Who Should I Start? Antonio Gibson or Brian Robinson Jr.

Tuesday, July 23, 7:04 PM

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson (undisclosed) was placed on the active/NFI list to start training camp. The 26-year-old was added to the Patriots backfield as a depth piece and potential third-down running back. Gibson has been relatively durable throughout his career. He has played in at least 15 games in three straight seasons. Players are often placed on the NFI list during training camp, so this could turn out to be nothing, but it is worth monitoring. Gibson had a career-low in carries (65), rushing yards (265), and rushing touchdowns (1) in 2023 as he ceded the starting running back job to Brian Robinson Jr. Gibson is joining a Patriots team amid a considerable rebuild, especially on offense. Gibson's skills as a pass-catcher should come in handy in 2024, but the presence of incumbent Rhamondre Stevenson will likely once again limit Gibson's rushing upside. Generally, running backs on bad offense perform poorly for fantasy, so it may be best to look in another direction as you build out RB depth during your draft.

Saturday, May 18, 9:22 PM

According to 33rd Team's Marcus Mosher, Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. is still viewed by some as the No. 1 option on the depth chart. Without question, Austin Ekeler's presence has many believing Robinson's role will significantly reduce. However, Mosher indicated this might not be the case, especially with a change in the coaching staff, including new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who helped James Conner remain a viable fantasy threat during his time as the head coach in Arizona. Robinson has appeared in 27 games for the Commanders over the last two seasons. Although the 25-year-old wasn't always consistent, he still amassed 1,530 yards and seven touchdowns off 383 carries. He also scored five times on the receiving end. Surely, Ekeler will get his touches. Yet, fantasy managers shouldn't dismiss Robinson, with his ceiling rising even more if Ekeler goes down with an injury at some point in the year.