Antonio Gibson

Washington is saying with both words and actions that it wants to limit Gibson’s workload more than it did the past 2 years. J.D. McKissic returns to keep the passing-game lead, while rookie Brian Robinson adds a thumping presence between the tackles. Gibson looks likely to lose both targets and carries vs. last year’s numbers, and he could lose further touches near the goal line. Fantasy drafters have been apprehensive all offseason, allowing Gibson to slip into late Round 5 and even Round 6 since the Robinson addition and the Williams-Stewart comparisons. Gibson doesn’t carry a ton of risk in Round 6, but there’s potential for this to be a frustrating fantasy situation all year. That’s less of a concern for best-ball drafting but should make you wary of counting on Gibson in a lineup-setting format.

Gibson's 2021 season can easily be split into two parts. One encompassing the first 11 games, all of which were played with a healthy J.D. McKissic. Gibson handled 16.6 carries and 2.7 targets and was fantasy's No. 17 RB during the span. The second part was the five games after McKissic's season-ending injury, during which Gibson averaged 15.0 carries and 4.6 targets and was sixth in fantasy points. In total, Gibson ended up no lower than eighth in touches, yards and touchdowns. McKissic is back and Washington drafted Brian Robinson Jr. in the third round, which is expected to lessen Gibson's role. Gibson figures to hang on the RB2 radar until Robinson (NFI list) is healthy, but he's possible he won't be more than a fringe flex once this is a three-headed committee.

After touching the ball just 71 times in his final season at Memphis, most questioned whether Antonio Gibson could handle a significant role. As a rookie, he proved doubters wrong, rushing 170 times for 795 yards, catching 36 balls for another 247 yards, and scoring 11 touchdowns. The coaches insisted Gibson was just getting started, as he was still learning the nuances of the position. In 2021, Gibson not only handled a bigger role, but he was also one of the NFL's few true workhorses. Gibson touched the ball 300 times (258 rushes and 48 receptions), ranking fourth in the league behind Najee Harris, Jonathan Taylor, and Joe Mixon. Despite his accolades, a propensity for fumbling and the strong play of rookie Brian Robinson has seriously clouded Gibson's role entering the season.