Derrius Guice Fantasy Football Outlook for the 2019 NFL Season

As a second-round pick out of LSU in the 2018 NFL Draft, Derrius Guice was drafted to be the running back of the future for the Washington Redskins. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in the first week of preseason action and never saw the field again in his rookie year.

Now, roughly one year removed from the injury, Guice is attempting a comeback for the 2019 NFL season. While many initially projected Guice to be ready for Week 1, he has yet to be cleared for full contact or game action.

ICYMI: Derrius Guice has yet to be cleared for full contact. https://t.co/G5Ehx99HeJ pic.twitter.com/B6pBober97
— NBC Sports Redskins (@NBCSRedskins) August 14, 2019

Despite showing off his impressive jets in training camp practice, Guice is being managed very carefully by the Redskins, which puts his regular-season availability into question. Guice also injured his hamstring earlier in the summer, and the setback has clearly had an effect on his recovery timetable.

However, it's not hard to see why Guice is such an intriguing pick. He was a standout at LSU, finishing with 3,074 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns, while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Some projected him as a first-round pick, but off-the-field issues caused him to drop to No. 59 in the second round.

If and when Guice is ready to play in meaningful games, he will be competing with incumbent starter Adrian Peterson for snaps. The Redskins also have one of the league's premier third-down backs in Chris Thompson, who is coming off an injury-plagued season, but is expected to be ready for Week 1.

BRUH!!! Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) is STILL the fastest on the team!! ???‍♂️?@wusa9 @WUSA9sports @Redskins @dhasickest @ChrisThompson_4 #HTTR pic.twitter.com/w4D4p5tcw7
— Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) August 6, 2019

Guice offers tantalizing upside, but it's still uncertain when he will be ready to play and what role he will have to start the season. On top of that, the Redskins offense may struggle with Case Keenum or rookie Dwayne Haskins likely to start at QB.

Guice is currently the RB28 according to average draft position (ADP) and the 65th pick overall. While few running backs going after him offer his upside, Guice's injury history and uncertain role in Washington make him a risky mid-round investment.

Join FanDuel Sportsbook Today. New users get a risk-free bet up to $500. Join Now.