Friday, August 10, 2018

Fantasy Impact: Redskins Derrius Guice Tears ACL, Out for the Season

Posted by Doc Fantasy
Friday, August 10, 2018 | 0 comments

Washington Redskins News and Rumors

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Derrius Guice Tears ACL, Out for the Season
August 10th | 2018

The injury bug strikes early as Redskins rookie running back Derrius Guice suffered a torn ACL in Thursday’s preseason opener. The injury will prematurely end what was expected to be a breakout rookie season. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport broke the news on Twitter stating:

“Heading into the MRI, the hope was Redskins RB Derrius Guice had suffered just an MCL injury, but the way he walked off the plane was concerning. Less than an hour ago, he learned his fate: A torn ACL that ends his rookie season before it began.”

Fantasy Spin

Derrius Guice Tears ACL This is a massive blow to fantasy owners who have already drafted Guice in their leagues. The loss of Guice reverts Washington back to having an undependable stable of running backs consisting of Chris Thompson, Rob Kelley, Samaje Perine, Kapri Bibbs and Byron Marshall.

The most skilled back, of course, is Chris Thompson, but he himself has already declared he will not be completely healthy to open the season and still figures to have merely a niche role as the passing down specialist.

Rob Kelley has attempted to lead this backfield over the last two seasons but has been largely unsuccessful. He did manage to average 4.2 yards per attempt in 2016 but followed it up by a dreadful, injury-shortened 2017 season where he plodded for only 3.1 YPA.

Perine was selected in the 4th round of last seasons NFL draft out of Oklahoma. There was speculation early last season that he would be a breakout candidate as he carried sleeper appeal in the 11th round of fantasy drafts. That fizzled out quickly when he couldn’t even beat out Rob Kelley for starting duties. Perine is the best bet to pick up some value with the loss of Guice. Perine and Kelley were equals when it came to run blocking efficiency, but Perine led the Redskins with 25 red zone touches. Perine also managed a back-to-back pair of 100-yard rushing games in Weeks 11-12 last season.

Bibbs and Marshall will likely battle for scraps. Marshall could have some relevance early on passing downs depending on Chris Thompson’s true health to open the season. Marshall had a decent showing in the preseason opener, scoring a 25-yard receiving touchdown against the Patriots.

The Redskins would be wise to explore the free agent market to try and add a veteran back to this mix for the season. DeMarco Murray and Adrian Peterson will be the favorite names to toss around as potential candidates. There could even be a reunion lined up for former Redskin Alfred Morris who is currently a free agent. It may be more likely the team addresses the position once roster cuts are made however and there is more “talent” to sift through. This will now be a situation to monitor closely as the ‘Skins running back depth chart is back to square one.

Source: Ian Rapoport
Written by: John Ferguson | @FantasyFerguson

Chris Thompson Won’t Be at Full Health Until November
August 1st | 2018

When speaking to running back Chris Thompson recently at Redskins training camp, ESPN’s John Keim reports, “Chris Thompson said he likely won’t be fully recovered from his broken fibula until November, a year after getting hurt. He’s had a handful of surgeries and recoveries in his career. Nothing compares to this one.”

Thompson also spoke recently with redskins.com reporter Perry Mattern on his “100 Yards” segment. In that video, Thompson admitted that “Up until the day that I practiced I was scared to even go out here and go against any live bodies,” and that he’s “gotta continue to work on some things.”

Fantasy Spin

It sounds like one of the biggest hurdles for Thompson to get back to full health is just regaining his confidence. Thompson had surgery back in December to repair a broken fibula. The plus side for Thompson is that he avoided the PUP list to start camp, but has been obviously limited thus far. This has the looks of a slow integration back into the offense for Thompson, which will be devastating for his fantasy value as he is already limited to a passing down specialist role. The Redskins also spent a second-round pick on former LSU running back, Derrius Guice, who reportedly had a first-round draft pick pedigree but fell to the second round due to “character concerns.” Guice is currently the favorite for early-down work and has also shown well in the passing game early on. It may only take solid pass blocking in the preseason for Guice to secure a three-down role. Thompson will still be a key piece on this offense when he returns to full health, but the uncertainty of exactly when that will happen makes him someone to complete avoid at his current 7th-8th round ADP. If you are looking for passing down backs in PPR leagues, aim for Gio Bernard or Theo Riddick later in drafts.

Source: Redskins.com
Written by: John Ferguson | @FantasyFerguson