Fantasy Football 2017 Team Preview: Washington Redskins
This is the 2017 fantasy preview of the Washington Redskins. In this preview I will provide the Must-Own players, Sleepers, and Longshot players with upside very deep in drafts.
Must-own players are those who should be owned by someone in any league. Handcuff RBs can qualify, as they are often very important to a fantasy team over the full schedule. Sleepers are secondary players that you may find on the waiver wire at some point in the year, or may go undrafted in shallower auction-style leagues. The Longshots are players with microscopic ADP, who are being drafted at the very end of drafts, or more likely not drafted at all.
All ADP data is courtesy of FantasyPros.com.
**I will list all kickers, but I cannot give analysis on them. Sorry :-/
MUST OWNS
Terrelle Pryor, WR (ADP: 34): Pryor is the No. 1 player to own in this offense per ADP, but for reasons I spelled out here, I’m not interested in paying this high a price. In a nutshell, Pryor was largely a product of the volume he saw in Cleveland, which he might not see while surrounded by far better talent. He’s still a fairly raw receiver, and he didn’t catch a high percentage of his targets. Yes, Kirk Cousins is a big improvement from what he had at QB in Cleveland, but it’s a new QB and a new offense. Pryor might be a valuable WR2, but he may also wind up a fringe WR2. This ADP reflects none of that risk, and forces you to draft Pryor at his ceiling.
Jordan Reed, TE (ADP: 51): Reed, not Pryor, is the goods in D.C. This offense will go as Reed goes, and even though he’s injury prone, he will be the TE2 in fantasy if his body holds up. Reed catches right around 75 percent of his targets annually, averaged almost 11 yards per catch, and has scored 17 times in the last two seasons despite only starting 17 games. He’s a total beast, albeit a brittle one. I love him, and I would gladly pick him at this ADP.
Jamison Crowder, WR (ADP: 73): Crowder is being drafted very high based on a few things. First, he’s expected to be a target monster because DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon are gone. That ignores, however, the addition of Pryor and the return to health of Reed. Second, he is expected to maintain a high touchdown pace despite playing primarily in the slot, a notoriously fickle position for TDs. Crowder is a good receiver, but he’s being overdrafted this year based on perceptions about this offense that I feel are way off.
Rob Kelley, RB (ADP: 80): Kelley gets knocked for being unspectacular, but if he reproduces last year’s production – 4.2 yards per carry, six touchdowns in nine starts – then he will be a Frank Gore-esque RB2, fantastic value at Pick No. 80. Kelley doesn’t have much competition either, so he’d have to be very bad, or fumble, to lose his role.
SLEEPERS
Kirk Cousins, QB (ADP: 78): Cousins is the 10th QB off the board, but I’ve been anti-Cousins for months. For one, I don’t like when a QB loses his top two most targeted receivers in the same offseason. It’s alarming when his team won’t pay him long term coming off a 4,917-yard campaign. It’s not ideal when a QB guru whom has been credited for helping guide Cousins to elite numbers leaves for a head coaching job in L.A. There is a lot going on with this team in terms of distractions, and it can’t do much for Cousins’ confidence that Washington (correctly in my humble opinion) refuses to pay up. Do not be surprised if Cousins’ INTs spike, and the Redskins have a tumultuous year.
Samaje Perine, RB (ADP: 117): Perine began the preseason as a red-hot sleeper pick to unseat “Fat” Rob Kelley, but instead fumbled his way into the doghouse. Now, Perine will need an injury to see meaningful stats. That said, you can still handcuff Kelley if you want. Perine was an animal at Oklahoma for three years, posting TD totals of 21, 17 and 13 as a Sooner. If he can control his fumbles, he can oust Kelley. That will take several weeks though, because Kelley isn’t a pushover.
LONGSHOTS
Josh Doctson, WR (ADP: 203): Doctson has ridiculous talent, but he’s more breakable than fine china. Doctson’s back-to-back 1,000-yard+, double-digit TD seasons at TCU are a distant memory, replaced by other WRs in Redskins uniforms playing. The pass-catching corps is crowded in Washington, limiting Doctson’s upside for this season, but he will have his moments and build on them for the future. Continue to gamble on Doctson in dynasty leagues.
Chris Thompson, RB (ADP: 226): Thompson is a name to keep tabs on in deep PPR leagues, as he’s seen increasing targets every year. He also rushed 68 times in 2016 and scored three touchdowns, meaning he sees just enough work to be FLEX worthy in tough weeks with a lot of byes, or if you are in a desperate position due to injuries.
KICKER
Dustin Hopkins.