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Top 2 picks author thriller in Commanders' Hail Mary win over Bears

Mon Oct 28 2:15am ET
Field Level Media

LANDOVER, Md. -- The much-anticipated matchup between the quarterbacks chosen first and second in this year's NFL draft was a so-so affair for almost three quarters before turning into a fantastic finish.

The No. 2 pick, Washington's Jayden Daniels, turned a solid game into a heroic one when he completed a 52-yard Hail Mary pass to Noah Brown on the final play of the Commanders' 18-15 win over the Chicago Bears.

Top pick Caleb Williams, who completed just 3-of-8 passes for 33 yards in the first half, led his team on a pair of second-half scoring drives, the latter of which put the Bears ahead 15-12 with 25 seconds left.

That turned out to be enough time for Daniels. After an incompletion, Daniels hit tight end Zach Ertz for 11 yards to the Washington 35-yard line and found Terry McLaurin for 13 yards to the 48.

Daniels took the final snap with two seconds left and rolled right. Under pressure, he rolled back to his left, stopped and threw. The ball was tipped at about the 3-yard line and caught in the end zone by Brown.

"We're blessed to have (Daniels) leading this team," Brown said. "The things he can do are special -- just even that last play. Keeping his composure, fighting like hell to get the ball off and throwing a hell of a ball."

Daniels meanwhile, did not see the catch.

"No, not really. I just heard people screaming and our sideline rushing the field. That's how I knew," he said. "I was juiced up, for sure. Excited because that's kind of like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not too many people get to experience stuff like that. That was my first time."

The game marked the sixth time since the AFL-NFL merger that quarterbacks chosen No. 1 and No. 2 in the same draft faced off as rookies and the matchup could entertain for years to come.

The early favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Daniels finished 21-of-38 for 326 yards and a touchdown for the Commanders (6-2). He ran for 52 yards on eight carries. His heroics came after he suffered a rib injury during Washington's 40-7 win over the Carolina Panthers last week. He did not practice until Friday.

Williams helped guide Chicago to three straight impressive wins before the team's bye. He finished 10-of-24 for 131 yards and ran 10 times for 41 yards in a homecoming game as he grew up in the Washington area.

"The progressions, I thought he got off them a little bit," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. "I'll have to look at it."

Williams was sacked with 1:11 left in the second quarter, knocking the Bears (4-3) out of field goal range. Chicago did not score until D'Andre Swift's 56-yard run late in the third quarter.

"I think that's just us shooting ourselves in the foot and that comes from details and focus in the game, throughout the week," Williams said of the offense's struggles. "That comes from myself, I'm included in that for sure. Definitely missed a few passes that I don't miss typically so, tough, but very encouraging because we stayed in it."

Williams fumbled an exchange at the 1-yard line late in the fourth quarter that gave Washington the ball, but the Commanders punted. On the next drive, Williams completed two passes for 38 yards and ran for 5 before Roschon Johnson scored from 1 yard out.

--Harvey Valentine, Field Level Media

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The Paur Report

Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 8

Player Notes
Daniel Carlson Oct 28 9:40am CT
Daniel Carlson

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson hit both of his field goal attempts and two extra points in the Raiders' 20-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. He nailed attempts of 54 and 32 yards and was perfect on both of his extra point attempts. It was a solid fantasy performance, and he remains one of the better kickers in the NFL due to his accuracy and range, but remains limited in ability to score points due to the ineffectiveness of the Raiders offense. Carlson has now hit 15 of 17 FG attempts this season, an 88.2% clip, and has yet to miss an XP try. He's a decent starting option in deeper leagues when Las Vegas takes on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. They boast a much softer defense.

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Tyler Allgeier Oct 28 9:40am CT
Tyler Allgeier

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier recorded double-digit carries for the second time in three weeks in Sunday's 31-26 win over the Buccaneers, but was able to gain just 33 yards on his 12 totes. His 2.8 yards per carry was a far cry from the 5.7 YPC he averaged heading into the game and it was the first time since Week 3 that he failed to attract even a single target in the passing game. Bijan Robinson was the preferred option there, hauling in all six of his targets for 37 yards while gaining 63 yards on the ground on 13 attempts (4.8 YPC), just one more carry than Allgeier. The involvement in the rushing game is promising, but unless he finds the end zone, the 24-year-old back is nothing more than a low-end Flex option and handcuff for Robinson managers.

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Jakobi Meyers Oct 28 9:30am CT
Jakobi Meyers

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers looked healthy against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, his first game back from a two-week absence due to an ankle injury. He was targeted seven times by his quarterback, Gardner Minshew II, and hauled in six of those passes for 52 yards and the game's only non-garbage-time touchdown. He played reasonably well in the WR1 role left vacant by the departure of Davante Adams. He's the clear lead receiver for the team moving forward, though he faces substantial target competition from tight end Brock Bowers. He's a solid WR3/FLEX option with WR2 upside, depending on how the offense fares overall, ahead of a Week 9 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Tre Tucker Oct 28 9:30am CT
Tre Tucker

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker touched the ball just three times in his Week 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He was targeted only three times, catching two passes for 26 yards, while rushing one time for seven yards. It was a brutal matchup against one of the league's best defenses in which his team mustered just 158 yards of offense outside of a garbage-time touchdown drive. Tucker is the clear second wide receiver on this offense, but his upside is capped by target-hogging tight end Brock Bowers. He should be viewed as a bench-stash in deeper leagues in his upcoming Week 9 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. They're a much softer defense, but Tucker is a risky start for now.

