Antonio Williams ‘will play early’ for Commanders

Williams cashed in on his first target of the game for a 31-yard score in the third quarter, adding one additional grab for 11 yards in the final frame. The electric rookie continues to play starters snaps and challenge for the team lead in route rate but had yet to get completely on the same page with quarterback Jayden Daniels, the latter of whom leaned heavily on Stefon Diggs and tight end Chig Okonkwo in this one. The talent is undeniable for Williams, but fantasy managers would love to see a bump in targets before feeling comfortable entering him into starting lineups. Williams’ next chance to return a usable fantasy outing comes in Week 11 against the inside-funnel Bengals, where he should avoid the primary coverage of lockdown corner DJ Turner.

Fantasy managers hoping for a breakout performance from Williams, with Terry McLaurin (knee), Treylon Burks (foot), and Dyami Brown (calf) all sidelined, will be left wanting more. Instead, veteran journeyman Van Jefferson stepped up, catching five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown on a team-high seven targets, while Williams was largely an afterthought. Of the six targets Williams saw on Sunday, three came in the fourth quarter with the Commanders trailing 20-13. The rookie has caught 8-of-13 targets for 79 scoreless yards over the last two weeks and will be hard to trust as anything more than a WR3/WR4 in Week 10 against the Giants.

Williams mostly operated in a short area role but added a 30-yard grab up the seam in the fourth quarter to pad his counting stats for fantasy managers hoping on a second-half rookie breakout. While the fantasy returns have yet to pop, managers can continue to hold the electric rookie in the hopes his role grows in the coming weeks. That said, he is likely best left on fantasy benches until his route structure improves.

Burks downgraded from a limited showing Wednesday to a “DNP” Thursday, indicating he might be headed toward an absence when the Commanders take on the Eagles on Sunday Night Football. Considering the team is already without Terry McLaurin, who was lost for the season in Week 6, this would appear to be setting up for the best chance for rookie Antonio Williams to finally break out in Washington. Fantasy managers will want to confirm the status of Burks on the team’s final injury report Friday.

Quinn did mention usage from “elsewhere” and the name “Antonio Williams” came up. Williams won’t be a buzzy waiver wire claim this week but could find himself in a reasonable WR3/WR4 sort of situation as the year unfolds.

It’s another rough blow for Washington’s No. 1 wideout, who will now have missed most of the last two seasons with injuries with the book closed on a 15-catch, 230-yard 2026 season in just five games. Entering his age-32 season in 2027, McLaurin will be a release or restructure candidate with a $34 million cap hit. The Commanders could save $16 million by releasing him without getting into post-June 1 antics. In the short term fantasy calculus, Stefon Diggs will slide in as Washington’s No. 1 receiver and Chig Okonkwo will also get a boost. Antonio Williams figures to see more snaps going forward as well.

While the yardage total looks solid on paper, the fact that Williams had only four targets in a game in which veteran wide receiver Terry McLaurin departed in the first quarter and quarterback Jayden Daniels attempted 40 passes is concerning. Williams continues to flash big play upside through a multitude of injuries to teammates but has yet to fully take advantage of the increase in opportunity, something fantasy managers will hope corrects when the Commanders come out of their bye to face the Eagles in Week 8.

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.