RADIO
Commanders D/ST Not A Recommended Option for Season Opener vs. Philly
The Washington Commanders' defense was a train wreck in 2025, allowing the most yards and the sixth most points in the league. Predictably, the team completely overhauled the defensive roster over the offseason, adding a new voice in defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, formerly the Vikings' defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. Jones is expected to implement a Brian Flores-style scheme after working closely under him for the past few seasons. Key pieces like EDGE Odafe Oweh, LB Sonny Styles, and S Nick Cross are expected to be impactful additions, in addition to bounce-back seasons from CB Mike Sainristil and LB Frankie Luvu. This unit is still largely expected to be closer to the bottom 1, and will also face a new-look offense in Philadelphia for the season opener. Until proven otherwise, Washington's D/ST is not recommended as a starting option.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Luke McCaffrey Slipping Down the Depth Chart in New-Look Receiver Room
Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey is falling down the depth chart ahead of the 2026 NFL season, and as a result, his fantasy outlook has taken a massive hit. McCaffrey, a 2024 third-round pick out of Rice, is the brother of 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. He has never finished higher than WR108 in his two NFL seasons, and he missed eight games due to injury last season. The Commanders beefed up their wide receiver room this offseason with Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams, who will operate behind Terry McLaurin. That leaves McCaffrey vying for the No. 4 receiver spot at best, although he's also losing ground to Dyami Brown, Treylon Burks, and Jaylin Lane. If not for his special teams value, McCaffrey would probably have found himself on the roster bubble by now. He can be dropped in all fantasy leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Drew Stevens Set to Make NFL Debut Against Eagles in Week 1
Washington Commanders rookie kicker Drew Stevens is set to make his NFL debut on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles for the season opener. Stevens, an undrafted free agent out of Iowa, beat out former 2023 third-round pick Jake Moody for Washington's kicking duties. Stevens went 4-for-5 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points in the preseason. Stevens was also remarkably consistent throughout training camp, making 43 of 48 field goal attempts. Attached to Jayden Daniels and Washington's offense, there could be some scoring opportunities for Stevens, putting him in streamer range for kickers in very deep leagues for Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chig Okonkwo A Risky Option Against Philly in Week 1
Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo is set to make his team debut after signing a three-year, $27 million contract this offseason. The 27-year-old has recorded three straight seasons with 50+ catches with the Titans, and now is slotted to take over Zach Ertz's place as Washington's top pass-catching tight end. The signing of Stefon Diggs lowers the potential target volume for Okonkwo, but Okonkwo's dynamic ability after the catch presents a major upgrade in Washington's offense. While Jayden Daniels is also an upgrade over Okonkwo's quarterbacks throughout his career and the opportunity for targets is there, Okonkwo projects as a risky start in Week 1 against the Eagles. He ranks as RotoBaller's TE26 in PPR leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Antonio Williams A Deep Sleeper in Week 1 vs. the Eagles
Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams has caught some eyes with his performance throughout training camp and joint practices. The third-rounder out of Clemson's immediate path to early targets and playing time was closed with the signing of veteran wideout Stefon Diggs. However, Williams could still be in line to make an impact as the No. 3 wide receiver sooner rather than later. Williams doesn't project to have a massive role for Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, but he's an intriguing player to keep on the watch list. The 22-year-old is a desperation FLEX in deep leagues and is currently WR89 in the latest RotoBaller Week 1 rankings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Stefon Diggs Projects as Flex Option in Week 1
Washington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs is set to make his debut in the burgundy and gold in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The 32-year-old wideout spent one season in New England, where he recorded 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns on 102 targets, playing only 55% of the snaps. Now another season removed from the torn ACL, Diggs has proven to be a favorite target for Jayden Daniels throughout training camp and will be a heavily featured piece of Washington's passing attack alongside Terry McLaurin. Diggs and the passing offense will be put to the test in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, who allowed the fewest passing touchdowns in the league last season. Diggs comes in as RotoBaller's WR43 in PPR leagues for Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Terry McLaurin In WR2 Territory for Season Opener Against Eagles