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Alexander Mattison Oct 28 9:20am CT
Alexander Mattison

Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison seemed to have wrested control of the lead running back role for his team in their Week 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He was highly inefficient with his touches, though. He carried the ball 14 times for 15 yards (a paltry 1.1 yards per carry), and caught five passes on five targets for 29 yards. Most notably, he rushed for two yards, no gain, and negative-two yards after Las Vegas took possession due to an interception by opposing QB Patrick Mahomes II. The goal-line stand took away Mattison's best chance at scoring a touchdown. The majority of his fantasy value appears to be tied to PPR points from high target volume, but he'll have an easier matchup in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals and profiles as a FLEX option in deeper leagues.

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Michael Pittman Jr. Oct 28 9:20am CT
Michael Pittman Jr.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) was able to corral just one of his six targets in Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Texans, gaining a measly 16 yards in the contest. Fellow wide receiver Josh Downs was the only Colt who snared more than one pass from quarterback Anthony Richardson, who completed just 10 of 32 passes in the game. Pittman was a DNP at practice on Friday, but it was Richardson's inefficiency that was more to blame than his lingering back issue as the six targets were the most he'd seen since Week 5. Unless Joe Flacco gets back under center for the Colts, this receiving corps looks poised to be very volatile for the foreseeable future and it will be hard to predict which one of the pass catchers will lead the team each week. Having a Week 9 date with the Vikings on the road in Minnesota likely won't make things any easier near-term, although several receivers have posted solid fantasy performances against that group, but with Richardson at the helm, the 27-year-old is probably nothing more than a boom/bust WR3/4.

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Brock Bowers Oct 28 9:20am CT
Brock Bowers

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers had a quieter day than usual in his team's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8 after he caught all five of his targets for 58 yards. He caught two of those passes, totaling 19 yards, during the garbage-time drive the Raiders put forth near the end of the game. It was a relatively pedestrian day for the breakout superstar. The Chiefs appeared to make it a priority to slow him down, and rightly so, as he's their best offensive weapon. He'll still be a must-start top-5 TE in all fantasy leagues heading into a softer Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals and their struggling defensive unit.

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Daniel Jones Oct 28 9:10am CT
Daniel Jones

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was pulled from the game in the fourth quarter of the Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Heading into Week 8, however, Jordan Raanan reports that the starting QB is not expected to be on a short leash and participated in all of the first-team reps at practice in preparation for this game. Fellow teammates weren't pushing for a change either, but some did note that "it might be different if Tyrod Taylor was still on the roster." Jones will look to get back on track in a tough game on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Gardner Minshew II Oct 28 9:10am CT
Gardner Minshew II

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II completed 24 of 30 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' 20-27 loss to the rival Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. He also lost one fumble on a sack. In typical Raiders fashion, they drove down the field and scored on their first drive of the game before their offense stalled. They couldn't get much of anything else going until a garbage-time drive for another touchdown near the end of the game. Minshew looked better than he did in Week 7, when he turned the ball over four times, but he didn't give Las Vegas a spark and padded his stats in the fourth quarter. He'll start again in Week 9 when the Raiders take on the Cincinnati Bengals, and he'll still profile as a starting option in fantasy football only for 2QB leagues.

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Zamir White Oct 28 9:10am CT
Zamir White

Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White wasn't a significant part of the game plan in the Raiders' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. He carried the ball just two times for negative-one yard and was not targeted. Las Vegas' coaching staff is likely responding to his ineffectiveness this season by severely restricting his total touches in an effort to help the offense. He now averages just three yards per carry on the season, and it looks like he slid from a bench stash in extremely deep leagues to not worth rostering. While game script could have had something to do with his lack of involvement, he should not be started in any leagues going into his Week 9 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. It looks like the starting job now belongs to Alexander Mattison.

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Drake Maye Oct 28 8:50am CT
Drake Maye

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (concussion) was forced to leave Sunday's game with a head injury. Head coach Jerod Mayo said on Monday that the rookie signal-caller has entered the NFL's concussion protocol so his status for their Week 9 matchup against the Titans is now in doubt. Jacoby Brissett stepped in as the QB for Maye and led the team to a 25-22 win over the Jets. If Maye is unable to make it back in time, Brissett will likely be under center again.

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Christian McCaffrey Oct 28 8:30am CT
Christian McCaffrey

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) is currently "ramping up" and set to take part in practice during the team's Week 9 bye. According to Ian Rapoport, McCaffrey has targeted Week 10 for his return and he is currently on track to hit that date. The superstar back hasn't played in a regular season game yet this year, and with Jordan Mason (shoulder) getting banged up, it's the perfect time to rejoin the backfield. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status through the bye week and into Week 10 before committing to him in their starting lineup.

