Fantasy Upside
Antonio Gibson had a solid rookie season, finishing with 1,042 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games. He did this despite averaging just 43% of the offensive snaps in games he played. Gibson finished the year as the 12th-highest scoring fantasy RB (half-PPR) and has room for improvement if his role gets expanded. ESPN’s John Keim said Washington would “like to expand his game to have him run more routes,” which would be a huge boost. Gibson played receiver in college, but only had 36 receptions as a rookie. An increase in receiving stats could put Gibson into the top 10 scorers at RB this year.
Fantasy Downside
J.D. McKissic led all running backs with 110 targets last season, finishing with 80 receptions for 589 receiving yards. McKissic ate up a lot of the targets fantasy owners expected Gibson to receive, and with him returning this season we could see that happening again. And while Gibson was productive last season, a lot of his success came against a bad defense. He tore up the Cowboys twice for a combined 243 yards, which amounted to 30.57% of his total rushing yards (they were also his only two 100+ yard rushing games).
2021 Bottom Line
Everything is pointing to an improved season for Gibson, who already finished as a top 12 scorer at his position as a rookie. We’re expecting an increased role, mostly in the passing game, which should lead to more overall production. Gibson is no longer a sleeper option you can pick up past the fifth round. Instead, his ADP is in the early second round, which makes sense given his opportunity. Gibson has a chance to enter the top 10 scorers at running back this year.