Colts vs. Commanders DFS Picks: Week 4 London Showdown Captain and Flex Plays
The first London NFL game of the 2026 season kicks off Sunday morning in Week 4, when the Indianapolis Colts take on the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. My Colts vs. Commanders DFS picks start with Jonathan Taylor ($17,400) as the chalk Captain in the DraftKings Showdown, but I’m diluting that exposure with Tyler Warren and Marcus Mariota. One update from Sunday’s inactive lists: Darius Slayton, my original tournament swing, is inactive, along with Terry McLaurin and Keenan Allen.
We’ve already journeyed outside the United States for NFL action twice this season, with a Week 1 game in Melbourne, Australia and a Week 3 game in Rio de Janeiro, but this is our first foray into Europe. This game kicks off a run of three London games (and the first of two at Tottenham) as the league keeps expanding its international slate, and by the looks of it, we’ve got a good one.
Both the Colts and Commanders have serious defensive flaws, but both have flashed an offensive ceiling. I see a shootout coming with key points to attack, so let’s find out how that applies to piecing together a winning Showdown lineup at DraftKings. Not sure who to Captain or who to fade? Below are my top Colts vs. Commanders DFS picks to help formulate your strategy for Sunday morning.
Week 4 NFL London Overview: Two 1-2 Teams and a Growing Injury List
Indianapolis (1-2) and Washington (1-2) kick off at 9:30 AM ET (2:30 PM in London) on NFL Network, with Washington as the designated home team, and the Colts are 4.5-point favorites at DraftKings with a 46.5 total. Washington will be without Jayden Daniels, who dislocated his left elbow at Dallas in Week 2. Dan Quinn ruled him out on Friday, so Mariota makes his second straight start. The injury list kept growing from there: Washington ruled out Rachaad White, the Colts downgraded Keenan Allen to out on Saturday, and Terry McLaurin (hamstring) is inactive on Sunday morning.
| Slate Detail | What DraftKings Shows |
|---|---|
| Matchup | Indianapolis Colts (1-2) vs. Washington Commanders (1-2) |
| Kickoff | 9:30 AM ET (2:30 PM in London), Sunday, October 4, 2026 |
| Venue | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London (Washington is the designated home team) |
| Moneyline | Colts -205 / Commanders +170 |
| Spread | Colts -4.5 (-110) / Commanders +4.5 (-110) |
| Total | 46.5 (Over -110 / Under -110) |
| Implied Team Totals | Colts 25.5 / Commanders 21.0 |
| Roster | 1 Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary) plus 5 Flex, $50,000 cap |
| Player Pool | 56 players, Flex salaries from $200 to $11,600 |
Lines via DraftKings, captured Sunday morning, October 4, after inactives. Implied team totals split the total by the spread. They are the market’s numbers, not projections, and they move.
This looks like a potential shootout. Bettors and DFS players alike need to factor travel and fatigue into the equation here, not to mention the time change. These guys are kicking off at 9:30 in the morning on their U.S. body clocks, so it could be a little funky. The two teams handled the trip differently, too: Washington flew to London on Tuesday night and has practiced in England all week, while the Colts stayed on Eastern time, practiced at home and took an overnight flight on Thursday.
That said, this is a big game for both sides. A loss probably kills your playoff chances at 1-3, while the winner gets back on track and saves its season at 2-2. By our count of nflverse game results, only 26 of the 194 teams that started 1-3 from 1999 through 2025 made the playoffs (13.4%), compared with 37% of 2-2 teams. The total got as high as 48.5 on Thursday before the injury news pulled it down to 46.5, but I still see two capable offenses and suspect defenses that have been burned routinely already in 2026. Indianapolis gave up 41 points to Baltimore and 33 to Kansas City, while Washington allowed 37 at Dallas and 31 to Seattle.
