It's been a brutal season for the Washington Commanders. Their star young quarterback has been injured, then a practitioner of awful clock management when on the field. The head coach is firmly on the hot seat and may or may not have known whether it was fourth down in a Monday Night Football
tilt against the San Francisco 49ers. And, brutally, a top-heavy receiving corps is now without its longest-tenured star.Terry McLaurin suffereda torn patellar tendon that will keep him out the rest of the 2026 season. It's another obstacle in a season full of them for Washington. It also puts scrutiny on the guys who can step up in his absence.
We already know Stefon Diggs is going to see a heavy course of action, and at 83 percent owned, odds are you won't
get him. But with a bye coming up, there's a long runway to lay bets at the less heralded pieces of the Washington offense in hopes they can carry you to glory. Who stands to benefit most?
1. WR Treylon Burks
With the game on the line, Burks was the person Jayden Daniels turned to with gorgeous throws from a frenzied pocket. The young veteran remains a top notch ball tracker and mid-route adjuster and could have had a game-winner Monday night if not for all the pesky gravity in Santa Clara.
great adjustment to the ball from Burks. great adjustment when it's in his hands to keep it away from Mustapha. the only issue is falling seven feet directly onto his head and shoulder
— Christian D'Andrea (@trainisland.bsky.social) 2026-10-20T03:11:34.712Z
Burks set season highs for routes, targets, catches and receiving yards in Week 6. He's set for WR2 duties behind Diggs in an offense that will likely be trailing often and throwing the ball a ton.
2. TE Chig Okonkwo
Like Burks, Okonkwo had a season-best performance of his own. His 38 routes were by far his most of 2026. He turned that into seven targets, seven catches and 69 yards. Though advanced stats are skeptical of his work with the ball in his hands -- he's got -36 yards after catch over expected (YACOE) in 2026 after posting YACOEs of +59 and +56 the previous two seasons -- he'll get the volume to be a viable starting tight end the rest of the year.
3. WR Antonio Williams
The rookie has shined in moments through his first six games as a pro, but has largely underwhelmed while navigating stronger, faster defenses. He's averaged 30 routes per game over the last three weeks but turned that into only three catches in each. His 1.6 yards per route run (YPRR) ranks 74th out of 134 qualified receivers this fall. He has the tools to make a leap, but early returns suggest he'll suffer through some growing pains to get there.
4. RB Rachaad White
Bill Croskey-Merrit sat out Monday night due to injury and is 75 percent owned, He's likely off the table, but White could be a solid RB3/4 fill-in as more checkdowns and screen passes filter his way. The third down back ran 23 routes against San Francisco, turning them into five targets and four catches. His utility as a runner is modest and will shrink with Croskey-Merrit in the lineup, but he's got value in PPR leagues.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Terry McLaurin injury fantasy fallout: Who steps up for Commanders?
