Washington Commanders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz is coming off the best performance of his season and will look to stay hot against a struggling Dallas defense. Last weekend in their playoff-clinching victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Ertz caught six of his seven targets for 72 yards and two touchdowns. This was his second-highest yardage total this season and first multi-touchdown game of the campaign. This was also a nice breakout game for Ertz, as he caught just three passes during Weeks 15 and 16. However, before this minor slump, he averaged a solid 13.0 PPR points during Weeks 10 through 13. Since Week 10, Ertz has seen at least six targets in all but two contests. Given his reliable target share and ability to gain high-value targets in the red zone, he remains a high-floor, low-end TE1 in PPR formats against the Cowboys.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin had a disappointing showing last weekend as he brought in just one of his seven targets during their playoff-clinching victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Despite the poor showing, fantasy managers should continue to view McLaurin as a low-end WR1 heading into a Week 18 tilt against the Dallas Cowboys. Before Week 17, McLaurin was riding a four-game touchdown streak. Over this four-game stretch, McLaurin tallied six total touchdowns while seeing 7.5 targets per game and averaging 77.0 yards per game. Given his role as Jayden Daniels' go-to option in the passing game, McLaurin remains a must-start option in all formats. Facing the Cowboys, who have allowed the sixth-most PPR points to opposing wideouts, should put him in prime position to bounce back.

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. remains a desperation play heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Last weekend, Rodriguez found the back of the end zone and added 16 yards on five attempts. For the second straight week, Rodriguez saw more rushing attempts than the presumed No.2 option, Jeremy McNichols. However, Rodriguez may revert to the No.3 role if Austin Ekeler (concussion) returns to action. He was able to practice in full all week and is listed as questionable which suggests he is nearing a return. If Ekeler does not return, Rodriguez would be viewed as a high-risk touchdown-dependent RB3. However, if Ekeler does return, fantasy managers should not view Rodriguez as a viable play facing the Dallas Cowboys as he would only see a handful of snaps.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. should be viewed as a mid-level RB2 facing the Dallas Cowboys. The Alabama product has found himself in a bit of a slump as of late. Over his past three contests, he has averaged just 8.9 PPR points per game and has not found the back of the end zone once over this stretch. In addition, he has averaged just 49.7 rushing yards per game. Before this stretch, Robinson tallied eight touchdowns over his first ten games of the season and ran for 64.0 yards per game. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to Austin Ekeler's (concussion) status before kickoff, as he could be nearing a return. If Ekeler suits up, Robinson may even see less work than he has, making him a low-end RB2. However, if the Commanders opt to rest Ekeler a week before the playoffs, then Robinson maintains his mid-level RB2 range against a Dallas defense, allowing the ninth-most PPR points to opposing RBs.

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels looks to cap off his impressive debut season in a divisional tilt against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. Last weekend, Daniels threw three touchdown passes and tallied over 350 all-purpose en route to leading the Commanders to their first playoff birth since the 2020 season. Over his past five contests, Daniels has found the end zone 17 times (15 passing, two rushing) and averaged 240.0 passing yards and 76.4 rushing yards per game. During this span, he threw at least two passing scores in each contest. Fantasy managers should continue to view the Pro Bowl quarterback as a high-end QB1 facing the Dallas Cowboys, who have allowed the most PPR points to opposing QBs this season. In addition, with the Commanders needing a victory to move up to the No.6 seed, suggests that Daniels will remain in the game as long as it stays competitive.