Washington Commanders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

There have been concerns about Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin's stationary preseason usage in Kliff Kingsbury's offense, but ESPN's John Keim doesn't think it should be a big talking point since the Commanders aren't going to show everything they plan to do in preseason contests. Keim doesn't think McLaurin will be stationary on the outside once the regular season begins, and McLaurin has even said himself that he's playing more of the slot this year. It especially makes sense for Washington to move the 28-year-old pass-catcher around because they are looking for other wideouts to step up behind him so far in training camp and the preseason. McLaurin had a fourth straight 1,000-yard season in 2023 but also posted career-lows in yards per catch (12.7) and yards per target (7.6). If his target share improves, McLaurin could be a steal as a WR3/flex in 12-team leagues, but he'll also be working with a rookie QB.

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is confident in the backfield's one-two punch of Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler, according to Adam Schultz of Athlon Sports. "I watch [Ekeler] and I'm like, 'This guy is tremendous,'" Kingsbury said. He's as quick and as fast and as strong as I've seen him. Have just been really pleased. The compliment of him and [Robinson] is great. You have a power back who has great hands and then you have a quick-twitch smaller guy who's been a 100-catch guy in the NFL. So, couldn't be more pleased with that one-two punch and the different things that we'll be able to do with both those guys." Evidently and perhaps unsurprisingly, the Commanders are expecting good things from the combination of Robinson, a younger power back, and Ekeler, a veteran with experience as an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield. Robinson is the preferred fantasy option given his expected volume and touchdown opportunities, but it's not hard to imagine a scenario in which both backs are starter-worthy options in fantasy football this year.

The Washington Commanders officially named No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels as their starting quarterback on Monday, according to head coach Dan Quinn. What had been expected all along is finally official, and Daniels will make his NFL regular-season debut in the Week 1 opener on Sept. 8 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 23-year-old former LSU star has looked good in his two preseason performances and went 10-for-12 for 78 yards while running for 13 yards on two carries in Saturday's preseason game against the Miami Dolphins. Daniels has looked like a seasoned veteran while running the offense in training camp heading into his first NFL season, and his dual-threat abilities at the position will give him quite a bit of fantasy upside right away. His receiving corps beyond Terry McLaurin is a little suspect, but Washington's backfield should help take plenty of pressure off him. Daniels will be a high-end QB2 target with QB1 upside in the right matchups in 2024.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Josh Johnson put together a nearly perfect half of football in the team's 13-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday afternoon. The veteran completed all 11 of his pass attempts for 120 yards and a touchdown and carried the ball twice for eight yards on the ground. The lone miscues were a sack for 12 yards and a miscommunication with the center that led to a fumble, but it didn't officially count in Johnson's box score. In the first quarter, a lot of Johnson's throws were short passing plays, but he ended up completing big play after big play in the second quarter. In the touchdown drive, he completed passes of 12, 13, and 31 yards respectively, capped off by a six-yard score to Owen Wright.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. led the rushing attack with the first-team on Saturday evening as he totaled 22 yards on three carries. The Alabama product was the lead back on the opening drive of the game but ceded those duties to Austin Ekeler on the second possession with the starters. While Ekeler only saw one target go his way on Saturday and did not have a rushing attempt, he will still have a large role in the Washington offense as he almost split the first-team snap counts with Robinson. Seeing that the Washington starters logged two full possessions, fantasy managers could expect Robinson and Ekeler to alternate drives in the regular season as they did on Saturday evening. However, given Ekeler's ability to succeed as a pass catcher, he could eventually serve as the go-to third down option while Robison handles the early down work. Nonetheless, this may be a difficult running back room to predict for fantasy this season as they may hinder each other's production. If Jayden Daniels can continue to showcase his elite potential, this offense may be able to produce two reliable running backs, even in a potential 50-50 split.