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
| | 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
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.
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.
Fantasy Previews
AFC East: Bills | Jets | Patriots | Dolphins
NFC East: Giants | Cowboys | Eagles | Washington
AFC South: Colts | Texans | Jaguars | Titans
NFC South: Panthers | Bucs | Falcons | Saints
AFC North: Ravens | Steelers | Browns | Bengals
NFC North: Packers | Vikings | Bears | Lions
AFC West: Chiefs | Broncos | Raiders | Chargers
NFC West: Seahawks | 49ers | Rams | Cardinals
Which players are poised for breakouts, which sleepers do you need to jump on, and which busts should you avoid at all costs in your Fantasy football league? Visit SportsLine now to get early rankings, plus see which WR is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.