Getty Derrius Guice of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins running back Derrius Guice has had an injury-riddled two-year NFL career, to say the least. Since being taken in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft, the former LSU Tiger star has played in just three career games.
However, after a knee injury that placed him on short-term IR, the running back made his much-awaited return the Redskins lineup this past week. Guice quickly flashed the abilities that once made him a highly sought after prospect, scoring his first career touchdown.
Has Guice worked his way into a starting spot in your fantasy football lineups? Let’s discuss.
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Derrius Guice’s Fantasy Outlook vs. Detroit Lions
In Week 11, Derrius Guice played in his first NFL game since the opening weekend of this season, a welcome sight for a Redskins team desperate for playmakers.
Guice did struggle to find his footing in the ground game averaging just 3.4 yards per carry. However, he did see just two less rushing attempts than the team’s “starter” Adrian Peterson, and actually outsnapped the future Hall of Famer on the day.
Oddly enough, neither Peterson nor Guice led the backfield in snaps this past Sunday. That honor went to scatback Wendell Smallwood. Smallwood’s uptick in playing time likely had much to do with the team dropping behind the scoreboard early. Yet, it does show that despite Guice’s 45-yard touchdown reception, he is not the team’s choice to be on the field during passing downs at the moment. To make matters worse, Chris Thompson is expected to return to the playing field this week, and will likely warrant a plethora more snaps than Smallwood did the week prior.
Despite the questionable workload, there is no questioning the fact that Guice is immensely talented. One would expect his touches to grow as he gets more acquainted within the offense and works his way into game shape.
Guice has a brilliant matchup on deck this week, one that will have Guice’s fantasy owners drooling at the mouth. No team in football has surrendered more fantasy points to opposing running backs than the Detroit Lions have this season. Other teams’ leading rushers have averaged an impressive 89.2 yards on the ground against the Lions since Detroit has returned from a Week 5 bye.
To add to the Guice intrigue, Detroit has allowed the second-most total touchdowns to opposing running backs this year with 17, including 11 touchdowns over their last six games.
Should You Start or Sit Derrius Guice in Week 12?
Guice’s workload is a complete mystery at this point. While he is clearly currently the most talented back on the depth chart, the team will not simply move away from Peterson in the ground game, while Thompson will have a major role in the passing game. Even if Guice ends up spearheading a three-head monster in the backfield, that’s a lot of players to have to fend off for touches.
With that said, running backs have feasted on Detroit’s defense all season long. For that reason, along with projecting more efficiency from Guice, he sits as a low-end RB3/Flex start for me on Sunday. He’s a high-ceiling, low-floor type of play.
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