Fantasy football: Washington Commanders RB preview

Running through the fantasy pros and cons of Washington’s backfield.

The Washington Commanders offense is undergoing a seismic shift with the drafting of Jayden Daniels to be their franchise player. However, every young quarterback needs a running game to prevent defenses from being in “Shark Week” mode and attacking on every snap.

Brian Robinson Jr. has made the most of his opportunity, and new head coach Dan Quinn has talked a big game about his ability. However, the arrival of Austin Ekeler (and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury) point to a change in philosophy. Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols have a good view of the show but won’t be part of it, barring catastrophe.

Brian Robinson Jr. not only went back to Commanders HQ 2 days after being shot; he brought Oreos

Robinson came back to Washington’s offices on crutches, and bearing cookies, just two days after being shot multiple times.

Brian Robinson Jr., the rookie running back who was pushing for a starting spot in the Washington Commanders offense, was shot multiple times Sunday during an attempted carjacking. By Monday he was recovering from surgery, but in good spirits and active on his social media accounts.

And by Tuesday, he was back at Commanders headquarters, on crutches and bandaged up, but ready to rejoin his teammates in the film room if not on the field. Like a good rookie, he remembered to bring snacks for the veterans and coaches. Good ones, too: an entire family-sized pack of regular (though not Double Stuf) Oreos.

Robinson and his coaching staff were all smiles as they dapped each other up. It was another positive development following a scary situation. Head coach Ron Rivera told reporters Monday he was in “a really good place,” which is not something you typically hear one day after suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Per reports, the bullets managed to avoid catastrophic damage, leaving the door open for the rookie to make his NFL debut in 2022.

Robinson still has a long way to go to get back into training camp shape. If Tuesday is any indication, he’ll embrace the challenge with good spirits. And cookies.