Fantasy Upside
Derrius Guice was Washington’s second-round pick in 2018, so the franchise has a lot invested in him. He showed some promise in 2019 in the games he did play, including a 129-yard, two-touchdown game. Indications point to him being the starting running back this year, and he should be in for a solid workload if he can remain healthy. He’s only 23 years old, and should get every opportunity to showcase what he did at LSU just a few years ago. His injuries have dropped his ADP, which makes him a potential steal later on.
Fantasy Downside
There are two obvious downsides to Guice. The first is his injury history. He’s played in just five games throughout his first two seasons, completely missing his rookie year. The second is Washington’s extremely crowded backfield. Adrian Peterson and Bryce Love are still lingering around and Washington added Peyton Barber, Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic this offseason. A less obvious downside is the fact Guice doesn’t provide much value as a receiver. He’s caught just seven passes in his NFL career, and wasn’t much of a receiving threat while at LSU.
2020 Bottom Line
Guice has a potentially high ceiling depending on what Washington plans to do with its running backs. If he can stay healthy and earn the starting job, there’s no reason he couldn’t produce RB2 numbers. But there’s plenty of risk involved in drafting Guice, which is why his ADP is lower than most projected starting running backs. Guice is a high-risk option with a reward of someone who will produce RB2 numbers.