The Washington Commanders will face the Tennessee Titans in Week 13. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Commanders skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 13 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Jayden Daniels, QB
Are the ribs bothering Jayden Daniels? Since getting banged up in Week 7, he’s completing just 31.6% of passes when under duress (Weeks 1-6: 57.1%). Those splits give me pause when evaluating the rest of the season as a whole, but not this week.
The Titans are a bottom-10 defense in both blitz and pressure rate. They don’t view their ability to get to the quarterback as a strength, and I think that’s a blessing for Daniels’ managers.
As spotty as the rookie’s play has been of late, he’s shown up when his team has needed him, even if the defense has ultimately failed to hold up their end of the bargain. Daniels completed all seven of his passes on a late drive last week to give Washington a chance at the chaos that occurred.
Daniels posted his eighth QB1 finish last week, and I saw enough from his mobility wise to think that we get No. 9 in this spot.
Austin Ekeler, RB
I’ve been impressed with Autin Ekeler in his age-29 season, but the scary concussion at the end of last week has him likely to sit out at least this week. I’d keep him rostered for the short term with Brian Robinson Jr. (ankle) also at less than full strength, but you’ll have to stay on top of the news with this situation.
A multi-week projected absence would open you up to the potential of cutting ties for an asset that has a better chance of helping you qualify for the fantasy playoffs.
Jeremy McNichols, RB
Jeremy McNichols has averaged 4.9 yards per carry this season with four scores on 44 attempts — strong numbers, albeit in a tiny sample size. The Commanders haven’t shown a great interest in ramping up his usage, but with Brian Robinson Jr. (ankle) and Austin Ekeler (concussion) suffering injuries last week, the path to increased usage is clear.
Little is known about the journey back, as he has 176 touches over his eight seasons in the NFL. We did see him average two catches per game with the Titans back in 2021 (revenge game!), giving me hope that a day with 12-14 carries and 3-5 targets is within the realm of possibilities should both Robinson and Ekeler sit.
If that’s the case, we are looking at a viable Flex option in all formats.
Brian Robinson Jr., RB
Brian Robinson Jr. was injured early last week (ankle) and returned shortly before calling it a day. Austin Ekeler suffered a scary concussion late in the game, leaving this backfield as an unknown as we prepare for Week 13.
It is worth noting that the team signed Chris Rodriguez Jr. to the active roster on Tuesday, though I’m reading that as more of an insurance on Ekeler than anything. Robinson’s versatility has vanished this season, and without a 20-yard gain since Week 2 (vs. New York Giants), this is a profile that will have a problem producing viable numbers if his touch count is managed.
The Titans are tied for the third-worst red-zone defense in the NFL, opening the door for Robinson to reward your loyalty with a score, but the capped ceiling keeps him in the low-end RB2 tier without much upward trajectory.
Noah Brown, WR
Noah Brown has quietly seen at least six targets in four of five games, a run that all started with the Hail Mary catch against the Bears. There is enough opportunity upside to chase (four games this season with an on-field target share of at least 25%) when it comes to building out a roster full of options, but asking him to return Flex value in this matchup with all 32 teams in action is a hurdle too high for me.
Brown has seen 28.1% of his receptions come downfield this season, making a top-seven defense in terms of defending the deep ball by both completion percentage and yards per attempt a tough sell.
I’ve added him to the backend of a few playoff-bound rosters, targeting the lack of stability behind Terry McLaurin as a way to have access to the upside without much resistance. The Week 14 bye makes Brown a no-go for fantasy teams that need every ounce of production over the next few weeks to qualify for the postseason, but if you’re in a good spot, I’m green-lighting this addition.
Terry McLaurin, WR
Life comes at you fast. Terry McLaurin had one catch for six yards in the first half last week, giving him a total of 16 yards during a six-quarter drought.
Right as you were ready to curse McLaurin out for a couple of poor weeks after a few strong months, the Cowboys lost all discipline and he was streaking down the right sideline for an 86-yard touchdown in one of the more chaotic finishes of the season.
The singular play is obviously an outlier, but it wasn’t an accident that Jayden Daniels went McLaurin’s direction in need of a miracle – that trust holds significant value. The Titans’ defense has been stout this season, but it’s 2024 and you can only limit production through the air to such a degree.
Through 12 weeks, 15 times has a receiver reached 10 PPR fantasy points against Tennessee with three WRs clearing 14 points against them over the past two weeks.
The ceiling may not be elite, but the floor is appealing enough to start McLaurin in all formats – he has 397 more receiving yards than any other Commanders receiver this season.
Zach Ertz, TE
We have Brock Bowers breaking the mold for young tight ends, but don’t sleep on the elder statesmen. Jonnu Smith has 15 catches and three touchdowns over the past two weeks, and Zach Ertz has quietly been producing ever since Jayden Daniels’ (ribs) injury.
The veteran TE has been a top-10 producer at the position in four of his past six games (four end-zone targets over that stretch). Ertz has been on the field for over 70% of Washington’s snaps in each of the past three, and as a part of an offense that lacks a WR2 (Ertz has 17 more targets than any Commander not named McLaurin this season), the volume projects as stable.
Ertz and Daniels showed a nice connection on their timing-based four-yard score over the weekend. I have Ertz ranked well within the reasonable starter range. I’m playing him over Cade Otton, Mark Andrews, and a few other tight ends who have had peaks and valleys this year.