Washington’s Week 4 loss to Atlanta exposed a defense decimated by injuries and rough secondary play. The unit couldn’t slow the Falcons’ aerial attack, with Will Harris fractured fibula and Percy Butler sidelined, while Deatrich Wise came up with a season-ending injury that thins the front. Week 5 at SoFi against the Chargers will test a fragile group as Mariota aims to move the ball and the offense tries to keep pace.

Fantasy takeaway: monitor Jayden Daniels’ status, Terry McLaurin’s health, and how Washington reshuffles the CBs behind Sainristil and Amos. With Austin Ekeler out for the season, Los Angeles still features a high-powered passing attack, so Washington’s defenders carry added risk while dart-throw options on Washington become deeper darts and Chargers’ skill players loom as tough matchups.

Washington rescued Javon Kinlaw with a three-year, $45 million pact after Joe Whitt Jr. publicly admitted he wanted the defensive tackle in 2024. Kinlaw’s presence is already shaping how teams block the Commanders, freeing teammates like Dorance Armstrong and easing the load on Daron Payne. Despite modest early stats, Whitt insists Kinlaw’s impact is felt in the mismatches he creates up front and the space it opens for others. The defense has moved forward this season, despite Deitrich Wise’s season-ending injury.

Kinlaw’s addition shifts the interior pressure away from Payne, who has 12 tackles through three games, while Kinlaw has five but is drawing double teams and command attention that unlocks other rushers. The trio of Armstrong and others is seeing more chances, and the unit as a whole sits ahead of last year’s start. The Jets stint and Kinlaw’s 49ers past frame a career arc that now points to a stable Commanders front with fantasy upside beyond Kinlaw alone.

Keion White is back from illness and eyeing a fuller edge role with the Patriots, but Chaisson and Landry still pace ahead. A two-game lull with 42 snaps and zero QB disruptions hasn’t derailed the plan; the staff expects him to reclaim starting pace once he’s fully ramped.

If White translates his burst timing and inside rush potential into consistent pressure against zone reads, the Patriots’ edge rotation could swing in his favor in the coming weeks, providing a tempting sleeper in dynasty and Fantasy IDP formats.