Washington’s Implied Total Did Most of the Moving
Our archive of DraftKings lines shows how far this number has traveled. When we first captured it on August 13, Washington was a 1.5-point favorite with a 50.5 total, and DraftKings held that number into mid-September. When the line reappeared in our archive on September 22, two days after Daniels got hurt, Indianapolis was a 4.5-point favorite and the total had fallen to 46.5. It settled at Colts -3.5 on September 27 and the total climbed back to 48.5 this week, then the injury reports took over: DraftKings moved to Colts -4.5 and 47.5 on Friday afternoon and trimmed the total to 46.5 on Saturday morning. It hasn’t moved since Sunday’s inactive lists came out.
| DraftKings Line | Spread | Total | Colts Implied | Commanders Implied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 13 (look-ahead) | WAS -1.5 | 50.5 | 24.5 | 26.0 |
| Sept. 22 (after Daniels’ injury) | IND -4.5 | 46.5 | 25.5 | 21.0 |
| Sept. 27 (Week 3 Sunday) | IND -3.5 | 46.5 | 25.0 | 21.5 |
| Sept. 28 | IND -3.5 | 47.5 | 25.5 | 22.0 |
| Oct. 1 (afternoon) | IND -3.5 | 48.5 | 26.0 | 22.5 |
| Oct. 2 (after final injury reports) | IND -4.5 | 47.5 | 26.0 | 21.5 |
| Oct. 3 (Allen ruled out) | IND -4.5 | 46.5 | 25.5 | 21.0 |
| Oct. 4 (after inactives) | IND -4.5 | 46.5 | 25.5 | 21.0 |
GamblingSite odds archive, DraftKings game lines. Implied totals are derived from each spread and total.
For DFS, the telling number is Indianapolis’ implied total, which has barely moved: 24.5 in August and 25.5 now, even with Allen ruled out. Almost all of the swing came off Washington’s side, where the implied total fell from 26.0 to 21.0 without Daniels. It crept back to 22.5 after Mariota threw three touchdowns in the 33-31 win over Seattle, then slid back to 21.0 as White was ruled out and McLaurin’s hamstring took him out of the lineup. That’s the number I’m leaning into when I build Washington leverage.
Weather shouldn’t be a factor, either. The forecast for north London calls for dry skies, temperatures in the upper 60s and a light southwest wind around 6 mph at kickoff. The stadium’s roof covers the stands only, but the NFL’s synthetic turf field sits below the retractable soccer pitch, so footing shouldn’t be an issue.
Top London DFS Captain Picks
Taylor is my chalk Captain, Warren is the pivot, Mariota is the leverage play and Colson Yankoff is the punt. Darius Slayton was my GPP swing until the Colts made him inactive. The Captain price is listed next to each player’s Flex salary.
Jonathan Taylor Is the Easy Chalk Captain
JT is easily the top Captain play. Nobody projects nearly as well as he does in my numbers, and he’s topped 25 DraftKings points in two of three outings this year: 26.1 against Baltimore in Week 1 and 29.2 at Kansas City in Week 2, with two touchdowns in each game. He’s very expensive at $17,400 in the Captain slot, and Washington’s run defense has limited opposing fantasy backs, but fading him feels like a mistake.
You can still dilute your Captain exposure, though. While Taylor is the top guy to target, the matchup could be better: Washington has allowed the second-fewest PPR points to running backs, holding them to 168 rushing yards on 51 carries with no rushing touchdowns through three games. Taylor also showed last week that he can be contained, with 68 yards on 23 carries and 9.2 DraftKings points in the 19-17 win over Houston. The matchup with Washington is more of a pass funnel, so I’m very interested in looking to Indy’s passing game.
Tyler Warren Is the Pivot into Indy’s Passing Game
That could come in the way of Daniel Jones, but Tyler Warren and Josh Downs look more appealing since they get a full point for every catch. You could go either way, since Washington has allowed the most PPR points to wide receivers and the second-most to tight ends (per footballdb), but Warren’s role seems less threatened.
Warren has played at least 89% of the snaps in all three games and caught nine of 10 targets for 55 yards last week (14.7 DraftKings points), and he’s already scored twice. Washington has given up five touchdowns to tight ends. Downs drew a team-high 11 targets last week, though his snap share had dipped from 89% in Week 1 to 68%. With Allen and Slayton both inactive, Downs should get some of that playing time back, so I like both, with Warren first.
Marcus Mariota Is the Best Leverage Captain on the Board
Marcus Mariota looks like the best leverage play on the board, as a lot of the ownership in the Captain slot will be tied up in Colts players. Washington is the underdog here, but Mariota threw for 183 yards and three touchdowns in his first start of the season (20.4 DraftKings points against Seattle), and the matchup is fantastic: the Colts rank among the five most generous defenses to fantasy quarterbacks, per footballdb.
