Fantasy Football 2017: Washington Redskins outlook
The Washington offense is all change from 2016. Will Kirk Cousins continue his success? Who will he throw to? Who will handle the carries?
Kirk Cousins
Since the start of the 2015 season, Cousins has heaved 54 touchdowns and 9,083 yards. While that’s impressive, he’s also added nine rushing touchdowns and been a solid fantasy starter. This year, however, he’s being drafted as a ‘QB1’, and that’s where he’s lost some value. Outside of the ‘elite’ quarterbacks, it’s best to wait, and Cousins isn’t worth drafting when you should still be attacking backs, receivers and tight ends.
Samaje Perine and Robert Kelley
I’ve included Kelley here because it’s clear Matt Jones is the man who will be eliminated from the backfield, and last year’s leading rusher could still see some touches. However, once Perine gets rolling, he has the capability to be Washington’s workhorse. Even though he was selected in round four, he couldn’t have fallen into a better situation with a clear path to carries, and has a tremendous fantasy ceiling. Invest in Perine where you can.
Terrelle Pryor
It took Pryor five seasons to figure out he was best suited to being a receiver in the NFL, and his 2016 breakout was something special. He topped 1,000 yards, had over 70 catches and added four touchdowns on one of the worst teams in the league. Now, he’s paired with a much better quarterback and should be the top target for Cousins. I’d expect fairly similar numbers to last year, with a chance at a better touchdown total.
Josh Doctson
The first round receivers from 2016 haven’t proven their worth yet, and Doctson didn’t even get a chance to as he missed the whole season through injury (outside of two brief appearances). With Pryor across from him and Cousins throwing to him, Doctson couldn’t be in a better situation to breakout in his ‘unofficial’ rookie campaign. With a slimmer frame than a typical number one receiver, Doctson will thrive against single coverage through his great technique and route running. He’s a high upside late round pick.
Jamison Crowder
Slot receivers don’t usually lead teams in touchdown receptions, but Crowder did in 2016 (with seven). The issue is, Pryor and Doctson are two bigger targets than previous outside receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon. There’s no doubt Crowder plays an integral role in the offense, but I don’t expect him to improve on last year’s numbers by much. Avoid in the early-to-mid rounds.
Jordan Reed
Any sentence describing Reed tends to begin with the prefix “when healthy”, and that’s unsurprising given his concussion history. However, he has all the talent in the world and last year, the only time he missed was with an AC joint injury in his shoulder. He’s hauled in 17 touchdowns over the past two years and will continue to be a top target for Cousins. The issue is his draft price, which is likely inflated – don’t target him unless in tight end premium leagues, and his top five round value is simply too high for the position.
The Best of the Rest
Chris Thompson is a decent PPR option, who may have an increased role considering Perine and Kelley are more bruisers than receivers. Tight end Vernon Davis is startable if Reed misses any time, and they can both produce at the same time – but he’s not draftable to start the season.