Start ‘Em – James Robinson
I can’t let the Bengals have all the fun, right?
One of the biggest surprises of the season in 2020, and one of the few Jacksonville bright spots, was that undrafted running back James Robinson burst onto the scene with over 1,300 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. Not too shabby for a guy that wasn’t good enough to get drafted.
Fast forward one year, and despite a new coach, new quarterback, and a new running back being drafted, (the injured Travis Etienne), Robinson is back to doing Robinson-type things. Against Arizona, Robinson logged 21 touches and 134 yards from scrimmage, to go along with a touchdown.
Yes, I have expressed my distaste for Thursday Night Football, but the important thing to note for fantasy here is what happened in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Despite the win, Steeler Najee Harris had over 100 receiving yards from the running back position.
Don’t think Jacksonville didn’t notice the success that Harris had as a receiver. While Robinson isn’t the dynamic talent that Harris is, the need should exist for Jacksonville to utilize quick, dump-off type passes to keep the suddenly potent Bengal pass rush off the golden child, Trevor Lawrence.
I don’t expect much RUNNING room for Robinson, but eight catches and 120 total yards is definitely possible, putting Robinson squarely in the solid RB2 discussion for Week 4.
Prediction: 15 Carries, 68 yards, 7 Receptions, 55 yards, 0 TD