Antonio

Williams

Keep it locked to Rotoworld, folks. Hopefully, we get word on McLaurin’s status on Saturday, but it appears as though we may have to wait until Sunday morning. Fowler adds that rookie WR Antonio Williams “could be a factor in the passing game regardless of whether McLaurin plays.”

Diggs did not practice this week and was ruled out by the team shortly after Friday’s practice concluded. His absence will give rookie Antonio Williams, who ran 30 routes last week, a chance to take on a bigger role. Williams tied for the team lead with eight targets in Week 4’s game against the Colts and could be treated as a desperation WR4/FLEX play. Fantasy managers considering Williams for their lineups may want to check the weather, as rain and wind are currently forecasted for the area, which could create a suboptimal environment for Washington’s passing game.

Diggs didn’t appear to get hurt during the Commanders’ Week 4 loss to the Colts, but it looks like he felt something after the game. With Terry McLaurin also sidelined for today’s practice, Antonio Williams could be the Commanders’ No. 1 receiver in Week 5. He saw eight targets on Sunday, only one fewer than Diggs. The Commanders’ absurdly long injury report will be one to monitor as the week progresses.

With Terry McLaurin out, Williams fully took over as the team’s No. 2 receiver. His eight targets were good for a 22 percent target share and he led the Commanders in routes. The bad news is that the offense struggled after Marcus Mariota went down with a knee injury. That happened in the first quarter, so Washington had a third-string quarterback under center for the majority of this game. If the role sticks, Williams could be a viable FLEX play once Jayden Daniels returns. The Commanders’ injury report will be one to watch heading into Week 5.

The Commanders were able to put up an impressive 34 points — six of those coming on a pick six, but still — against the Seahawks, but Williams had little to do with it with a long gain of nine. The 2026 third-round pick has a chance to be a solid PPR play at some point, but Williams is much more of a dynasty option than a redraft one at this stage. He’ll likely be the third wideout for Washington in Week 4 against the Colts.

Williams tied Dyami Brown for the second-most routes run (24) by any Commanders receiver, but he saw one fewer target than he did in his rookie debut. The rookie receiver came up short on an opportunity for a wide-open touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin on a trick play, which was the closest he came to generating a big play in this one. All three of Williams’ targets came on the second-to-last drive of the game for the Commanders. There’s far too much target competition here to consider Williams a viable fantasy asset in Week 3’s game against the Seahawks.

A limited session this early in the week shouldn’t stop Lane from suiting up on Sunday, but it’s worth noting. Lane split the WR4 role with Antonio Williams in Week 1. Williams stole the show with four catches for 64 yards and a score. If Lane can’t suit up this week, Williams could be in line for a larger role.

Williams’ 64 receiving yards were enough to lead all Commanders players in Sunday’s loss. The rookie third-rounder made his first catch late in the second quarter, picking up 16 yards to put the Commanders down on Philly’s one-yard line, which set up a rushing touchdown by Jacory Croskey-Merritt on the following play. He again came up big with a 33-yard reception in the fourth quarter to convert a third-and-14 that helped set up another Commanders touchdown, and on the team’s final drive of the game, Williams displayed good hands on a one-yard touchdown when he maintained control of a low, poorly thrown ball for the score. While Williams’ strong performance certainly warrants more opportunities, he shouldn’t be viewed as any more than the third receiver in Washington’s passing game. He’s an intriguing stash in deeper leagues, but there’s no reason to chase the points in next week’s game against the Cowboys.

Playing early is one thing. Pulling targets from Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, and Chig Okonkwo is another. Williams has reportedly had a strong camp and will likely see most of his snaps come from the slot in his rookie season. The former Clemson Tiger caught 130 passes over his final two seasons, but it’s hard to imagine him offering much fantasy production, especially in the early part of the season.

Breer adds that third-year Commanders WR Luke McCaffrey has “taken another step.” Perhaps this receiving corps is slightly better than one may have thought a few months ago. Both players are behind WR Terry McLaurin and WR Stefon Diggs, who has “immediately stepped into a leadership role” on his new team, but receiving depth is a plus for QB Jayden Daniels.