The Washington Redskins are without three offensive starters in Week 6, as running back Chris Thompson, wide receiver Jamison Crowder and guard Shawn Lauvao are all inactive with injuries.
This will make things especially hard on quarterback Alex Smith, who has already struggled with receiver chemistry this season.
Going into Week 6, Thompson is second on the team in rushes (23) and rushing yards (100), both trailing Adrian Peterson, who will get the start. More importantly, Thompson is Smith's outlet valve, leading the team in receptions (26) by a wide margin and receiving yards (200).
Crowder is Smith's third favorite target with 13 catches for 134 yards out of the slot.
If Peterson (shoulder) is a full go, he will carry the load in the running game, but might have trouble pass protecting and catching passes. This means that tight ends Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis will be critical outlet receivers vs. the Carolina Panthers.
It's likely that running back Kapri Bibbs will also step up in place of Thompson, particularly on obvious passing downs:
Sneaky DFS play today: Kapri Bibbs. I bet the #Redskins use him in Thompson's role and he catches 5 or 6 passes. Alex Smith loves dumping the ball down to RBs.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 14, 2018With Lauvao out, it's likely that the team will move center Chase Roullier to left guard and elevate backup center Tony Bergstrom, as they have several other times this season.
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