Washington Commanders Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

According to Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Commanders HC Ron Rivera said this week that he'll play WRs Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel for "at least a portion of the game" Sunday. The notion here is that the coach will give rookie QB Sam Howell some time to work with the team's top options in his NFL debut. Of course, the fantasy read is that Rivera likely doesn't plan to play McLaurin or Samuel the entire game. That could change if Howell delivers and the team stays tight with the Cowboys. But the uncertainty -- including that brought by a 5th-round rookie QB in his 1st pro action -- should make you wary of starting McLaurin in Week 18 fantasy football lineups. We'll keep updating our Week 18 fantasy football rankings for anything else we learn on this and other situations.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler ran for 122 yards and 2 TDs in Sunday's win over the Rams. Ekeler carried just 10 times for the game, adding 4 catches for 39 yards. The team also mixed in RB Joshua Kelley for 9 carries and RB Larry Rountree for 10. Rountree's use came in the 2nd half, perhaps motivated by a knee issue that limited Ekeler to start the practice week. The Chargers finish the regular season at Denver. Ekeler went for limited yardage -- 83 total on 14 carries and 16 targets -- in the 1st meeting. That came back in Week 6, though, against a much different Broncos defense.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson logged 24 carries for 87 rushing yards in Week 17's loss to the Browns. RB Jonathan Williams stepped up in the absence of teammate Antonio Gibson, carrying the ball 9 times for 30 yards in addition to 3 receptions for just as many yards through the air. Robinson has now totaled 20+ carries in 3 of his last 4 games. Fantasy managers playing into Week 18 will see the rookie go up against a fairly stout Cowboys defensive front next Sunday. Robinson carries RB2 status on volume alone.

Commanders DT Jonathan Allen left in the 1st half of Sunday's game against the Browns with a knee injury and has been ruled out for the day. We'll see about his status heading into Week 18.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler (knee) fully participated in practice on Friday and doesn't carry an injury tag for Week 17 vs. the Rams. The Chargers have already clinched a playoff berth and don't have a ton to play for this week. As such, we can't really say how much involvement Ekeler or the other key starters will have vs. the Rams. But unless we have reason to believe his work will be limited, fantasy managers can trust Ekeler as a bonafide RB1 as they have all season. Keep your ear to the ground for any whispers to suggest he'll be lightly utilized just in case.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler (knee) logged limited participation again on Thursday. A full practice on Friday would inspire hope for the veteran's ability to play in Week 17 vs. the Rams. We'll check back in on this tomorrow in case something changes.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler (knee) was listed as a limited practice participant on Wednesday. Check back tomorrow for updates regarding his status ahead of Week 17 vs. the Rams.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson (quad) was listed as a full participant at practice on Wednesday. Fellow RB Antonio Gibson (foot, knee) did not participate. We'll continue to track how the health of this backfield shakes out in advance of Week 17's matchup vs. the Browns.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler scored both of his team's TDs in Monday night's win over the Colts. He logged his 2nd most carries of the season (18) for 67 yards (3.7 per rush), adding 4 catches for 12 yards among 4 targets. RB Joshua Kelley chimed in 9 carries for 33 yards and a 9-yard reception. Ekeler has now drawn double-digit carries in 4 straight games, the 1st stretch this year that has seen him do so. A Week 17 meeting with the Rams holds a defense that has played the run tougher than the pass, but that has been true of the past 3 opponents as well. Ekeler, of course, shouldn't be a candidate to sit out of your Week 17 fantasy football lineups.

Commanders WR Jahan Dotson led the team with 9 targets in Saturday's loss to the 49ers. He caught 6 of them for 76 yards and a TD. Dotson beat WR Terry McLaurin in targets a game after he tied McLaurin for the team lead. TE Logan Thomas followed Dotson in this one, catching 6 of 8 targets for 35 yards. WR Curtis Samuel added a 5-52-1 receiving line on 5 targets. McLaurin went 4-77-1 on 5 looks.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. got 22 carries in Saturday's loss to the 49ers, but he managed just 58 yards (2.6 per attempt). It was a predictably tough matchup, with the opposite coming in Week 17. Robinson will carry upside then, against a Browns defense that entered Week 16 as the 4th most friendly to RB scoring.

