Washington Commanders Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler bounced back in a big way on Sunday night, finishing with 7 catches for a team-leading 94 yards and a TD vs. the Bears. The veteran wasn’t as effective as a runner in the contest (15 carries, 29 rushing yards), though the fantasy points ultimately count all the same. Ekeler’s 23.3 PPR points from Sunday are his highest since Week 1 and out-pace his last two outings combined. Any concerns about his sluggishness returning from the ankle injury that kept him out for a while should be out the window now. Next week, he’ll take on the Jets and should be considered a high-end RB1.

Commanders WR Jahan Dotson enjoyed a Week 8 breakout with 8 grabs, 108 yards, and 1 score. Sam Howell chucked it 52 times, but Dotson’s target share still finished at an improved 19.2%. Terry McLaurin, meanwhile, led the team in targets (12), while he scored his second TD on the year. Washington’s leaky secondary could force more shootouts going forward. That’s just not a likely outcome next week against the low-scoring Patriots. After that comes a Week 10 date at Seattle.

The Commanders have ruled LB Cody Barton out for Sunday's game against the Eagles. It's the move we've been expecting after Barton left last week's game with a walking boot on his sprained ankle. Expect a full-time role for Jamin Davis and LB2 duty for David Mayo.

Panthers LB Frankie Luvu (hip) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans after putting in limited practices all week. He says he'll be playing, though, according to The Athletic's Joe Person. Expect to have Luvu in your IDP lineups.

Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with an ankle injury. It's a bit surprising given that Wagner didn't miss a single snap of Sunday's win over the Cardinals. We'll see about his status in Friday's practice and whether the team gives him a game status on the final injury report.

Commanders LB Cody Bardon (ankle) sat out Wednesday's practice. He came away from Sunday's loss to the Giants with a walking boot on the ankle he sprained early in the game. We're betting Barton will miss Week 8 but will keep an eye on his status throughout the week. LB Jamin Davis will likely get full playing time if Barton sits, with David Mayo the next LB up.

The Cardinals are placing TE Zach Ertz on IR with a quad strain he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks. That knocks the veteran out for at least the next four games and vaults TE Trey McBride into fantasy relevance. The second-year TE has been disappointing so far, averaging just 2.1 receptions per game and trailing the 32-year-old Ertz in usage. But McBride's route participation picked up the past two weeks and figures to take an even bigger jump now. He has already ranked second on the year in yards per route among TEs with 20+ targets -- tied with Jonnu Smith and ahead of Mark Andrews and Sam LaPorta, among others.

Commanders LB Cody Barton left in the first quarter of Sunday's loss to the Giants with a left ankle injury and did not return. The Athletic's Ben Standig reports that Barton was in a walking boot after the game. We'll watch for more on his status, but that all doesn't seem to bode well for Barton's chances of being ready for a Week 8 home date with the Eagles. If Barton misses further time, Jamin Davis looks like the full-time LB, with David Mayo taking on Davis' usual role. That could mean anywhere from 65-90% of defensive snaps, based on Davis' playing time to date and how much Mayo played Sunday.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson split carries with rookie Chris Rodriguez in Week 5. Rodriguez actually led the team in rushing yards, gaining 31 on 7 attempts. He didn’t draw a target on 42 Sam Howell passes, though. And his college background suggests he’s an underwhelmed receiver. Rodriguez isn't a high-upside option, but for RB-needy owners in deep formats, the Kentucky product is worth stashing on benches. A tough Philly front seven awaits in Week 8.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler ran for just 45 yards on 14 carries (3.2 per rush) in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. He also added just 1 reception for 1 yard among 2 targets. Ekeler's playing time (62%) fell in line with his previous game, and his rushing actually proved more efficient. Ekeler averaged just 1.9 yards per carry in the Week 6 loss to the Cowboys. The Chiefs have played well on defense overall this season, ranking ninth in total DVOA entering the week. But they also ranked just 21st against the run. We're still betting on Ekeler going forward and especially expect much more from his receiving. But we'll be watching closely for any signs we need to adjust those expectations. A Week 8 matchup with a weak Bears defense looks like a potential blowup spot -- or possibly a signal to really worry about Ekeler if he doesn't deliver.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin posted a team-high 6 catches and 90 yards against the Giants. That includes a team-high 21.4% target share. The veteran made a couple of impressive downfield grabs in tight coverage, including one where he took a hard shot. Following a slow start, McLaurin's now hit 80+ yards in three of his past four matchups. Keep him in lineups as a top-30 option next week against Philly.

