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The Brian Robinson comeback story was one of the bright spots of the entire 2022 NFL season. The former Alabama running back was shot during a car-jacking prior to the start of his rookie season, but he was somehow able to get onto the field in Week 5. By Week 6 he was listed as the team's starter and he would go on to see at least 12 carries in all but one of his final 11 games, including five games in which he carried the ball 20 or more times. His 3.9 yards per carry average was admittedly ugly, but the confidence that his coaches showed in him was undeniable.
It's easy to see why Robinson is being prioritized by fantasy drafters when you simply take a look at his carry totals and the fact that he "started" almost every game for the team once he saw the field in 2022. But a deeper dive into the pass-catching situation in Washington will show you that his upside remains capped as long as he remains almost exclusively an early-down back. Robinson caught just nine passes on the year, a total that is almost unprecedently bad in today's NFL. Even notable non-pass-catchers like Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb are typically catching double that total over the course of a full season. While Robinson's numbers likely would've gone up a bit had he played every game, it's tough to deny that as of right now he might be the league's most one-dimensional running back, at least from a usage standpoint.
J.D. McKissic's removal from the backfield will have an effect on how things play out in this Washington, but all indications seem to point toward the pass-catching role expanding for Gibson while Robinson remains the early-down back. The early-down role was good enough to make Robinson a decent fantasy option during the weeks when he got into the end zone, but things got ugly when he didn't. Robinson scored 12 or fewer PPR fantasy points in nine of his 12 games played. Unless he sees an increase in goal-line touches that he converts into touchdowns, or he becomes significantly more involved in the passing game, look for Robinson to remain a frustrating fantasy asset in 2023.
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Commanders replace Antonio Gibson with Austin Ekeler Likely to share time with Brian Robinson Jr. By: Mike Krueger | Mon Mar 11, 7:05 pm
| | It’s a 2-year, $11.43M deal for Austin Ekeler to the #Commanders, sources tell @BleacherReport - as first reported by @AdamSchefter. (Jordan Schultz on X)
FFToday's Take: Earlier in the day, Antonio Gibson agreed with the Patriots on a three-year deal leaving a void in the Washington running back room. Quickly, the Commanders signed Ekeler on a relatively cheap deal. He'll pair nicely with Brian Robinson Jr. but isn't likely to be the fantasy stud we've seen him be with the Chargers. Ekeler's efficiency dipped last season as he was bothered by an ankle injury while scoring just 6 touchdowns.
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