Washington made a splash in free agency by signing former Seattle Seahawk wide receiver Paul Richardson to a five-year, $40 million deal Tuesday.
Paul Richardson looks to repeat his breakout fantasy season in Washington
Richardson signed a five-year, $40 million deal with Washington Tuesday. We look at the fantasy implications.
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Richardson was considered one of the top free agent wideouts this offseason behind Allen Robinson and Sammy Watkins after breaking out last season. The fourth-year deep threat had a career-high 44 receptions for 703 yards and six touchdowns in 2017. It was a big turnaround from his first three seasons in the league when he was plagued by injuries.
Richardson will be another weapon for Washington’s new quarterback Alex Smith. He joins a crowded receiving corps, however. The 25-year-old speedster is expected to take over the WR3 position behind Josh Doctson and Jamison Crowder. He will also have to compete with Jordan Reed and Chris Thompson for targets in the passing game.
Fantasy impact: Richardson was a fresh face on the fantasy scene this past season. He still operated well behind Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham on the Seahawks’ targets list. Now, he will have to share the field with a lot more receiving threats in Washington. Fortunately for Richardson, Washington also has a new quarterback under center. Smith has improved his deep ball in recent years. Richardson is a strong fantasy receiver, but it will be hard for him to have a repeat of last year’s success. Owners interested in the deep threat should not look to pick him up before the 10th round in the draft.
