Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin isn’t off to a bad start in 2022. McLaurin has 14 receptions for 250 yards and one touchdown through four games. But despite going for 102 yards in Week 3, McLaurin has yet to have his breakout game for 2022.
That could change on Sunday when the Commanders face the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans have the No. 28 pass defense in the NFL, allowing opponents to pass for an average of 274 yards per game. A big reason for Tennessee’s early struggles against the pass is its inexperienced cornerbacks.
The Titans have talent at cornerback in 2021 first-round pick Caleb Farley, 2020 second-round pick Kristian Fulton and 2022 second-round pick Roger McCreary. However, they are young and susceptible to big plays.
Could that be exactly what McLaurin and quarterback Carson Wentz need?
That’s what ESPN fantasy expert Mike Clay believes, as he predicted a breakout performance from McLaurin and his fellow wideouts.
Commanders’ Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown vs. Titans’ Kristian Fulton, Roger McCreary and Terrance Mitchell
The Titans’ CB situation remains a work in progress, with Fulton and second-round rookie McCreary currently manning the perimeter in base, with McCreary kicking to the slot in nickel and a combination of Mitchell and Caleb Farley filling in outside. Things haven’t gone too well so far, with the Titans currently allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers (second most over expected), as well as the second most to the perimeter. McLaurin (80% perimeter) is off to a slow start, but perhaps he’ll get back on track this week. Rookie Jahan Dotson (74% perimeter) is out, which positions Brown as a deep sleeper/DFS punt. Tennessee has allowed the second-fewest points to the slot, so Samuel (73% slot) isn’t quite as intriguing as the boundary receivers.
Washington will be without rookie Jahan Dotson. That’s a tough blow. However, McLaurin should be just fine with Samuel helping to clear out things underneath. Second-year wide receiver Dyami Brown could also have the opportunity for a breakout performance Sunday.
While Clay predicted a breakout for McLaurin and Washington’s wide receivers, he also picked the Titans’ group against Washington’s struggling corners.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]