And the crowd goes mild! Chargers RB Austin Ekeler logged 62 total yards in his return from injury in Week 6 vs. the Cowboys. The veteran was fairly effective as a receiver in the contest (4 catches, 35 yards) but was unable to get anything going on the ground. 14 carries for 27 rushing yards isn’t the big return that fantasy managers had hoped for. Ekeler’s 10.1 PPR points rank as 25th-best at the RB position this week. Hopefully, we’ll see a better showing from him in Week 7 vs. the Chiefs.

Panthers LB Frankie Luvu left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter with a hip injury and did not return. Fortunately, he now gets a Week 7 bye to recover. This is the same area that had Luvu on the injury report in weeks 4 and 5, but he played through it for each game. We'll watch for updates on Luvu's status.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin hauled 6 of 11 targets for a team-high 81 receiving yards in Week 6 vs. the Falcons. Fellow wideout Curtis Samuel also had a productive game, delivering 4 catches for 42 yards and a TD on Sunday. Through six weeks, Samuel quietly ranks as the WR32 in PPR points per game (12.6) and has positioned himself as a must-add in fantasy leagues. Next week’s game vs. the Giants will be a great matchup for these Commanders’ pass-catchers.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. tallied 31 rushing yards on 10 carries in Week 6 vs. the Falcons. While his rushing output was somewhat disappointing, he added 2 catches for 25 yards and a receiving TD in the contest. His end zone score made for a respectable total of 13.6 PPR points, but the second-year back has really cooled off since the beginning of the season. Fortunately, next week presents a solid “get right” opportunity for Robinson Jr. vs. the Giants.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler (ankle) put in a full week of practice and isn't listed on the final Week 6 injury report. He'll be back for Monday night's game vs. the Cowboys. Ekeler is five weeks removed from his high-ankle sprain, so he should be relatively close to 100%.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler (ankle) was a full-go in Thursday's practice. It's confirmation that he's set to return for Monday night's game vs. the Cowboys. We'll see how Ekeler looks coming off the high-ankle sprain, but he belongs locked into season-long starting lineups.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson registered season lows with six carries and 10 rushing yards in Thursday night's loss to the Bears. He struggled to find running room early on, and the Bears fell behind 17-0 early in the second quarter. Robinson's final carry came with 9:28 left in the second quarter. He at least added 33 yards on four catches, but it was still an ugly fantasy outing in what looked like a great spot. That's the risk when dealing with a game script-dependent RB. Robinson wound up getting out-snapped 38 to 25 by RB Antonio Gibson in this one. The good news is that the Commanders shouldn't face much negative game script the next two weeks vs. the Falcons and Giants. (Of course, we didn't think they'd get crushed by the Bears at home.)

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler (ankle) said Tuesday that he expects to play in Week 6. Los Angeles gets a Week 5 bye and then plays the Cowboys on Monday night of Week 6, so Ekeler even gets an extra day to get ready for that one. We'll track his practice participation next week.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin led the team in targets (10), receptions (8), and receiving yards (86) in Sunday's OT loss at Philadelphia. Those marked season highs in each category. WR Jahan Dotson followed with 9 targets, catching four for just 27 yards. But he nabbed QB Sam Howell's lone TD pass at the end of regulation to push the game to OT. McLaurin remains the only Washington WR in serious lineup consideration and gets an upside matchup with the Bears in Week 5.