Congratulations to those who have made their fantasy league championship! Hopefully, our Washington Commanders fantasy stars have helped you along the way.
The Commanders' offense continues to be one of the most high-powered in the league. That directly correlates with fantasy success. Washington hosts the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, and there are plenty of favorable match-ups.
Let's look at some of the starts and sits for Commanders players in Week 17.
All stats are courtesy of Fantasy Pros.
Commanders fantasy football starts and sits for Week 17
Starts
Jayden Daniels
The last month has been back to weekly high-end QB1 play for Jayden Daniels. He has been a must-start regardless of match-up. The rookie sensation was the overall QB1 on the week against the Philadelphia Eagles — one of toughest defenses and secondaries in the league.
On top of Daniels being back to his outstanding fantasy play, the Falcons have allowed the eighth most fantasy points to the quarterback position in 2024.
Start Daniels as a high-end QB1 this week.
Brian Robinson Jr.
Brian Robinson Jr. is no longer the weekly RB2 play he was earlier this season, but he is still a shoo-in at a flex spot.
Last week against the Eagles he coughed up the ball twice. Those two fumbles practically benched him for the majority of the game after that. Robinson only had 12 total touches compared to his average of 16 per game. This includes contests where he was limited due to injury.
The Falcons aren't a great match-up for running backs, as they allow the 10th-least amount of fantasy points to the position in PPR (points per reception). Due to this, you can't expect a great fantasy performance from Robinson, but he should get enough volume to make a solid flex on the week.
Start Robinson as a flex in this week.
Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin has been on a roll this season, currently sitting at WR5 on the season in PPR. Over the last four weeks, he has averaged 22.95 points per game. With Noah Brown out, his target share has been 24.7 percent. He was already a WR1 and he has only gotten better.
He is also getting a significant uptick in red zone targets. McLaurin has six touchdowns over the last four weeks. The scores should continue to stick if the targets are there.
The Falcons have allowed the third most fantasy points to the wide receiver position. His uptick in targets, specifically in the red zone, makes McLaurin a must-start for this week.
Start McLaurin as a WR1 this week.
Zach Ertz
Zach Ertz is typically Daniels' safety blanket, but a tough match-up against the Eagles led him to a finish with only 2.2 fantasy points in Week 16. However, this game was the week immediately after getting a concussion versus the New Orleans Saints.
Ertz had a down week against the Eagles, but this should just be an outlier. The Falcons are a middle-of-the-pack defense against the tight end position, allowing the 13th least amount of points to the position.
Due to Ertz's opportunity in most games, he can be started as a low-end TE1 option.
Commanders Defense
The Commanders' defense hasn't exactly been great this season, but they do tend to perform strongly against poor offenses. Opportunity knocks considering the Falcons are now operating under rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after the benching of Kirk Cousins.
This is only the second start of Penix's NFL career. The Commanders now have a much better secondary, which should put a lot more pressure on the No. 8 overall pick. Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. must also turn their focus to Bijan Robinson and call blitzes to get the signal-caller off his game.
Unless you have a better option, start the Commanders defense this week.
Sits
Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols
The Falcons are a tough run defense, meaning it's more than likely that only the lead back of the team will have a solid fantasy performance. As long as Robinson doesn't commit multiple turnovers again, Chris Rodriguez Jr. won't see the field much. Jeremy McNichols still has the Austin Ekeler role, but the Commanders should keep the lead for the majority of the game.
Keep both Rodriguez and McNichols on benches this week.
Olamide Zaccheaus and Luke McCaffrey
Olamide Zaccheaus had himself a great fantasy day in Week 16, putting up five receptions for 70 receiving yards and two touchdowns. However, consistency remains an issue for the pass-catcher.
The Falcons are a great match-up for receivers, but that doesn't mean any of Washington's wideouts aside from McLaurin are worth starting. Luke McCaffrey hasn't emerged as a prominent offensive weapon despite making his presence felt in the return game.
Bench Zaccheaus and McCaffrey this week.