Washington Commanders @ San Francisco 49ers
Final Score: 49ers 23, Commanders 17
Writer: Steven Pintado (@coachstevenp)
Three Up
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Brock Purdy – Purdy was fantastic in this game, whether he was throwing the football or showing off his legs. He sliced up the Commanders’ defense, consistently making big plays downfield throughout the game.
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Christian McCaffrey – McCaffrey was doing CMC things in this game. Whether running or catching the football, it felt like he couldn’t be stopped. He finished with over 20 touches, once again showing off the workhorse value he brings to this offense.
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George Kittle – The veteran tight end continues to show that he is a unicorn at the position, especially considering his injury less than a year ago. Kittle delivered a dominant performance while finding the end zone.
Two Down
- Injuries – The 49ers’ injury curse continues to spread across the field on Monday Night Football. The Commanders lost Terry McLaurin to a knee injury, while the 49ers lost Mike Evans for the game due to Achilles tightness. Even Stefon Diggs suffered a hand injury early in the contest, although he managed to continue playing.
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Commmanders Offensive Line – The Commanders’ offensive line struggled throughout the game, failing to give Jayden Daniels enough time to operate in the pocket. The 49ers consistently applied pressure, forcing Daniels to make quick decisions and limiting Washington’s ability to develop plays downfield. Their struggles in pass protection made it difficult for the Commanders to establish any consistency on offense.
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels: 29/40, 300 Yards, 2 TD | 4 Carries, 10 Yards
Jayden Daniels tried his best to play Superman for the Commanders and lead them to a comeback victory, but unfortunately, he fell short. Daniels started slowly, and the offense struggled even more after Terry McLaurin exited with an injury. One positive was Daniels’ ability to escape the pocket and extend plays with his legs. He started to find more success throwing the ball in the second half, making several plays to keep Washington competitive. However, the offensive line struggled to protect him, allowing more sacks and pressure as the game progressed. Daniels also continued to take unnecessary hits as a runner, which remains a concern given his injury history. His fantasy day could have been even better had Treylon Burks secured a potential touchdown catch. As long as Daniels is on the field, he offers tremendous fantasy upside with his dual-threat ability, but his aggressive playing style and the hits he continues to take come with significant risk.
Running Back
Rachaad White: 7 Carries, 27 Yards, | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 30 Yards, TD
Rachaad White got the start with Jacory Croskey-Merritt sidelined, but he struggled to find success on the ground. The Commanders largely abandoned the running game in the first half before gradually getting back to it in the second half. White showed some improvement as the game progressed but still struggled to produce efficiently with the ball in his hands. His biggest play came in the fourth quarter when he scored a touchdown on a short slant-curl route, beating his defender to find the end zone. Unfortunately, White failed to establish a workhorse role, as Austin Ekeler remained involved while Jeremy McNichols flashed and earned important touches in the red zone. This backfield could be heading toward another committee approach, with Washington potentially riding the hot hand rather than relying on one running back. That would make it difficult for White to offer consistent fantasy value moving forward.
Austin Ekeler: 1 Carry, 3 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 4 Yards
Austin Ekeler saw a handful of touches throughout the game but failed to make much of an impact with his limited opportunities. Ekeler primarily served as a change-of-pace option behind Rachaad White, although he also split the backup workload with Jeremy McNichols. With three running backs rotating into the offense, Ekeler struggled to establish a consistent role or find enough touches to produce meaningful fantasy numbers. Unless his involvement increases, Ekeler will have a difficult time offering reliable fantasy value moving forward.
Jeremy McNichols: 5 Carries, 13 Yards
Jeremy McNichols was active for the first time since returning from injury but didn’t see his first opportunity until late in the third quarter. Once he entered the game, McNichols earned some important touches, including several opportunities in the red zone during a key Commanders drive. He also saw plenty of snaps as Washington attempted to mount a comeback in the second half. McNichols nearly had a big play with a 31-yard touchdown run, but it was called back due to a penalty. While his final stat line doesn’t look impressive, his involvement in crucial situations was encouraging. The Commanders clearly trusted McNichols in important moments, and his usage suggests he could earn an expanded role in the backfield over the coming weeks.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Stefon Diggs: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 44 Yards, TD
Veteran Stefon Diggs put together a solid performance despite suffering an injury on his first target of the game. Diggs appeared to hurt his hand and was visibly in significant pain on the sideline, raising concerns about how effective he would be for the rest of the contest. Despite the injury, Diggs continued to work primarily in the short areas of the field, providing Jayden Daniels with a reliable underneath target. His biggest play came on a short out route where Daniels found him for a touchdown. Diggs may have seen fewer opportunities because of the injury, but he still managed to finish with 7 targets. Overall, it was a solid outing for the veteran, although he could have produced an even bigger fantasy performance had he been fully healthy.
Antonio Williams: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 50 Yards
Rookie receiver Antonio Williams didn’t see his first target until the second half, but he managed to make a few solid plays once he got involved in the offense. His biggest play came on a 23-yard catch and run, showing off his ability to create yards after the catch. However, Williams’ lack of involvement in the first half is concerning, especially with Chig Okonkwo healthy and back on the field. With Okonkwo emerging as a reliable target for Jayden Daniels, Williams could struggle to see consistent opportunities in the passing game. His limited involvement raises concerns about his weekly fantasy value, especially if the Commanders continue to spread the ball around.
