I’m sorry, Antonio Gibson fantasy owners, but you might need to make a move to bolster your running back depth. Gibson, who’s dealing with a stress fracture in his shin, was in-and-out action on Sunday afternoon, which led to him only playing 23 of 59 snaps against the Chiefs. With JD McKissic now drafted in nearly 60 percent of leagues, rookie Jaret Patterson could be the back to target off the waiver wire.
Patterson, who looked like he belonged in the preseason, would get the early-down gig over McKissic, who is the team’s scatback.
“We’ll see how he is. We did take him out at the end of the game because he was struggling with it a little, so we have to be careful and see how he responds. I don’t know much more than that. We’ll see how he is [Monday] morning,” Ron Rivera said.
We’ve still yet to see the results of Gibson’s MRI, but as noted, Gibson did not practice on Wednesday. Keep an eye on Gibson’s practice availability throughout the week. But if you have space at the end of your bench for a stash, Patterson could be a top rest-of-season option due to Gibson’s likelihood of reinjury.
Might be time to pick up Jaret Patterson.
It’s obvious that Antonio Gibson’s shin is becoming more concerning.
If it’s fully fractured now (was stress), it would potentially put his season at risk.
Video coming.
— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) October 17, 2021
If you’re into #MACtion, you’d know Patterson was a college football legend at Buffalo. He racked up 3,884 rushing yards and 52 rushing touchdowns in only three seasons and led the nation in rushing yards per game (178.67 during a COVID-shortened season) in 2020.
He’s by no means a workout warrior, posting below-average testing numbers at his 5-foot-6 frame, but he succeeded in college and again in preseason NFL action (166 total yards in the first two games) to win the RB3 job in Washington over king plodder Peyton Barber.
“I think Jaret can be pretty special,” general manager Martin Mayhew said during the preseason. “He’s got a ways to go. Obviously, the young player did not have a great game that third game, but we saw a lot those first two games that was very promising from him. He’s an explosive guy. He has really good vision. He brings a lot to the table.
“He brings a lot to the table. He’s going to be fun to watch this year. Hopefully, he continues to grow and develop as a player.”
Keep an eye on our Week 7 Fantasy Football Rankings to see how to gauge the Washington backfield. Until then, stash Patterson and thank us later.