The Washington Commanders’ running backs, Brian Robinson Jr. and Antonio Gibson, both have tough fantasy football matchups in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Which of the two is the better start this Sunday?
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Antonio Gibson’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
The 2023 season has been a rough start for Gibson fantasy-wise, as the fourth-year running back has yet to turn in a good week.
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Gibson’s best performance in PPR formats came in Week 2 with a measly 8.4 fantasy points against the Denver Broncos, with practically all of his production coming in the passing game. In three games this season, Gibson has just seven total carries for 35 yards.
Gibson’s fumbling issues from previous seasons have also returned this year. He’s coughed up the football in two of Washington’s first three games and eight times in his career. His role as the Commanders’ lead back has been taken over by Robinson, with Gibson’s fumbling issues likely contributing to the cause.
This week, Gibson and the Commanders face the Eagles, who have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season. Philadelphia has one of the best defensive lines in football, too, so getting Gibson going on the ground — if he even gets that opportunity — doesn’t seem likely.
What Gibson does have working in his favor is his high snap percentage in last week’s game. The Commanders were trailing the Buffalo Bills for the majority of Sunday’s loss, which led to Gibson playing 61% of snaps compared to Robinson’s 39%.
If the Commanders find themselves trailing the Eagles this week, Gibson will likely have more opportunities than his fellow backfield counterpart.
Brian Robinson’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Robinson’s start to the fantasy football season was one of the more surprising success stories. Through the first two weeks, the Commanders’ second-year back was the RB5 in PPR formats, including a 28.9-point performance against Denver in Week 2.
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His value took a hit in Week 3, as he finished with just 7.0 PPR points (70 rushing yards) and did not record a catch. Still, Robinson was able to be productive with his touches, as his 70 yards came on just 10 carries.
Robinson is the player out of the Commanders’ backfield you want to have in fantasy. Robinson’s volume — he’s averaged 16.6 touches per game — is enough to carry significant fantasy value despite the game script. The former Alabama star entered the year as Washington’s lead back, and that’s only become more clear through the first three weeks of the season.
Like Gibson, Robinson has a tough fantasy matchup against the dominant Eagles’ defensive line. The Commanders will certainly attempt to get the running game going against Philadelphia, but the difficult matchup provides no guarantee that Robinson will have a big day.
Which of the Commanders’ RBs Should You Start?
The reality is neither Robinson nor Gibson are great starts in fantasy this week. If you had to pick one, Robinson is the back who’s been much more productive this season. Combine that with Gibson’s fumbling issues, and Robinson should be the running back that gets the majority of the workload this week against the Eagles.