Antonio Gibson fantasy football value shoots up with Adrian Peterson cut

Does Adrian Peterson being cut boost Antonio Gibson’s fantasy football stock?

From the moment that the Washington Football Team used a third-round pick on Memphis running back Antonio Gibson, fans and fantasy football managers alike were intrigued. A versatile player with game-breaking big-play ability as a runner and pass-catcher was joining a Scott Turner offense, the man who helped make Christian McCaffrey a fantasy deity.

The only issue for Gibson was his inexperience and the opportunity for him to get on the field in Washington. But while the former has only changed in reference to training camp reps, the latter has changed dramatically in recent weeks.

That, of course, started with the release of Derrius Guice, who was in line to be the clear-cut RB1 in the Washington offense, following his arrest. On the heels of that news, many assumed that Adrian Peterson, after filling in for an injured Guice in 2019, would step into the lead role. However, the ageless veteran was a surprise cut as Washington was trimming the roster to 53 players for the 2020 season.

With the apparent top two options now out of Washington, Gibson is sure to see more work as a rookie than he otherwise would, which raises his value. But the real question is how much does Antonio Gibson’s fantasy football value move up with Peterson being cut?

Antonio Gibson is a fantasy football riser — but with a word of caution.

According to Fantasy Football Calculator, Gibson’s value has been on the steady incline for quite some time and has recently seen the Washington running back going in the eighth round of 12-team PPR leagues. With the news of Peterson’s release, it’s hard to imagine a world where that doesn’t move up further, likely into early Round 7 or maybe even late Round 6.

With the doors that have recently opened for the Football Team, Gibson going that low might seem like a steal. However, the truth is that there is still some risk baked into the rookie running back’s ADP right now because of the situation he’s in with Washington.

Though he might be the most talented player on Washington’s running back depth chart, thee are veterans in J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber that have NFL experienced and there is also another young player, Bryce Love, who has talent and a year in the Washington system, albeit one where he was injured and merely seeing and learning it in that capacity.

Moreover, Gibson was explosive but not often used in college at Memphis. He’s not accustomed to a high number of touches. That may not only give Turner some trepidation about peppering him with touches but also means that the learning curve could be steepened a bit as he comes into the NFL off of a shortened offseason.

Antonio Gibson is worth a flier, without question. If you can get him in that Round 7-8 range, then you should jump at the opportunity because it could be a home run for your fantasy football season. But don’t think that the rookie is a surefire lock to finish the season as a top-15 or top-20 running back with the recent news out of Washington.