Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Catches deep shot in Week 5
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McCaffrey caught one of two targets for 50 yards in Sunday's 27-10 win over the Chargers.
The second-year wideout from Rice was electric in Sunday's win, recording a 50-yard completion over the middle of the field to set up a game-tying field goal at the end of the second quarter. Additionally, McCaffrey returned three kickoffs for 92 yards and has now accumulated 377 kickoff-return yards through Washington's first five games this season. He played 22 offensive snaps and operated as the Commanders' No. 3 wideout with Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Noah Brown (groin/knee) both sidelined in Week 5. McCaffrey will likely play another depth role in the wide-receiver corps and continue returning kicks in the Week 6 matchup against the Bears.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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We don't know when Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) will return to action after missing Week 4 at Atlanta, but McCaffrey has stepped up for the Commanders with a touchdown in each of the past two games against the Raiders and Falcons. He only has six targets over that span for five catches and 77 yards, but hopefully his role will grow the longer McLaurin is out. In deeper leagues, McCaffrey is worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Impressive all-purpose effort
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McCaffrey caught two of three targets for 21 yards and a touchdown and added 199 yards on six kickoff returns in Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Falcons.
The second-year wideout found the end zone for a second straight week, snagging a five-yard TD from Marcus Mariota in the second quarter to get the Commanders on the board. McCaffrey has seen only six targets over the last two weeks, but he's turned them into a 5-77-2 line, and he's becoming a special-teams weapon with the new kickoff rules. With Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) likely to remain on the shelf and Noah Brown (groin) having missed the last two games, McCaffrey could find his role in the offense increasing in Week 5 against the Chargers, especially if Jayden Daniels (knee) returns to elevate the entire passing game.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Week 4 Waiver Priority List
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Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) is likely out for Week 4 at Atlanta, and McCaffrey could have an expanded role. He just had three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown on three targets in Week 3 against Las Vegas, and hopefully that's a sign of things to come. McCaffrey is worth adding in deeper leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Scores first NFL TD
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McCaffrey caught each of his three targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in a 41-24 win over Las Vegas on Sunday.
With Noah Brown (groin) inactive and Deebo Samuel playing less than usual, McCaffrey split snaps with Jaylin Lane on a day when Terry McLaurin (quad) and QB Marcus Mariota were Washington's only full-time players at the skill positions. McCaffrey scored his TD from 43 yards out in garbage time, against a Las Vegas defense that may have been expecting Washington to simply run out the clock. In any case, McCafrey could get another look Week 4 at Atlanta if McLaurin's quadriceps injury proves to be a real problem.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Back at practice
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McCaffrey (illness) participated in Sunday's training camp practice, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.
McCaffrey played just one snap in Friday's preseason loss to the Patriots due to an illness, but he has recovered enough to return to the field two days later. He's battling for a larger role in the Commanders offense, and he should continue to see an uptick in reps with the first-team offense for as long as Terry McLaurin (ankle/contract) is sidelined.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Under the weather
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McCaffrey left Friday's 48-18 preseason loss against the Patriots due to an illness, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.
McCaffrey tried to play through the illness and caught his only target for minus-1 yard but ultimately couldn't keep going. The Commanders' next exhibition game isn't until Monday, Aug. 18 against the Bengals, so McCaffrey will have additional time to recover. The 2024 third-rounder is battling for a bigger role in Washington's offense after finishing his rookie season with 18 catches (on 24 targets) for 168 yards across 17 regular-season games.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Looking better in Year 2
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Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Sunday that McCaffrey has made a "jump" from Year 1 to Year 2, Bryan Manning of Commanders Wire reports.
A 2024 third-round pick, McCaffrey got playing time in the slot early in his rookie season, but he didn't do much with the snaps and saw his role decrease later in the year. He's back to compete for the No. 3 receiver role against Noah Brown, Jaylin Lane, Michael Gallup and K.J. Osborn. There's an opportunity for all of them to get extra first-team snaps while Terry McLaurin (ankle/contract) remains unavailable to practice.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Barely contributes as rookie
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McCaffrey finished the 2024 regular season with 18 catches for 168 yards on 24 targets, then was held without a catch on one target in three playoff appearances.
The 2024 third-round pick started his career playing around half of Washington's snaps on offense, but he struggled to draw targets or make big plays and was getting less than one-fourth of the snaps by December/January. While his failure to emerge as a regular starter isn't a good sign for future productivity, McCaffrey may get another shot at the No. 3 receiver role in 2025, as he and Terry McLaurin are the only Washington wide receivers under contract.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Held to 13 yards
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McCaffrey caught both of his targets for 13 yards in a 42-19 win over the Titans on Sunday.
