McFadden's Week 1 foot injury could sideline him for a significant portion of the season, forcing the Giants to patch a thin run defense. NYG turns to Darius Muasau and rookie Abdul Carter to soak up snaps, with Swayze Bozeman on a practice squad fallback. Washington's ground game tests the patchwork as the unit previously allowed 2,202 rushing yards and 5.8 ypc before the injury; after McFadden left, 7.1 ypc on 26 rushes with two touchdowns weighed the better performance.

Fantasy managers should monitor Muasau's snaps and Carter's growing role, as both could shape linebackers' IDP value and Giants' defensive streaming options in the coming weeks.