August 19, 2019

The Washington Redskins defense averaged 7.4 fantasy points per game through 10 games last season in ESPN standard scoring. Alex Smith suffered a season-ending injury in that 10th game, and the Redskins defense averaged 4.6 points per game the rest of the way. Had their 7.4-PPG average held up over the full season, they would have totaled 118.4 fantasy points and ranked sixth in the league among fantasy defenses. Smith wasn't exactly lighting it up from the quarterback position last year, but his injury transformed the Redskins from a team that preferred to run to ball into an entirely one-dimensional team that didn't have a choice but to run the ball. If Case Keenum wins the starting QB job out of camp, he brings--at minimum--stability and experience back into the equation, and Washington should once again be able to keep its defensive unit fresh during the course of games. The Redskins maintained the core of a front seven that recorded the seventh-most sacks in the NFL in 2018, while adding pass rusher Montez Sweat and safety Landon Collins through the draft and free agency, respectively. Per ADP information from Fantasy Football Calculator, the Redskins D/ST is going undrafted in fantasy leagues, which seems a bit extreme for a unit that was among the league's best for much of 2018.--Chris O'Reilly
Source: ESPN.com