McCaffrey didn't get any extra playing time after starting wideout Noah Brown left with a rib injury. Dyami Brown filled in instead, while McCaffrey and Olamide Zaccheaus maintained their usual depth roles. In any case, Noah Brown may be healthy after the Week 14 bye.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Catches one pass against Dallas
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McCaffrey caught his lone target for eight yards in Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Cowboys.
McCaffrey's minimal production continues to be a result of his limited usage within Washington's offense. The rookie wideout's 26 percent offensive snap share in the contest was his lowest of the season, and the 23-year-old has recorded just 14 catches for 142 scoreless yards through 12 games. McCaffrey should remain off the fantasy radar when the Commanders host the Titans in Week 13.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Targeted once
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McCaffrey had one target and no catches in Thursday's 26-18 loss at Philadelphia.
McCaffrey played 30 percent of snaps on offense, fifth most among Washington wide receivers. He's yet to draw more than three targets in a game and isn't likely to get a big usage bump Week 12 against Dallas.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Quiet in win over Chicago
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McCaffrey secured one of two targets for eight yards during Sunday's 18-15 win over the Bears.
McCaffrey improved on his Week 7 performance, in which he failed to draw a single target in a blowout win over Carolina, but his production versus Chicago remained lackluster. His share of offensive snaps (36 percent) has been similar to Olamide Zaccheaus (35 percent) and Dyami Brown (32 percent), but well behind Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown. Heading into a Week 9 matchup against the Giants, the rookie third-round pick will remain off the fantasy radar until he's able to showcase more consistency and/or upside.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Not targeted in blowout win
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McCaffrey was held without a target in Sunday's 40-7 win over the Panthers.
McCaffrey was a complete non-factor Week 7, as the rookie was held without a reception for the first time since Week 2. The 23-year-old wideout played 26 of the Commanders' 69 offensive snaps Sunday, trailing fellow receiversTerry McLaurin (49), Noah Brown (42) and Olamide Zaccheaus (29). At this point, McCaffrey isn't seeing enough usage in Washington's passing attack to be in consideration for fantasy purposes.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Catches three passes
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McCaffrey caught each of his three targets for 19 yards in a 34-13 win over the Browns on Sunday.
The rookie played a season-high 66 percent of snaps on offense, taking on a bit of extra playing time with Noah Brown inactive due to a groin injury. It was only a minor change, however, as Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus took most of the snaps that normally would go to Brown. It'll still be hard to trust any Washington wideout for more than two or three targets when the Commanders head to Baltimore in Week 6.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Catches three passes for 44 yards
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McCaffrey caught each of his three targets for 44 yards in Monday's 38-33 win over the Bengals.
McCaffrey played only 34 percent of the offensive snaps on a night when the Commanders mostly led and didn't use a lot of three-wide formations. The rookie has generally looked good and had a 30-yard gain on a catch-and-run Sunday night, but his workload still isn't anywhere close to fantasy starter territory, given his limited role in an offense that's attempted fewer than 30 passes in each game so far. He'll take aim at the Cardinals in Week 4, playing on the road in a game with the largest over/under (50.5) on the slate.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Not targeted against Giants
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McCaffrey failed to record a single target in Sunday's 21-18 win over the Giants.
Despite playing a healthy 56 percent of offensive snaps Sunday, McCaffrey was not involved in the passing game on a day in which Jayden Daniels attempted 29 passes. The rookie wideout figures to see his usage fluctuate in Washington's offense as the passing attack gets things figured out with a rookie signal caller at the helm. With that said, McCaffrey should continue to develop alongside Daniels toward a stronger connection as the season progresses. Fantasy managers hoping for a quick breakout for the 23-year-old receiver should exercise patience. McCaffrey will look to take a step forward in Week 3 when the Commanders visit the Bengals.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Not separating from other WRs
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McCaffrey hasn't emerged as an obvious top-four wide receiver to open the season for Washington, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.
Even after the Commanders' trade of Jahan Dotson this week, McCaffrey hasn't earned a starting role in Washington. It sounds like Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus are pushing for playing time behind Terry McLaurin, and even slot man Jamison Crowder could be in the mix. McCaffrey is relatively new to the wide receiver position after playing it for just two seasons. If McCaffrey doesn't open the season in three-wide sets, it's not out of the question that he finishes 2024 in a prominent role.
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Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Washington adds in third round
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The Commanders selected McCaffrey in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 100th overall.
McCaffrey originally arrived to Nebraska as a coveted quarterback recruit, but he couldn't stick at the position and ended up making the switch to receiver after transferring to Rice. He's a bit thin at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds and has little catch radius to speak of, but his athleticism tested well at the NFL Combine (4.46-second 40-yard dash, 6.7-second three-cone drill), and his production at Rice was generally encouraging, especially since he just started playing wideout in 2022. It's possible that McCaffrey might need some more developmental time after switching from quarterback, but the bloodlines are obviously highly favorable, and he clearly possesses starter-caliber athleticism. Washington simply now waits to see how much he can improve with experience.
