RADIO
The Washington Commanders will look like a new team in 2024. They will have a new head coach in Dan Quinn and several new pieces on both sides of the ball. Most importantly, the Commanders will roll with a new quarterback after they drafted Jayden Daniels out of LSU with the second overall pick.
Another key arrival for Washington will be running back Austin Ekeler. Ekeler signed a two-year deal with the team this offseason and will now join Brian Robinson Jr. to form a solid one-two punch out of the backfield.
But, which running back should fantasy managers want to own in fantasy? Will Robinson or Ekeler have more fantasy value in 2024? Let's dive in and find out that answer.
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Brian Robinson Jr. Fantasy Outlook
Since making his NFL debut in 2022, Robinson has put up solid numbers. He ran for 797 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games as a rookie and then ran for 733 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. Both seasons saw the former Alabama product start for Washington out of the backfield.
However, Robinson wasn't much of a fantasy asset in his first season in 2022. He finished as the RB43 in PPR formats and played in just 12 games after being shot in the leg during the offseason. Still, the workload was surely there for him every week, as he saw at least 17 carries in seven games as a rookie.
That workload, though, didn't carry over into the 2023 season for Robinson. Despite playing three more games (15) last year, he saw just 178 carries -- which was 27 carries less than he had during his rookie year. That resulted in the 25-year-old being somewhat of a disappointment on the ground. Nonetheless, his uptick in receiving work still made him a viable RB2 option in fantasy throughout the year.
Brian Robinson Jr. is ready to feast this season.
He says he feels great, the best he's felt since getting drafted by Washington.
⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ybCQr6oQOa
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) May 22, 2024
Following his nine-catch, 60-yard season in the receiving game in 2022, Robinson went on to catch 36 passes for 368 yards and four touchdowns last season. That ultimately helped him finish as the RB21 in PPR formats. There was also a two-game stretch in Week 10 and Week 11, where the Commanders back caught a combined 13 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown.
But fantasy managers shouldn't bank on Robinson seeing that level of work in the receiving game in 2024. With the arrival of Ekeler, the young back should primarily be used in the running game. He might even see less of a workload with the veteran now in town, a running back who can do it both on the ground and through the air.
Austin Ekeler Fantasy Outlook
It was just one season ago that Ekeler was going in the first round of fantasy drafts. After ending the 2022 campaign with an RB1 overall finish, the former Chargers running back was one of the safest first-round picks of the entire draft -- given his ability to catch at least 90 passes again. Instead, though, the veteran was one of the biggest busts in fantasy following his RB26 finish in PPR formats.
It was not a pretty season for Ekeler, who at times looked like his playing days might be over. He suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 and then went on to miss the next three games before returning in Week 6. But, even upon his return, he didn't look like the same back. He scored under 12 PPR fantasy points in nine of the final 13 games of the season and became unstartable in most formats.
Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. pic.twitter.com/PqB7kOZPl4
— Austin Ekeler (@AustinEkeler) May 22, 2024
However, if there was one positive to take away from Ekeler's poor 2023 season, it was the fact that he was still catching passes at a high level. He caught at least four passes in four of the final seven games of the season, including a seven-catch, 38-yard effort in Week 18 against the Kansas City Chiefs. While the 29-year-old has certainly lost a step, there is no reason why he can't still be fantasy-relevant in 2024.
Ekeler should see almost all the receiving work in the Commanders' backfield after catching 374 passes for 3,201 yards and 24 touchdowns over the past five seasons with the Chargers. Even if most of his value comes just from receiving, he has RB2 potential in a Washington offense that should be trailing in a lot of games.
Washington Commanders Running Back Fantasy Football Outlook
It will be interesting to see how the Commanders plan to distribute playing time between the two backs in 2024. However, the most likely scenario is that Robinson will be the team's early down back while Ekeler will come in on passing downs and potential goal-line situations. As a result, it might be a headache to roster either running back in this Washington offense.
Both running backs, though, should provide some fantasy value this upcoming season. Ekeler should have more value than Robinson due to his potential usage in the passing game, but the latter should still be heavily involved in the offense, especially coming off two productive seasons on the ground.
The influx of veterans this offseason has led to lots of leadership talk. Here's Brian Robinson on Austin Ekeler. pic.twitter.com/EH5x8MGSDd
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) May 23, 2024
It's hard to visualize what Washington plans to do with its running back room this year, so there is some risk in drafting either. That could explain why Ekeler is the 30th running back off the board at pick 93, and Robinson is the 34th running back selected at pick 106 in Underdog Fantasy drafts. Nevertheless, they both could be reliable RB2/flex plays for fantasy managers throughout the season, especially Ekeler, who should see upward of 70 catches.
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