It isn’t always the star who can put your fantasy team over the top. Sometimes it is the dull player, the one who doesn’t come wiꦐth pom-poms, a player who is somewhat overlooked, who hasn’t had his “look at me” moment yet.
For whatever the Commanders are or will become as a team, they have a roster with some deg🍎ree of star power. And not 🐓unlike a Broadway production, the more well-rounded the cast, the better the play.
Many fantasy managers were eager to get their claws in Jayden 🌺Daniels on draft day. Terry McLaurin has enjoyed some past fantasy success despite playing with a string of quarterbacks that would make even Steve Smit🌃h Sr. laugh.
Veteran tight end Zach Ertz brings name recognition (and a bottle of Geritol). Then, there is splashy free-agent addition Austin Ekeler to bolster an off-Broadway-level backfie🔴ld.
Look, Daniels has mostly delivered, and he is an every-week fantasy starter and last week renewed some hope for McLaurin. But Ertz has produced one really good game, only he spread it out over three weeks to no one’s benefit. Yet somehow, he is TE9 on the season.&nbღsp;
And Ekeler … well that brings us to our favorite pick of the week, Brian Robinson Jr.
First, Ekeler hasn’t been getting much work, as many f🧸eared. Of the Commanders’ 97 rush attempts, Ekeler has just 13 (13.4 percent). Robinson, on the other hand, has almost half (46.4).
Ekeler has a slight edge in the passing game use and better production (Robinson eight targets, five catches, 56 yards; Ekeler ꦚnine catches, nine targets, 121 yards).
However, that all came before Ekeler got a concussion last week. He already has been ruled out for Sunday against the Cardinals. So who gets E🐓keler’♕s work?
Jeremy McNichols might absorb a chunk of Ekeler’s passing game duties. He and Nick Bellore might combine to eat up some of Ekeler’s rushing to♛uches, but probably not all of them.
Because we expect Robinson to get a larger share of the workload himself. Wi🎃th Ekeler getting an average of roughly seven touches per game, we imagine at least two to three of those will go to Robinson, maybe more.
P🌜lus, Ekeler has six red-zone rushes. ❀Imagine most or all of the extra RB attempts there will go to Robinson.
Oh, you have a question. What about Daniels? Well, Daniels is going to get his. But it doesn’t seem wise for Washington to increase his rushing volume. If anything, the Commanders would prefe🧔r him to run less. ﷽;
That’s not going to happen, at least not until he proves he can consistently produce with his arm, ꦑbut it would be enough of a deterrent that the Commanders don’t want to increase his exposure to injury by increasing his rushing workload.
Thus, Robinson & Co. absorb the Ekeler workload, with Daniels staying virtu🌳ally the same. At least, that’s the logic we’re going w𒉰ith.
Then let’s add ༺the fact that they are playing the Cardinals. This game could be a fun shoot-out. This invokes Fantasy Rule 101: The more real-life points scored, the better the chance one of your players in that game will score fantasy points.
Plus, the Cardinals defense ranks 23rd against opposing fantasy RBs, allowing 3.2 more i𒀰n PPR to opposing RBs per week than the league average.
Stars weren’t stars until they had their big breakout. Maybe this can be Robinson’s. He doesn’t need to carry the day, all he has to do is be a bargain play in DFS contests or better than your avaℱilable Flex options. N🅘either of those are a hard bar to clear.
Big weeks
Geno Smith QB, Seahawks, at Lions (FanDuel $7,300/DraftKings $5,800)
The past two times Smith has played at Detroit, he scored 31.7 fantasy points in Week 4 of 2022, then 23.1 in Week 2 last season. Seattle had no need to throw la♏st week, but Smith was QB7 the first two weeks.
Rachaad White RB, Buccaneers, vs. Eagles (FD $6,200/DK $6,000)
You would think his lack of production is eventually going to cost him hisꦫ job, but that won’t be this week. Impressive rookie Bucky Irving suffered ℱa late-week hamstring injury. Even if Irving plays, expect White to get much more action.
Carson Steele RB, Chiefs, at Chargers (FD $5,800/DK $5,500)
Don’t worry about lack of fantasy production in his first call to duty last w✱eek. The volume was there, and whoever gets volume in the K.C. run game has fantasy value.
Xavier Legette WR, Carolina, vs. Bengals (FD $5,200/DK $4,800)
Who would have thought this two weeks ago: With Diontae Johnson iffy with a groin issue and Adam Thielen out, we actually have some oওptimism regarding rookie Legette. Thanks, Andy Dalton!
Small weaks
Tyler Huntley QB, Dolphins, vs. Titans (FD $6,000/DK $5,500)
Look, we feel better about this than we would have Skylar Thompson or, God forbid, Tim Boyle. But we want to see him deliver first bꦇefore we consider him better than anything other than damage co♐ntrol.
Rhamondre Stevenson RB, Patriots, vs. 49ers (FD $6,800/DK $6,200)
We saw him get for🦄gotten when 🎐the Pats fell behind last week. That happens again, against a talented and angry 49ers squad.
Betting on the NFL?
- Read our expert guide on how to bet on the NFL
- Check out the best NFL betting sites
- Get the BetMGM Bonus Code
J.K. Dobbins RB, Chargers, vs. Chiefs (FD $7,000/DK $6,300)
Don’t be nervous, Dobbins is going to remain a huge late-round draft🀅 value. But against a tough Chiefs run and possibly without QB Justin Herb💙ert, this is a good week to play your higher picks instead.
D’Andre Swift RB, Bears, vs. Rams (FD $5,700/DK $5,500)
If you were overly optimistic and drafted him, then you played him, and you continue to play him … stop. Just stop. This guy is better suited for waivers than he is a starting fantasy lineup.
Insanity’s Daily Duel
Drew Loftis and Jarad Wilk submit dueling rosters into a DFS contest:
Site: DraftKings
Slate: Sun. main (12 games)
Type: $20 tourney
Top prize: $1M
Pot: $3.25M
Drew’s Crew
QB: Kyler Murray — Ari (vs. Was) $6,800
RB: Kyren Williams — LAR (at Chi) $7,300
RB: Brian Robinson Jr. — Was (at Ari) $6,100
WR: Brandon Aiyuk — SF (vs. NE) $6,400
WR: Stefon Diggs — Hou (vs. Jac) $6,600
WR: Greg Dortch — Ari (vs. Was) $4,300
TE: Cole Kmet — Chi (vs. LAR) $4,400
Flex: Xavier Legette — Car (vs. Cin) $4,800
DST: Raiders — LV (vs. Cle) $3,200
Wilk’s Warriors
QB: Andy Dalton — Car (vs. Cin) $5,300
RB: Saquon Barkley — Phi (at TB) $8,000
RB: Breece Hall — NYJ (vs. Den) $7,800
WR: Diontae Johnson — Car (vs. Cin) $5,600
WR: George Pickens — Pit (at Ind) $5,700
WR: Rashid Shaheed — NO (at Atl) $5,500
TE: Elijah Higgins — Ari (vs. Was) $4,400
Flex: Chuba Hubbard — Car (vs. Cin) $5,700
DST: Raiders — LV (vs. Cle) $3,200
Late 🗹roste🎐r changes, check @NYPost_Loftis on X and @nypfantasymadman on Threads
Season risked: $52
Season’s winnings: Drew $150, Jarad $56.50