Antonio Gibson Will Be Used More As A Pass-Catcher, Where Should I Draft Him For Fantasy Football?

Since Washington Commanders running back Antonio Gibson entered the league in 2020, there has been plenty of offseason hype every year. Gibson was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft and totaled 1,042 scrimmage yards on 206 touches during his rookie season.

In 2021, we heard reports that Washington was planning to use Gibson in a "Christian McCaffrey role." Then, last year was all about the running back becoming more of an all-around player. This offseason, the hype is all about his pass-catching skills. 

Will Gibson be used more as a pass-catcher this season? What is his fantasy football outlook? Let's dive in.

Will Antonio Gibson Be Used More as a Pass-Catcher in 2023?

Reports out of Washington indicate that the 25-year-old running back wants to catch more passes and be utilized in the passing game in 2023. It would make sense for the Commanders to stick with Brian Robinson Jr. during early downs and use Antonio Gibson in more of a passing role.

The receiving role is much more familiar to Gibson than the running back position since he was mainly a wide receiver in college. As a senior at Memphis, he had 38 catches for 735 yards and eight touchdowns. In his final college season, he had 369 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Gibson has expressed his desire to play more of a receiving role this season. There is a strong possibility that could happen with new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. However, the team already has three solid receiving options Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel, so it remains a mystery where Gibson could fit in.

What Fantasy Football Round Should I Draft Gibson?

If the Commanders stick to their plan of giving Gibson more opportunities in the passing game this season, a seventh-round pick in 12-team leagues would be an excellent value. Don't forget, he has two top-13 RB PPR finishes in three NFL seasons.

On the other hand, this could just be more off-season smoke from the Commanders. Fantasy managers have heard these reports before, and they turned out to be false. Gibson wasn't used like McCaffrey and didn't see much playing time behind Brian Robinson Jr. last year either. Therefore, it's hard to trust what the team says.

Entering fantasy drafts this year, Gibson will be a high-risk, high-reward player. He finished as the RB27 in PPR leagues last year. If he's heavily utilized in the receiving game in 2023, the 25-year-old back could be a weekly RB2. However, there's also a possibility that he ends up in Ron Rivera's doghouse again with limited playing time.

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