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is coming off the first injury-plagued season of his seven-year career, playing only 10 games. The 30-year-old wideout remained hyper-efficient on his targets once again, ranking 5th in first downs per route run (0.135) and 11th in yards per target (10.03) among 104 wide receivers and tight ends (minimum 50 targets). McLaurin also welcomes veteran Stefon Diggs, who easily slots in as the best wide receiver opposite McLaurin in his career. Diggs is likely to take a few more targets away as more of an underneath option, but McLaurin should still be the favorite to lead Washington in targets. McLaurin and quarterback Jayden Daniels barely shared the field as they both battled injury, and they'll be looking to recapture that connection that led to McLaurin breaking out with a career-high 13 touchdowns. The 2x Pro Bowler will have a tough matchup in Week 1 against a stingy Eagles secondary led by Quinyon Mitchell, who McLaurin figures to see a heavy diet of. McLaurin has played Philadelphia 15 times in his career, recording 4.9 receptions and 71.9 yards per game and six touchdowns—McLaurin slots in as RotoBaller's WR26 for Week 1 in PPR leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Rachaad White in Flex Territory for Week 1
Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White has been a reliable fantasy producer over the last few seasons, with some upside mixed in at times. The 27-year-old finished as high as the RB10 in PPR/G in 2023, recording the fourth most receptions among running backs in the league that season with 64. White's inefficiencies as a runner have limited his overall upside to this point in his career, though he's still one of the most effective pass-catching backs in the league. Washington's offense missed the receiving ability of RB Austin Ekeler after he got injured early last season, which is the role that White is now aiming to fill. Jayden Daniels doesn't throw to his running backs at an extreme rate. Still, Ekeler played 17 total games with the Commanders (including playoffs) and averaged 3.7 targets and 3.1 catches per game, which are similar to White's career numbers. It remains to be seen how White works into the offense alongside Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but White is expected to play an important role early. White has a challenging matchup in Week 1 against the Eagles, ranking as RotoBaller's RB35 in PPR leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jacory Croskey-Merritt in FLEX Range for Season Opener vs. Philly
Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) is off the injury report and set to play in the season opener versus the Philadelphia Eagles. The second-year back looks primed to be the team's primary runner, with the expectation of working more into the pass game. The coaching staff wanted to see improvement in Croskey-Merritt's receiving and pass protection, and training camp reviews were largely positive in both areas. After rushing for 805 yards and 8 touchdowns on limited touches last season, Croskey-Merritt has an opportunity to take another step in Washington's offense alongside a fully healthy Jayden Daniels. Free-agent signing Rachaad White is expected to play an impactful role as well thanks to his receiving skills, though he is not nearly as efficient or explosive a rusher as Croskey-Merritt. The 25-year-old faces a stiff test in Week 1 against a stout Eagles front seven, though he still offers FLEX value with guaranteed touches and touchdown upside.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jayden Daniels Faces Stiff Test in Philly to Open Season
Washington Commanders third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels is coming off a disappointing sophomore campaign that was derailed by injuries. The 25-year-old started only seven games and only played four full games, and his completion percentage fell from the historic 69% mark in his rookie season to 60.6% in 2025. Daniels enters the 2026 regular season fully healthy and motivated to produce with a revamped pass-catching group, headlined by the addition of veteran WR Stefon Diggs, along with third-round rookie WR Antonio Williams, TE Chig Okonkwo, and RB Rachaad White. The loss of star LT Laremy Tunsil (triceps) is a major blow, but Daniels also led Washington to a top-5 offense without him two seasons ago. The LSU product faces a strong challenge on the road in Philadelphia in Week 1, where he last took the field more than one season ago in the 2024-25 NFC Championship Game. Facing the vaunted Super Bowl-winning Eagles defense three times as a rookie, Daniels averaged 24.29 fantasy points per game in those matchups. The Eagles' defense again looks primed to be one of the best in football after allowing the fewest passing touchdowns last season, but Daniels still projects favorably due to his dual-threat ability. Daniels ranks as RotoBaller's QB12 for Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jaylin Lane Struggling to Find Role in New-Look Receiver Room