He also brings some rushing upside, which matters on a one-game slate. He’s only run six times for 14 yards this season, but he has 2,467 career rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns, so a designed run near the goal line is always on the table. At $14,700, he’s $2,700 cheaper than Taylor in the Captain slot. The risk is his supporting cast, with White and McLaurin both inactive.
Darius Slayton Is Inactive
Darius Slayton was my favorite GPP Captain on this slate, a cheap bet on him taking over Alec Pierce’s deep routes in his Colts debut. That debut will have to wait. Indianapolis made him inactive for the second straight week, so pull him from any lineup you’ve already built. He’s still sitting in the DraftKings pool at $3,400.
If you want the same idea, Laquon Treadwell ($3,200 in the Flex, $4,800 at Captain) is the receiver who has been playing Pierce’s snaps, with 79% of them last week. With Allen out as well, Treadwell and Downs lead a thin group of active wideouts that also includes Ashton Dulin and practice-squad call-up Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. He’s a dart throw, but the Commanders have struggled to defend the pass, allowing a league-high 11 passing touchdowns and 11 completions of 20-plus yards.
Colson Yankoff Is the $600 Punt
Want a punt to allow you to load up? Colson Yankoff at $600 would let you piece together whatever Showdown lineup you choose. He played 46% of Washington’s offensive snaps last week (32 of 69), though it only produced one catch for two yards. His role could shrink, though: Chig Okonkwo is active after missing two games with a hamstring injury, and Ben Sinnott (ribs) is active after a limited week. At $600, you’re paying for a part-time role and a touchdown dart throw in a game with a 46.5 total, and that’s all a punt needs.
Best NFL London DFS Flex Plays
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Spencer Shrader and Chig Okonkwo are the easiest ways to get value in the Flex, and Austin Ekeler is a cheap dart. Keenan Allen was on this list until the Colts ruled him out on Saturday. Every Captain play above (plus both defenses) works in the Flex, too.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Is Too Cheap with Rachaad White Out
JCM looked solid in Week 1 (16 carries, 63 yards and a touchdown for 12.6 DraftKings points), but he has clearly turned into a pretty touchdown-reliant play, with 5.8 and 5.3 points in the two games since. The Commanders are not a reliable rushing offense, but he’s pretty cheap for a guy who has handled between 13 and 20 touches in every game.
A date with a porous Colts run defense (sixth-most DraftKings points allowed to running backs) helps, and so does the injury report. Fellow backfield mate Rachaad White hurt his shoulder against Seattle, didn’t practice all week and is inactive, which leaves Austin Ekeler, Kaytron Allen and practice-squad call-up Craig Reynolds as the active backs behind JCM. He was viable no matter what, but he’s way too cheap with White out.
Keenan Allen Is Out, So Adjust Your Colts Exposure
Keenan Allen was one of my favorite Flex values on this slate at $6,600, coming off an 18.3-point outing (six catches on nine targets for 63 yards and a touchdown). The Colts downgraded him to out on Saturday with a groin injury, so pull him from any lineup you’ve already built. He’s still sitting in the DraftKings pool.
His absence, on top of Pierce’s, thins out the receiver room, and Slayton is inactive, too. That leaves Downs and Treadwell as the top wideouts, with Ashton Dulin (active after a questionable tag) and Westbrook-Ikhine among the depth behind them. That’s a matchup with one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL and fewer mouths to feed, which is one more reason I like Warren and Downs.
Spencer Shrader Is the Safe Flex Play
Shrader isn’t a sexy pick, as most kickers aren’t. However, he’s cleared 10 DraftKings points in each of the last two games (14 at Kansas City and 17 against Houston, including a 53-yard game-winner), and he’s 8-for-8 on field goals this season. There’s going to be so much scoring in this game that using a roster spot on a kicker might feel like a waste. Still, he’s a very safe play who will have access to a good amount of those points. He tweaked his groin in warmups last week but was a full practice participant on Wednesday and Thursday.
