Washington Commanders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin broke out of a two-game slump last weekend on Monday evening and should be viewed as a WR2 with upside this weekend as he faces the Arizona Cardinals. Through the first two weeks, McLaurin caught eight passes for 39 yards but flipped the script last weekend as he hit the century mark on four catches with the eventual game-winning score. Even though he was not as productive over the first two weeks, he still saw 23.7% of the team's air yards, his best mark since the 2021 campaign. Given that Jayden Daniels is continuing to develop as a passer, fantasy managers should expect McLaurin's production to only improve as the season progresses. Facing a Cardinals defense that has allowed the 14th most points to opposing wideouts, McLaurin possesses a safe floor and a high ceiling, especially if this game opens up as the current 50-point total suggests.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. will have an excellent opportunity to bounce back from his worst outing of the season this weekend as he stands as the lone running back on the Washington depth chart. Austin Ekeler (concussion) was ruled out earlier this week, and this should open the door for Robinson to see the vast majority of running back snaps this weekend. Robinson has seen a slight majority of attempts over Ekeler on the ground but has typically ceded passing duties to the former Charger. On Sunday, fantasy managers should feel comfortable starting the Alabama product in all formats this weekend, as he should have a stable three-down role. Even though he ran for just 33 yards last week, Robinson tallied 133 yards the week prior and should be viewed as a high-end RB2 against an Arizona defense that has allowed the 24th-most points to opposing running backs.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, according to Tom Pelissero. The star wideout suffered a calf strain in Week 2 and was originally expected to miss multiple weeks, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. However, Samuel now has a chance to miss only one game and return to action this weekend. Through the first two weeks of the season, Samuel averaged 18.4 PPR points and tallied 164 receiving yards. If Samuel is able to suit up he should be locked into all lineups as a high-end WR2. If Samuel misses his second straight game, Jauan Jennings should slot in as the No.2 wideout behind Brandon Aiyuk.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) has a chance to return in Week 4 against the New England Patriots a week earlier than expected, but a lot is riding on his practice status on Friday. Samuel did not practice on Wednesday before returning to a limited session on Thursday. "The best athletes seem to heal at a little better rate... The reason he's on the field is because he hit all the markers," general manager John Lynch said. Fantasy managers will want to check back for Samuel's official injury designation for the weekend. The 28-year-old will likely be questionable, at best, and even if he does suit up on Sunday, he could be on a pitch count. After initially injuring his calf, Samuel was expected to be out for two to three weeks. Jauan Jennings went off for 175 yards and three touchdowns in the Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams with both Samuel and tight end George Kittle (hamstring) out.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) was in uniform and back on the practice field during the early portion of practice open to the media on Thursday. It's unclear exactly how much Samuel got done in practice, but our guess would be that he'll wind up limited on the final injury report. Samuel strained his right calf in the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and didn't play in last week's loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. The 28-year-old didn't practice on Wednesday, but now that he has returned to practice, he could have a shot to return this Sunday when the team hosts the New England Patriots. Still, fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if Samuel misses another contest with an injury that initially was expected to keep him out multiple weeks. Jauan Jennings had over 150 receiving yards and three scores with Samuel and tight end George Kittle (hamstring) out in Week 3.