Who Should I Start? Brian Robinson Jr. or Bijan Robinson

Wednesday, August 20, 9:56 AM

With trade talks surrounding Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. growing louder by the day, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport believes the fourth-year back has played his last down with Washington. Robinson was not with the team for their Monday night preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and it was Chris Rodriguez Jr. and preseason darling Jacory Croskey-Merritt who handled Robinson's usual early-down work. Rapoport believes the team may be willing to eat a portion of Robinson's remaining salary to facilitate a deal. Should Robinson play elsewhere in 2025, Rodriguez and Croskey-Merritt will likely continue to split early down carries to start the year. Still, Croskey-Merritt's explosiveness makes him the obvious upside play and a good bet to seize the job outright. Forgotten in all of this, veteran Austin Ekeler should maintain his passing-down work, a role he quietly thrived in last year before a concussion cut his season short.

Thursday, July 10, 1:32 PM

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said that the team has "outlandish goals" for the rushing totals in 2025, even after they lost 20% of their starting offensive line from last year. Robinson was third in the league in rushing in 2024 with 1,456 yards on 304 carries, and he's just one of four RBs with more than 2,400 rushing yards the last two seasons. Tyler Allgeier was 32nd in the NFL with 644 yards on 137 carries last year. If the Falcons' ground game is going to improve, it will primarily need to come through the air, and the coaching staff is optimistic that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will make strides in his second year in the league. "As many times as we can get the ball in his hands, we're going to do it," Penix said about Robinson. Saquon Barkley is going to be the first RB drafted in most fantasy leagues, but Robinson should be right behind him as the workhorse for a likely run-first offense in Atlanta.