Who Should I Start? Brian Robinson Jr. or Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Saturday, August 30, 11:08 AM

Once a sneaky candidate to back up star running back Christian McCaffrey, stock for San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James has declined since the NFL Draft. The fifth-round pick broke a finger, forcing him to be sidelined for a few weeks. Then, the 49ers traded for former Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. Head coach Kyle Shanahan stated that Robinson is locked into the number two role, and second-year back Isaac Guerendo is currently manning the third spot on the depth chart. Although he's back on the practice field now, James may never get the chance to showcase his talents during a regular-season football game this season, barring a rash of injuries in the San Francisco backfield. Still, general manager John Lynch recently reconfirmed his confidence in the rookie, so dynasty managers shouldn't give up hope yet. The other three San Francisco running backs are regularly being selected in redraft leagues.

Wednesday, September 3, 4:23 PM

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. was deployed as the No. 4 option during the team drills on Wednesday. According to JP Finaly of NBC4, during a QB/RB drill, Rodriguez was the fourth running back to take the field. Veteran Austin Ekeler continued to slot in as the top option while Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols served as the No. 2 and No. 3 options. This situation is worth closely monitoring as Rodriguez was initially listed as the third option on the depth chart earlier in the week, but appears to have been jumped by the seventh-round rookie, Croskey-Merritt. Last season, Rodriguez had a limited role in the offense but showed potential at times, posting a strong 4.9 YPC. Given his unknown role in the season opener, he is best left for deeper 14+ team formats as a high-risk flex option.