New Commanders TE Chig Okonkwo sounds excited about what he's seen so far in the scheme of first-time OC David Blough. The fifth-year vet signed a three-year, $27 million deal in free agency after finishing each of the past three years in the range of 52 to 56 catches.
What They're Saying
Okonkwo, on the Command Center podcast: "I feel like this is the place where I can finally just unleash. ... So far, there's been so many more opportunities I've had to just run different things ... and use my true talents and abilities. It's awesome, man. I can't wait. ... I feel like a player like me who's really good with the ball in his hands is going to enjoy this offense."
2026 Fantasy Football Impact
There's little question about Okonkwo's ability with the ball in his hands. He has ranked among the top half of TEs in yards after catch per reception (minimum 30 targets) every year since entering the league. That included leading the position as a 2022 rookie and tying for eighth last season.
The biggest question for Okonkwo is playing time. He has yet to play more than 65.9% of his team's offensive snaps, and that high point came in his second season.
That plus a lack of TDs have kept Okonkwo under 8.0 PPR points per game in each of his four seasons.
He'll need to combine a bump in playing time with more scoring opportunities to matter this fantasy season. The contract suggests his usage will grow. We'll see about the Washington offense under new leadership.
Okonkwo's TE17 best ball ADP puts him decently ahead of his TE22 spot in our half-PPR rankings. But he's fine to take shots on anywhere in that range, especially if you're building out a best ball portfolio.
It's tough to get excited about Okonkwo for more standard lineup-setting formats.
