In the fall of 2015, I was a senior in college and living the absolute dream. I began working a part-time job where I would go into an office and keep statistics for NCAAF, NFL, MLB, and NBA games. As a sports-crazed 21-year-old college student desperate for money, could you imagine a better job?
During the football season, I spent most of my Saturdays working on keeping stats for Oklahoma State games. As someone who is mostly a college football agnostic, I became infatuated with the Mason Rudolph led Cowboys. They weren’t the best team in the country, but their offense lit up the scoreboard week-in and week-out, and Rudolph’s favorite target was current Pittsburgh Steelers wideout James Washington.
Through three seasons in the NFL, Washington has yet to put together a season that’s fantasy relevant. However, I believe that changes in 2021.
Late-Career Breakout
Corey Davis, Breshad Perriman, and DeVante Parker are testaments to the fact that highly drafted receivers have the potential to break out late with the right mix of talent and circumstance. I believe that Washington will have that mix next season.
If you look at James Washington’s Player Profiler page, his closest physical comparison is DeAndre Hopkins. I don’t know about you, but I’m buying shares of anyone who is compared to DeAndre Hopkins in literally anything.
Washington’s physical tools are elite, and his opportunity share has the potential to rise in 2021 as well. Elite physical tools and solid opportunity share (should) equal success.
Target/Snap Openings in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the pass happiest team’s in the league, and the recipient of 128 of those targets, JuJu Smith-Schuster is a free agent this offseason. It is expected that he will leave the team for greener pastures which should pave the way for Washington to see an uptick in both snaps and targets.
Washington was only on the field 44% of the time in 2020 (as opposed to 64% last year), and the potential loss of Smith-Schuster will open up a ton of snaps (JuJu was on the field for 84.1% of snaps) for Washington to slide right into.
When given an expanded role in 2019, Washington delivered, securing 44 receptions for 735 yards and finishing 10th in the NFL in yards per reception with 16.7.
The biggest question facing the Steelers (and Washington’s fantasy value) this offseason is who will be playing quarterback next season. Ben Roethlisberger has supported three fantasy-relevant wide receivers in the past, and he would have to do that again with Washington alongside Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool in 2021.
Quarterback change?
If the Steelers move on from Ben Roethlisberger, the team’s passing attempts will most likely be fewer than what they had in 2020.
However, the team’s aDOT will most likely be higher because they moved on from Randy Fichtner and his quick passing offense. Roethlisberger was 28th in the league in Air Yards per attempt according to Player Profiler. That’s a great stat for receivers like Diontae Johnson and Smith Schuster, but James Washington is a deep threat and is better at winning balls downfield.
If the Steelers begin throwing the ball downfield more Washington will benefit immensely.
James Washington is a guy that you’re going to throw on the end of your bench in 2021 and be able to start him week in and week out with the hope of him having the kind of performance that will win you a week. If he doubles his targets in 2021 (which is completely possible), I truly believe that Washington will be a solid WR3 for fantasy managers.