Austin Ekeler Is a Dart Throw Worth Considering
Let’s not ignore Austin Ekeler, who is back with Washington after signing on September 29. He tore his Achilles in September 2025, and he’s learning a different offense under coordinator David Blough (he called it “drinking through a fire hose”), so there’s real risk he isn’t the same back. Opportunity is king, though. Ekeler is active, and White’s absence opens the door to him being a smash value at $2,200. Kaytron Allen and Reynolds are in the mix for those backup snaps, too, so the big question is just how much the Commanders would ask of Ekeler on short notice.
Chig Okonkwo Is Cheap Exposure to a Real Role
Lastly, let’s not stick our nose up at Chig Okonkwo. He hurt his hamstring in Week 1 and missed the last two games, but he’s active on Sunday. The matchup looks quite good on paper, too: the Colts rank among the 10 most generous defenses to fantasy tight ends, and a 36-year-old Travis Kelce caught nine passes for 101 yards and a touchdown against them in Week 2. At $4,400, Chig is cheap exposure to a solid role in this offense in his first game back, and there are targets to go around with McLaurin inactive.
The Showdown Salary Board at a Glance
| Player | Team | Pos | Flex | Captain | DK Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Taylor | IND | RB | $11,600 | $17,400 | 21.5 |
| Daniel Jones | IND | QB | $10,400 | $15,600 | 11.1 |
| Marcus Mariota | WAS | QB | $9,800 | $14,700 | 14.6 |
| Josh Downs | IND | WR | $8,800 | $13,200 | 10.9 |
| Tyler Warren | IND | TE | $8,600 | $12,900 | 13.1 |
| Stefon Diggs | WAS | WR | $8,400 | $12,600 | 14.8 |
| Terry McLaurin (inactive) | WAS | WR | $8,200 | $12,300 | 10.0 |
| Rachaad White (inactive) | WAS | RB | $7,000 | $10,500 | 10.0 |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS | RB | $6,800 | $10,200 | 7.9 |
| Keenan Allen (inactive) | IND | WR | $6,600 | $9,900 | 9.7 |
| Spencer Shrader | IND | K | $5,000 | $7,500 | 12.7 |
| Drew Stevens | WAS | K | $4,800 | $7,200 | 8.7 |
| Chig Okonkwo | WAS | TE | $4,400 | $6,600 | 3.6 |
| Colts D/ST | IND | DST | $4,000 | $6,000 | 1.7 |
| Commanders D/ST | WAS | DST | $3,600 | $5,400 | 4.0 |
| Darius Slayton (inactive) | IND | WR | $3,400 | $5,100 | — |
| Laquon Treadwell | IND | WR | $3,200 | $4,800 | 4.0 |
| Ben Sinnott | WAS | TE | $2,800 | $4,200 | 0.5 |
| Austin Ekeler | WAS | RB | $2,200 | $3,300 | — |
| Colson Yankoff | WAS | TE | $600 | $900 | 1.2 |
Flex salaries and fantasy-point averages (DK Avg) as listed by DraftKings on Sunday morning, October 4; Captain prices are 1.5x Flex. Slayton and Ekeler have not played this season. Jayden Daniels ($10,800) is still in the pool but inactive, as are McLaurin, White, Allen and Slayton, and Alec Pierce ($200) is on injured reserve.
Two pricing notes. Five inactive players are still listed in the DraftKings pool: Daniels ($10,800), McLaurin ($8,200), White ($7,000), Allen ($6,600) and Slayton ($3,400). Don’t click any of them by mistake. And Treadwell ($3,200) is the cheap receiver who has actually been playing Pierce’s snaps.
Colts vs. Commanders DFS Showdown Strategy
You know it’s a crazy NFL DFS Showdown slate when I talk about a bunch of options from one game and I fail to mention the wide receivers from one of the teams. Stefon Diggs ($8,400) is a really good play, and he’s the last man standing in that room. Terry McLaurin ($8,200) is inactive with the hamstring injury that landed him on Friday’s injury report. Indy sits in the bottom half of the league against wide receivers, and Diggs scored 21.7 DraftKings points with two touchdowns at Dallas. With McLaurin out and Luke McCaffrey also inactive, Antonio Williams ($3,800, 41% of the snaps last week) and Treylon Burks ($2,000, 36% and a touchdown against Seattle) are the next men up.
