Washington Redskins: Chris Thompson due for a breakout game?
With Matt Jones out this week nursing an injury, could we be getting ready to witness the breakout of Redskins RB Chris Thompson?
The Washington Redskins are having some pretty good success this season moving the ball offensively. In fact, in terms of moving the ball up and down the field, there are only five teams in the NFL this season with more total yards offensively than Washington.
Part of that success has been a pretty well-rounded running game, led by Matt Jones, who is hurt and out this week for the Redskins’ matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Surprise rookie Rob Kelley will get his chance to prove he can be a lead back, but the second leading rusher on the Redskins this season is former Florida State back Chris Thompson, the change of pace back who is in his fourth season in Washington.
Thompson has been running the ball incredibly well for the Redskins when given the opportunity, averaging over five yards per carry. He’s also continuing to prove his value as a receiver, catching 22 passes so far this season. He’s coming off of one of the best all-around games he’s had as an NFL player, rushing for 73 yards on just 12 carries (6.1 YPC) and catching seven passes for an additional 40 yards.
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If you’re a fantasy football player, Thompson appears to be a great player to add in PPR leagues, and if he can find the end zone this week, he might be producing at an RB1 level.
The Redskins are taking on a Cincinnati Bengals team this week that has allowed 118.4 yards on the ground per game to opposing offenses. That’s something the Redskins should look to exploit early, and getting Thompson out on the perimeter could help this team produce big plays.
Thompson led the Redskins (with Matt Jones healthy) in snaps at 42, and my guess is, he’s going to be right up there again this week leading the team in snaps.
If that’s the case, I think we could see what he’s made of. He’s certainly not going to be a permanent fixture as the team’s featured back, but he has plenty of speed and ability to break off big plays.
It could be a big week for him and the Redskins in London.