Commanders Pass Catcher Fantasy Football Breakdown | Should You Start Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson or Logan Thomas in Week 13?

The Washington Commanders have the most passing yards in the NFL through 12 weeks. The main reason behind that is because their defense is terrible and the offense has to pass to try to keep up.

While it’s not a good formula for winning actual games, fantasy owners that roster any of the team’s pass catchers have enjoyed it. The problem now is that several guys have stepped up and the consistency has been lacking.

So, which pass catchers should you be starting in week 13? Let’s discuss.

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Week 12 Showing/Season Stats

In week 12, it was Curtis Samuel that was the top receiver. He caught 9-of-12 targets for 100 yards. He played 43 snaps and hauled in his only red zone target.

Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson each played 66 offensive snaps in the contest. McLaurin hauled in four of his 11 targets for 50 yards, while Dotson had 52 receiving yards on five catches and six targets.

Tight end Logan Thomas was on the field for 50 snaps. He made grabs on half of his four targets, going for 15 yards.

No other pass catcher played over 20 offensive snaps, so we’ll keep our focus on those four guys.

For the season, it’s McLaurin that leads the way in most stats. He’s played 705 snaps and caught 60-of-96 targets for 694 yards and two touchdowns. McLaurin had hauled in four of his seven red zone looks.

McLaurin has topped 50 receiving yards in seven games, and has at least 30 yards in each contest. He’s gone without a 100-yard game. McLaurin has at least four targets and two catches in each contest.

For the entire season, Dotson has 42 grabs on 69 targets, going for 435 yards and a team-leading four touchdowns. He’s played 694 snaps and caught 5-of-8 red zone targets.

Dotson has topped 100 receiving yards once, but only has three games where he finished with over 50 yards. He’s been shutout twice and held under 30 yards six times. Dotson has been targeted four or more times in all but two games, making at least two grabs in those games.

Samuel has 47 catches on 63 targets for the season. He’s turned his catches into 443 yards and two scores. He’s played 405 snaps and made five catches on nine red zone looks. Samuel also has a rushing touchdown this season.

Samuel’s 100-yard game in week 12 was his first of the season. He’s topped 50 yards five times, but also had 25 or less yards on five occasions. Samuel has at least two targets and a catch in each game.

Thomas has 45 catches, 424 yards and three touchdowns on 63 targets for the season. He’s played 553 snaps and hauled in three of his seven red zone looks.

Thomas has topped 50 yards just three times this season, but has reached 30 yards in all but three contests. He’s been targeted three or more times in all but one game, and has at least two grabs in those games.

If you look at more recent stats to make your lineup decisions, McLaurin has at least seven targets in each of the past four contests and has 33 combined targets in that span. Dotson has 20 targets in that timeframe, while Thomas has 23. Samuel has 20 targets despite being inactive for the first game of that span.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook

A quick look at the numbers and you realize that any of these four can be the Commanders’ leading pass catcher any given week. It’s a great thing for Washington, but a nightmare for fantasy owners.

McLaurin has been the most consistently targeted, but the production hasn’t always followed. He’s the safest option and only has one contest where he didn’t reach seven PPR fantasy points. While he’s been targeted plenty of late, he’s been a single-digit fantasy performer in each of the past three weeks.

Samuel has been kind of a boom-or-bust guy. He’s reached double digits in PPR formats five times now, but has less than 7.5 fantasy points in every other game. He’s probably the riskiest play of the three receivers, but when he hits, he can definitely contribute to a fantasy win.

Dotson has been much better over the past five games (with four double-digit PPR performances) than he was to start the season - but his down game in that span was a shutout. He’s reached double figures five times now for the season.

Thomas has sneakily been a solid PPR fantasy option this season. He’s got just three double-digit outings, but has topped seven fantasy points in all but two games he’s played in.

I used PPR as my format for this discussion, mostly because that’s the format the Washington pass catchers are better options in. In standard or half PPR leagues, their values dip a bit because they don’t always rack up a ton of yardage with their catches.

Anyways, back to the main focus, which is finding out which Washington pass catchers you can start in week 13.

Who to Start in Week 13?

The Commanders will play the Miami Dolphins in week 13. McLaurin is the top-ranked receiver in the weekly projections, coming in 14th (remember that six teams are on byes). Dotson is 34th, while Samuel is 43rd. Thomas is the 13th-ranked tight end for week 13. 

The matchup with Miami is an average one for the receivers, as the Dolphins allow opposing wideouts to score 36 fantasy points per week. The Phins allow the third-most receptions and sixth-most touchdowns to WRs, but only allow 154 receiving yards per game, which is an average number.

I like this matchup quite a bit for the wideouts. Miami is a high-powered offense and should dominate the Washington defense, which will force the Commanders’ offense to pass early and often to keep up.

I’d be in favor of starting McLaurin, Samuel and Dotson this week, unless you have more consistent WRs with favorable matchups to choose from. In PPR formats, I think all three could post double-digit fantasy outings.

In standard or half PPR leagues, I’m a bit more skeptical of starting the three receivers. I’d still want McLaurin in my lineup, and again would have to check your other options before deciding on Dotson and Samuel.

Miami allows 13 fantasy points to opposing tight ends, which sets up as one of the more favorable matchups for TEs. The Dolphins allow a decent amount of catches and yards, but do a good job of keeping tight ends out of the end zone.

In standard or half PPR leagues, I’d try to avoid starting Thomas, but would be OK with starting him in PPR leagues if you needed to. Unless you have a more favorable matchup, then go ahead with Thomas.

Thomas might have a hard time finding the end zone, but with a bunch of top-end tight ends on bye weeks, Thomas is a pretty solid fantasy option this week. He’s got less of a chance to top 10 PPR points than the receivers, but if the passes are spread around enough, he’s also got a chance.