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Jordan Love Oct 28 8:30am CT
Jordan Love

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (groin) was forced to leave their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a groin injury and did not return. According to Ian Rapoport, the star QB seemed to avoid a major injury but his status for the Week 9 game against the Detroit Lions is "in doubt." The Packers go into their bye in Week 10, so they could play it safe to give him an extra week of rest before returning in Week 11. If that's the case Malik Willis would make another start against a strong Lions defense.

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Evan Engram Oct 28 8:20am CT
Evan Engram

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram saved his fantasy day with a late touchdown in a 30-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The veteran tight end finished with four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown, which he scored to tie the game with a minute and 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Engram was outgained by backup tight end Brenton Strange, who finished with five receptions (team-high) and 59 yards (1 off the team lead). While it is reassuring Engram caught a touchdown, he has been very up and down this season. After missing a few games, Engram returned with a 10 reception performance, but now has just nine receptions combined in the last two games. Despite that, Engram should be considered a top tight end play in fantasy in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Brian Thomas Jr. Oct 28 8:20am CT
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (ribs) left Sunday's game with a chest injury and he will now have an MRI on his ribs to determine the severity. According to Ian Rapoport, there isn't much more information at this time, so the MRI will be the best source for fantasy managers to find out if he'll need to miss extended time. Christian Kirk (collarbone) has already been ruled out for the rest of the season, so the Jaguars receiving corps will be reduced to Gabe Davis (shoulder), Parker Washington, and Tim Jones if Thomas has to miss any games.

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Brenton Strange Oct 28 8:20am CT
Brenton Strange

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange surprised in Week 8 with a solid outing backing up Evan Engram. The second year tight end finished with five catches for 59 yards. Strange surprisingly led the team in receptions in what was somewhat of a down game for Engram. He also was just one yard shy of the team lead, behind Brian Thomas Jr.'s 60 receiving yards. While anyone who for some reason started Strange should be happy with this performance, it doesn't mean much for his fantasy prospects going forward. With Christian Kirk out for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone, Strange could be next in line to step up, but that still leaves him behind BTJ, Engram, Gabe Davis, and the running backs on the target order for Trevor Lawrence. Strange and the Jaguars take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.

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Brian Thomas Jr. Oct 28 8:10am CT
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. scored his fifth receiving touchdown of the year in a 30-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The rookie receiver finished with just three catches on four targets but made the most of them with 60 yards and a touchdown. Despite the now 6-2 Packers having a top passing defense, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense were able to move the ball through the air on the back of some long receptions. BTJ led the team with 60 yards on 20 yards per reception. The young receiver out of LSU has already established himself as a reliable fantasy option and real-life receiver for Lawrence through 8 weeks. BTJ and the Jaguars passing offense will look to continue their upward trajectory when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday afternoon.

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Tank Bigsby Oct 28 8:10am CT
Tank Bigsby

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby had a solid fantasy day in a 30-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The second-year running back finished with 78 yards rushing on 18 carries and eight receiving yards on two receptions. With Travis Etienne Jr. out, Bigsby dominated touches once again. In fact, backup running back D'Ernest Johnson touched the ball just two times. Bigsby wasn't as efficient as he has been, producing 4.3 yards per carry, but the volume he got was enough to provide a solid fantasy output despite no touchdowns. This has been a bit of a breakout year for the young back out of Auburn, who whether Etienne Jr. has been in the lineup or not, has been a startable fantasy running back. Bigsby and the Jaguars take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.

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Trevor Lawrence Oct 28 8:00am CT
Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence had a good fantasy outing in a 30-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The former top pick finished with 21 completions on 32 attempts for 308 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown, an interception, and a lost fumble. The Packers have been one of the top teams and passing defenses in the NFL this year, so this effort from Lawrence and the Jaguars should leave people optimistic about their season going forward. The offense has steadily improved as the season has gone on, especially now that top target Evan Engram has returned from injury and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. has developed. Lawrence did lose Christian Kirk for the season with a broken collarbone, but he still has great weapons to continue playing like he did against the Packers. Lawrence and the Jaguars take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.

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Xavier Legette Oct 28 6:50am CT
Xavier Legette

Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette caught his third touchdown of the season in Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos. Legette, a striking 6-foot-2, 227-pound figure, is proving to be a solid red-zone threat, with all three of his touchdowns coming inside the 10-yard line. Legette's game has shades of A.J. Brown, as he can physically dominate defensive backs at the point of attack. However, his down-to-down consistency still leaves much to be desired. He finished with four receptions for 34 yards and has recorded just one 50+ yard game this year. Granted, the quarterback situation in Carolina has been among the most questionable in the league. With New Orleans up in Week 9, it would be encouraging if the South Carolina product started to show week-to-week consistency but is on the flex radar in deep league formats.

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