Brian Robinson Fantasy Projection 2026: Is the Falcons Backup Worth Drafting?

The Atlanta Falcons signed Brian Robinson to replace the departing Tyler Allgeier as Bijan Robinson’s backup. Coming off the first season of his career in which he wasn’t a fantasy football factor at all, what will Robinson’s role look like on his new team? Is there potential for him to be a fantasy factor?

Should You Draft Brian Robinson in Fantasy Football?

Let’s get some housekeeping out of the way first. For the purposes of this article, to alleviate confusion, Brian Robinson will be referred to exclusively as “Robinson” Or “BRob.”

For the first three years of his career, BRob mattered in fantasy. He was never a superstar or a needle-mover, but he was worth rostering and startable, at least as a Flex. Robinson averaged 9.4 fantasy points per game as a rookie, 13.2 PPG as a sophomore, and 11.4 PPG in his third season. All three of those came in Washington.

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Last year, Robinson moved to San Francisco, where he served as Christian McCaffrey’s primary backup. Players behind McCaffrey don’t play much. Robinson saw career lows in volume, and his production basically cut in half. He went from consecutive seasons around 900-1,000 total yards to just 425.

Although the usage was disappointing, Robinson was the same player. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry, which was actually a career high, and was top 20 in evaded tackles per touch rate. There just wasn’t much opportunity with McCaffrey staying healthy. In 2024, Robinson saw a 58.7% opportunity share. That was a mere 19.1% last season.

Now in Atlanta, Robinson’s job should be to literally replace Allgeier, who signed with the Cardinals. Last season, Allgeier averaged 7.2 PPG, which placed him inside the top 48 running backs. That’s enough to be worthy of being on a fantasy roster.

Most importantly, Allgeier was a factor at the goal line, handling six goal touches. In total, he scored eight times. In games where Allgeier scored, he averaged 12.4 PPG. Of course, it’s impossible to predict when those games will be. But the fact remains, the Falcons’ RB2 has fantasy utility. You can do worse than a touchdown or bust RB2 if you need to plug someone into your lineup.

Robinson’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value

We know Robinson will serve as Bijan’s primary backup. As much as we, as fantasy managers, don’t have the greatest track record of predicting RB handcuffs with confidence, this is a situation we can be very confident in. If Bijan were to miss time, BRob would be the lead back. That, alone, makes Robinson worth drafting. The bigger question is whether he can have any sort of standalone role similar to Allgeier.

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The Falcons have a new coaching staff, the third different one of Bijan’s tenure with the team. The first coaching staff decided that this generational talent only needed to touch the ball about 50% of the time. That staff is no longer here for a reason. The second one, led by Raheem Morris, made Bijan the bell cow, but still limited him around the goal line. They are now gone as well.

We really don’t know if Kevin Stefanski feels the same way, but it stands to reason that Robinson will steal at least a handful of touchdowns away from Bijan. As far as backup running backs go, Robinson is one of the better ones in the league. Is he as talented as Allgeier? Probably not. But the gap isn’t massive. Plus, at 224 pounds, BRob has the size and power for a goal-line back.

MORE: 2026 Controversial Fantasy Football Running Back Depth Charts: Who To Draft In These Confusing Rooms

Robinson’s ADP is just outside the top 48 running backs. He should still be drafted in most leagues, but it’s not a guarantee in shallower formats. I have BRob as my RB50, right in line with ADP.

The best type of backup running back is the one with standalone value. We can’t say for sure that’s BRob, but there’s at least a chance. That makes him more appealing than some of the other pure handcuffs around him. As the last running back on your roster, he’s a fine dart to throw. Whether you draft him will depend on roster construction.

Preseason Fantasy RB Rankings

1. Bijan Robinson | ATL
2. Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
3. James Cook III | BUF
4. Jonathan Taylor | IND
5. Ashton Jeanty | LV
6. Christian McCaffrey | SF
7. Saquon Barkley | PHI
8. Chase Brown | CIN
9. De’Von Achane | MIA
10. Derrick Henry | BAL
11. Kenneth Walker III | KC
12. Jeremiyah Love | ARI
13. Omarion Hampton | LAC
14. Javonte Williams | DAL
15. Breece Hall | NYJ
16. Kyren Williams | LAR
17. D’Andre Swift | CHI
18. Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
19. Josh Jacobs | GB
20. Cam Skattebo | NYG
21. David Montgomery | HOU
22. Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
23. TreVeyon Henderson | NE
24. Quinshon Judkins | CLE
25. Jaylen Warren | PIT
26. Bucky Irving | TB
27. Jadarian Price | SEA
28. Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
29. Chuba Hubbard | CAR
30. Kenny Gainwell | TB
31. Tony Pollard | TEN
32. Jordan Mason | MIN
33. Rico Dowdle | PIT
34. Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
35. Blake Corum | LAR
36. RJ Harvey | DEN
37. Kyle Monangai | CHI
38. Rachaad White | WAS
39. Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
40. Zach Charbonnet | SEA
41. Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
42. Jonathon Brooks | CAR
43. J.K. Dobbins | DEN
44. Tyler Allgeier | ARI
45. Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG
46. Isiah Pacheco | DET
47. Woody Marks | HOU
48. Tyjae Spears | TEN
49. Nick Singleton | TEN
50. Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL