Washington Commanders running back Antonio Gibson turned in his best fantasy football performance of the season in Week 11, finishing with 16.5 PPR points against the Seattle Seahawks.
Is Gibson’s strong performance a sign of things to come, or should fantasy managers avoid the fourth-year running back on the waiver wire?
Should Antonio Gibson Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 11
After putting up over 1,000 yards on the ground in his second NFL season in 2021, Gibson has seen his work as a rusher decrease significantly in the past two seasons following the addition of Brian Robinson Jr. to the Commanders’ backfield.
Entering Week 10, Gibson had just 26 carries on the season, compared to 113 rushes for Robinson.
Despite Gibson’s lack of traditional touches, the 2020 third-round pick has found a consistent role in Washington’s offense over the past couple of games. Gibson has finished with five catches in each of the Commanders’ last three tilts, including two straight weeks with exactly 42 receiving yards.
He’s being used more and more in Eric Bieniemy’s offense as the weeks go by, similar to how the Chiefs used pass-catching specialist Jerick McKinnon last year when Bieniemy was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator.
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In PPR fantasy formats, Gibson has turned in his best two games of the year in each of the last two weeks, finishing with 12.6 points in Week 9 and 16.5 points in Week 10. Against Seattle, Gibson scored just his second touchdown of the season, both of which have come as a pass catcher.
Washington answers back!
Sam Howell to Antonio Gibson and we are tied in the 4th!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/0ZPpjcRxdJ
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 13, 2023
Despite being significantly out-carried by Robinson, the two running backs have practically had an even split in snap count this season; Robinson has played just 33 more snaps this year than Gibson. It’s also worth noting that Robinson had just eight carries on Sunday vs. Seattle, tied for his second-fewest in any game this season.
Robinson is still the preferred Commanders running back to have in fantasy football, but it’s clear Washington wants to get the ball in Gibson’s hands on a semi-frequent basis. When looking for a running back on waivers, all fantasy managers can ask for is opportunities. Gibson, at the least, gets a handful of good opportunities every game.
Four teams are on bye in Week 11: the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and New England Patriots. So, those managers who have Jonathan Taylor, Alvin Kamara, Bijan Robinson, and Rhamondre Stevenson on their rosters are likely looking for a fill-in.
Luckily for those managers with bye week issues, Gibson has a favorable matchup this week against the New York Giants, a defense that is allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to running backs this season.
Gibson has done a decent job of maximizing production on his touches this season, something that should continue against Big Blue. And, if the Commanders do get out to an early lead — Washington is a double-digit betting favorite for the first time since 2017 — Gibson could see more opportunities as a rusher than he has much of this campaign so far.
Waiver wires are typically thin at this point in the fantasy season, but Gibson remains available in over 56% of leagues on ESPN. Very few running backs — if any — that are still available on waivers provide the upside Gibson has. In terms of bye week waiver fill-ins, there aren’t many options better than the Commanders’ back.
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