Washington Commanders wide receiver Jaylin Lane may struggle to carve out a substantial role in the team's new-look receiver room. The Commanders signed Stefon Diggs and drafted Antonio Williams this past offseason, slotting them into the second and third receiver roles behind Terry McLaurin. That leaves a combo of Lane, Dyami Brown, and Treylon Burks competing for the No. 4 spot on the depth chart. Lane might benefit from being the youngest of that group, but that also means he has the least experience and the least impactful track record. As a rookie last year, the Virginia Tech product caught just 16 of his 32 targets for 225 yards. We'd expect Lane to remain on special teams, with his occasional offensive snaps not providing enough stability for any sort of fantasy relevance. He can be left on waivers in all redraft leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Cleared to Play Sunday
After dealing with a groin injury that limited him in both Wednesday and Thursday's practices, Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) has been cleared to play in Sunday's season-opener against the Eagles, according to head coach Dan Quinn. As a seventh-round rookie in 2025, Croskey-Merritt ran for 805 yards and eight touchdowns, ranking as one of the league's most efficient backs on plays run from under center. With new offensive coordinator David Blough expected to call more such plays, and the second-year runner entering the year with a clean bill of health, Croskey-Merritt has Week 1 flex appeal despite a tough opening matchup. While free-agent acquisition Rachaad White is expected to see much of the Commanders' passing-down work, Croskey-Merritt still profiles as the team's early-down back and should stay involved as long as the game remains close, making him RotoBaller's RB35 for Week 1.
Source: Zach Selby
Source: Zach Selby
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Remains Limited in Practice
Washington Commanders second-year running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) was limited in practice on Thursday for the second straight day as the team continues to prepare for the Week 1 season opener on Sunday against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. Croskey-Merritt could end up questionable for the season opener due to a groin injury he picked up in practice on Aug. 22 if he does not upgrade to a full practice on Friday. If JCM is limited or out, it would be a big upgrade for Rachaad White as the Commanders' lead back in his debut with the team this weekend. The 25-year-old Croskey-Merritt was a seventh-round pick out of Arizona last year, but he impressed by leading Washington with 805 yards and eight rushing touchdowns on 175 rushing attempts, adding nine catches for 68 yards through the air in 17 games. The Commanders like him as their primary early-down back, but White will steal plenty of pass-game work, leaving JCM as primarily an RB3/flex option with upside for fantasy managers in Year 2. Check back for his official Week 1 status on Friday.
Source: Washington Commanders
Source: Washington Commanders
Stefon Diggs May Not Be Slowing Down Yet
Washington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs may not be slowing down yet. According to Zach Selby, offensive coordinator David Blough said he is excited for Diggs and Jayden Daniels to show the chemistry they have worked on this weekend. That is not the first positive sign. Washington's own camp coverage noted that Diggs and Daniels were connecting often during joint practices, and Diggs is officially listed as a starter alongside Terry McLaurin. He also isn't coming off a down year. Diggs caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns with New England in 2025, finishing as the WR17 in PPR scoring. The target ceiling may be lower with McLaurin still at the top of the pecking order, but Diggs does not need to dominate targets to stay useful. If the chemistry with Daniels carries into games, his value could hold stronger than expected and still have room to rise.
Source: Zach Selby
Source: Zach Selby
Antonio Williams Drawing More Praise in Washington
Washington Commanders wide receiver Antonio Williams keeps giving the coaching staff reasons to stay interested. According to Zach Selby, offensive coordinator David Blough said he has seen a lot of growth from Williams and called the rookie a joy to work with. That fits what Washington has been saying for months. Williams was praised for his route running and ability to create separation in the spring, then continued to flash during training camp. He was also held out of the preseason finale along with a large group of regulars. The Week 1 depth chart still has Treylon Burks ahead of him, with Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs occupying the other starting spots, so there is no immediate fantasy role to bank on. Still, Williams was the 71st overall pick for a reason, and the positive reports have not stopped. If that growth starts turning into regular snaps, his fantasy value could move quickly.
Source: Zach Selby
Source: Zach Selby
