Derrius Guice Injury Update: Fantasy Impact & Projected Return

Derrius Guice Fantasy

Getty Derrius Guice cannot return to play until at least Week 11.

Derrius Guice once again continues his journey back to the field but is still quite a few games away from his earliest possible return. Guice sustained a torn meniscus in the Redskins opener and was placed on the injured reserve list which sidelines him at least eight weeks from the date he was put on IR. Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery to trim his meniscus on September 12, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

“Redskins RB Derrius Guice had surgery to trim a torn meniscus this morning, sources say. He is in Pensacola meeting with Dr. James Andrews, who performed the procedure. Guice is out indefinitely, as the team considers its roster options,” Rapoport tweeted.

It is another tough break for Guice who missed all of his rookie season recovering from a torn ACL. Chris Thompson and Adrian Peterson are splitting touches with Guice on the sideline. The former LSU running back was named the starter heading into the season.

After making his NFL debut, Guice conducted a post-game interview with The Athletic noting he felt healthy. Things took a turn a few days later after the running back was diagnosed with a meniscus injury.

“It felt good, man,” Guice told The Athletic. “Things are not always going to go our way. They get paid millions just like we do. It’s the NFL. We have to control what we can control. We came out banging. We just got sloppy on both sides. We have to fix it…I left it healthy. That’s all that matters to me.”


The Soonest Guice Can Return to Play Is Week 11

Since Guice was placed on injured reserve the running back will miss at least eight weeks. Washington has a bye in Week 10 making the Redskins’ Week 11 matchup with the Jets the soonest Guice can return to play. Washington running backs coach Randy Jordan discussed Guice’s potential in an interview with The Athletic.

“The thing is, you get excited for a guy like Guice that has the potential, and that’s what I tell him, it’s potential right now because the thing is, unfortunately, he got injured last year, and he got injured this year, so it’s still potential,” Jordan noted to The Athletic. “And I see it every day from camp until he got hurt on the practice field, but unfortunately, it hadn’t materialized so far in terms of being able to play in games.”


Guice Creates a Fantasy Football Dilemma for Owners

Should you drop Guice in fantasy football? With the way the running back position looks, Guice is still worth holding on your bench, but it is understandable if you need to drop him. The answer depends on what is available on your waiver wire. Hopefully, your league has an IR spot where you can keep Guice without the running back counting against your roster spots.

If your team is struggling and you need to start winning games, it is okay to drop Guice if there is a startable player on your waiver wire. Guice still carries fantasy value towards the end of the season when you are making your fantasy playoff push, but digging yourself in a hole early may mean you need to drop him to pick up a player that can help you win now. If your team is off to a quick start, holding onto Guice a little longer is the right move.