Washington Commanders running back Antonio Gibson had some hype when he was drafted, but the hype has fallen off. He is a versatile back but seems like he could be pushed out the door. The coaching staff doesnāt seem to be a big fan of his and he could see himself in a different uniform by next season.
2023 Fantasy Football: Antonio Gibson Profile
Recap of 2022 season
Gibson had the worst year of his career in 2022. He had 149 carries for 546 yards and three touchdowns, all career lows. He did have the best season of his career receiving with 46 receptions for 353 yards and two touchdowns. Seeing him rush for 546 yards was extremely concerning as he just came off a 1,000+ yard season and seemed to be ready to take another step forward. Instead, his numbers fell off drastically.
Updated Washington Commanders outlook
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Commanders loaded up on defense, using their first- and second-round picks on secondary help. They took Ricky Stromberg out of Arkansas with their third-round pick and he could be their future at center. Sam Howell is set to be QB1 in Washington and there has been some hype around him. They also drafted RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. on Day 3 and he could push Gibson for the RB2 role if he can show good ability in the passing game.
Best-case scenario
With Howell under center, the young QB decides to check down to Gibson frequently in the passing game, allowing him to retain value in PPR formats. The best Gibson could finish is around RB28-RB30 this season. Gibson shouldnāt get a ton of carries but could be a solid FLEX option as a PPR RB.
Worst-case scenario
Gibson drops from RB35 last year to RB40 this season. There is a chance he falls into the same situation as RB James Robinson with the Jaguars. A younger guy comes in and takes a lot of his snaps and he ends up getting traded. Rodriguez was being talked about as a top running back in the draft a year ago and the suspension hurt his stock a bit. He could turn heads at training camp, which would put Gibson in a worst situation.
Prediction
Gibson is a candidate to get traded before the deadline if Brian Robinson can be a true RB1 and the depth is there. By standard fantasy scoring, Gibson could finish around RB32-RB34 depending on where he lands before the deadline.
