Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, More Fantasy Outlook After Adrian Peterson's Exit

Antonio Gibson is set to become one of the hottest names for fantasy football drafts ahead of the 2020 NFL season after the Washington Football Team announced the release of fellow running back Adrian Peterson, the club's leading rusher for the past two seasons.

Peterson's exit opens the door for Gibson, a rookie selected in the third round of the 2020 draft, to play a major role right out of the gate. He'll likely face competition for touches, especially in the early weeks, as Washington figures out its depth chart without the benefit of preseason games.

Bryce Love, J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber are the other backs on the team's roster, and they all have a path to fantasy relevance given the murky backfield picture heading into Week 1.

Antonio Gibson

Gibson was utilized in a hybrid role during his final college season at Memphis. He touched the ball 71 times (38 catches and 33 rushing attempts) en route to 1,104 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns across 14 appearances.

Although that versatility gives him the inside track to lead the Washington backfield in snaps, it's unclear whether the staff will feel comfortable giving him a heavy workload. Amassing over 200 carries like Peterson did each of the past two years seems unlikely.

In turn, it's important for fantasy owners not to go overboard after the Peterson news and start targeting him in the first or second round. He's the best bet among the Washington running backs, but anything more than a fourth- or fifth-round investment will come with significant risk.

If everything falls into place perfectly, it's possible Gibson emerges as a fringe No. 1 RB. More likely, however, a committee approach will probably limit his weekly touches and keep him more in the No. 2 RB or flex conversation for most of the campaign.

He's a high-upside player, but don't bet your entire fantasy season on the rookie by making him one of your franchise cornerstones.

Bryce Love

Love was one of the best college football players in the country during the 2017 season en route to 2,151 yards from scrimmage and 19 scores in 13 games. His production dipped in 2018 before suffering a torn ACL that ultimately led him to miss his entire first year in the NFL.

Now the question is whether he can regain that previously promising form. He made just 49 catches across four years at Stanford, so he'll need to find success on the early downs in order to earn a more expansive workload in Washington.

The biggest factor in determining his fantasy value is figuring out whether he or Barber will receive a majority of the short-yardage carries. Whoever takes on that role could become a touchdown vulture who possesses fantasy value based on that role alone.

Love won't be worth starting in fantasy right away unless the Washington staff announces he's the No. 1 back on the depth chart. He's worth a later-round flier based on the chance he carves out an important niche within the first few weeks, though.

J.D. McKissic

McKissic recorded nearly as many catches (70) as rushing attempts (88) across his first four NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions. It makes him an intriguing late-round target in PPR leagues since he should see plenty of snaps on passing downs.

His value in other formats will be far lower. He's unlikely to see many carries and isn't going to get a ton of work in the red zone, which means his touchdown potential is limited to mid- and long-range scores through the air, and you can't really bet on that in fantasy leagues.

McKissic should spend most of the year as a flex option in PPR leagues, and he could produce one or two monster games when he does find the end zone. He'll be a matchup play, though.

Peyton Barber

Barber is the most experienced member of the Washington backfield having spent the past four years as at least a part-time contributor for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was the starter in 2018, racking up 871 yards on 234 carries (3.7 YPC) with five touchdowns in 16 games.

It's possible Washington leans more heavily on him in the early weeks while getting players like Gibson and Love up to speed at the NFL level. In turn, it wouldn't be a bad idea to roster Barber and use him as a potential trade chip if he gets off to a strong start.

He probably won't be anything more than the occasional flex play throughout the year given the crowded nature of the backfield, but perhaps he could fetch a more impactful wide receiver or tight end via trade if he parlays a heavier September workload into solid numbers.