The Week 4 Sunday slate opened in London with the Colts beating the Commanders 30-13. While the game wasn’t a classic, there were a few fantasy-relevant takeaways.
Jonathan Taylor looked like a bonafide RB1 again after a quiet Week 3. Indianapolis managed only 10 first-half points, but Taylor scored one of his two touchdowns in that half and finished with 21 touches for 97 yards and two scores (about 22.2 fantasy points). The bigger story is that Taylor should remain the focal point of the Indy offense given how uneven the passing attack has been: Daniel Jones completed 19 of 34 passes for 143 yards and threw an interception. With Alec Pierce and Keenan Allen out, Josh Downs couldn’t get going (3 catches for 16 yards on 4 targets); Laquan Treadwell paced the receiving corps with five catches for 42 yards, and Tyler Warren’s 5-41 line is a modest PPR contribution but not what you want from a TE1. The Colts should improve as they get healthier, but they face tough road matchups (PIT, MIN, JAX), so outside of Taylor it’s hard to feel confident rostering Colts players until the passing game stabilizes.
Washington lost Marcus Mariota to a knee injury in the first half; it appears to be an aggravation of a preseason MCL sprain and he’s headed for more testing. Mariota had been solid in the upset over Seattle last week but managed just 46 passing yards and 35 rushing yards before exiting this game. Jayden Daniels might return sooner than expected, though durability is a concern. Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis stepped in and finished with 186 yards, one TD and one interception (60.9 passer rating); he completed some downfield throws but isn’t a fantasy option right now. The Commanders were also without Terry McLaurin, and new addition Austin Ekeler immediately got touches, cutting into opportunities for Jacory Croskey‑Merritt. Six different players carried the ball and none reached double-digit rushes. Dyami Brown and Treylon Burks each had long receptions, and Stefon Diggs finished with five catches for 35 yards on nine targets. Like Indianapolis, Washington’s skill players are risky fantasy plays until the quarterback situation clears up—upcoming matchups with the 49ers, Eagles and Rams (with two games against the Giants surrounding them) make rostering Commanders skill options especially precarious.
Fan Take: Jonathan Taylor’s performance cements him as one of the league’s most valuable backs and a must-start in fantasy formats, while Washington’s QB instability underscores how quickly a roster can become fantasy-irrelevant when injuries pile up. For NFL fans, the game is a reminder that depth and durability—especially at QB—can alter a team’s trajectory as much as talent, shaping both weekly lineups and longer-term roster moves.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
