A lot of the shine in the Washington backfield goes to RB Antonio Gibson, and rightfully so — he is a revelation, and incredibly fun to watch. However, we haven’t been giving enough attention to J.D. McKissic, the primarily pass-catching running back who has quickly and quietly become one of the best change-of-pace backs in the NFL.
Following his performance in Week 9 against the New York Giants, where he had nine catches for 65 yards (on an astounding 14 targets), McKissic now ranks No. 3 in the NFL for receiving yards from an RB, and No. 4 in total catches at the position at the halfway mark.
J.D. McKissic currently ranks 3rd among all NFL RBs in receiving yards (248) and 4th in catches (34). He's on pace to blow his previous career highs out of the water. https://t.co/8UatnZ9WKz
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) November 10, 2020
The truth is that the situation ended up being pretty perfect for McKissic in Washington, thanks to the quarterbacks that he’s been playing with. While Dwayne Haskins was benched after four weeks, McKissic was fortunate enough to be gifted a spot alongside Kyle Allen, who loves throwing to his WRs (see Christian McCaffrey) and now Alex Smith, someone who has made a career off of check-down routes to the backfield partner.
Not only has McKissic been solid on the field, but he’s become a sneaky good player in fantasy football as well, especially in PPR (points-per-reception) leagues. Halfway through the year, the Washington RB is No. 34 in the NFL among RBs, with an average of 9.2 points per game. That may not win you any leagues, but it absolutely helps chip away at your opponent each and every week.
While the attention will continue to go to Antonio Gibson, don’t forget to cast a little bit of shine on McKissic every now and then. He wasn’t the most hyped-up free agent signing this year, but he’s absolutely become a major part of this offense.
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