September 11, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Austin Ekeler (Achilles) suffered what appeared to be a serious injury in the fourth quarter of the Thursday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers, and had to be carried off the field. Due to the non-contact nature of the injury, and the fact that he immediately grabbed at his lower-leg area, there is speculation that he may have suffered a torn Achilles. He has officially been ruled out for the game, and we would expect him to miss significant time, if not the remainder of the season. Rookie running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt should be elevated even further into a featured role, with
Jeremy McNichols and
Chris Rodriguez Jr. likely being involved as well. Look for further news updates as we hear more confirmation about the severity of Ekeler's injury after further medical testing.
--RotoBallerSource: Ian Rapoport
September 11, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a healthy inactive for the second straight week to open the season in 2025 on Thursday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers. There were rumblings at the end of training camp that Rodriguez could have a significant early-down role alongside rookie
Jacory Croskey-Merritt after the team traded
Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers, but that has not been the case. The 24-year-old RB has opened the year as the No. 4 behind Croskey-Merritt, veteran
Austin Ekeler, and
Jeremy McNichols. JCR has the most upside of any back in Washington's offense as the favorite for most of the early down work, while Ekeler has flex appeal in point-per-reception leagues. At least for another week, Rodriguez belongs on the waiver wire in 12-team fantasy formats.
--Keith HernandezSource: Washington Commanders PR
September 11, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Chris Rodriguez Jr. served as a healthy inactive in the season opener against the Giants. Rodriguez emerged in training camp as well as preseason, and he was in the mix for touches in the backfield headed into Week 1 after the
Brian Robinson Jr. trade. However, Washington ultimately opted to keep three running backs active on gameday and roll with the duo of rookie
Jacory Croskey-Merritt and veteran
Austin Ekeler to handle the bulk of the snaps, with
Jeremy McNichols mixing in and contributing on special teams. It could have been just a Week 1 situation where they wanted a sixth wide receiver active with
Noah Brown still limited, and it looks different in future weeks. It is possible that Rodriguez is made active for Washington's marquee matchup in Green Bay, but they have also been consistent in their praise for Croskey-Merritt, and the belief is that he will eventually be their lead back. Rodriguez will remain in a depth role for now, but he will be a name to watch if injuries start to hit.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 11, 2025
Washington Commanders quarterback
Jayden Daniels (wrist) is off the team's injury report, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapport. Washington coach Dan Quinn downplayed the QB's throwing-wrist injury earlier this week, and it appears his lack of concern came to fruition, as Daniels will suit up when Washington takes on Green Bay on Thursday Night Football. The Washington offense was slow to start in an unremarkable season-opening win against the New York Giants, but Daniels remains one of the very best options in any fantasy format due to his consistent rushing ability. He's still a starting option even against a tough Packers defense.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: NFL Network
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Jeremy McNichols chipped in four carries for 25 yards in addition to his usual contributions in pass protection in Week 1 against the Giants. It was a bit of a question going into the game whether McNichols or
Chris Rodriguez Jr. would be the third running back active or if the team would activate all four backs. They opted for the veteran McNichols, who is an excellent pass protector and core special teams player. That aligns with their approach last season, as McNichols was active for 17 games and made a real impact. Rodriguez had a great training camp in preseason and could be active for games in the future, but McNichols's role as the third back seems safe headed into Thursday night's matchup against the Packers.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders kicker
Matt Gay did not attempt a field goal in their 21-6 Week 1 win over the Giants, but he converted all three extra points. Gay likely would have had a field-goal opportunity at the end of the first half, but Washington was called for an intentional-grounding penalty with a handful of seconds left and no timeouts left, leaving the clock to run out. The offense had other sloppy moments that ended potential scoring drives early, but they still moved the ball at will. In a projected shootout on Thursday night in Green Bay, Gay should be fired up as one of the top kicker options in Week 2.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders wide receiver
Noah Brown ran a limited number of routes in Week 1 against the Giants after suffering a knee injury in training camp. He ran 19 out of 33 possible routes, and that number should increase as he ramps back up. Washington will likely still rotate Brown with other receivers to an extent, but he is expected to serve as the primary boundary wide receiver this season opposite
Terry McLaurin. While he didn't rack up big stats, he had plenty of positive moments last season, including the infamous Hail Mary catch against the Bears. But he proved to be a reliable weapon that quarterback
Jayden Daniels often trusted to win. Oftentimes, he did, and he also excelled in generating pass interference penalties down the field. Brown plays his role well on a winning team, but he won't be on many fantasy radars for Week 2.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver
Jaylin Lane had a role in the offense in his NFL debut, catching one of two targets for 11 yards. Lane is entrenched as the team's starting punt returner, but he also impressed in his reps as a receiver during training camp and preseason, which ultimately earned him the No. 4 wide receiver spot. It was a small thing, but Lane dropped the first target he received from quarterback
Jayden Daniels. But Daniels had faith in the fourth-round rookie and went right back to him on the next play, and Lane made the catch about six yards, then turned upfield for an 11-yard gain for his first career touch. Lane will likely continue to see a handful of snaps on offense a week now that the top of the Washington receiver room is intact. He is worth keeping an eye on in redraft leagues with his explosive playmaking ability.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders tight end
Zach Ertz had a productive Week 1 against the Giants, securing three of his five targets for 26 yards and a touchdown. He and quarterback
