The Washington Commanders will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11. 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 11 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Jayden Daniels, QB
A dropped touchdown pass didn’t help Jayden Daniels last week, but that is part of the game. The impressive rookie left Week 7 early, and while he didn’t miss any games, his fantasy managers have been struggling — Daniels is the QB16 in points per game over the past three weeks.
Are NFL defenses adjusting faster than Washington can adapt to what is being thrown at them? It’s possible, but I’m still plenty comfortable in betting on an athletic profile like this. The Eagles own the fourth-best defense against deep passes in terms of yards per attempt, so this might not be a highlight-filled game through the air, but that’s part of the beauty with Daniels — he can pay the fantasy bills in several ways.
The Eagles haven’t played an offense structured like Washington’s, and that has me hesitant to project Philly to quiet them. If this game pushes 50 points the way sportsbooks have it projected, both QBs should return big-time value.
Austin Ekeler, RB
Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) has missed consecutive games, and that has allowed Austin Ekeler to see an uptick in usage. But true to his word this preseason, it’s clear that he has no interest in taking over a bellcow role, even when injuries open up the door for that.
In those two games, Ekeler has been on the field for 58% of his snaps and rushed for a total of 86 yards (3.6 yards per carry). None of that stands out, but with three rushing scores, the impact of playing the lead role in a strong offense is clear.
For the season, Ekeler has produced 20.7% over expectations. It’s clear that he has more gas in the tank than we gave him credit for in drafts this summer, but I’m still going to have a hard time giving him a Flex grade any time Robinson is active.
You’re rostering him with the understanding that he’s never going to be highly ranked but that you can play him in a pinch and avoid the zero floor that home run-hitting receivers come with. Should Robinson miss another game, we are looking at an RB2; if not, he ranks in the low 30s at the position this week.
Brian Robinson Jr., RB
Week 11 Status: PLAYING
Brian Robinson Jr. has now missed consecutive games due to a hamstring injury (stop me if you’ve seen “hamstring injury lingering longer than expected” before), and that has me worried about not only his status but his usage.
I like Robinson at full strength, but it’s because the volume is there and the scoring equity is high. Does he check either of those boxes this week? The Eagles own a top-10 red-zone defense, and if we don’t get a clean bill of health entering the weekend, I’d be tempted to project something closer to 12-14 touches than the 17-20 we’ve come to enjoy.
For the season, 40.5% of Robinson’s receiving yards came on a single catch in Week 1. The versatility has regressed after the encouraging start, and that makes this profile a tougher sell if the health status is TBD. I currently have Robinson out of my Week 11 lineups and will pivot if needed as opposed to vice versa.
Noah Brown, WR
Noah Brown was on the field for a season-high 89.8% of Washington’s offensive snaps last week. Every fiber in my being wants to rank him as a breakout option for the stretch run.
The size profile alone is encouraging, but the fact that he’s earned 19 targets over the past three weeks is what has me stashing him where I can. Betting on volume in a strong offense is generally good practice, and if he didn’t drop a touchdown pass last weekend, you might not have the ability to add him free of charge.
I’m not starting him right now, but I’m watching with a keen eye. Not only does he have little resistance to earning the WR2 role in this offense, but he gives us a sneak peek this week. The Commanders and Eagles also square off in Week 16 — the semifinals in most leagues. This Washington offense is going to be asked to do the heavy lifting for this team down the stretch, and that’ll likely require a second pass catcher emerging.
Brown is the perfect low-risk, high-reward investment to make.
Terry McLaurin, WR
Another week, another dime. Terry McLaurin and Jayden Daniels hooked up on a 28-yard gain last week against the Steelers, a perfectly defended route that included the sideline serving as a second defender — it didn’t matter. This connection isn’t just good for a tandem in their first season together, it’s good by any standard of statistical measurement.
- 2023: 26th percentile in the percentage of fantasy points gained relative to expectation
- 2024: 93rd percentile in the percentage of fantasy points gained relative to expectation
McLaurin has more touchdown catches than all of his teammates combined this season and more receiving yards than the next two most popular Washington receivers combined. There’s no question as to who the top dog in this receiver room is, and alpha WRs have had success against the Eagles when getting anything close to average QB play.
- Jayden Reed (Week 1): 33.1 PPR points
- Drake London (Week 2): 17.4 PPR points
- Chris Olave (Week 3): 20.6 PPR points
- Mike Evans (Week 4): 23.4 PPR points
- Ja’Marr Chase (Week 8): 20.4 PPR points
You’re starting McLaurin weekly without question and likely in a good spot in your standings due to you spending a sixth-round pick on this difference-maker.
Zach Ertz, TE
Zach Ertz played a season-high 79.7% of Washington’s offensive snaps on his birthday last week and hauled in four passes for the fourth time in his past five games. The per-catch upside is very much capped, but volume talks, especially when tethered to a top-10 offense.
The veteran tight end has been targeted on over one-quarter of his routes in three of his past four, a usage pattern that has him flirting with my top 15 this week. By no means is he a must-start, but if you’re piecing together the position every week, I think you can get away with Ertz this weekend next in a pair of divisional games.