Washington Commanders Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Commanders LB Jamin Davis played just 56% of the defensive snaps for his 16 games as a rookie and saw no meaningful growth in his role as the season went on. Heading into Year 2, it sounds like that might not change. Cole Holcomb remains the lead LB and only 3-down player in the corps, according to ESPN's John Keim. Davis, meanwhile, is seeing inconsistent usage. That has included losing some base-package snaps to David Mayo, who Keim says the team prefers in run defense. There's obviously still time for Davis to earn more playing time before the regular season arrives. And it's just his 2nd season. But the 2021 first-round pick doesn't look like a great bet for IDP redraft leagues this year. He's still talented enough to keep stashed on dynasty rosters, however.

Cardinals TE Zach Ertz left Thursday's practice early and remained out Friday. HC Kliff Kingsbury said the veteran strained a calf, according to Jess Root of Cards Wire. We'll watch for further indications on the severity. Rookie TE Trey McBride (back) also missed a 2nd straight day of practice Friday.

Commanders rookie TE Cole Turner has been working in with the 1st team at training camp. Ethan Cadeaux of NBC Sports Washington says that he "has had a nice start to camp." Turner's not worth getting excited about, but there is opportunity potentially available. Logan Thomas has yet to come off the PUP list as he works back from a December ACL tear that included other damage. If Turner can work ahead of 2nd-year TE John Bates on the depth chart, he'd carry some intrigue as a very late 3rd TE (or 4th in FFPC formats) on best-ball rosters. The 5th-round converted WR caught 111 passes over his final 2 college seasons and delivered an above-average speed score for the position in pre-draft testing at 6'6 and 250 pounds. Turner at least looks like a name to know for dynasty purposes. Thomas is heading into his age-31 season.

Bills HC Sean McDermott said WR Jamison Crowder will practice "in some capacity" on Monday. He missed the 1st week of camp with what the team called "general soreness." WR Isaiah McKenzie balled out in Crowder's absence and now looks like the favorite for slot duties. We'll see if Crowder can turn the tables. There are still over 5 weeks until Buffalo's opener.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler doesn’t expect his role to change significantly in 2022. “As far as my load, yeah, maybe it could be altered a little bit but I don’t think it’ll go down. I think it’ll just look a little different, if anything.” OC Joe Lombardi is on the same page. “I’m not expecting any kind of dip in usage with him,” the long-time coach said. “But, like any running back, unless you’re 250 pounds, sometimes there’s a pitch count on those guys. (Ekeler) isn’t someone you want to lose halfway through the season because you overused him. Just being smart with how many times he’s getting hit every game is something that you have to keep any eye on.” Ekeler saw a career-high 206 carries in 16 games last season. Perhaps that’s scaled back a bit, but there’s no reason to alter 2022 expectations here.

Josh Kendall of The Athletic says the "Falcons seem to have [Marcus] Mariota firmly penciled into that starting role now." He adds that he expects to see rookie QB Desmond Ridder get a shot before the end of the season. "Firmly penciled in" seems like deliberate language in that it points to Mariota being the heavy favorite at the moment -- but also that Ridder could change things if he simply outperforms the vet. We'll keep watching the competition, though the fantasy impact is minimal given what should be 1 of the league's worst offenses.

Commanders HC Ron Rivera indicated Wednesday that he likes the way rookie RB Brian Robinson runs both inside and outside. "He's a big, strong, powerful downhill runner, more so than anything else," Rivera said, per Ben Standig of The Athletic. "He does have a little bit of shake to him. ... Antonio [Gibson] is a little more elusive guy more off the edge, where with Brian, we can take it inside, or we can take it off the edge." Standig had previously pondered whether Washington would lean on Robinson as the primary goal-line back. It sure seems like Rivera envisions such a role for the rookie. The way the coach talks about him as an all-around runner, while referring to Gibson as more specifically an outside guy, makes us wonder if even more work than previously anticipated might be going to the new guy. Gibson is currently working back from a June hamstring injury, which can only help Robinson's climb. The 3rd-round pick carries plenty of upside late in current fantasy football drafts.

Falcons QB Marcus Mariota has been working with the 1st team in the first few days of training camp, per The Athletic's Josh Kendall. Rookie QB Desmond Ridders has been with the 2s. "Obviously, we’ve got a plan for each of them. Marcus is the starter,” QBs coach Charles London said. “I expect those guys to compete. Right now, Marcus is the starter, and he’s doing a great job.” Consider Mariota a comfy favorite to open the season as Atlanta's starter -- but there's still a good chance we see Ridder at some point.

Bills insider Vic Carucci believes WR Jamison Crowder will earn the team's slot role. The 29-year-old signed for $2 million on a 1-year deal early in free agency. Carucci also believes WR Isaiah McKenzie will retain "more of a specialty role” for new OC Ken Dorsey. Crowder is the preferred fantasy target, but we'll keep a close eye on this battle come training camp.

Per ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, Falcons QB Marcus Mariota “appears to be far ahead” of QB Desmond Ridder. Unsurprisingly, Rothstein says it would be “a stretch” for Ridder to start the opener. Our current QB projections have Mariota for 12 games; the rookie for 5. Note that Atlanta’s bye week doesn’t arrive until Week 14.

