Washington faces Week 4 shorthanded, with Daniels, Bates, McLaurin and Brown out. Tay Martin is elevated from the practice squad, and Washington also fills in at corner with Hamilton Sr. The backfield could be split if Croskey-Merritt rests; Rodriguez Jr. and McNichols are the primary ballcarriers. Atlanta misses Terrell, while Mariota starts against the Falcons, fueling intrigue for fantasy managers.

Historically, Washington has owned Atlanta, riding a four-game win streak and a recent OT victory led by Daniels before his injury. With Daniels sidelined, Mariota’s return to start adds a veteran angle to the matchup and supports speculative DFS exposure to Washington’s reshuffled attack and potential Falcons game plan shifts.

Washington’s Week 3 inactives vs. Las Vegas reshape fantasy expectations. Jayden Daniels sits with a knee sprain, so Marcus Mariota will start with Josh Johnson backing him up. Noah Brown and John Bates are out, while Brandon Coleman is inactive despite last-week chatter. Preston Smith was inactive after signing, and Washington will roll out two new guards—Chris Paul at left guard and Andrew Wylie at right guard—as Nick Allegretti’s move to Wylie is finalized.

Preston Smith's return sharpens Washington's edge rush, lifting sack upside and DST projections as he slots back into a key rotation. Fantasy managers should expect more pressure opportunities for the front, boosting weekly streaming options in favorable matchups.

Jayden Daniels’ health and a stadium-approval beat add context for fantasy planning and home-field energy shifts. The social-media flavor underscores momentum and rotation tweaks that could swing late-season defensive scores for the Commanders.