Booms, Busts and Breakouts: Washington Football Team

As the mercury rises and we inch closer to training camp opens, our resident fantasy football aficionados, Brad Evans and Jeff Ratcliffe, profile their favorite books, busts and breakouts for every NFL team. Today’s topic: Daniel Snyder’s Fighting Former Epithets. 

Booms

Terry McLaurin, WR

Largely an afterthought heading into last season, McLaurin exploded onto the fantasy scene when he racked up 100 yards and two scores against the Dolphins. A big play waiting to happen, McLaurin saw a healthy aDOT of 14.6 yards downfield.

Of course, the elephant in the room is Washington’s quarterback situation. Dwayne Haskins struggled in his rookie season but should get another crack at the starting job. Of course, Alex Smith is now in the mix after making a remarkable comeback from what looked like a career-ending injury.

Of the two, Haskins is arguably better for McLaurin’s fantasy value. The pair had a solid connection in college, which is a plus. Washington also has very little in the way of competition for McLaurin. While he's far from a sure thing, McLaurin comes with a massive fantasy ceiling and is more than worthy of fringe WR2 consideration. — Jeff Ratcliffe

Terry McLaurin, WR

At first glance, with mostly lemons on the lot, McLaurin is Washington’s lone luxury vehicle. Picking up where he left off racing past Big Ten defenders as a Buckeye, he immediately shifted into high gear registering one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory. Last year, in an anemic offense, he caught 58 passes for 919 yards and seven touchdowns. Heroic. 

Under the hood, McLaurin was an advanced-analytics darling. No receiver posted a better contested catch rate. Adding more fuel, he averaged 15.8 yards per catch and totaled an eye-pleasing 14.6-yard aDOT. And he achieved all of that ranking WR40 in catchable target percentage. Just imagine if he had a proven quarterback. 

Dwayne Haskins’ development is critical for the young wideout to advance forward. If strides are made, the receiver should easily surpass 1,000 yards with 7-9 touchdowns. Sporting a WR2 sticker price (WR19, 49.2 ADP), he’s a reliable Round 5 option equipped with plenty of upside. — Brad Evans

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Busts

No one

From name controversies to toxic work environment allegations, this franchise is a cesspool in both reality and fantasy. Did you really want us to discuss the downside of Peyton Barber again? — Brad Evans

Breakouts

Antonio Gibson, RB

A true hybrid offensive weapon, Gibson is coming off an impressive 2019 season at Memphis where he touched the ball 38 times as a receiver and 33 as a runner. On those 71 touches, he found the end zone a jaw dropping 12 times. Gibson has NFL size at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and tested very well at the Combine, especially in the 40-yard dash where he ran sub-4.4.

Of course, Gibson is no longer an unknown name in the fantasy football community. Derrius Guice’s dismissal from Washington has propelled Gibson into the fantasy spotlight. But it’s important we know exactly who he is as a player. Gibson is not a pure running back. A good comp to keep in mind is Ty Montgomery.

With that said, he’s certainly going to be involved in a variety of ways in Washington’s offense. Sure, Washington is likely to use some combination of Adrian Peterson and Peyton Barber in early downs, but Gibson offers the most fantasy upside. He’s now in consideration as a top-35 pick at the position, which means he’ll likely come off the board in the seventh round. — Jeff Ratcliffe

Steven Sims, WR

In the darkest recesses of your fantasy draft lies a potential hidden gem. Yes, even on the lousiest team fantasy-wise in the virtual game. Sims, who sports a bottom barrel WR71 (192.5) ADP, is a late-round lottery ticket worth scratching. 

Though he’s expected to compete for the ‘Z’ role, an untraditional spot for the slot man, Sims has a clear path to opportunity. If he can land the gig and lure 18-plus% of the club’s target share, he could flourish as a sound flex contributor in challenging formats. His underlying data from 2019 offers support. Sims ranked WR7 in fantasy points per route and a respectable WR38 in fantasy points per target. 

OK, self-proclaimed “king” of your 10-team home league, the youngster isn’t worth your time. However, for those deep-minded individuals who relish value in the eleventh hour, he could be a sneaky 55-700-5 source. — Brad Evans