Who Should I Start? Brian Robinson Jr. or Roschon Johnson

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.

Thursday, September 4, 6:33 PM

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson (foot) is on the Week 1 injury report and was unable to take part in the first practice of the week on Thursday as the club prepares for a divisional clash in the season opener on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings. Rookie Kyle Monangai (hamstring) is also on the injury report, but he was limited in Thursday's practice. It's still early, but Chicago's backfield is banged up going into their season opener. It's something that fantasy managers in deeper leagues should monitor if they're concerned about their RB depth. The 24-year-old Johnson didn't play in the preseason finale two weeks ago and could be in danger of missing Week 1, which could allow Monangai to have a bigger role right away behind D'Andre Swift. Johnson is merely a handcuff for those that have Swift rostered.