Terry McLaurin Carted Off: Survivor Read on the Commanders

McLaurin exits on a cart

Washington lost its top receiver on Monday night. Terry McLaurin was carted off with his left leg in an air cast after hurting his knee in the first quarter of the Commanders' loss to the 49ers. The air cast and the cart are never good signs, and it leaves Washington's passing game shorthanded heading into a tough stretch of the schedule.

What it means for your survivor pick

Washington wasn't a clean survivor play even before this, and McLaurin going down only makes the picture murkier. Look at the slate: the Commanders host Philadelphia as 2.5-point underdogs in Week 8, host the Rams as 5.5-point underdogs in Week 9, then visit the Giants in Week 10 where New York is favored by just 1.5. That's three straight games without Washington favored — and now potentially without their No. 1 target. There's no reason to burn Washington in a survivor pool over the next few weeks.

The flip side is the opponent angle. San Francisco is favored by 4.5 at Atlanta in Week 7 and by 8.5 at home against Las Vegas in Week 9 — the Niners are the more interesting name to track here, though a 4.5-point road spread is nothing to overvalue. If you're weighing Washington's opponents as your pick, lean on the matchups where the number is comfortable rather than a coin-flip divisional game. For more team-by-team breakdowns, check our NFL survivor pool picks.