2019 Summer Sleeper: Washington Redskins
In our annual 32-part Summer Sleeper series, DLF scribes identify a lightly-touted player on each NFL roster who may be worthy of your consideration. Our subjects all have varying levels of “sleeperness,” but each merits a bit of in-depth discussion here in the Premium Content section.
To help everybody along, we are going to be categorizing our sleepers under one of three headings:
Super Deep Sleepers – Players who aren’t roster-worthy in 12-team leagues, but are still worth keeping an eye on.
Deep Sleepers – An end of the roster player who is more often than not on the waiver wire in 12-team leagues.
Sleeper – A likely rostered player who makes for a good trade target. Their startup ADP puts them out of the top-175 or so.
Because we aren’t going to give you the likes of mainstream sleepers, most of these players will undoubtedly fizzle. All we are asking is for you to keep an open mind and perhaps be willing to make room for one of these players on your bench. You never know when the next Adam Thielen is going to spring up. Feel free to add your own thoughts about our choice for the designated sleeper, or nominate one of your own in the comments below.
The Washington Redskins have had two winning seasons since 2008. They lost ten of their last 13 games last year. Not only that, but they had one of the worst offenses in the NFL. The team’s receiving corps has been disappointing as of late which caused the team to make some investments in this year’s draft.
The team is looking to make some changes and with that in mind, there are going to be some players on the roster who will get the chance to prove themselves and possibly move up the depth chart.
Jehu Chesson, WR
Category: Super Deep Sleeper
The Kansas City Chiefs originally selected Chesson in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. His stay in Kansas City wasn’t too eventful considering he caught just two passes for 18 yards before he was cut by the team in 2018. Washington took a chance on him soon after and signed him to a two-year, $1.2 million contract.
In fantasy football, ambiguous offenses spark curiosity and there’s no offense in the league that’s currently on more tilt than the Redskins. Their 26th-ranked passing attack seems to always be transitioning in one way or another. However, rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins will be handling the keys to the car for the foreseeable future. Change is imminent and anything can happen with this offense.
This team is looking to make an impact early this season which means we could see some bold moves this off-season during training camp. A player like Chesson could easily climb the depth chart if he plays well and proves himself to the coaching staff. As long as he’s on the roster, he has the chance to see playing time.
Former first-round draft pick Josh Doctson has been a major let down to the franchise. He has accumulated just 1,100 yards in three seasons. Recently, he has stated that he thinks he’s going to be a free agent in 2020. This means he might already have one foot out the door and his overall chemistry with the team might as well be absent.
With Doctson making weird statements to the media, it’s easy to say that there could be some spots that are up for grabs. The team showed their hand during the draft by selecting Terry McLaurin in the third round and Kelvin Harmon in the sixth round. They desperately want to improve their passing game and make sure Haskins is comfortable by surrounding him with talent.
Going into the draft, Harmon was tabbed as one of the top receivers. He’s a bully at the catch point and will be a favorite to take over as the team’s flanker in the near future. McLaurin gained national attention when he ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the combine. These are two very talented receivers and they are a threat to Chesson’s longevity with the team.
Trey Quinn is marked as the team’s slot receiver and could see a much larger role this year. He could be one of the team’s few target hogs. Don’t forget that Paul Richardson is also on the roster and should see a considerable amount of the snaps. Even though there’s a lot of ambiguity in the offense, there’s still some talent that Chesson has to surpass for him to see a large role in the offense.
The one thing Chesson has going for him is athleticism. He registered a 4.47 40-yard dash, 6.7 three-cone, and a 132-inch broad jump. He’s one of the most athletic wide receivers on the roster and could possibly push Doctson for playing time. Robert Davis is more than likely the most athletic wide receiver on the team, but Chesson also has the specs to push some of the top receivers on the depth chart.
Dwayne Haskins finished his 7s with a laser to Jehu Chesson, who was on a tight rope in the back of the end zone. He beat Deion Harris for the score #HTTR
— Rhiannon Walker (@InstantRHIplay) June 11, 2019
Haskins connected with Chesson some in OTAs which could allow them to develop a rapport with each other. Also, if he’s able to continue to snag passes during 7-on-7 drills and in scrimmages, that could allow him to snag a spot on the roster.
Another reason why he’s a dark horse is that he could get cut and land on another depth chart where he could see playing time. He’s still a young wide receiver prospect who could flourish if he lands in the right situation. Things didn’t click in Kansas City and Washington isn’t considered the mecca of harvesting talent. He could thrive in a different situation.
The goal with the Summer Sleeper article series is to provide some knowledge on some of the lesser known prospects in the league. The odds of Chesson exceeding expectations and becoming a top ten fantasy asset are slim to none. Players like him still need to be addressed during the off-season, because they are athletic mavens playing in a situation that sheer attrition could allow them to see playing time and make an impact in fantasy.
Chesson is hanging out on a lot of waiver wires. He’s a free pick up if you have room. He’s also an easy cut for another player if you decide to change your mind. Even though they rarely pan out, one of the most satisfying things to do in dynasty is rostering under-the-radar guys with athletic upside at the back end of your roster. There’s literally no loss if you add him off waivers and at the very least, he should be a name to jot down.
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