Brian

Robinson Jr.

Robinson, as usual, was not targeted in the passing game. Robinson generated only 129 yards rushing across three playoff contests. Third-year pro Robinson more or less cloned his sophomore campaign, fighting through various injuries — knee, hamstring and ankle — as he fell just short of 800 yards rushing across 14 games. He was replacement-level both from a yards per carry perspective (4.3) and average rush yards over expected aspect, where he was roughly 0.00 in the advanced metric. Robinson is a tough rusher who doesn’t catch many passes or author many explosive runs. He can probably make it another year as the early-down bell-cow in a committee, but he’s not looking like someone shaping up for a lucrative second contract as he heads into the final season of his rookie deal.

The Lions’ top priority in this game was to stop Jayden Daniels. They didn’t come close to doing that and it still left them vulnerable to Washington’s ground game, led by Robinson. He ran for more than five yards per carry for the first time since Week 13 despite handling the short-yardage work as well. While it may have suppressed his YPC, the goal line role netted him a pair of touchdowns. He did, however, cede a short touchdown to Jeremy McNichols. The Commanders aren’t likely to drop 45 points again next week, but Robinson’s job as the grinder will make him a touchdown-or-bust DFS play for the Conference Championship Round.

It was not a good night for Robinson Jr. He was routinely hit in the backfield, but he also didn’t show any ability to make defenders miss or fight through contact. It’s been a few weeks since he’s made a meaningful impact in the game for Washington, but the team will need far more production out of him if they hope to keep up with the Lions’ offense next week.

Robinson has had a quiet finish to the season, totaling just 16 yards on six touches in Week 18. He finishes the regular season averaging just over four yards per carry for 794 total rushing yards and eight rushing scores. His role as the Commanders’ plodding back stays in tact as Austin Ekeler returns to be the receiving back. Expect Robinson to split backfield touches with Ekeler as the Commanders head into the playoffs, with a road game first up for Wild Card Weekend.

Ekeler was designated to return from injured reserve earlier this week. He got in three full practices before being listed as questionable. He should be good to go for Week 18, but the Commanders have little to play for on Sunday. They secure the No. 6 seed with a win or a Green Bay loss but are already locked into a bottom-two seed regardless of the outcomes. They could be extra cautious with Ekeler’s return and hold him out another week anyway. He will be a risky RB4 bet if activated from IR ahead of Sunday’s game.

The meager fantasy production comes one week after the veteran back lost two fumbles for the Commanders in a game they would ultimately win over the Eagles. Many assumed the absence of Austin Ekeler would vault Robinson into a workhorse role for the Commanders, but the presence of Chris Rodriguez, who scored in this one, and Jeremy McNichols have proved those predictions false. After locking up a playoff berth and seemingly having nothing left to play for, there is the possibility the Commanders rest key starters in Week 18 against the Cowboys. That could provide more run for Rodriguez, who managed 16 yards on five carries and a score in Week 17.

Robinson lost not one, but two fumbles on the day and was phased out of the Washington offense in the team’s furious second half comeback. Robinson was his usual plodding self early on, doing almost nothing after first contact and committing two of the Commanders’ five turnovers on the day. He ran a route on 22 of Washington’s 48 drop backs. Chris Rodriguez had three carries while Jeremy McNichols saw two rushing attempts. Robinson, who had 38 rushes in two games before Week 16, should be a solid RB2 play next week against Atlanta.

Robinson fell short of the end zone twice in this one and lost out to Terry McLaurin on a chance for a short-yardage score when McLaurin hauled in a three-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Robinson was largely bottled up in this one, as he averaged just 3.1 YPC on the day, but saw his rushing total buoyed by a 20-yard run early in the third quarter. Robinson handled 21 of the Commanders’ 24 running backs carries on Sunday, and will be a volume-based RB2 in Week 16’s game against the Eagles.

Robinson did most of his damage on his first carry of the game when he broke free for a 40-yard touchdown to give the Commanders an early 7-0 lead. Nearly all of Robinson’s damage came in the first half, as he was held to just five carries for 18 yards in the second half. Robinson’s lack of involvement in the second half was likely due to game-script and the fact he was playing a week after suffering a nasty-looking injury. The Commanders now enter their Week 14 bye, but Robinson will be a great fantasy play when they return in Week 15 to face the Saints.

Robinson exited Week 12 with a seemingly significant ankle issue. He was listed as questionable to return and was back on the field in no time, only to sit out of the second half entirely. The fact that he was upgraded to a full practice on Friday and didn’t even receive a token questionable designation suggests it was somehow a minor injury. With Austin Ekeler out, Robinson remains a touchdown-based RB2 for Week 13.