Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, Oct 27th, 2024, 1:25 ET
Location: Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD
Network: CBS
Writer: Raymi Chavez
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Caleb Williams: Start, QB1
Either Caleb Williams is figuring things out, or he’s just been able to feast on bad defenses. Either way, he’s a must-start this week against the putrid Commanders defense. Coming off a bye week and a Sunday roast feast fit for a king, Williams will look to continue his hot streak against a Commanders defense that can get beat any which way. Hopefully, we get to see a duel of the top two QBs taken in the draft.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift: Start, RB1
Roschon Johnson: Sit
D’Andre Swift has had three monster games in a row, getting at least 16 carries in each of those games. He looked to be in big trouble after the first few weeks of the season, but now just around the time that Williams has started to figure things out Swift has taken his game to the level that fans had hoped he could reach. Roschon Johnson is extremely TD dependent with over 75% of his points the last three weeks being strictly touchdowns. He is not fantasy-relevant.
Wide Receiver
DJ Moore: Start, WR1
Keenan Allen: FLEX Option, WR3
Rome Odunze: FLEX Option, WR4
Even though Williams has seemed to turn the corner, his receivers somehow haven’t. DJ Moore seems to have separated himself from the pack, but even his targets and numbers seem to be decreasing from early on in the season. He is without a doubt the most dependable of the bunch here though. Keenan Allen seems to have a great bond with Williams who has looked to get him involved intentionally in recent weeks, with his injury proneness however there is a big risk in starting him still. Rome Odunze had a monster week 3, but has since disappeared. However, I still expect all of them to contribute against a poor Washington defense this week.
Tight End
Cole Kmet: Start, TE2
Cole Kmet, like the Bears receivers, has been struggling to show up week to week. He seems to safely be seeing about 5 targets a week and as a TE those are usually pretty safe bets to be receptions. He’s also becoming a favorite of Williams’ in the red zone like he was for Justin Fields last year.
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels: Start, QB1* (Questionable, Ribs)
Marcus Mariota: Streaming Option, QB2*(if Jayden cannot go)
Jayden Daniels has been a league winner so far, nearly running away with ROTY until Williams stepped up and his ribs got dinged up. Daniels has been more than anyone could have imagined and is turning the Commanders into a reputable contender this season. Unfortunately one of the bigger concerns for him would be his frailness and potential injury proneness which has finally reared its ugly head. If Daniels can go I wouldn’t hesitate to start him, even as just a pocket passer he has excelled. However, if he can’t go, Marcus Mariota filled in valiantly last week (albeit against the Panthers) and fits a similar QB mold to Daniels so the offense should be able to run similarly. He should be able to capably produce if pushed into starting duties.
Running Back
Brian Robinson Jr.: Start, RB1
Austin Ekeler: FLEX, RB3
Jeremy McNichols: Sit
Brian Robinson Jr. is quickly becoming a powerhouse running back in this league. He is a fantasy darling scoring a TD in every game he has played except against the Giants when no one on the Commanders could find the endzone. He gets a dozen carries a game at a minimum, normally getting 16+. He is a focal point of this offense and when the team gets into a goal line situation Robinson is going to get at least two shots at it. Start him with confidence weekly. Austin Ekeler has been an interesting case, securing himself 10 points a week in every game except the last and usually making his mark in the passing game. He hasn’t scored a ton of touchdowns, with Robinson taking a lot of the red zone touches, but he moves the ball between the 20s and can provide you with a solid floor if that’s what you need out of your FLEX. McNichols is a great leader for this locker room and has provided a handful of moments throughout the year, but isn’t yet fantasy-relevant.
Wide Receiver
Terry McLaurin: Start, WR2
Noah Brown: Sit
You would think in a lethal offense like the Commanders possess that there would be more fantasy-relevant receivers. However, a lot of drives end in rushing TDs and when they don’t it usually ends up in Terry McLaurin‘s gloves. McLaurin continues to solidify himself as a franchise receiver and is the most talented pass catcher Daniels or Mariota can rely on. Noah Brown has shown splashes of brilliance but hasn’t been able to break through just yet. He should stay on waivers for the foreseeable future.
Tight End
Zach Ertz: Streaming Option
Zach Ertz is at the top of the streaming option range and I would understand any arguments to have him as a starting TE. He gets four or five targets every single game, bringing in 80% of his targets, these just haven’t been for big yardage and he’s only managed to find the end zone once, but the usage is there.