Jayden Daniels have developed excellent chemistry on third down and in red zone situations. Ertz had an uncharacteristic sequence on the first drive of the game, where he was flagged for a false start penalty, and then on the next play, he dropped a pass that would have converted a third-and-10. He redeemed himself later with the score. Now he and Washington face a Green Bay defense that shut down a potent Detroit attack. There weren't many signs of positivity for the Lions offense in their 27-13 Week 1 loss, but tight end
Sam LaPorta led the team with 79 receiving yards. Ertz will look to have a similarly productive day against Green Bay on Thursday Night Football, and should be viewed as a low-end TE1.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Austin Ekeler operated mostly as the team's lead back in Week 1 against the Giants, leading the backfield with 32 snaps out of 65 plays. He only touched the ball nine times for the game, but was again efficient with 57 yards. The roles are still fairly fluid in the Washington backfield, but Week 1 could be instructive for how it might look going forward. Washington essentially gave Ekeler and Croskey-Merritt their own drives against the Giants, which is interesting. Ekeler was out-carried by Croskey-Merritt 10 to six, and the rookie could continue to earn more touches as the season goes on. Ekeler faces another stiff test against the Packers' defense that held Lions superstar running back
Jahmyr Gibbs to just 50 yards on 19 touches. He should be looked at as a quality FLEX with projectable volume for Week 2.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders wide receiver
Deebo Samuel Sr. thrived in his first game with the team, catching seven of his 10 targets for 77 yards and also scoring a 19-yard touchdown on his only carry. With No. 1 wide receiver
Terry McLaurin missing training camp, Samuel established a great connection and trust with quarterback
Jayden Daniels and was the focal point of the passing attack in the season opener. He received his usual diet of screens and underneath routes while mixing in a few deep crossers and dig routes that he excelled at in San Francisco. Samuel looks like an ideal fit in this Washington offense led by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The yards after the catch element was lacking a bit in this offense last season, and there are few better with the ball in their hands than Samuel. He faces a Green Bay defense that ran zone coverage at the third-highest rate in the league in Week 1. That sets up favorably for Samuel, as he's performed much better against zone compared to man for his career. Samuel should be viewed as a high-end WR3 for fantasy purposes in Week 2.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders wide receiver
Terry McLaurin was slow out of the gate in Week 1 against the Giants, catching two of his four targets for 27 yards. A slow start to the season could have been somewhat expected for McLaurin after limited practice time amidst his contract negotiations. The talk of a slow start could have been mitigated if he and
Jayden Daniels were able to connect on a deep shot where McLaurin had his man beat badly on a double move. With the new acquisition,
Deebo Samuel Sr. making his team debut, play caller Kliff Kingsbury made an emphasis to get Samuel involved, and he has established a good connection with Daniels after McLaurin missed a lot of time in training camp. A positive, at least for McLaurin, is that he did not face any restrictions regarding his snap count and routes. The star receiver started slow last season as he built rapport with Daniels, and should be expected to bounce back against an exploitable Green Bay secondary. McLaurin has faced the Packers three times in his career and has put up strong numbers, catching 16 of 27 targets for 252 yards and three touchdowns. He should be viewed as a mid-range WR2 with upside in a projected high-scoring Week 2 matchup against the Packers.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt could be in line for more touches in Week 2 against the Packers after an exciting debut. His 82 rushing yards were the most among the rookie running backs in Week 1, and he had the highest PFF rushing grade in the league. The seventh rounder was hyper-efficient on his touches, with a 50% success rate as a runner and ran for over 10 yards on a league high 30% of his touches. His role in the offense should expand a bit as the season goes along, but it will likely look pretty similar to Week 1.
Austin Ekeler will continue to handle the majority of the pass-down reps, and a third back in either
Jeremy McNichols or
Chris Rodriguez Jr., will have complementary roles as well. Croskey-Merritt likely won't catch many passes and will need to find the end zone to have an impactful game for fantasy, putting him in FLEX territory for now.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders quarterback
Jayden Daniels led his team to a 21-6 win in the home opener against the Giants. It was a solid yet sloppy day overall for Daniels and the Washington offense, with plenty still to clean up. He still racked up over 300 total yards and a touchdown against a good Giants defense. Daniels' floor is incredibly high for fantasy, with
Lamar Jackson as the only player with more 20-point fantasy games since the start of last season. Now they face a quick turnaround with a Thursday night matchup against the Packers at Lambeau Field. In Week 1, the Packers' defense bottled up the Lions, last season's top-ranked offense. Detroit averaged just 3.8 yards per play and made life difficult for quarterback
Jared Goff. He was sacked four times and threw one interception on the way to a 27-13 loss. The Packers completely shut off the Lions' run game, holding them to 2.1 yards per rush. Washington relied heavily on the ground attack against the Giants with 220 total rushing yards and 6.9 yards per carry. It projects to be one of the best games of the week with two top contenders in the NFC, and Daniels is a locked-and-loaded top 3 fantasy QB for Week 2.
--Kyle McCarthySource: RotoBaller
September 10, 2025
Washington Commanders rookie running back out of Arizona,
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, aka Bill, is a must-add for fantasy managers in Week 2 if he's available. Currently, he is owned in 78% of Yahoo leagues, and may find himself rostered in more leagues by the end of Week 2. JCM was electric in Week 1, handling the ball 10 times for 82 yards, good enough for an 8.2 YPC. He also scored a touchdown, rewarding fantasy managers with 14.2 points in half-PPR leagues. In addition, he achieved this while playing in only 33% of the snaps, and that number should only increase from here. Lead back, veteran
Austin Ekeler played 47% of the snaps, and while JCM is unlikely to get the full workload with Ekeler involved, he is in line to see 10-15 touches weekly, making him a solid RB3 option for fantasy managers. If Ekeler goes down, JCM is suddenly approaching top-20 running back territory. In Week 2, the Commanders have a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, who dominated the Detroit Lions in Week 1.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
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