Breer: WR Williams, WR McCaffrey playing well

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.

Diggs’ nine targets led all Commanders players, while his 55 receiving yards were second to rookie Antonio Williams. He had two crucial drops earlier in the game, but Diggs (somewhat) made up for them when he hauled in a 10-yard receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Commanders were attempting to draw even with the Eagles. Unfortunately, a careless unsportsmanlike penalty by Diggs after the touchdown moved the Commanders out of position to consider going for a two-point conversion while trailing 17-15, instead forcing them to go for a long 47-yard PAT. Diggs’ nine targets were an encouraging sign for him in his Commanders debut, but it’s worth noting that Terry McLaurin saw only four targets after being bottled up for most of the day. That said, Diggs has commanded targets wherever he plays, and could have some value as a WR3 in next week’s game against the Titans.

It was a rough first outing for Daniels and the Commanders. Washington managed just 65 passing yards through the first three quarters, while Daniels completed 9-of-23 passes. In the fourth quarter, however, Daniels was far more effective, completing 9-of-11 passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns, with his first coming on a 10-yard pass to Stefon Diggs. On the following drive, Daniels would connect with rookie Antonio Williams twice, with the second resulting in a one-yard touchdown pass that Williams scraped off the turf but was ruled a touchdown after review. Needing a two-point conversion to tie the game, the Commanders ran a shovel pass to tight end John Bates that came up well short of the end zone, giving Philly the win after they recovered an onside kick attempt. Daniels was far from sharp in this one, but the Eagles deserve plenty of credit for keeping him in the pocket, forcing him off his spot, and making him uncomfortable. Of the five rush attempts Daniels managed on Sunday, only two came on designed runs. Five rush attempts feel like the floor for Daniels in any given week, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Commanders were more intentional about limiting designed run calls after last year’s injury-plagued season. Daniels will be a high-end QB1 next week when the Commanders take on the Cowboys in Dallas.

Despite being listed as the primary kick returner on the Commanders’ unofficial depth chart, McCaffrey will be a healthy scratch for Week 1’s game against the Eagles, meaning second-year receiver Jaylin Lane will likely serve as both the kick and punt returner against the Eagles. The Commanders have all their key players healthy and ready for Sunday’s opener.

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.

Beat writers for the Commanders were aghast at what they saw during Wednesday’s joint practice, a dominant performance for Baltimore against an overmatched Washington offensive line. This is the worst I’ve ever seen the Commanders’ offense in years,” Jhabvala said. “Inoperable offensive line.” Washington this summer lost standout LT Laremy Tunsil to a tricep injury that will keep him sidelined throughout the regular season. The Commanders on Tuesday signed free agent OT DJ Humphries. If the team’s blocking issues are not adequately addressed in the coming weeks, it could be bad news for Jayden Daniels and the rest of the Commanders’ fantasy-relevant players. Last year Washington ranked 18th in pass blocking win rate and 21st in run blocking win rate.

In addition to Daniels, the Commanders are also expected to play Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs, giving us the first look at the team’s revamped passing game under new offensive coordinator David Blough, with most of its starters on the field. We wouldn’t expect Daniels and company to play more than a series or two, but this will be Daniels’ first game since Week 14 of last season.

One of the bigger storylines out of Commanders camp this offseason has been the switch to a scheme that is expected to put Daniels under center far more often than he did in his first two seasons with Kliff Kingsbury. Daniels has played 94 percent of his snaps from shotgun since 2024, per TruMedia, which is similar to how he also played in college. According to Jhabvala, Daniels has adjusted well to playing more from under center, saying, “the footwork that so often seems to trip up young quarterbacks doesn’t seem to be an issue at all for (Daniels),” while adding that his timing with his pass-catchers has been “really sharp.” Daniels struggled in his second season as a pro. While a multitude of injuries certainly played a role, he struggled at times with his accuracy last season and was more prone to take off and run than he was as a rookie. With several new additions on offense, Daniels could be in line for a big fantasy season and profiles as a high-end QB1.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter later added that the deal is worth “up to” $12 million over one year. Diggs has been tied to the Commanders by local and national reporters for weeks. After seeing their lack of receiving weapons in training camp for a few days, GM Adam Peters finally pulled the trigger. Diggs will immediately slot in as the team’s No. 2 receiver, ahead of Antonio Williams and a cast of uninteresting veterans. The Pats limited Diggs to a 68 percent route rate last year, but he still managed to hit 1,000 yards via impressive efficiency marks. With Terry McLaurin operating as the Commanders’ No. 1 receiver, Diggs is unlikely to hit four digits again, but he should still offer fantasy managers usable FLEX numbers on a weekly basis.

Perhaps more notable is that Keim pointed out “other free agents don’t appear to be on their radar,” with Brandon Aiyuk presumably the “other” in this scenario. Diggs has long been linked to the Commanders as a potential fit, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported last week that “Washington is intriguing” to Diggs, so there’s a good chance some mutual interest exists. The Commanders’ receiver room is headlined by Terry McLaurin, but behind him is an unproven group in Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, and rookie Antonio Williams. It feels like only a matter of time before the Commanders eventually make a move to upgrade their receiving corps, and Diggs would provide a solid option opposite McLaurin after going for 85-1,013-4 with the Patriots last season.