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

Friday, August 15, 10:48 AM

Los Angeles Chargers beat writer Daniel Popper of The Athletic projects Chargers running back Najee Harris (eye) to open the season on the non-football injury list, which means he would be forced to miss the first four games of the season. Popper writes that he has "not seen nearly enough progress at this point to think (Harris) will be ready for Week 1." Harris suffered an eye injury on July 4 and just recently returned to practice in a very limited capacity this week. If Harris does indeed miss a chunk of the regular season, rookie running back Omarion Hampton would have a major opportunity to seize the lead role in the Los Angeles backfield. Hampton is a steady riser in fantasy and profiles as a high-end RB2, while Harris has fallen to RB49 in RotoBaller's half-PPR rankings.

Monday, June 2, 5:42 PM

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury noted via the team's transcript last week that running back Brian Robinson Jr.'s focus this offseason has been "great." "Yeah, he's been really focused," said Kingsbury. "B-Rob's a guy who has played an incredibly high level....He knows what this year means to him and can mean to us when he plays at that level." The Commanders invested in their offense heavily this offseason -- fortifying their offensive front and the weapons around budding superstar Jayden Daniels. However, the running back room went essentially unchanged aside from the addition of seventh-round teammate Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Backfield mate Austin Ekeler will siphon away some touches, but the Alabama product should receive strong volume this season. It will be interesting to see how the team deploys Deebo Samuel Sr., but if he doesn't absorb too many carries, Robinson Jr. should provide decent value.