Who Should I Start? Luke McCaffrey or Malik Washington

Saturday, August 23, 11:41 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey racked up five receptions for 23 yards in a 30-3 loss against Baltimore in the team's final preseason game. McCaffrey rounded out the preseason with his most productive outing, catching multiple balls underneath and generating some yards after the catch. He was also used as a blocker on the punt return team, which speaks to his special-teams value but hardly signals trust in him as an offensive contributor. It hasn't been the most encouraging training camp for the second-year wideout, as he's yet to emerge with star receiver Terry McLaurin not practicing along with Noah Brown. He looks to be firmly behind those two, Deebo Samuel and Jaylin Lane, in the pecking order for consistent routes.

Monday, September 15, 10:07 PM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington had a highlight reel play in Week 2 against the Patriots, returning a punt for a 74-yard touchdown. The second-year receiver finished with only one catch for two yards on two targets and added three carries for 23 yards as well. In a positive sign for his future production, Washington's snap percentage increased from 58% in Week 1 to 61% in Week 2, while the rest of the periphery receivers all saw their snap counts drop. Washington is clearly the third receiver behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and he could continue to work his way into a larger role in an offense searching for answers after a 0-2 start. One important factor to watch this week with Washington, though, is that he did show up on the injury report with a thumb injury and was listed as a limited participant on Monday's practice estimation. If he plays on Thursday against the Bills, he has dynamic upside as a playmaker, so keep an eye on his status this week.