Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Brian Robinson, RB WAS
The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty owners, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In the Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profiles and where they fit.
Name: Brian Robinson
Position: Running Back
Pro Team: Washington Commanders
College Team: Alabama
Draft Status: Round Three, Pick 98
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
You can find more videos right here on Robinson’s DLF player page.
PRO DAY REVIEW
STRENGTHS
- Workhorse size and traits
- Patient runner with good vision and burst
- Physical at the contact point – churns for extra yards every play
- Reliable in short-yardage and goal-line situations
- Adequate receiver
WEAKNESSES
- Gears down to change direction and gets caught from behind
- Tendency to run upright. May find it difficult to churn for extra yards in the NFL
- Most of his receptions were dump-offs
- Hesitant and indecisive at the line of scrimmage
OPPORTUNITIES
Robinson’s new head coach Ron Rivera, said Robinson will “add very nicely to what we have with Antonio Gibson in terms of a 1-2 punch.” Describing his new backfield, Rivera said: “A lot of success that I’ve had as a head coach has a lot to do with having a quality 1-2 punch. We had Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams in Carolina my first four seasons. We were very successful with that, so we feel really good about who this combination, this tandem, can be for us moving forward.”
Comparing to that pair of backs, we can expect Robinson to be the powerful downhill runner and the physical presence behind the versatile weaponry of Gibson. There is a decent chance that Robinson steps in as a short-yardage, goal-line runner in his first year, particularly to spell Gibson from the grind of a high-volume full season.
We have discussed plenty the injury risk that Gibson carries each season. Washington now has a solid, physical downhill rusher to ease and potentially carry the load if a significant injury occurs to their starter.
THREATS
The primary threat against Robinson is that, as many have argued, there is the risk that he simply is not very good. If that is the case and he cannot prove worthy of a more substantial role, he may be stuck as an RB3 and low-upside roster-clogger. The hope here is that he builds upon his improvements in his last season at Alabama and provides Washington with consistent and steady play from the backfield.
JD McKissic also remains a threat, as he was re-signed to continue in his change of pace and receiving back role behind Gibson. He will cap the potential upside that Robinson may carry, at least for this season.
INJURY RISK
- Rib Sprain: 09/18/2021 vs Florida, missed one game
- Left Hamstring Strain: 11/27/2021 vs Auburn, missed zero games with mild strain
Robinson has a low injury risk moving forward into the NFL. He played in 66 games in his college career, missing just one game due to injury. All injury information was collected via Dr. Ethan Turner’s 2022 Rookie Injury Guide (@ETurnerFF).
SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS
The short-term expectations should be relatively low. He is not expected to see many touches on a weekly basis, but may be given more based on game script or to off-load Gibson from excessive wear and tear. He will likely remain on your bench for 2022 barring injury.
LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS
Gibson may be up there as one of the highest injury-risk running backs in the league right now. He has sustained soft tissue injury after soft tissue injury, slowly creating doubt that he can withstand a high volume workload that many have hoped from him. He has two years left on a cheap contract, which Washington may not extend if he continues to struggle with injuries.
Looking ahead, opportunity may fall to Robinson. However, there is equal risk that he is replaced if he turns out to be below average and struggles in the NFL.
NFL PLAYER COMPARISON
Robinson’s best pro comparison may be Gus Edwards, as both are physical downhill rushers who are not the most elusive or agile, but aim to punish defenders as they go north and south.
PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE
In DLF’s May 2022 Rookie Dynasty ADP, Robinson comes in at RB10 and 25th overall off the board. That seems to be pretty good value for what he likely provides, though could turn into quite a value steal if he were to gain more volume or if Gibson suffers another injury. The risk is there that he will always be a backup and replaceable running back, but at cost, he may be worth the gamble. We know Washington wants to run and Robinson will be ready to challenge defenses when he is called upon.
- Dynasty Injury Forecast: Week 16 - December 21, 2024
- Dynasty Injury Forecast: Week Ten - November 9, 2024
- Dynasty Injury Forecast: Week Seven - October 19, 2024
The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty owners, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In the Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profiles and where they fit.
