streaming radar in two-TE leagues going into a Week 1 matchup on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, who allowed two touchdowns to Giants TE Isaiah Likely in Week 1, if fellow TE Chig Okonkwo (hamstring) cannot play after suffering a hamstring injury in the season opener. Bates has never had more than 249 receiving yards or one touchdown in any of his previous five seasons with the Commanders, so he is merely a speculative deep-league pickup in two-TE leagues in case Okonkwo's injury is serious enough to keep him from suiting up this weekend in Dallas. For what it is worth, Bates had more than two targets in Week 1 for the first time since Week 9 of last year, although that likely had something to do with Okonkwo getting hurt.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Antonio Williams a Waiver-Wire Target After a Strong Debut
Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams caught all four of his targets for a team-leading 64 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's divisional loss to the Eagles, stepping in to keep things close on a day when the passing offense was not clicking. The 2026 third-round pick is the WR14 on the week with one more game to be played. While Williams is worth a look on waiver wires, managers should expect more involvement from Terry McLaurin moving forward after the veteran opened his eighth season with only two catches for 14 yards. Through one week, Williams appears to have a role in a Commanders offense that could see brighter days as the unit gels under first-year offensive coordinator David Blough. However, his ceiling will likely still be capped, with McLaurin and Stefon Diggs projected as the team's most consistent target earners.
Source: Antonio Williams
Source: Antonio Williams
Antonio Williams Leads Washington Offense in NFL Debut
Washington Commanders wide receiver Antonio Williams made the most of his opportunities during his NFL debut against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The rookie third-rounder was held without a catch until late in the second quarter. He finally got involved with a 16-yard grab to set up the Commanders on the one-yard line. Williams came up with another impressive play with a 33-yard catch in the fourth quarter. Overall, Williams hauled in all four of his targets for a team-high 64 yards in the loss. It was a solid game for Williams, but he remains the third option behind Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. The rookie wideout could be worth stashing in deep leagues, but isn't an ideal starting option until he proves that he can do it every week.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Terry McLaurin Posts Dud in Season Opener
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was barely a factor during Sunday's season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Scary Terry was not scary at all to the Eagles' defense in this one. The 31-year-old hauled in two of his four targets for 14 yards in the two-point loss. McLaurin was projected to be a WR2 coming into this game, and he barely got involved. It took a while for the Commanders' offense to get going in this one. McLaurin finishing fourth on the team in receiving yards is not acceptable to fantasy managers. McLaurin has the talent and is expected to bounce back in a favorable matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Chig Okonkwo Questionable to Return Against Eagles in Week 1
Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo (hamstring) is questionable to return to Sunday's Week 1 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. He suffered the injury during the third quarter. At the time of his departure, he had caught just two of three targets for 16 yards. Okonkwo was signed during the offseason to be the Commanders' No. 1 tight end, and while there was decent upside behind the move, he also entered this season with a relatively low floor. After all, he never finished higher than TE21 in his three years with the Tennessee Titans. We're still optimistic that Okonkwo can have top-18 upside once he's cleared to return to action. In the meantime, John Bates will step up as the Commanders' top tight end.
Source: Washington Commanders
Source: Washington Commanders
Treylon Burks Inactive Ahead of Week 1 Battle vs. Eagles
Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks was listed as inactive shortly before his team's Week 1 tilt against the host Philadelphia Eagles, the team reported via the X platform. The 26-year-old dealt with foot soreness during training camp, but it hasn't yet been confirmed if that is the reason he isn't playing in Sunday's game. The former first-round pick played just eight games in 2025 after fracturing his collarbone in the offseason, and finished the campaign with 10 receptions for 130 yards and one touchdown. The Commanders' receiving room has gotten crowded thanks to the addition of Stefon Diggs, who is expected to get plenty of playing time opposite Terry McLaurin this year. Burks' absence from Sunday's game in Philadelphia further reinforces that he doesn't produce enough weekly fantasy volume to be a reliable asset in redraft leagues.
Source: Washington Commanders via X.com
Source: Washington Commanders via X.com
Terry McLaurin Remains a WR2 Despite Tough Matchup
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin should stay in fantasy lineups Sunday against Philadelphia, even if the matchup lowers the ceiling a bit. McLaurin played only 10 games last season but still caught 38 passes for 582 yards and three touchdowns on 60 targets. He enters Week 1 healthy and remains the favorite to lead Washington's receivers in targets, though Stefon Diggs gives Jayden Daniels another proven option underneath. Philadelphia was brutal on wide receivers in 2025, allowing just 2,302 receiving yards and six touchdowns to the position. McLaurin has at least handled this matchup well over the years, averaging 4.9 catches and 71.9 yards across 15 career games against the Eagles with six touchdowns. RotoBaller has him at WR26 for Week 1. That keeps him in the WR2 range, but this is more of a floor play than a spot to chase a huge ceiling game.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
