Allen

Robinson II

Robinson was signed to Detroit’s practice squad in late August and has yet to suit up in a regular season game. He could see a rotational role in Week 4 against the Seahawks, with little chance of seeing more than a look or two from Jared Goff.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been four years since Robinson amassed a whopping 102 receptions with the Bears in 2020. The veteran pass-catcher has bounced around the league during the subsequent three years, spending time with the Rams and Steelers after leaving Chicago following the 2021 season. He spent under four months with the Giants before being released Tuesday during final roster cuts.

The dusty 31-year-old veteran made it 3.5 months on the Giants’ 90-man roster. This is sadly probably the end of the line for the former fantasy star after he could manage only 34 receptions in 11 games for the Steelers last season. His veteran presence could still earn him one more look, however.

Robinson will turn 31 before the start of the season and is coming off a disappointing 2023 in which he totaled 34-280-0 while averaging a paltry 8.2 YPR. His underwhelming line wasn’t from lack of playing time, as Robinson ran 400 routes — second only to George Pickens, but averaged a mere 0.118 TPRR. He’s joining a bad receiver room, but it’s hard to imagine Robinson earning a significant role at this stage in his career.

It’s been a forgettable few years for Robinson, who has managed just 105 receptions for 1,029 yards and four touchdowns over his last three seasons. The move saves the Steelers $10 million of cap space, as Allen is now once again looking for a new home for the third consecutive season. Set to turn 31 in late August, Robinson spent the prime years of his career trying to make the most of having Blake Bortles and Mitch Trubisky at quarterback. He caught 34 passes for 280 scoreless yards last season and appears to be heading into the twilight years of his career.

Robinson also left the game in the third quarter with a head injury and didn’t return. It was another disappointing season for the 31-year-old, who totaled 34 catches on 49 targets for 280 yards in 17 games. That’s now three straight poor seasons for Robinson, who remains under contract in Pittsburgh for one more season. The team allegedly loves the way he blocks, so they’re likely to keep him around, but he remains a WR3 for Pittsburgh in real-life football and off the radar in fantasy football.

Robinson saw nine targets in Week 5. Diontae Johnson used his team’s Week 6 bye to finish recovering from his hamstring injury and was back in the lineup this week. His return vaporized what little fantasy value Robinson had.

The nine targets Robinson saw marked a new season-high, but the production aligned with what we’ve seen all season. Short-yardage looks amounted to small gains, as the 5.8 YPR Robinson posted on the day marked a season-low. Robinson wasn’t fantasy relevant heading into this matchup, and will be even lower on the radar if Diontae Johnson (hamstring) returns after the team’s Week 6 bye.

Robinson now has seven catches for 54 total yards since his productive Week 1, a particularly terrible statline considering that coincides with Diontae Johnson’s placement on injured reserve. With Johnson eligible to return as early as Week 6, A-Rob is pure waiver wire fodder in 12-team leagues.

Dealing with an ankle injury, Robinson missed the first practice of the week for the Steelers. The 30-year-old has 11 catches in three games for the struggling Pittsburgh offense. Robinson has taken on a larger role in Diontae Johnson’s absence, but it has not led to any fantasy value. Should Robinson miss Week 4 against the Texans, Calvin Austin could see a bump in targets, though he is a mere flex play in deep leagues.