Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz is listed as the team's starting tight end on the depth chart entering Week 1 of the regular season this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Behind Ertz, the Commanders have listed John Bates as the No. 2 and rookie Ben Sinnott as the No. 3. It confirms the idea that Sinnott is merely a dynasty/keeper stash in 2024. The 33-year-old Ertz is no longer the fantasy stud he was in his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he'll enter the regular season as Washington's top pass-catching tight end on a team that lacks experienced receiving depth for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Ertz miss most of last year with a quadriceps injury with the Arizona Cardinals, but he could be a sneaky TE2 rebound candidate if he stays healthy this year in Kliff Kingsbury's offense. At best, Ertz could be peppered with targets as a security blanket for Daniels.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is entering his rookie season with some big expectations both on the ground and through the air. The LSU sensation amassed 3,812 passing yards with 40 touchdowns and four interceptions while running for another 1,134 yards and 10 scores on the ground. His dual-threat ability is the biggest reason he's as high as he is on fantasy draft boards despite not having the best receiving corps. He does still have a quality receiver in Terry McLaurin, but Daniels is projected to put up some big rushing numbers which will help bolster his fantasy points per game. In half-PPR redraft leagues, Daniels ADP is outside the top 100 meaning he can provide some very good value to teams looking for late quarterbacks.

The Washington Commanders have signed former Houston Texans wide receiver Noah Brown. Brown, who previously worked with Commanders head coach Dan Quinn during their time with the Cowboys, was recently waived by the Texans as part of their roster cuts. At 28 years old, Brown is coming off two consecutive seasons with over 550 receiving yards, having played for the Cowboys in 2022 and the Texans in 2023. With the Commanders having traded Jahan Dotson to the Eagles last week, their current receiver lineup includes Terry McLaurin, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, Byron Pringle, and Jamison Crowder. Washington needs reliable contributors to support McLaurin and Zaccheaus, though rookie third-round pick McCaffrey might also see some action. Despite missing part of training camp due to a shoulder injury following offseason labrum surgery, it appears the Commanders expect Brown to be ready for Week 1 against Tampa Bay.

The Washington Commanders released running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. on Tuesday, according to source. Rodriguez didn't survive cutdown day after the Commanders added Austin Ekeler in free agency in the offseason. The 23-year-old former sixth-round selection last year out of Kentucky finds himself on the open market now after carrying the ball 51 times for 247 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games in his rookie season in 2023. He added only two receptions for 12 yards. In the end, Rodriguez lost out on the competition for the No. 3 role behind Brian Robinson Jr. and Ekeler to Jeremy McNichols. If the power back doesn't get picked up by another team in search for RB depth, it's possible that Rodriguez will stay in D.C. on the team's practice squad. Before suffering an ankle injury, Rodriguez had a nice little five-game stretch in which he averaged 37.2 yards per game.

The Houston Texans are releasing wide receiver Noah Brown on Tuesday. It comes as a bit of a surprise, given Brown put up 17.2 yards per catch over 33 receptions (55 targets) for the Texans last year, but the addition of Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs this offseason made him much more expendable. Houston's three-receiver sets will now be concentrated around Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell to still give quarterback C.J. Stroud one of the league's top supporting casts. The 28-year-old Brown shouldn't have much of an issue finding work as a viable deep threat elsewhere in the NFL, and it likely won't be long until he lands back on his feet with another team.