Jeremy McNichols DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Washington Commanders are re-signing running back Jeremy McNichols to an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN's John Keim. Although McNichols wasn't on the fantasy radar at all last year in his first year in D.C., he was a valuable member of the team's RB room as a backup for his blitz pickups while also contributing a career-high 267 rushing yards and a career-high four rushing touchdowns on 55 carries over 17 regular-season games (one start). He also had nine catches for 27 yards and added nine yards and a touchdown on five carries in three playoff games. With both Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler returning to the Commanders' backfield in 2025, McNichols will open the year as the No. 3 RB and will have a bigger role on special teams as a return man. The 29-year-old has only 625 rushing yards and five rushing TDs on 145 carries over seven NFL seasons.

Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols punched in a goal line score during their upset victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday evening. McNichols ran the ball only four times but was able to seal the victory with a late one-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with just eight yards on the ground and was not targeted in the passing attack. While McNichols had a similar role to what he did during the wild-card game, it is promising to see him occasionally receive opportunities in scoring positions. Given his depth role in the Washington offense, he remains a high-risk play in DFS formats during the Championship round.

Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols is not a viable play in any fantasy format on Sunday when the Commanders face the Dallas Cowboys. Last weekend in their overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons, McNichols saw just one rushing attempt. During Weeks 15 and 16, McNichols saw two attempts in each contest. With Austin Ekeler (concussion) sidelined, McNichols has struggled to remain in the No. 2 role, as Chris Rodriguez Jr. has begun to carve out a larger role behind Brian Robinson Jr. However, McNichols may be in danger of even losing the No. 3 spot, as Ekeler is listed as questionable for this game after logging three consecutive full practices. Regardless of Ekeler's staatus, McNichols remains a high-risk desperation play in this contest.

Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols should not be started in any format this weekend when he faces the Atlanta Falcons. Even with Austin Ekeler (concussion) sidelined, McNichols has only seen a light uptick in opportunities. Instead, Brian Robinson Jr. has taken on more passing work. Over the past two weeks, McNichols has logged just four total rushing attempts and five total receptions for just 22 combined yards. Across the first 13 games of the campaign, McNichols flashed some solid upside, tallying 5.0 yards per carry but has rarely been given enough work to an impact. Given his minimal role in the Washington offense, fantasy managers should look for an alternative option as he is only projected to see a handful of attempts.

Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols should not be started in any format this weekend facing the Philadelphia Eagles. With Austin Ekeler (concussion) sidelined, McNichols has taken the No.2 spot behind Brian Robinson Jr. While Chris Rodriguez Jr. has occasionally seen an increase in attempts, McNichols was deployed as the clear No.2 option last weekend as Rodriguez logged only three total offensive snaps. Since Week 12, McNichols has averaged a solid 5.3 yards per carry and has been operating as a change-of-pace option. However, in a game that will likely be very contested, Robinson may not leave the field quite often. Given his lack of stable opportunities, McNichols remains nothing more than a handcuff to Robinson with very little standalone value, especially when facing a Philadelphia defense allowing the third-fewest PPR points to the position this season.