In Week 3, the Washington Commanders will face the Cincinnati Bengals as part of a Monday Night Football doubleheader. Which Commanders running backs should be in your fantasy football team’s starting lineup? Let’s break down Washington’s backfield.
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Brian Robinson Jr.’s Fantasy Outlook
Simply put, this isn’t a committee situation. Robinson scored and caught three passes in Week 1 and then ran all over the Giants last week (133 yards on 17 carries), proving himself as a game-script independent option.
He’s going to need to produce in a variety of game settings as a part of a Washington team with little win equity, but this offense is at least moving the ball. Sure, they went 0-for-6 in the red zone last week, but the fact that only the Eagles and Lions have frequented their opponents’ 20-yard line more often than the Commanders is impressive.
Robinson is my RB15 this week, a range where I’ll likely have him ranked on a consistent basis.
Austin Ekeler’s Fantasy Outlook
The one-time fantasy god has taken a pretty clear backseat to Robinson through two weeks, but there are some signals that point to Ekeler remaining roster-worthy despite totaling just 17 touches and zero touchdowns up to this point.
On the bright side, Ekeler has caught all seven of his targets and has an explosive reception (20+ yards) in both games of the Daniels era. He was on the field for just 28.6% of red-zone snaps in the season opener, a rate that rose to 44.4% against the Giants.
This offense is going to be clunky as they look to maximize Daniels, and the process requires us to stay patient with that unknown.
Of course, Ekeler has yet to clear a 50% snap share and shouldn’t be considered a true threat to assume the lead role in Washington’s offense. His days as a locked-in asset are long gone, though, outright dismissing isn’t wise either.