Washington Commanders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels (quadriceps) put in a full practice on Wednesday. Daniels was pulled as a precaution in the Week 18 win over the division-rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday with quadriceps soreness, but his full availability at practice on Wednesday means he's not really in any danger of missing his playoff debut in the wild-card round on Sunday night versus the hosting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 24-year-old second overall pick only had 184 passing yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in his NFL debut in the Week 1 loss to the Bucs, but he also added 88 rushing yards and two rushing scores. Daniels really impressed in his first year in the NFL and was the QB5 in overall fantasy scoring, finishing only second to Lamar Jackson with 891 rushing yards. Against a suspect Tampa secondary, Daniels will be a top-five fantasy QB for those setting DFS lineups.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday that the plan is to bring wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. back for the 2025 season. After signing receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) to a hefty extension before the start of the 2024 season, it was assumed that the Niners would likely move on from Samuel heading into 2025 given his significant salary-cap hit. In addition to the decision regarding the future of Samuel, who missed the Week 18 regular-season finale due to rib and wrist injuries, the 49ers will also be navigating a long-term extension for quarterback Brock Purdy. If the Niners change their mind on the 28-year-old Samuel, he could be a trade candidate with one year left on his deal. In 15 games in 2024, he had 51 catches for 670 yards and only three touchdowns despite Aiyuk and running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) missing significant time with injuries.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said, "I'm not concerned" when asked about rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' leg soreness that led to him being pulled in the second half of the win over the division-rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale. The Commanders pulled the impressive 24-year-old at halftime as a precaution since they had already locked up a playoff spot, with backup Marcus Mariota leading the team to a 23-19 victory. Daniels could be limited in practice this week, but all signs point to him being fine for Sunday night's wild-card matchup against the hosting Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their banged-up secondary. Although Daniels threw for under 200 yards and no touchdowns against Tampa in his NFL debut way back in Week 1, he should be considered a top-five fantasy QB play this weekend.

According to Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, quarterback Jayden Daniels (leg) was held out for the remainder of Sunday's narrow win over the Cowboys due to "leg soreness." "It wasn't a plan going in," said Quinn. "But he had some mild soreness in his leg, I just kind of made the decision to honestly say, 'Let's go with Marcus.'" It doesn't appear as if the injury is anything serious, although Daniels' ailment will likely be a topic of conversation throughout the week heading into Wild-Card weekend. If he can't go, which will unlikely be the case, Marcus Mariota, who had a quality showing on Sunday, would likely get the start.

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz caught all five of his targets for 44 yards and a touchdown during their victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Ertz's five targets tied him for the second-most on the team. His yardage output placed him third among Washington pass-catchers. Ertz found the back of the end zone on a five-yard strike from quarterback Marcus Mariota in the third quarter. The veteran tight end has enjoyed a strong debut season in the DMV. After catching just three passes during Weeks 15 and 16, Ertz has been able to find his stride, tallying three touchdowns over his past two games. Overall, Ertz has found the back of the end zone seven times and caught had least 40 yards in seven games. The 34-year-old should be viewed as a low-end TE1 in all playoff competitions.