2020 Summer Sleeper: Washington Football Team

Dwight Peebles Posted On August 1, 2020

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 Football Team had one of the worst offenses in the NFL in 2019. They scored the fewest points, had the fewest passing yards, ran the least plays, and ranked near the bottom in nearly every other category. The offense hindered the team immensely and the team limped to a 3-13 finish.

The offense was plagued by a lack of continuity, rarely starting the same combination in any game. Second-year running back Derrius Guice was lost to injury for most of the season. Ageless veteran Adrian Peterson stepped in and led the rushing attack with 898 yards over 15 games started. The quarterback situation was a rollercoaster until Dwayne Haskins settled in, starting the final seven games. Rookie Terry McLaurin was a bright spot, leading the team in receiving with 58 catches for over 900 yards and seven touchdowns. Four other receivers started games and one of them, Kelvin Harmon, is out for the entire 2020 season due to a torn ACL.

There is a lot of opportunity for someone to emerge and carve a significant role in the offense. The team drafted Antonio Gandy-Golden and we profiled him recently, he could carve out a role as a rookie. Antonio Gibson will have a role as well and could give them a chess piece to use all over formations. They drafted Thaddeus Moss to bolster a weak tight end group as well. One other player has a chance to shine…

Steven Sims, WR

Category: Sleeper

Sims was an undrafted free agent and did not have eye-popping stats while at the University of Kansas. He is a versatile player who also returned kicks and punts while in Lawrence. The Jayhawks were a limited school offensively and did not feature him as a more proficient offensive could.

Stats Courtesy of sports-reference.com.

After the 2018 college season, the off-season was rough for Sims. None of the bowls which highlight players extended an invite and he did not get an invite to the combine. The Kansas pro day did not do him any favors as he only clocked a 4.56-second 40-yard dash and his agility scores were low as well. His stock took a tumble and he was not selected in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Turn on game tape and it is very apparent – Sims has speed and it isn’t just running fast in a line. He plays fast, cuts fast, changes direction fast. The speed and agility show in his route running – he is able to cut on a dime at high speed and create separation. He is crisp and precise in moves and uses fakes to sell routes as well. His body control in route running is particularly impressive. Sims is dangerous in the slot receiver role particularly – he creates separation quickly and in a very small space easily.

After the draft, he signed with Washington and made his way onto the field early. He is a smaller player at 5’10” and 175 pounds but his speed makes him an incredibly dangerous weapon. Washington was able to get him on the field and he surged late in the season. 23 of his 34 catches were in the team’s final five games.

Stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

Going into the 2020 season, Washington look primed to make huge leaps offensively. McLaurin and rookie Gandy-Golden will likely man the outside receiver spots. Haskins had a full season to digest the playbook and has a rapport with Sims. The offensive line is still a liability and short passes may be all Haskins has time for some plays. New head coach Ron Riviera will find ways to utilize Sims’ speed and get him the ball to make plays. The offense added some key pieces and if Haskins can improve, Washington could be very dangerous.

Sims is still a value but his price tag has been increasing since the injury to Harmon. After the draft he was nearly undraftable, but he has risen 30 spots since June per DLF ADP in mock drafts.

Using DLF’s Trade Finder, I found a few recent trades which showcase the immense value Sims can still be acquired at.

On all three of those trades, I would not have been able to accept fast enough. Sims is a solid WR3 who could post a season of 900 yards and eight touchdowns realistically. I don’t see his ceiling being much higher than those numbers and I don’t see the floor being much lower either. Sims will see targets and have the opportunity to be a big part of Washington’s offense this season and beyond.