Team Profile
Washington Commanders
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13.8% 6thOff DVOA
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33.7% 5thPassing DVOA
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2.8% 8thRushing DVOA
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6% 25thDef DVOA
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13.2% 24thDef Passing DVOA
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-1.9% 26thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For26.9 7th
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Points Against23.1 17th
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Yards Per Game374.0 5th
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Yards Allowed Per Game322.0 11th
Houston Texans wide receivers Robert Woods (hip) and Noah Brown (back) were both listed as non-participants on the team's Tuesday practice report. Both Woods and Brown were inactive in the Week 18 regular season finale win over the Indianapolis Colts last Saturday to secure the AFC South title. It resulted in Nico Collins going off for nine catches on nine targets for 195 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Dalton Schultz had five catches (seven targets) for 42 yards. Rookie Xavier Hutchinson had four targets. Woods and Brown will need to return to practice over the next two days to have a shot to face the Cleveland Browns on wild-card weekend this Saturday. If neither wideout is able to play, Collins is going to draw a lot of attention from a much better secondary in the Browns.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn was quiet in the final game of the regular season in Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Detroit Lions, catching just two passes for nine yards on his four targets. It was an improvement over his zero-target game in Week 17, but it was still a weak performance for the 26-year-old to wrap up the season. It was also a step back from his two previous campaigns, as he finished with 48 catches on 75 targets for only 540 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games played. We knew Osborn was going to be on the backburner in 2023 when the Vikings took Jordan Addison in the first round to pair with Justin Jefferson as a lethal 1-2 punch at wideout. Osborn will enter free agency in March, and his 2024 fantasy value will be determined by where he lands.
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was terrible again in a Week 18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Ekeler likely ends his Chargers career with an awful performance against mostly Chiefs backups. He ran the ball 10 times, gaining 11 yards total on the ground. He was targeted eight times in the passing game, making seven catches for 38 yards through the air. This wraps up Ekeler's worst season by far and likely his last as a Charger. His days as a three-down back are clearly done, but his track record is good enough that someone will certainly take a chance on him as a third down or change of pace back for next season. He'll be much further down draft boards than he was before this season regardless of his landing spot, and any dynasty league managers rostering him should try to get whatever they can for him now.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin caught six of eight targets for 56 yards during Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Another year, another what-if season for McLaurin. Although the fifth-year receiver had his fourth-straight 1,000-yard season, middling quarterback play still held him back for most of the year. Nothing exemplified this more than quarterback Sam Howell underthrowing a wide-open McLaurin for what would've been a 51-yard touchdown on Washington's first possession of Week 18. There is light at the end of the tunnel for this offense, as the Commanders are locked into the second pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. If the team selects one of the blue-chip quarterback prospects, McLaurin's fortunes could finally take a turn for the better next season.
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. had nine carries for 25 yards and a lost fumble along with three receptions for 10 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Robinson once again operated as the lead rusher for Washington in Week 18. Unfortunately, the Commanders fell behind quickly and didn't have a game script that favored the run game. However, Robinson did save his day with a touchdown reception early in the second quarter, Washington's only touchdown of the game. With the offseason ahead, the hope is that the Commanders can help their weapons by creating a better environment for offensive success than the one seen this year.