Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Brian Robinson Jr.

Wednesday, September 24, 6:15 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Wednesday that they placed running back Najee Harris (Achilles) on Injured Reserve, according to Fernando Ramirez of the Sporting Tribune. Harris' season is over after he tore his Achilles in the Week 3 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. It's a disappointing end to his first year with the Bolts after signing with them in free agency in the offseason. The 27-year-old will end his streak of four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to begin his career. In his three games this year, Harris carried the ball 15 times for 61 yards and no touchdowns, adding three receptions for 25 yards through the air. The Chargers will be forced to lean more on rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton as their lead back going forward, making him a must-start each week. Hassan Haskins will be elevated to the RB2 role, with Kimani Vidal the next man up at No. 2 in the backfield.

Tuesday, October 21, 1:02 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. had his most productive game since Week 1 on Sunday night. San Francisco leaned heavily on their rushing attack in their Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons, allowing Robinson nine carries, tying his season high. Robinson also hit new highs in rushing yards (36) and snap share (26%). His on-field involvement in Week 7 is significant. In Weeks 1 and 2, he had shares of 24% and 23%, respectively, but his rate fluctuated between 7% and 15% in the games since then. Robinson's rebound in usage in Week 7 might be an indicator that the team is realizing they need to do better at divying up the backfield workload to take pressure off Christian McCaffrey. Robinson is not producing enough in his change-of-pace role to start in fantasy football, but he is one of the more valuable handcuffs in the league.