Terry McLaurin: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 27 Yards
Terry McLaurin got off to a fast start, taking advantage of a busted coverage play as Jayden Daniels found him along the sideline for a 27-yard reception. Unfortunately, McLaurin suffered an injury on the Commanders’ next drive, cutting his night short. It wasn’t clear exactly how the injury occurred, as McLaurin wasn’t targeted on the play, raising the possibility that it was a non-contact injury. He would not return to the game, leaving Washington without one of its top playmakers for the remainder of the contest. It was a disappointing ending to what looked like a promising start for McLaurin.
Chig Okonwko: 7 Targets, 7 Receptions, 69 Yards
Tight end Chig Okonkwo stepped up as a reliable target for Jayden Daniels throughout the game. His best play came in the first half on a 29-yard reception where he broke tackles and showed off his ability to create yards after the catch. Okonkwo consistently made plays in the short areas of the field, turning underneath receptions into bigger gains while breaking several tackles along the way. More importantly, Okonkwo finally looks healthy, which could be a significant boost to his fantasy value. We’ve seen Daniels favor his tight ends throughout his young career, and Okonkwo could benefit from that connection moving forward. If he continues to see consistent opportunities in the passing game, Okonkwo could emerge as a weekly streaming option at tight end in fantasy football.
Treylon Burks: 6 Target, 4 Reception, 66 Yards
TreyLon Burks stepped up in the asbent of Terry McLaruin as Burks finally saw his first catch in the early 3rd quarter. Burks was a solid downfield target optoin for Daniels. Burks had a solid deep curl route getting space from his defender. He also had a solid backward driving catch that would help set up a scoring drive for the Commanders. Burks was solid showing off why he was a former 1st rounder making those high piont catches and making plays downfield. Unforatle that magic couldnt help on the Commander final attempt as he saw a endzone throw form Daniels on a contested catch play when he had control of the balll but couldnt bring it dfown with a defender all over him. If MClaurin is out for a period of times, Burks offers some deep league appeal.
Dyami Brown: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
John Bates: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Luke McCaffrey: 1 Target
San Francisco 49ers
Quarterback
Brock Purdy: 21/29, 264 Yards, TD | 5 Carries, 28 Yards
Brock Purdy was slinging the ball all over the field in the first half, consistently finding time in the pocket to make big throws downfield. His touchdown pass to George Kittle was a beautiful throw, showing off his accuracy and connection with his veteran tight end. Purdy even flashed his mobility, picking up a big first down with his legs in the second quarter. In the second half, the 49ers’ offense lost some of its rhythm as the Commanders started applying more pressure, limiting Purdy’s opportunities to make big plays. However, had San Francisco needed to throw the ball more, Purdy could have finished with an even bigger stat line. It was another dominant performance from Purdy on Monday Night Football, and he remains a safe QB1 option in fantasy football moving forward.
Running Back
Christian McCaffrey: 16 Carries, 64 Yards, 2 TDs, Fumble(Lost) | 10 Targets, 9 Receptions, 53 Yards
Christian McCaffrey continues to be one of the premier volume running backs in fantasy football. He was solid on the ground, averaging 4 yards per carry while finding the end zone twice on goal-line runs. In the passing game, McCaffrey consistently found himself open underneath, making the most of his short receptions by picking up extra yards and moving the chains. He did lose a fumble in the second quarter, but that didn’t stop the 49ers from feeding him the ball throughout the game. McCaffrey continues to benefit from his massive workload and involvement in all areas of the offense, making him one of the most reliable fantasy running backs.
Kaelon Black: 8 Carries, 34 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
Kaelon Black served as the change-of-pace running back in this game, but it was surprising that he didn’t see more touches with the 49ers playing from ahead. Black received occasional opportunities throughout the game, including a few touches in the red zone, but never established a consistent role in the offense. Despite the favorable game script, San Francisco continued to rely heavily on Christian McCaffrey rather than giving Black additional work. As long as McCaffrey remains healthy, Black will likely continue to see limited opportunities, making it difficult for him to offer consistent fantasy value.
Kyle Juszcyk: 2 Targets, 1 Recpetion, 10 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Mike Evans: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 94 Yards
Mike Evans dominated in the limited time he was on the field, making several big plays for the 49ers’ offense. His first catch came on a seam route up the middle for 25 yards despite having a defender draped all over him. His biggest play came on an inside slant where he broke away from a defender and turned it into a 55-yard gain, although the veteran didn’t quite have the speed to take it to the house. Evans had two other opportunities to make his day even bigger, but he dropped one pass while another was knocked away before he could secure the catch. Near the end of the first half, Evans caught a short, low pass but immediately walked off the field and did not return. He was seen stretching his Achilles between plays, suggesting it had been bothering him throughout the game. It’s an unfortunate ending to what was shaping up to be a massive performance, and hopefully, Evans can avoid missing additional time with the injury.
George Kittle: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 69 Yards, TD
George Kittle put together a strong performance, making several big plays throughout the game. His first touchdown came on a corner-post route during the opening drive, as the defense focused on Mike Evans and left Kittle with plenty of space for an easy touchdown grab. His biggest play came in the third quarter on a 35-yard reception downfield from Brock Purdy. Kittle consistently made an impact in the passing game, continuing to show off the strong chemistry he has developed with Purdy. Kittle remains a high-end TE1 in fantasy football moving forward.
Jordan Watkins: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 22 Yards
Brandin Cooks: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 13 Yards
Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky