Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White is in position for a heavy workload in Week 8, as his team comes back from its bye on Sunday Night Football with a home game against the Eagles. With more work potentially coming his way and a relatively favorable matchup, should you start White in your fantasy football lineup, or is he still too volatile to trust in the Commanders’ inconsistent offense?
Let’s take a look at the latest on Rachaad White’s and break down how to approach his fantasy upside for Week 8.
Rachaad White Start or Sit Advice for Week 8
The Commanders were without Jacory Croskey-Merritt (groin) in Week 6 and opted to place him on IR, meaning he will have to miss at least three more games, with his earliest possible return in Week 11, when the Commanders take on the Bengals on Monday Night Football.
White played 46 snaps (69%) in his absence, with Jeremy McNichols mixing in for 12 snaps and Austin Ekeler playing seven. White led the team with seven carries for 27 rushing yards and also was involved as a receiver, hauling in four catches on five targets for 30 yards and a touchdown.
White finished with a season-high 15.7 FPTS and scored for the second time in his last three games. With Terry McLaurin (knee) on IR as well as Croskey-Merritt, the Commanders will need even more help from White as a pass-catcher, and he brings good dual-threat potential for as long as he fills in a larger role.
The Eagles are a favorable matchup for White this week after they allowed Javonte Williams to run for 155 yards and a touchdown on Monday Night Football last week. They have allowed four running back touchdowns in the last four weeks and over 90 rushing yards to running backs in all but one of their seven matchups this season.
White didn’t get a lot of carries against the 49ers since the Commanders were playing from behind and relied more heavily on Jayden Daniels in the passing game. This week, in a closer script against a defense they can run against, White will likely get more action, with McNichols possibly working in for short-yardage situations.
White was dealing with a shoulder injury before the bye, but he should be fully healthy and ready to carry the load in Week 8.
Since the Commanders are in primetime, they are not on the main DFS slate, but they are the focus of single-game Showdown contests like the NFL Showdown $1M Sunday Night Showdown [$250K to 1st] (PHI @ WAS) on DraftKings. In those contests, White has a $8,000 salary in a FLEX spot and a $12,000 salary as a Captain’s Pick. With how successful Williams and the Cowboys were last week, White deserves consideration for the Captain’s spot, and can be a good option in the FLEX spot, as well.
For season-long leagues, White is also set up for success and can be started in almost all formats. He is a solid mid-range RB2 with even more potential in PPR leagues.
