Washington Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. is expected to miss his second consecutive game of the 2023 season while still dealing with a hamstring injury he sustained against the Miami Dolphins back in Week 13.
As a result, should fantasy football managers trust Antonio Gibson or Chris Rodriguez Jr. in their fantasy football starting lineup heading into their matchup against the New York Jets in Week 16?
Antonio Gibson’s Fantasy Outlook
It is not lost on fantasy managers that Gibson had his leading role in this Washington backfield taken away from him by Robinson around the midway point of the 2022 season.
Gibson was once considered a fantasy breakout candidate at the RB position after finishing his first two seasons as a top-15 producer at the position in full-PPR formats.
So, when Robinson was ruled out last week against the Los Angeles Rams, many assumed it would be Gibson who would see a significant bump in opportunities out of this backfield, making him the best starting fantasy option in Week 15.
This assumption proved to be untrue, with Gibson being out-touched by Rodriguez against the Rams. Admittedly, though, neither player did much with their opportunities.
Gibson produced 35 yards on nine total touches, while Rodriguez also produced 35 yards but had 10 touches against Los Angeles.
Despite Gibson’s past success as a leading man in this backfield through the first two seasons of his NFL career, it has become quite clear that Gibson will likely never see that type of feature role while wearing a Commanders uniform based on the split we saw with Robinson out of the lineup last week.
One thing that has been consistent for Gibson this season is his role in the passing game, where he has caught 42 passes for 342 yards and two scores in 2023.
So, I would expect that to remain the same against the Jets, but projecting him for more than 10 carries this week feels far too aggressive.
He is likely to still see a handful of looks in the passing game but is unlikely to be a big producer on the ground in Week 16.
Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s Fantasy Outlook
For those of you who were unfamiliar with the rookie running back from Kentucky, then his career-high 10 carries against the Rams was likely your first real exposure to his potential capabilities as an early-down runner in the NFL.
Unfortunately, his 10 carries for 35 yards and no scores didn’t do enough to get fantasy managers excited about his expanded role.
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But it did prove that he could be the leading ball carrier in this Commanders’ offense if Robinson misses the rest of the 2023 season.
The Commanders decided once again to platoon another back with Gibson, which led a leading role on the ground for Rodriguez last week.
Should You Start Gibson or Rodriguez Jr. in Week 16?
Based on the current state of the Commanders’ offense and an upcoming matchup against a formidable Jets defense, neither Gibson nor Rodriguez are very exciting fantasy options in Week 16.
Considering the work from this backfield was split nearly 50/50 last week, Gibson’s role in the passing game makes him the slightly preferred option for fantasy managers with his five receptions for 20 yards last week.
Rodriguez may be the leading ball carrier and preferred short-yardage option, but I’d rather go with Gibson because of his consistent work in the passing game.
Both running backs fall into the RB3 category heading into Week 16.
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