Washington Fantasy Football Preview: Backfield competition could create plenty of value

Washington might have the most open backfield competition in the NFL for training camp, which could create a great opportunity for Fantasy if it clears up quickly.

By Dave Richard

Aug 7, 2020 at 7:32 pm ET • 5 min read

Amber Searls / USA TODAY Sports

Washington's 2019 season felt a lot like Arizona's 2018, though the they didn't go all-in on the blueprint this offseason — they'll be sticking with Dwayne Haskins for at least one more year. The hope is Haskins can develop under new coach Ron Rivera, though there's still plenty of work to be done to put the right pieces around Haskins. As things stand, this still looks like an offense that is an offseason away from worth being excited about for Fantasy, though the presence of the likes of Antonio Gibson and Bryce Love make this a pretty intriguing backfield.

2019 Review

Record: 3-13 (31st in NFL)
PPG: 16.6 (32)
YPG: 274.7 (31)
Pass YPG: 175.8 (32)
Rush YPG: 98.9 (22)
PAPG: 29.9 (28)
RAPG: 22.2 (31)

2019 Fantasy finishes

QB: Dwayne Haskins QB36; Case Keenum* QB31
RB: Adrian Peterson RB33; Chris Thompson RB51; Derrius Guice RB69
WR: Terry McLaurin WR29; Steven Sims WR66; Kelvin Harmon WR92; Paul Richardson* WR94
TE: Jeremy Sprinkle TE42; Vernon Davis* TE63
*No longer with team

Number to know: 9

Washington has scored 21 or more points just nine times over the past two seasons. Their opponents have scored 21-plus points 20 times. A struggling offense behind a suspect offensive line played a significant part in that result, complete with disappointing quarterback play. Keenum (four) and Haskins (three) combined for seven games with two passing touchdowns. That doesn't seem like much, but it's a big improvement from 2018 when Alex Smith (three) and Colt McCoy (one) combined for only four. New offensive coordinator Scott Turner has his work cut out for him.

2020 Offseason

Draft Picks

1. (2) Chase Young, DE
3. (66) Antonio Gibson, RB
4. (108) Saahdiq Charles, OT
4. (142) Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR
5. (156) Keith Ismael, C
5. (162) Khaleke Hudson, LB
7. (216) Kamren Curl, S
7. (229) James Smith-Williams, DE

Additions

QB Kyle Allen; RB Peyton Barber and J.D. McKissic; LB Thomas Davis; CB Kendall Fuller and Ronald Darby; S Sean Davis

Key Departures

QB Case Keenum; RB Chris Thompson; TE Vernon Davis; LT Trent Williams and Donald Penn; LG Ereck Flowers; CB Quinton Dunbar and Josh Norman

Available Opportunity

59 carries, 71 RB targets, 47 WR targets, 19 TE targets

Rankings and Projections

Player	Jamey Eisenberg	Dave Richard	Heath Cummings
Dwayne Haskins	QB30	QB27	QB29
Antonio Gibson	RB49	RB45	RB46
Adrian Peterson	N/A	N/A	N/A
Terry McLaurin	WR22	WR19	WR25
Antonio Gandy-Golden	WR60	N/A	N/A
Dustin Hopkins	K29	K28	K26
Washington DST	DST20	DST18	DST19

	Heath Cummings' projections
QB	Dwayne Haskins	4,150 YD, 23 TD, 19 INT; 178 Rush YD, 1 TD

RB	Adrian Peterson	426 YD, 4 TD; 17 REC, 141 YD, 0 TD
RB	Antonio Gibson	214 YD, 2 TD; 45 REC, 405 YD, 3 TD
WR	Terry McLaurin	123 TAR, 76 REC, 1,088 YD, 6 TD
WR	Trey Quinn	76 TAR, 46 REC, 362 YD, 2 TD
WR	Kelvin Harmon	82 TAR, 55 REC, 669 YD, 3 TD
TE	Jeremy Sprinkle	58 TAR, 37 REC, 333 YD, 2 TD

Biggest Question

Is there 2020 upside in Washington's offense?

"Terry McLaurin had a great rookie year, though things quieted when Dwayne Haskins took over as the signal caller and threw more than 30 times in just one game. Washington looks like a run-heavy team again with Adrian Peterson and intriguing youngsters Antonio Gibson and Bryce Love, but you can squint and see Steven Sims, Kelvin Harmon and Antonio Gandy-Golden rounding out a decent, young wide receiver corps if Washington throws a bit more than expected." - Ben Gretch

One sleeper, one breakout and one bust

Sleeper

Antonio Gibson RB

NE New England • #4
Age: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs.

Prospect Profile
2020 NFL Draft 66th overall (Round 3)	Height 6-0	Weight 228	40 time 4.39

Fantasy managers should take notice anytime a coach compares a rookie to a stud player like Christian McCaffrey. That's exactly what Rivera did following the draft, adding that Gibson is "a little bit bigger." It might mean a little bit more since Rivera is the one who drafted McCaffrey in Carolina. Make no mistake, Gibson isn't quite as well-rounded nor does he have a clear a path to big-time touches like McCaffrey did, but Gibson's blend of versatility and speed will give him a chance to help the Washington offense. A former quarterback and converted receiver, Gibson's biggest hurdle is developing as a rusher — he had one game with more than six carries last season and didn't play at all in 2018. But he can line up anywhere and shine as a pass-catcher, which sounds like what Rivera envisions for Gibson. He has all sorts of appeal as a PPR sleeper without any risk on Draft Day.

You can also toss Love into the sleeper pile — he was recently cleared to practice, and was a pretty serious prospect back in college, before the torn ACL that kept him off the field as a rookie. If he is up to full speed, Love could absolutely run away with this backfield, though Gibson taking on a pass-catching role could make for a pretty nice tandem. Target them with some late-round picks and prosper.

Breakout

Dwayne Haskins QB

PIT Pittsburgh • #3
Age: 27 • Experience: 4 yrs.

2019 Stats
PAYDS 1365	RUYDS 101	TD 7	INT 7	FPTS/G 10

If there's someone with breakout potential in Washington, it's Haskins. The quarterback will move into a much friendlier offense in 2020, one that will highlight high-percentage passing with deep lobs mixed in. Given how he finished 2019 (four touchdowns, 8.67 yards per attempt with no interceptions), there's some hope he can evolve in his second year. Also, keep in mind that Washington had the option to draft Tua Tagovailoa in the 2020 NFL Draft and chart a new path for their offense. They didn't. It's evidence the new coaching staff believes in Haskins.