Commanders @ Chiefs
Final Score: Chiefs 28, Commanders 7
Writer: Christian Otteman (@COttemanPL on Twitter)
A Jayden Daniels-less Commanders squad headed to Arrowhead for Monday Night Football, and things went about exactly as expected. After trading blows in the second quarter, the Chiefs locked in on defense and scored three consecutive times as Patrick Mahomes continued his campaign for his third MVP award. The Commanders will head home for another tough matchup against the Seahawks, while the Chiefs travel to Orchard Park for one of the marquee matchups of the regular season against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Four Up
- Travis Kelce – Is it an extension of National Tight End Day, or is Travis Kelce not quite as cooked as we thought? Either way, it’s a good sign that the future Hall of Famer can still have spike weeks with Rashee Rice on the field.
- Rashee Rice – Rice led the team in targets and scored for the second consecutive week since returning from his suspension. He’s a locked-in WR1 in this air raid Chiefs offense.
- Terry McLaurin – Finally found the end zone for the first time in 2025. If he manages to stay healthy, McLaurin has weekly WR2 potential, especially when Daniels returns.
- Kareem Hunt – Clearly the preferred goal line back, and that means something in this high-powered offense.
Three Down
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt – Couldn’t find any room to run against a stout Chiefs run defense and got game-scripted out in the second half.
- Deebo Samuel – With a healthy Terry McLaurin and no Daniels under center, Deebo had one of his worst games as a Commander. This offense needs its QB1 back.
- Brashard Smith – A bit disappointing to not see the rookie earn a single target after trending up for a few consecutive weeks.
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Marcus Mariota: 21/30, 213 Yards, TD, 2 INT | 8 Carries, 28 Yards
It’s hard to imagine a much more hostile environment to play than Arrowhead Stadium, and Marcus Mariota did his best to keep the visiting team in this contest for the first half. To his credit, his first interception wasn’t his fault, and he was able to move the ball downfield by spreading the ball around and using his legs on a few designed runs. He unfortunately missed Terry McLaurin on a deep ball on 4th and 1 in Chiefs territory, but later connected with him for his only touchdown of the evening. If Mariota is called on again in Week 9, he’ll have another tough test against the Seahawks, but his mobility and weapons around him at least give him Superflex streaming appeal.
Running Back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt: 9 Carries, 25 Yards | 1 Target
To his credit, Bill looked decent on the first few drives of the night, earning modest gains against a stout Chiefs run defense even with Laremy Tunsil out. However, with the team fading fast in the second half, the rookie was phased out of the game plan and failed to make an impact for the second straight week. Even more disappointing is the complete lack of involvement as a pass-catcher, which limits his upside significantly moving forward. He’s more of an RB3/FLEX option against the Seahawks, and even then, you may want to see a more productive outing before trusting him in your lineups again.
Jeremy McNichols: 1 Carry, 4 Yards | 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 64 Yards
Jeremy McNichols made a few crucial catches for the Commanders and is clearly the team’s preferred pass-catching back for the time being. McNichols rarely earns any carries, but if he continues to maintain this kind of target share, he could be a long-shot FLEX play in deep leagues. I still wouldn’t recommend it, though.
Chris Rodriguez Jr.: 1 Carry, 2 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Terry McLaurin: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 54 Yards, TD
After missing the last four weeks with a quad injury, Terry McLaurin made an immediate impact for the Commanders and fantasy teams alike, scoring his first touchdown on an impressive toe-tap catch in the corner of the end zone at the end of the first half. McLaurin would leave the game in the fourth quarter after seemingly reaggravating that same quad injury, so his status will be crucial to monitor ahead of Sunday night’s matchup against the Seahawks. If he’s active, he’ll be startable as a low-end WR2 if Mariota is still under center, with higher upside if Daniels returns.
welcome back, scary terry
📺 #WASvsKC ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/7RsgwfgxpY
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 28, 2025
Deebo Samuel: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 11 Yards | 1 Carry, 1 Yard
Deebo Samuel got the game’s first target for a 6-yard gain, but that was unfortunately half of the production he would have for the night. Samuel had one of the biggest blunders of the night, as Mariota tried to hit him for a screen pass, but Samuel bobbled it, and a Chiefs defender picked it off. Deebo gets some grace for exceeding expectations in the first half of the fantasy regular season, but he may not have the same floor or ceiling with McLaurin back in the fold. At the very least, having Daniels back under center would make us feel better about his fantasy prospects.