Name: Brian Robinson
Position: Running Back
Pro Team: Washington Commanders
College Team: Alabama
Draft Status: Round Three, Pick 98
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
You can find more videos right here on Robinson’s DLF player page.
PRO DAY REVIEW
STRENGTHS
- Workhorse size and traits
- Patient runner with good vision and burst
- Physical at the contact point – churns for extra yards every play
- Reliable in short-yardage and goal-line situations
- Adequate receiver
WEAKNESSES
- Gears down to change direction and gets caught from behind
- Tendency to run upright. May find it difficult to churn for extra yards in the NFL
- Most of his receptions were dump-offs
- Hesitant and indecisive at the line of scrimmage
OPPORTUNITIES
Robinson’s new head coach Ron Rivera, said Robinson will “add very nicely to what we have with Antonio Gibson in terms of a 1-2 punch.” Describing his new backfield, Rivera said: “A lot of success that I’ve had as a head coach has a lot to do with having a quality 1-2 punch. We had Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams in Carolina my first four seasons. We were very successful with that, so we feel really good about who this combination, this tandem, can be for us moving forward.”
Comparing to that pair of backs, we can expect Robinson to be the powerful downhill runner and the physical presence behind the versatile weaponry of Gibson. There is a decent chance that Robinson steps in as a short-yardage, goal-line runner in his first year, particularly to spell Gibson from the grind of a high-volume full season.
We have discussed plenty the injury risk that Gibson carries each season. Washington now has a solid, physical downhill rusher to ease and potentially carry the load if a significant injury occurs to their starter.
THREATS
The primary threat against Robinson is that, as many have argued, there is the risk that he simply is not very good. If that is the case and he cannot prove worthy of a more substantial role, he may be stuck as an RB3 and low-upside roster-clogger. The hope here is that he builds upon his improvements in his last season at Alabama and provides Washington with consistent and steady play from the backfield.
JD McKissic also remains a threat, as he was re-signed to continue in his change of pace and receiving back role behind Gibson. He will cap the potential upside that Robinson may carry, at least for this season.
INJURY RISK
- Rib Sprain: 09/18/2021 vs Florida, missed one game
- Left Hamstring Strain: 11/27/2021 vs Auburn, missed zero games with mild strain
Robinson has a low injury risk moving forward into the NFL. He played in 66 games in his college career, missing just one game due to injury. All injury information was collected via Dr. Ethan Turner’s 2022 Rookie Injury Guide (@ETurnerFF).
SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS
The short-term expectations should be relatively low. He is not expected to see many touches on a weekly basis, but may be given more based on game script or to off-load Gibson from excessive wear and tear. He will likely remain on your bench for 2022 barring injury.
LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS
Gibson may be up there as one of the highest injury-risk running backs in the league right now. He has sustained soft tissue injury after soft tissue injury, slowly creating doubt that he can withstand a high volume workload that many have hoped from him. He has two years left on a cheap contract, which Washington may not extend if he continues to struggle with injuries.
Looking ahead, opportunity may fall to Robinson. However, there is equal risk that he is replaced if he turns out to be below average and struggles in the NFL.
NFL PLAYER COMPARISON
Robinson’s best pro comparison may be Gus Edwards, as both are physical downhill rushers who are not the most elusive or agile, but aim to punish defenders as they go north and south.
PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE
In DLF’s May 2022 Rookie Dynasty ADP, Robinson comes in at RB10 and 25th overall off the board. That seems to be pretty good value for what he likely provides, though could turn into quite a value steal if he were to gain more volume or if Gibson suffers another injury. The risk is there that he will always be a backup and replaceable running back, but at cost, he may be worth the gamble. We know Washington wants to run and Robinson will be ready to challenge defenses when he is called upon.
- Dynasty Injury Forecast: Week 16 - December 21, 2024
- Dynasty Injury Forecast: Week Ten - November 9, 2024
- Dynasty Injury Forecast: Week Seven - October 19, 2024
