The Washington Commanders are off to a 3-3 start to the season and have already been infested by injuries. While Jayden Daniels has made his way back to the field following his knee sprain, his pass catchers are battling some injury problems ahead of this week’s matchup. Most notably, Terry McLaurin has been ruled out for the fourth consecutive week due to his quad injury. The two-time Pro Bowler has underwhelmed on the field this season and will now miss the team’s upcoming NFC East matchup with the Cowboys. Meanwhile, Deebo Samuel is battling a heel injury and is listed as questionable for the Week 7 matchup.
Commanders WR Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 7 vs. the Cowboys:
Through Washington’s opening six games, Deebo Samuel leads the team with 34 receptions for 315 yards and three touchdowns. McLaurin has already missed three games and last played in Week 3 against the Raiders. He has registered just 10 receptions for 149 yards and has yet to record a score.
One of the biggest beneficiaries of the underwhelming wide receiver production has been Luke McCaffrey. The 24-year-old has already surpassed his production from last year’s rookie season, pulling in eight receptions for 179 yards and three touchdowns. From a fantasy football perspective, McCaffrey is averaging 7.6 fantasy points per game based on DraftKings scoring, which ranks 53rd among wide receivers.
With McLaurin out and Samuel potentially joining him on the sideline, McCaffrey has a great chance to add to his strong start to the season against this Cowboys defense. Through their opening six games, Dallas ranks 31st in points allowed and dead last in yards given up. They have not been effective in any area of the defense, but especially against the pass. The Cowboys rank 32nd in passing yards allowed and net yards per pass attempt, and rank 31st in passing touchdowns conceded. Trevon Diggs has also been ruled out for this matchup due to a concussion he suffered this week.
McCaffrey had just one catch for eight yards against the Cowboys as a rookie, but his role has grown this year, and the Dallas defense has weakened. Daniels has had some struggles in his second season and missed two games due to injury. But he still is notably above the level of quarterback play that plenty of teams around the league are forced to deal with, and last week he tallied three passing touchdowns for the first time this season.
The chemistry has developed between Daniels and McCaffrey in their second season together. He has already surpassed his yardage total from last year and scored three times after failing to register a touchdown his entire rookie season. Dallas has not been capable of stopping anyone through the air, and McCaffrey will welcome more targets with the higher-profile Commanders pass catchers not ready to perform.
With McLaurin already ruled out, McCaffrey should be viewed as a clear starting-caliber wide receiver in season-long fantasy lineups for the Week 7 slate. If both players cannot go, have McCaffrey viewed as a WR1 and a must-start given the matchup and injuries. He has posted fantasy football outputs of 0.0, 4.9, 14.6, 10.1, 6.0, and 10.3 to this point. This will be the friendliest defensive matchup he has faced so far, and there is a clear pathway to him recording a career-best offensive output. He is also making a case for why he could be in play from a fantasy football perspective when this team is at full strength.
Keep tabs on the injury report leading up to kickoff and attack the waiver wires in preparation. McCaffrey has proven himself to be capable of taking on a larger role in the Commanders’ offense and could receive the opportunity to do just this against one of the worst defenses in the sport. Count on McCaffrey vastly outperforming his average of 7.6 fantasy points and having a chance at a career-best statistical total.