No more holdout worries for WR Terry McLaurin. He and the Commanders agreed to a 3-year, $70 million contract extension on Tuesday. That tacks on to the final year of his rookie deal to keep McLaurin signed through the 2025 season. He'll be 30 at that point. The 2019 3rd-rounder has opened his career with WR30, WR20 and WR36 finishes in PPR points per game -- despite often dealing with poor QB play. It's arguable whether Carson Wentz will stabilize that situation. McLaurin sits in mid-range WR2 territory in our 2022 rankings.

The Athletic's Ben Standig wonders whether rookie Brian Robinson will replace Antonio Gibson as the Commanders' goal-line back this season. "Washington selected running back Brian Robinson to be a between-the-tackles hammer," Standig writes. "It will be interesting to see whether Robinson or Antonio Gibson, who remains the lead back, handles goal-line/short-yardage situations. Often the rookie gets eased into such scenarios, but Gibson’s penchant for fumbles combined with Robinson’s ball security and interior running could flip this toward the Alabama alum." Gibson coughed it up 6 times last season and was just-ok near the goal line, converting 5 of 12 carries inside the 5-yard line into TDs. Robinson has 5 pounds on Gibson and scored 14 times on the ground at Alabama last year. Usage in Washington's backfield will be worth monitoring closely in training camp and preseason action.

After watching OTAs and minicamp, The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia believes WRs Jamison Crowder and Isaiah McKenzie will compete for slot snaps in training camp. "If Crowder and McKenzie keep these positive days going in training camp, the Bills will have a difficult decision to make regarding playing time," Buscaglia writes. Crowder is the more accomplished player of the 2. But both guys are making about the same amount of money this season, and McKenzie has the advantage of experience in this offense and with QB Josh Allen. Crowder is WR66 in recent FFPC ADP, while McKenzie is down at WR94.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Commanders WR Terry McLaurin plans to miss this week's mandatory minicamp. The 4th-year wideout is looking for a new contract, as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal. Beyond the fine that will come with holding out, McLaurin will be missing practice time with new QB Carson Wentz. His absence will also afford extra reps for WRs such as rookie Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel and Cam Sims. We'll see how this situation develops. For now, we're not adjusting our outlook for McLaurin -- who just might be getting the best QB of his career to date.

Commanders HC Ron Rivera compared his new Antonio Gibson - Brian Robinson backfield to the Jonathan Stewart - De'Angelo Williams pairing he had in Carolina, according to insider Grant Paulsen. Those guys split backfield work almost right down the middle across 4 seasons under Rivera, with Stewart averaging 10.4 carries and 2.8 targets per game vs. Williams' 11.2 carries and 1.6 targets. We're not expecting Robinson to match Gibson in volume this season, but it sounds like the rookie has a shot to play a significant role.

Washington selected RB Brian Robinson in Round 3 of the NFL Draft. At nearly 6’2, 225 pounds, the Alabama product is a load to bring down. He broke out as a 5th-year senior, rushing for 271-1,343-14 after sitting behind guys like Josh Jacobs, Najee Harris and Damien Harris. Despite 2 drops, Robinson added 35 catches in the receiving game. He drew a Chris Carson comp from NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein, and the tape backs that up. In Washington, he profiles as a potential rotational runner right out of the gate. Note that Antonio Gibson is under contract for 2 more seasons.

The Commanders added Penn State WR Jahan Dotson with the 16th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. He notably goes ahead of Arkansas WR Treylon Burks. Dotson might have the best combination of route-running ability and hands in this year’s WR class. He has the quickness and technique to defeat press coverage and the suddenness and efficiency to create separation. That’s earned him comparisons to Diontae Johnson and Emmanuel Sanders. Dotson also boasts a surprisingly large catch radius and posted a career 5.2% drop rate, according to Pro Football Focus. He didn’t break out until his junior year at Penn State, although he did post big market shares in both 2020 and 2021. Size is the most notable wart on Dotson’s profile. He’s just 5’11 and 178 pounds with 18th percentile arm length and a 22nd percentile wingspan. That figures to limit Dotson to mostly slot duties in the NFL and puts a cap on his fantasy upside. It’ll be interesting to see how Washington deploys Dotson alongside WR Curtis Samuel, who’s played plenty in the slot.

The Rams have agreed to a 5-year, $50 million deal with LB Bobby Wagner, according to multiple reports. The pact has a reported max value of $65 million. We'd be surprised if the veteran LB sticks with L.A. for 5 years and the contract gets anywhere close to either of those numbers. But the Rams clearly want Wagner to be their top off-ball LB for at least the next year or 2. This move should keep Wagner well within LB1 range for IDP drafts in 2022.

WR Jamison Crowder has inked a 1-year deal with the Bills worth "up to" $4 million, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Crowder is coming off a disappointing 2021 season, averaging a career-low 8.8 yards on 51 catches across 12 games for the Jets. But he'll turn just 29 in June and averaged 4.9 catches and 54.4 yards per game between 2019 and 2020. Crowder looks like a natural replacement in Buffalo for Cole Beasley, who finished 34th, 27th and 41st among WRs in PPR points the last 3 seasons.

The Falcons announced Monday they have agreed to a 2-year deal with QB Marcus Mariota. He's likely a step down in passing from Matt Ryan. At the least, Mariota will have to prove otherwise after he washed out with Tennessee and then spent the past 2 years backing up Derek Carr. But his rushing ability makes him a far more attractive fantasy option than Ryan. Mariota has experience with HC Arthur Smith from their Titans days, which can only help speed his acclimation to the offense. The QB's arrival might be negative for Cordarrelle Patterson's target upside, but we'll let the situation play out a little further before making any significant change to the RB-WR hybrid's outlook.