2026 Week 8 Fantasy Football Injury Report: Commanders' Bates, Burks, McCaffrey Updates

According to ProFootballTalk (NBC Sports), the Commanders closed out their Week 8 injury report Friday with several fantasy-relevant skill-position players either questionable or newly listed. Tight end John Bates (shoulder), wide receiver Treylon Burks (foot), and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (hip) all appear on the report — Bates and Burks as questionable, McCaffrey as limited but carrying no official designation.

John Bates

Bates is questionable with a shoulder injury after a limited Friday practice. If he can't go, Chig Okonkwo would be next in line for tight end snaps — Okonkwo has averaged 5 targets and 3.8 receptions per game across four appearances this season, which is meaningful volume. Ben Sinnott is also on the roster but has averaged just 1 target per game in six games, so the opportunity would flow almost entirely to Okonkwo. Monitor Bates's status through Sunday; if he's ruled out, Okonkwo becomes a genuine streaming option at tight end (a position where you start the best available starter each week in fantasy).

Treylon Burks

Burks is questionable with a foot injury, which is the kind of ailment that can linger and limit explosion even when a player suits up. The source story confirms Stefon Diggs is good to go this week, so any Burks targets would likely funnel to Diggs — who already leads this receiver group at 7.6 targets per game — or to Antonio Williams, who has averaged 4.3 targets per game in six games and would be next in line for a larger role. Dyami Brown is also available with 2.7 targets per game. Don't expect a massive windfall here since Diggs absorbs the top of the target tree, but Williams becomes a low-end flex dart if Burks sits.

Luke McCaffrey

McCaffrey was added to the report Friday with a hip injury but carries no official designation, meaning he's expected to play. This is more of a monitor situation than an actionable one — if his status changes to questionable or out before Sunday, the same Diggs/Williams pecking order from the Burks section applies. For now, treat him as active unless the Commanders update his status.

The broader picture: Washington could be shorthanded across multiple positions Sunday, with the defensive tackle situation (Javon Kinlaw already ruled out, Daron Payne questionable) adding even more uncertainty to the team's week. For fantasy purposes, the Bates/Okonkwo TE situation is the most actionable call — check Sunday's inactive list before locking in your lineup.