JT is the top Captain pick, but I expect him to draw something like 25-30% of the Captain ownership. I really like leveraging that with Mariota, Downs and Warren. Slayton was my favorite GPP punt play, and with him inactive, Treadwell is the cheap dart if you want one. If you’re newer to the format, my rundown of the mistakes that hurt an NFL DFS Showdown strategy covers the most common errors.
| Build | Captain | Flex Core | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash / single entry | Jonathan Taylor | Warren, Mariota, Diggs | The top projection on the slate, in the Captain slot |
| Colts passing pivot | Tyler Warren | Taylor, Daniel Jones, Downs | Washington has allowed the most PPR points to wide receivers and the second-most to tight ends |
| Washington leverage | Marcus Mariota | Taylor, Diggs, Croskey-Merritt | Most Captain ownership should sit on Colts |
| Cheap Captain, loaded Flex | Laquon Treadwell | Taylor, Jones, Mariota, Diggs, Okonkwo | A $4,800 Captain buys four studs in the Flex (Slayton, my original pick here, is inactive) |
Build paths drawn from my Captain and Flex picks above. Every core fits under the $50,000 cap.
The salary works, too. Taylor at Captain ($17,400) with Warren and Mariota in the Flex costs $35,800, which leaves $14,200 for three spots: Diggs, Shrader and Yankoff fit for $14,000, a $49,800 lineup.
This is a slate where we will almost definitely want to load up in the Flex. Even with the total down to 46.5, the offensive talent that’s left and two leaky defenses point to a high-scoring affair, so adjust accordingly. If you’re splitting entries between contest types, my breakdown of NFL DFS cash games vs. GPPs covers how to build for each, and more slate breakdowns live on our daily fantasy sports hub.
Play Safe: Daily fantasy should be fun, not stressful. Set limits, stick to your budget, and never chase losses. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-MY-RESET or visit ncpgambling.org. For more resources, see our Responsible Gambling page.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Sunday-morning kickoff, a backup quarterback and a six-point line swing raise a few questions. Here are the ones I get asked most about this Showdown.
Who Should I Play at Captain in the Colts vs. Commanders DraftKings Showdown?
Jonathan Taylor is the safest Captain and my choice for cash games and single-entry contests at $17,400. In tournaments, I want to dilute that exposure with Tyler Warren ($12,900) or Marcus Mariota ($14,700). Darius Slayton, my original cheap Captain, is inactive, so Laquon Treadwell ($4,800) is the dart throw in his place.
What Time Does the Colts vs. Commanders London Game Lock on DraftKings?
The Showdown locks at kickoff, 9:30 AM ET (2:30 PM in London) on Sunday, October 4, 2026, so there is no late swap. Inactive lists posted at 8:00 AM ET, 90 minutes before kickoff, and this article reflects them.
How Does Marcus Mariota Starting for Jayden Daniels Change the Washington Side of This Showdown?
It makes Washington’s quarterback a cheaper Captain. Daniels dislocated his left elbow at Dallas in Week 2 and has been ruled out, so Mariota makes his second straight start after throwing for 183 yards and three touchdowns in the 33-31 win over Seattle. At $14,700, he’s $2,700 cheaper than Taylor at Captain with a top-five matchup. The risk is his supporting cast: Rachaad White and Terry McLaurin are both inactive.
With Keenan Allen Out, Who Picks Up the Colts’ Targets Against Washington?
Josh Downs and Tyler Warren are first in line. Downs drew a team-high 11 targets last week and Warren caught nine of 10, and the Colts are now missing Allen (groin), Alec Pierce (heel, injured reserve) and Darius Slayton, who is inactive again. Laquon Treadwell played 79% of the snaps in Week 3. Allen ($6,600) and Slayton ($3,400) are still in the DraftKings pool, so remove them from your lineups.
Why Did the Colts vs. Commanders Line Move So Much, and What Does It Mean for DFS?
DraftKings had Washington as a 1.5-point favorite with a 50.5 total in August. After Daniels got hurt, the line flipped to Indianapolis, and it sat at Colts -4.5 with a 46.5 total on Sunday morning, after inactives. The Colts’ implied total barely moved (24.5 to 25.5), while Washington’s fell from 26.0 to 21.0, which is why Washington players make good low-owned leverage.
