The Washington Football Team heads west to play the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. There might not be much that jumps off the page for fantasy options and says ‘Start Me!’ but if you have some injuries or terrible matchups to deal with, there may some exciting prospects in burgundy and gold to consider in your starting line up.
RB’s Peyton Barber or Antonio Gibson:
Handcuffing these two might earn you some ridicule from your fellow league members, but they’re worth looking at for a few reasons. Barber was Washington’s leading rusher last week with a total of 29 yards. What Barber lacked in yards, he made up for in touchdowns by getting into the end zone twice.
Barber also led the team with 17 carries, not bad for a running back by committee team. He also ran against eight men in the box more than the other backs.
Ignore the depth chart; Barber seems to be the guy Washington will give the ball to in the red zone, which means points.
As for Gibson, Scott Turner’s offense would love to get him in space to throw to out of the backfield. On the day, Gibson touched the ball 11 times, averaged 4-yards per carry, and had a long attempt of 20 yards.
Last week, San Francisco 49ers RB Raheem Mostert torched Arizona rookie Isaiah Simmons for a 76-yard touchdown out of the backfield. Look for Turner to get Gibson in space against Simmons as well. It seems like a match up tailor-made for the speedster from Memphis.
WR Terry McLaurin
It would be no surprise to grab ‘Scary Terry’ since he is Washington’s No. 1 wideout. Despite having a massive target on his back, McLaurin still hauled in five catches on seven targets for 61 yards.
He’ll have to earn his touches this week as the Cardinals will probably have Pro Bowler and lock-down CB Patrick Peterson follow McLaurin most of the day. Still, the second-year wideout has shown he’s capable of making big plays against
elite corners.
TE Logan Thomas
Thomas is a bit of a surprise, but if you find yourself in need of a tight end, you can probably get him off the waiver wire. He’s not going to make anyone forget Rob Gronkowski or George Kittles, but Washington got him involved in the offense last week.
Against the Eagles, Thomas received eight targets and four receptions. Not pro bowl material, but at least he put himself in the right position. Only Hunter Henry had more targets at the tight end position league-wide, and Thomas looks to be a top option in the red zone for Washington.
Washington Defense
The unit will probably be a hot commodity and for a good reason. Last week against Philadelphia, the group produced eight sacks, two interceptions, and a third pick that was wiped out by a penalty.
The superlatives, especially up front, have been pilling up all week. Ryan Kerrigan was the league defensive player of the week. Chase Young dominated in his pro debut. On defense means the amount of talent can rotate with little to no drop-off at every position.
The challenge this week will begin with Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and WR DeAndre Hopkins. Murray threw for 230 yards but also had a pick in addition to a passing touchdown. He was just as dangerous as a runner by rushing for 91 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown.
Ron Rivera said Thursday that the back seven need to be on their toes not to get beaten by the Air Raid Offense’s fleet-footed conductor. Murray can cover up a lot of shortcomings on the O-line, though. It’s a line that’s a little beat up, and as good as Murray is, he might not be able to outrun all of Washington’s defensive line talent for the entire game.
The secondary would get a boost if Kendall Fuller can play after he sat out week one with a knee injury. Ronald Darby did give up a long gainer to DeSean Jackson, and Hopkins is probably thinking a week one repeat where he had 15 receptions and 151 yards receiving.