Week 7 Running Back Starts & Sits: Welcome To Mr. Brian Robinson's Neighborhood
With quarterbacks already covered, it’s time to turn our attention to Week 7 running back Start/Sit decisions.
In case you’re new to the column, here’s a quick overview of what we’re trying to do here (feel free skip down if you’ve been here before). We’re here to wrestle with the decisions that are keeping you up at night. Do you bench the running back you drafted in the fourth round who has been injured/struggling (hi J.K. Dobbins)? Do you take a chance on the waiver-wire guy who might have earned a lead back spot (looking at you, Latavius Murray)? Do you start the injury risk with a high ceiling or do you start a low-ceiling guy with a high floor? We won’t know the “correct” answers until the games are over. But we’re going to do our best to talk through it.
Let’s dig into the Week 7 running back Start/Sit decisions that are keeping us up at night.
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Start ‘Em
START OF THE WEEK: Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders
I’m not sure if this is a no-brainer or not (feel free to boo me if it is), but Robinson has quickly entered “weekly starter” territory. He looked destined to begin the season in this role, and now that he’s fully healed and healthy, Robinson looks to be the Commanders lead back. With 17 touches for 60 yards and a touchdown last week, Robinson should be started in all leagues moving forward. He’ll still have to battle with Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic for touches, but Robinson looks poised to take the lion’s share of the Commanders backfield work.
Latavius Murray, Denver Broncos
Murray has strangely been a serviceable fantasy back in his last two games. And even stranger, those two games have been for two different teams. Murray seems to have played himself into a lead (?) spot in Denver with Javonte Williams out for the season and Melving Gordon seemingly in the doghouse. Murray carried the ball 15 times against the Chargers for 66 yards. It wasn’t an Earth-shattering week, but that type of volume can’t be ignored. There’s obviously an element of risk here, but it sure looks like Murray will see at least 12 touches against the Jets this week.
Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders
Nick, surely you meant to put Antonio Gibson in the sit section, right? Nope! This is not an error. While Gibson may have lost his starting job to Brian Robinson, he still saw nine touches last week and turned those touches into 8 points in PPR leagues. That’s not ground-breaking stuff, but Gibson averaged almost six yards per touch and made a case as a weapon for the Commanders. He's also seen four targets in each of his last game, so he brings a relatively high floor of 4-5 points to the table in PPR leagues. With Taylor Heinicke likely looking for check-down options against the Packers this week, I think Gibson can still be useful as a flex play.
Sit ‘Em
SIT OF THE WEEK: Melvin Gordon, Denver Broncos
Well, that was weird. Gordon seems to have lost his job, but the Broncos are also sorta-kinda pretending it’s injury-related. I think? Either way, Gordon only touched the ball three times last week, while Latavius Murray had 15 carries. That’s nothing but bad news for Gordon’s fantasy value. It’s possible we hear that Gordon was forced to the sideline and he’s fully healthy now. But that’s also very unlikely. There’s just way too much uncertainty around Gordon to feel good about starting him right now.
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
As someone who drafted a lot of J.K. Dobbins in best ball leagues, let me tell you I wish I could somehow bench him in those leagues. I love the guy, but he just can’t stay healthy. After missing the second half of the game last week (he left with tightness in the knee he had surgery on), he’s seen just 15 total touches over his last two games. Until he can prove he’s fully healthy and ready to carry a heavier load, Dobbins is too risky to rely upon as a fantasy starter right now.
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
It was fun while it lasted, but I think James Robinson’s strong start to the season was just a flash in the pan. He’s slowly seen both his carries and targets decrease over the last three games and has scored all of 12 total fantasy points (PPR) during that span. Robinson has only averaged 11 touches per game during his cold stretch, and there’s really no reason to think he’ll grab them back from Travis Etienne barring an injury. While he’s worth starting in deeper leagues just in case he finds the end zone, Robinson is better served on your bench these days.
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