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According to the team, Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Ainias Smith is inactive for Sunday's NFC title game against the Washington Commanders. The rookie wideout will be a healthy scratch. The Texas A&M product was also inactive during the first two games of the playoffs. Throughout the regular season, Smith saw a limited role as he caught just three passes through the first 17 weeks. However, in Week 18, Smith caught all four of his targets for 35 yards and a score. Fantasy managers should expect A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson to operate as the top wideouts in the Philadelphia offense in this contest.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell (concussion) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's NFC Championship against the Washington Commanders. He had eight rushing yards prior to his departure, as well as an additional two catches for 16 receiving yards. Gainwell has operated as the Eagles' No. 2 running back all season long, taking a backseat to Saquon Barkley, who is a candidate for MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. As the Eagles look to close out the Commanders on Sunday, rookie Will Shipley will step up as the No. 2 option behind Barkley.
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Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels went 29-for-48 with 255 passing yards, a score, and an interception during their loss to the Philpaldeia Eagles in the NFC title game. Daniels added 48 yards and a score on six rushing attempts. Daniels would find his top wideout Terry McLaurin for a 36-yard TD pass in the second quarter. Then, in the third, Daniels would punch in his second score, this time on a 10-yard run. The Commanders were playing from behind throughout this entire offense but were unable to find much consistency on offense due to costly turnovers. The LSU product leaned on his tight end, Zach Ertz, in this game as he targeted him 16 times (season-high) and brought in 11 of them for 104 yards. After having a fantastic rookie campaign, Daniels and the Commanders were unable to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. Fantasy managers should view Daniels as a high-end QB1 going forward, as he will likely be one of the first QBs selected in drafts in the offseason.
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Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler tallied just 32 all-purpose yards during their loss in the NFC Championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles. Ekeler also lost a fumble. The Commanders were playing from behind throughout most of the contest, putting their rushing attack out of the game plan. However, even when Ekeler was given the ball through the air, he could not perform. He caught five of his seven targets but tallied just 17 yards. His seven targets tied him the second-most on the team, only behind tight end Zach Ertz. Throughout the season, the 29-year-old operated primarily as a change-of-pace option in the Washington backfield. Entering Sunday, Ekeler posted a strong 10.3 yards per catch and a 4.8 yards per carry. Ekeler will likely remain in this role next season as he enters the final year of his contract.
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Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. tallied just 36 yards on 11 rushing attempts in the NFC title game. The Commanders played from behind throughout the game as the Eagles got out to an early lead. As a result, this put Robinson out of the game plan. However, when given the ball, the Alabama product was ineffective, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Last weekend, Robinson tallied 77 yards and two scores on 15 carries in their upset victory over the Detroit Lions. After averaging a solid 64 rushing yards per game during his first 10 games, Robinson saw his production decline over the back half of the season. Over his final seven games of the 2024 season, Robinson eclipsed 60 rushing yards in just two games and scored just two touchdowns. Given his inconsistent production, the Commanders will likely address this position in the offseason.
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