Derrius Guice 2018 Outlook
Guice slid in the NFL Draft, but ended up landing in a nice spot for his future fantasy value. And to be fair, getting picked in the second round isn't a huge fall. But the fact that Guice, who may have been punished for complaining about questions asked during the pre-draft process, was widely viewed as a top-20 pick prior to the draft made his slide seem more precipitous. Rookie Scouting Portfolio author Matt Waldman's assessment seems dead on here: "If Guice's maturity is a real problem, it will make sense to hold tight on Samaje Perine and Chris Thompson. If it's NFL engaging in petty behavior, Guice can start and thrive immediately in Washington." Whatever the case, it's hard to imagine Guice won't play immediately given his talent, but his hard running style probably lends itself to fewer snaps. The Redskins want to limit Chris Thompson's snaps coming off a broken leg in an effort to keep him fresh as their elite third-down back. Beyond that, the Redskins clearly weren't sold on Samaje Perine or Rob Kelley, so expecting Guice to quickly earn a prominent early-down role is reasonable. Indeed, even if Thompson's presence somewhat limits the newcomer's appeal in PPR formats, NFL.com expects the LSU product to lead the Redskins in carries as a rookie. We do, too.