Zach Ertz: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 16 Yards
It was a ho-hum outing for Zach Ertz, but it was at least an improvement over his goose egg from Week 7. At this stage of his career, Ertz isn’t going to be breaking a lot of tackles or adding yards after the catch, but he should at least see a handful of targets to give him a modest floor and decent chance to score every week.
Luke McCaffrey: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 24 Yards
John Bates: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 22 Yards
Ben Sinnott: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 22 Yards
Jaylin Lane: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 0 Yards
With a healthy Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel back on the field, the ancillary pass-catchers for the Commanders have lost all fantasy appeal. If there’s one to hold in deep leagues or formats with large benches, it’s Luke McCaffrey, who made a couple of grabs early, including an impressive toe-drag snag on the sideline.
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes: 25/34, 299 Yards, 3 TD, 2 INT | 4 Carries, 30 Yards
Remember when there was a time we all thought Patrick Mahomes was washed as a fantasy asset? Pepperidge Farms remembers. There’s not much to say about Mahomes in this writeup that you don’t already know–he’s a top QB in the league, and with the Chiefs returning to the air raid offense of yore, Mahomes is back as a weekly top-five option at the position. The two-time MVP will be the first to tell you he wasn’t perfect on the night, as he made a costly mistake on the interception to Marshon Lattimore, but for the most part, Mahomes played at an MVP level again. It always helps that he’s able to add a few points on the ground every week, as well. Keep Mahomes in your lineup as an every-week starter moving forward.
Running Back
Isiah Pacheco: 12 Carries, 58 Yards
The good news: Isiah Pacheco is still functioning as the lead back for Kansas City, taking the first carries out of the backfield and leading the group in touches. He’s also looking a bit more like his explosive self of seasons past, potentially signaling that he’s getting the strength back that he had before breaking his leg last season. The bad news is that Kareem Hunt is still this team’s preferred goal line back, meaning scoring opportunities for Pacheco remain limited. When you combine that with a lack of passing volume, Pacheco is tough to trust as more than a low-end FLEX option for right now.
Kareem Hunt: 9 Carries, 40 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, TD
Is it pretty? No. Is it reliable? Also no. But is it productive? Sometimes. Kareem Hunt is the definition of a desperation FLEX that you hope works out by finding the end zone, and he managed to do that twice last night. Don’t chase points and throw him back in your lineups unless most other options are exhausted.
Brashard Smith: 3 Carries, 8 Yards
It was disappointing to not see Brashard Smith earn a few more looks after impressing in recent weeks, but such is the trajectory of a third-string rookie running back. He’s still an interesting end-of-bench stash if you have the space, but don’t feel like you need to hold him.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Rashee Rice: 9 Targets, 9 Receptions, 93 Yards, TD | 2 Carries, 12 Yards
If you were patient enough to draft Rashee Rice and hold on to him, you’re reaping the benefits early on in his 2025 campaign. Rice found the end zone for the third time in just two games and looks like he hasn’t missed a beat since tearing his ACL and serving a suspension to miss the first third of the regular season. Rice was incredibly close to having two scores, as he was ruled just short of the goal line on a run he took up the middle out of the wildcat. The Chiefs are intent on using their star receiver in creative ways, meaning the sky is the limit for Rice moving forward. He’s a locked-in WR1.
Xavier Worthy: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 53 Yards
Xavier Worthy may not have the same upside with Rice back on the field, but he might be a more dangerous real-life football option, as defenders will now need to account for Rice. On Worthy’s first catch of the night, he was sent in motion and used his blistering speed to get wide open down the right side for a big chunk gain. Mahomes went back to Worthy on the next play but just overshot him on what could have been a touchdown.
Travis Kelce: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 99 Yards, TD
It was the best game of the year for Travis Kelce, who fell just short of 100 yards and scored his third touchdown of the season on Monday night. Kelce matched his season high in targets and was heavily involved in the game plan from the start. He made one blunder a la Deebo Samuel in which he caused an interception by letting a pass bounce off his hands, but Kelce was otherwise rock solid on the night. He’ll have his ups and downs with his age and fading athleticism, but in terms of his fantasy viability as a TE1? You don’t need to knock on wood.
JuJu Smith-Schuster: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 29 Yards
Noah Gray: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 23 Yards
Hollywood Brown: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
With the return of Rashee Rice, the receivers beyond the Chiefs’ Big Three aren’t recommended fantasy options. Even Hollywood Brown is droppable in most 12-team formats.
Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)