As fantasy football managers set their final lineups of the 2021 season in preparation for their championship games, top-12 fantasy RB Antonio Gibson (reserve/COVID-19 list) is out for Week 17. With many league titles on the line, should managers pivot to Jaret Patterson or Jonathan Williams as a spot starter?
Antonio Gibson injury update
The last thing you want to see is a critical player on your fantasy roster head into your championship game unavailable. But that is precisely what is happening to those who roster Gibson. The second-year RB out of Memphis has been banged up all season. During this week he was dealing with a hip injury, but because he couldn’t clear the COVID protocols, he will not suit up on Sunday.
Gibson’s hip injury is now secondary. Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported Gibson was not present for Thursday’s practice because of his hip. He was listed as limited Wednesday, suggesting the injury had popped up during practice. While he’s expected to be activated from the COVID list for Week 18, if you’re still competing in the final week of the NFL season, his hip ailment will be important to monitor.
Antonio Gibson’s 2021 production
After aggravating an existing turf toe injury, Gibson entered Week 16 a game-time decision but managed to suit up. However, he saw limited reps Sunday, playing on just 35% of Washington’s offensive snaps.
With that said, WFT lost to the Cowboys 52-14. His limited action could have been due to the blowout rather than his existing toe and shin injuries. Gibson has been playing through a stress fracture in his shin he suffered in Week 3.
Despite his injuries, Gibson has put together a solid season. He enters Week 17 as the RB10 in PPR scoring, averaging 13.8 PPR points per game. He’s handled 237 carries, the fourth-most for an RB this season, totaling 891 yards with 6 touchdowns.
Gibson has also been active in the passing game this year, recording 41 receptions on 49 targets for 289 yards with 3 more touchdowns. He’s had 70 or more total yards in nine of his games while finishing as an RB2 or better in eight games, including five of his last seven.
Jaret Patterson and Jonathan Williams are risky fantasy options in Week 17
Backup J.D. McKissic is already on IR due to a concussion. Therefore, Washington is left with Patterson and Williams as their starting RBs as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
We would likely see a committee approach out of Washington, but I would lean toward Patterson as the lead back. Despite being one of the best touchdown scorers in college football, Patterson went undrafted in 2021. At the University of Buffalo, Patterson scored 52 times on the ground in his 32 games. That included a 2020 game against Kent State where he rushed 409 yards and an NCAA record-tying 8 touchdowns.
[the_ad_group id=”61550″]
In Week 16, Patterson saw his most usage since Week 8. He played on a season-high 25% of the snaps while rushing 9 times for 33 yards. Against this same Eagles team in Week 15, he scored the first touchdown of his career on a 1-yard score. Appearing in all 15 games, Patterson has rushed 50 times for 118 yards with 1 touchdown. He’s also added 3 receptions on 5 targets for 18 yards.
Washington released Williams off their practice squad on November 2. He was picked up by the Giants in mid-November, only for Washington to sign him off New York’s practice squad following McKissic’s head injury. Williams has seen limited action in his three games with the team. But in Week 16, he played a season-high 40% of the snaps as Washington pulled several starters. He has recorded 8 rushes for 30 yards and scored a TD in Week 14. Williams also has hauled in 2 of 3 targets for 21 yards.
How should fantasy managers approach Week 17 and the Washington backfield?
The Eagles are allowing the 10th most fantasy points to RBs. Even if Washington falls behind (which is expected), Patterson and/or Williams should continue to be heavily involved as long as the game is close.
When trailing by seven or more points, Washington still runs the ball on 40% of their plays, second-most of any team in the NFL. The concern would be a blowout. That’s why I would stay away from both Patterson and Williams for fantasy. This is championship week, and fantasy teams still playing likely have enough depth on their roster to not be forced to take a flier on two backs will incredibly low floors.
If you needed a desperation play, I would look toward one of the Chiefs’ backs in Darrel Williams or Derrick Gore. The Eagles’ Boston Scott is another decent option with Miles Sanders out (broken hand) and Jordan Howard dealing with a neck injury. Williams and Scott are currently RB2s for Week 17, with Gore as an RB3.
