Getty Terry McLaurin of the Washington Redskins
Rookie pass-catcher Terry McLaurin has been a revelation for a Washington Redskins team that has been hungry for playmakers for as long as we can remember.
The third-round draft pick out of Ohio State has quickly worked himself into fantasy football stardom. McLaurin’s 18.76 points per game this season places him in sixth-place amongst receivers to play at least five games in 2019.
Has McLaurin built up a resume strong enough to deem him matchup proof? Or should a menacing battle with the San Francisco 49ers this weekend leave his fantasy owners concerned? Let’s find out.
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Terry McLaurin’s Fantasy Outlook vs. San Francisco 49ers
Terry McLaurin has done it all for the Washington Redskins and has molded himself into the team’s premier target in the passing game not even halfway through his first NFL season.
The wideout leads all rookie receivers in receptions (23), receiving yards (408), and touchdowns (5), while averaging more fantasy points per game than the likes of Julio Jones, Adam Thielen, and Davante Adams this season. McLaurin’s five receiving touchdowns place him in a four-way tie for the second-most in all of football.
Those staggering statistics would lend one to believe that McLaurin is a shoo-in lock for your starting fantasy lineups in Week 7. Well, unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
McLaurin and his Redskins teammates will welcome the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers into town on Sunday. The ‘9ers success is built off of superb defensive play, as is evident by their league-best 150.3 passing yards allowed per game. To put that in better perspective NFL wide receivers have topped 150+ receiving yards on 17 separate occasions this season.
In terms of fantasy, the outlook doesn’t get much better for McLaurin. The 49ers allow the seventh-fewest fantasy points on a per-game basis to the wideout position this season. To make matters worse, they seem to be ever-improving. Over San Francsico’s past two games they’ve held the likes of star wideouts Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp to an abysmal 6.3 fantasy points.
You also have to take into consideration the guy throwing the ball to McLaurin on Sunday. Case Keenum performed admirably with a newfound run game a week ago. However, that run game will likely not see the same success in Week 7. The 49ers allow the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game this season. This likely means Keenum will have to attempt to beat the 49ers with his arm. You’d think that would bode well for McLaurin’s fantasy production. However, San Fran has held starting quarterbacks to just 117.3 passing yards per game and one total touchdown over the last three weeks.
Should You Start or Sit Terry McLaurin in Week 7?
You’re likely in a position where you can’t sit McLaurin in Week 7. That could be because you’re truly strapped for talent at the receiver position, or because you’ve convinced yourself that McLaurin has earned the must-start treatment.
However, if there was ever a week to be open-minded about McLaurin’s possible struggles it would be this one. Sit the Redskins wideout vs. the 49ers and save yourself from being burned.
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