Hi everyone, I will be breaking down moves the Redskins have made in the offseason, their draft needs, and finally, I will tie in how all of this affects fantasy football. Here is my 2020 NFL Draft Analysis: Redskins.
In the 2020 offseason, the Redskins haven’t made any tremendous acquisitions. Washington has signed some players, but the most notable names are RB Peyton Barber and QB Kyle Allen. The Redskins are in the thick of a rebuild, but draft day has Redskin fans very excited. Assuming that Washington doesn’t trade their pick, the Redskins are in line to select the best player in the draft, Chase Young. Washington finished last season with a record of 3-13, but with Haskins, McLaurin, Montez Sweat, and most likely Chase Young, the Redskins are slowly building a team.
Traded/Released by Organization:
QB Colt McCoy
DE Chris Odom
QB Case Keenum
Acquired/Signed by Organization:
TE Logan Thomas
CB Ronald Darby
WR Cody Latimer
OG Brandon Scherff (Franchise tagged)
Draft Day Needs:
The Redskins need to surround Dwayne Haskins with more offensive threats. Besides Terry McLaurin, Haskins has nobody notable to throw to. A WR or TE would greatly improve the Redskins aerial attack. A LT is also needed because Trent Williams is basically not a Redskins anymore, even though he is under contract. Williams held out last season, and it looks like the relationship between Williams and the Redskins is a lost cause.
Although the Redskins need a WR, TE, and LT, a man named Chase Young, who is arguably the best player in the draft, will be available for Washington at pick number two. Having two young pass rushers in Montez Sweat and Chase Young would solidify Washington’s edge rushers for years. The only way I see Washington passing on Young is if they trade their pick. Although the Redskins are in dire need of some offense, you can’t pass on Chase Young. Here are some names the Redskins should look out for:
Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Liberty
Gabriel Davis, WR, UCF
Hunter Bryant, TE, Washington
Fantasy Implications:
If the Redskins take Chase Young, their D/ST will still be undesirable because there are a lot of missing pieces in the secondary. Last season, the Redskins defense gave up an average of 25.9 points per game. Acquiring Ronald Darby and Kendall Fuller helped the secondary, but a lack of safeties hurts the Redskins. In terms of the offense, the lack of offensive weapons makes Haskins’s value go down because after McLaurin, who is he going to throw to? I think Haskins will be a good fantasy QB in the future, but for right now, I would avoid him.
Quarterback:
The young Redskins QB from Ohio State, Dwayne Haskins, showed that he has the potential to be a good QB in the NFL, but for standard fantasy leagues, three years in the future means nothing. Fantasy owners, not in dynasty leagues, need their players to produce, and Haskins doesn’t have enough dangerous targets to throw to, making his fantasy value drop. Haskins played in nine games, in which he started seven. Haskins threw for seven TDs and seven INTs. While these numbers aren’t anything special, with time and more weapons, Haskins should improve.
Running Back:
The Redskins have a very interesting RB situation. Derrius Guice, who is Washington’s RB1, suffered an injury last season, which allowed him to only play in five games. In those five games, Guice carried the ball 42 times for 245 yards and two TDs. Guice nearly averaged six-yards per carry, which is very impressive, and fantasy owners should be hopeful and excited about Guice this upcoming season.
If Guice happens to suffer another injury, Adrian Peterson is next in line. Last season, AP saw a lot of time due to Guice going down early in the year. Peterson rushed 211 times for 898 yards and five TDs. Not bad numbers considering Peterson’s age. Peterson’s only value is if Guice goes down, so either draft him in one of the last rounds or get ready to pick him up from free agents if Guice goes down.
The Redskins have two more decent RBs on their roster. J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber have NFL experience, but I don’t see either of them getting a lot of snaps. Being the third or fourth string on any team will make it hard to see the field, and unless Guice and AP go down with injuries, I see very little value in these players.
Wide Receivers:
The Redskins are very thin at the WR position. Terry McLaurin had a breakout rookie campaign as he had 58 receptions for 919 yards and seven TDs in 14 games played. Terry would be the only Redskins receiver I would consider drafting because, after McLaurin, the Redskins have Steven Sims Jr. and Trey Quinn, who don’t possess much fantasy value. McLaurin showed great potential in 2019, and he is worth a spot on your fantasy football roster.
Tight Ends:
Like at WR, the Redskins are also very thin at the TE position. Washington’s starting TE is Jeremy Sprinkle, who only had 26 receptions for 241 yards and a TD. Sprinkle didn’t put up great numbers, and you should look elsewhere for your TE.
Conclusion:
The Redskins only have two fantasy players worth value, which is Terry McLaurin and Derrius Guice. Both are young stars, who have the talent to succeed in the NFL. The Redskins are in the middle of a rebuild, so if the team isn’t doing well, then many players are usually not doing well. If the Redskins draft Chase Young, the Redskins team will be improved, but fantasy-wise, the Redskins will hold little fantasy value.
Stay tuned for my draft analysis on the rest of the NFC East!
I wrote a draft analysis for the New York Giants!
Check out Kye Potter’s draft analysis on the AFC North!
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