Commanders WR Jahan Dotson roped in 4 of 6 targets for 105 yards and a touchdown in a loss against the Giants on Sunday. Dotson is starting to heat up again after a hamstring injury derailed his rookie season in October. The former Penn State product has now seen 15 targets in the Commanders' last 2 contests. Veteran Terry McLaurin also had a solid outing, hauling all 6 of his targets for 70 yards. Curtis Samuel saw muted success by comparison, though 3 receptions for 44 yards is a respectable stat line. The Commanders WR corps will face off against a 49ers defense that presents a middle-of-the-pack matchup in terms of adjusted fantasy points per game in 2022. That said, QB Taylor Heinicke's ability to deliver the ball will be diminished by the strength of the 49ers' stout defensive front, relegating all Commanders WRs into flex consideration at best with McLaurin being the favorite. It would be best to look elsewhere for WR help in Week 16 outside of deep leagues.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson posted 12 carries for 89 yards in Sunday's loss vs. the Giants. The rookie back also collected 1 reception for 18 yards in the receiving game. Teammate Antonio Gibson did not contribute as much, only reaching 21 yards on 5 carries in addition to a pair of catches for another 6 yards receiving. Robinson has been a reliable high-floor flex option of late, however Week 16 will present a tough challenge. The 49ers have shut down opposing RBs this year, ranking 3rd-toughest in adjusted fantasy points allowed to the position. Robinson's high volume in the carries department will vault him into flex consideration next week, though not much should be expected. Same goes for Gibson, who will also be flex-worthy as the complimentary option out of the Commanders' backfield.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler managed just 70 total yards in Sunday's win over the Titans, his 3rd-lowest number of the season. Ekeler ran with solid efficiency -- 4.8 yards per rush (12 carries, 58 yards) -- especially considering that he was facing the league's #1 run defense Football Outsiders' DVOA. Ekeler added just 12 yards on 2 catches, though, uncharacteristically low for him. He did leave the game briefly for an injury check but wound up playing 69% of the snaps (according to Pro Football Focus), right in line with his usual playing time. Ekeler and RB Joshua Kelley each scored rushing TDs, as Kelley ran 10 times for 24 yards. Week 16 holds a Monday night trip to Indy, which allowed Vikings RB Dalvin Cook 190 total yards on Saturday night.

Cowboys EDGE Dorance Armstrong (ankle) is active for today's game against the Jaguars.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler has averaged 7.2 catches per game for the season, 6th highest in the league. That rate has climbed to 7.8 per contest over the past 8 games. That aspect is what keeps him high in our Week 15 fantasy football rankings, in spite of facing a Tennessee defense that ranks #1 in Football Outsiders' run-defense DVOA.

Commanders RBs Brian Robinson (quad) and Antonio Gibson (foot) were limited in practice this week, but neither guy is on the final injury report. They should both be ready for their usual roles vs. the Giants on Sunday night: Robinson the lead ball-carrier, Gibson mixing in on early downs and handling most of the pass-catching work.

Commanders RBs Brian Robinson (quad) and Antonio Gibson (foot) were limited in Wednesday's practice. We haven't heard anything to suggest that either guy is in danger of missing Sunday night's game vs. the Giants, but we'll keep an eye on them over the next few days.

Falcons HC Arthur Smith confirmed on Monday that rookie QB Desmond Ridder will take over as the starter going forward. He called the decision to bench QB Marcus Mariota "performance based," but added that Mariota is likely heading to IR with a knee injury. Mariota can be dropped from all redraft rosters. Ridder is unlikely to climb beyond QB2 status in Atlanta's run-heavy offense.

Broncos K Brandon McManus (quad) isn’t listed on the final injury report for Sunday’s game vs. the Chiefs. He put in a full practice on Friday, so the quad shouldn’t be an issue.