Washington Football Team running back J.D. McKissic exceeded the expectation of fantasy football managers last season, finishing as the RB17 in PPR leagues. Can McKissic repeat this feat at his current fantasy outlook and ADP in 2021?
J.D. McKissic’s fantasy outlook for 2021
The only other Washington player who finished last season with more targets than McKissic (110) was wide receiver Terry McLaurin (134). McKissic finished with 80 catches, 589 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns. The former college wide receiver rushed for 365 yards and 1 touchdown on 85 rushing attempts in 2020. Did you know that McKissic and Alvin Kamara were the only players with 500+ receiving yards and 300+ rushing yards last season?
McKissic thrived with quarterback Alex Smith checking the football down often in 2020. Yet, Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, and Taylor Heinicke also made starts for Washington last season. The Football Team signed veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick during free agency, upgrading the position.
Washington made some key offensive additions this offseason, including wide receivers Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, and Adam Humphries.
Samuel is coming off a career year. He finished as a WR2 or better in 47% of his games in PPR formats. Alongside McLaurin, Samuel projects to open the season as Washington’s No. 2 receiver.
The evolution of the Washington offense
Additionally, head coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner will lean more on the passing game. Washington ranked 25th last season in passing yards (220.8) and points scored per game (21).
McLaurin was the only receiver on the team to exceed 1,000 or more receiving yards. Fitzpatrick’s arrival should lead to a higher completion percentage and more pass attempts of 20+ yards.
The stage is being set for Antonio Gibson to break out in 2021
Gibson will enter this season as the frontrunner to lead Washington’s backfield. In three games, he earned 20+ opportunities, finishing as an RB1 in PPR formats in two of those three games.
Running backs coach Randy Jordan and the other offensive coaches are confident that Gibson can maximize the additional targets. As a reminder, Gibson accumulated 44 receptions for 834 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons with Memphis. He had more receptions than rushing attempts (33) in 19 collegiate games.
Gibson has the frame, agility, and play speed to make cornerbacks and safeties look silly. Furthermore, he demonstrated last season he’s excellent at running the football. Gibson had 8 rushing attempts of 15 or more yards.
Washington’s offensive line could be even better this season
Washington will rely on three new starters in 2021 on their offensive line. In fact, the left side of the offensive line has been completely revamped. Washington’s line was a pleasant surprise last season and a solid run-blocking unit. They should have another impressive unit and even better depth in 2021.
Fantasy projection
McKissic projects for around 110 opportunities, 550 total yards, and 3 total touchdowns in 2021. He can be viewed as an RB4 with limited upside in PPR formats.
J.D. McKissic’s ADP
McKissic is readily available in the 13th round of fantasy drafts when you review redraft ADP data from Fleaflicker, where his ADP is 153.5. He has an ADP of 143.09 in pay-to-play fantasy formats, such as the National Fantasy Championship. Meanwhile, his ADP in half-PPR formats on Sleeper is 154.6.
Should you draft McKissic in 2021?
It is difficult for me to recommend you draft McKissic. Hope is not a winning fantasy football strategy. Gibson is in a good position to see a Christian McCaffrey-like opportunity share in Washington this season. He averaged 0.94 fantasy points per opportunity in 2020.
Instead of drafting McKissic at his ADP, I’d rather prioritize running backs such as Jamaal Williams, Latavius Murray, Darrell Henderson, or Phillip Lindsay.