Commanders WR Curtis Samuel (toe) did not practice on Wednesday. He didn't return to last week's game after hurting his toe and is in real danger of missing Sunday's game vs. the Patriots. Jamison Crowder replaced Samuel as Washington's primary slot receiver last week but would be a desperation fantasy play. Samuel's absence would likely mean more targets for WRs Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel suffered a toe injury in the second half of Sunday's game vs. the Eagles and did not return. He was questionable heading into this one with a foot injury. It's unclear if the toe issue is related. We'll look for an update on Samuel's status.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel (foot) is active for today’s game vs. the Eagles. He was reportedly a game-time decision, so it’s safe to assume that he’ll be at less than 100% for this one. It leaves Samuel as a shaky WR4 play.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel (foot) is a game-time decision for today's tilt with the Eagles, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "There is optimism about his status, but the team wants to see him work out," Rapoport adds. We'll get Washington's inactives around 11:30 am ET. Samuel will obviously carry elevated risk in fantasy lineups if he suits up.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel (foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Eagles. There’s been no indication that he’s in danger of missing this one, but you’ll need to check back around 11:30 am ET on Sunday to make sure Samuel is active.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel (foot) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. He should be ready for this weekend's game vs. the Eagles, but we'll see how Samuel is listed on the final injury report tomorrow.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel (foot) did not practice on Wednesday. No word yet on whether he's in danger of missing this weekend's game vs. the Eagles. We'll update Samuel's status again tomorrow.
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.
After just 7 total targets and 5 receptions over the previous two games, Commanders WR Curtis Samuel tallied 7 receptions for 51 yards on 8 targets in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. Samuel added a 1-yard TD on his only carry of the game. The combo obviously made for a nice fantasy line, but Washington's elevated passing volume and condensed target distribution helped. Sam Howell attempted 41 passes -- despite taking 5 sacks -- and only threw more than 3 targets to Samuel, Jahan Dotson (9), and Terry McLaurin (10). Samuel has now drawn a target on just 14.3% of Howell's attempts for the season. He's not a lineup option for most leagues, despite an upside matchup with Chicago in Week 5.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel (illness) has been removed from the Week 3 injury report. He'll play vs. the Bills tomorrow. Samuel has caught all eight of his targets for 73 scoreless yards through two games, adding another 19 yards on two carries.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel (illness) did not practice on Friday and is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Bills. He should be able to play in that one, but hopefully you’re not counting on Samuel in Week 3 fantasy lineups.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (turf toe) landed just 2 catches on 6 targets for 31 receiving yards in Sunday’s win vs. the Cardinals. Teammate Curtis Samuel led the team in receiving with 54 yards and a perfect 5-for-5 on his targets. McLaurin has dealt with this toe injury dating back to the preseason and practiced in a limited fashion for much of this week. It’s no surprise he got out-targeted by WR Jahan Dotson (5 for 40 yards on 7 targets) in Week 1, though we expect McLaurin’s impact to increase as he becomes further removed from the ailment. An underrated takeaway to consider before their Week 2 matchup vs. the Broncos is that TE Logan Thomas led the Commanders with 8 targets in this game—something to remember for those in deeper leagues.
Commanders HC Ron Rivera noted how WR Curtis Samuel’s skill set fits the new offense. Washington is now under the direction of OC Eric Bieniemy. “I think it fits in very well,” Rivera said. “Go back and get an opportunity to look at the stuff that they did in Kansas City and look at how creative and inventive they have been over the years with the receivers that they've had. Everything from running the jet sweeps to going vertical to working underneath, and the coverages against the coverages. You know, it's about getting the ball into the hands as quick as possible in as much space as possible, allowing these guys to make plays.” Highlighting Samuel’s catch-and-run ability makes sense. But we’re likely talking about the No. 3 option for an offense with QB concerns. Samuel, 27, projects as a bench stash to begin the season.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin enters Year 5 seeking his 4th straight 1,000-yard season. McLaurin’s underlying numbers looked strong last fall, with 2.04 yards per route run, 5.1 yards after catch per reception, and a 3.8% drop rate. The former Ohio State star also played 17 games for the 2nd straight season. Washington will run it back with a WR trio of McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel. QB Sam Howell brings more questions than answers, but we’re confident in Eric Bieniemy as a major play-calling upgrade. Ultimately, McLaurin profiles as a low-end fantasy WR2.
The Commanders fired OC Scott Turner. Washington never ranked better than 20th in total yards or 23rd in points across Turner's 3 seasons, although QB play was seemingly a bigger problem than Turner's play calling. We'll see who the Commanders tab as their next OC -- and what they do at QB. Carson Wentz is set to count $26 million against the 2023 cap but can be cut with no dead-cap penalty.
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.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Commanders are expected to start QB Taylor Heinicke against Dallas in the season finale. But he adds that rookie QB Sam Howell "is also slated to play." Take this news as an admission from HC Ron Rivera that he was wrong to start Carson Wentz in the Week 17 loss to Cleveland. With Washington now eliminated from playoff contention, though, it would seem to make more sense to just play the rookie the whole way. The reported plan, of course, makes both QBs unusable in fantasy football lineups. And the whole situation adds risk to Washington pass-catchers. We're not changing our outlook for RB Brian Robinson Jr., though. Check out the adjusted Week 18 fantasy football rankings.
Commanders TE Logan Thomas hauled in 6 of 7 targets for 56 yards on Sunday vs. the Browns. This effort led all Commanders' pass-catchers in what was a rather poor offensive showing in the Week 17 loss. WR Jahan Dotson only managed to rope in 3 of 7 targets for 37 yards. WRs Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel combined for 3 catches between them and did not provide much fantasy value on Sunday. It'll be interesting to see if Commanders HC Ron Rivera hands the reigns back over to QB Taylor Heinicke for Week 18 vs. the Cowboys. That might be the only hope fantasy managers playing beyond this week have for this bunch.
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.
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