Washington Commanders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. led the Commanders backfield in rushing with 40 yards and a score. He added 49 yards on three receptions. Entering the season, many expected the Commanders to deploy a committee approach, but Robinson was the clear workhorse running back in the season opener. Austin Ekeler saw just two rushing attempts but did see slightly more work in the passing game. The Alabama product found the end zone on a seven-yard carry in the second quarter. Later in the third, Robinson made an impressive 32-yard catch but was unfortunately tackled at the one-yard line which set up a rushing score for Jayden Daniels. Even though he did not finish with a hefty rushing total, seeing the vast majority of carries compared to Ekeler is an excellent sign of his fantasy stock. Fantasy managers should continue to treat Robison as a low-end RB2/flex play in Week 2 as the Commanders face their division rival, the New York Giants.

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels went 17-for-24 with 184 passing yards and no scores in his regular-season debut. However, the reigning Heisman winner made his mark with his legs by tallying 88 yards and two goal-line scores on a team-high 16 carries. The Commanders did not have too much rhythm in the first half, but the former second-overall pick began to find his footing as the game progressed. In the second half, Daniels led Washington down a 60 and 70-yard touchdown drive. While his passing production did not raise his fantasy production this afternoon, his legs did. Fantasy managers should continue to start Daniels in all standard formats, given his ability to pick up points on the ground.

New England Patriots wide receiver K.J. Osborn led the team with three receptions on six targets during Week 1 versus the Cincinnati Bengals. He finished the game with a total of 21 receiving yards. The former Viking operated as the Patriots' No. 2 receiver, putting to bed any speculation that rookie Ja'Lynn Polk may open the year in that role. Even with solid volume, Osborn will be tough to trust going forward. We don't have enough confidence in this run-heavy Patriots offense yet, meaning Osborn can't be depended on for consistent production going forward.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown is a healthy scratch in Week 1. The Commanders take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the team looks to enter a new era with a new regime. Brown joined the team after being cut by the Texans at the conclusion of the preseason. He had a solid season with the Texans in 2023 with 33 receptions for 567 yards and two touchdowns in ten games. The healthy scratch is not surprising since Brown had hardly any time to become integrated with the team. He is a talented player who should be able to earn playing time as the season progresses.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. should be the focal point of the team's passing attack when they host the New York Jets at home on Monday night. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Saturday that Samuel Sr.'s counterpart Brandon Aiyuk would not play as many snaps as usual following his "hold-in". This should lead to at least a slight increase in targets for Samuel Sr this week. It is also conceivable that he sees increased action in the running game as well with All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey questionable (calf/Achilles). The only significant thing working against Samuel Sr. would appear to be the strength of New York's pass defense, which allowed the second-fewest yards per game through the air last year and has returned most of their key players. It's worth noting that Jets head coach Robert Saleh said in the offseason that lockdown cornerback Sauce Gardner would spend more time following around opponents' No.1 WR this year, which in this case would seem to be Aiyuk, reduced snaps notwithstanding. Samuel Sr. rates as a high-end WR2 in fantasy this week.