Week 1 saw Brian Robinson tally 20 touches, score 13.6 PPR Fantasy points, finishing as a top-15 running back. Antonio Gibson appeared not to be a threat and Robinson appeared to be as close to a workhorse running back as we get these days. On the flip side, James Cook finished outside the top 25 running backs in full PPR despite catching four passes. Both Damien Harris and Latavius Murray saw action and Josh Allen didn't exactly look like he was looking to avoid risk. I would take advantage of these results and try to sell Robinson and buy Cook.
Cook had a terrible matchup against the New York Jets and Allen turned the ball over too often, but I am pretty thrilled with the usage. Cook had a 15% target share and handled 54% of the team's rush attempts. Last year that would have translated to 246 carries and 91 targets. Josh Allen's continued turnover problems may eventually translate to even more running back targets. Go see if the Fantasy manager who drafted Cook is frustrated by Week 1.
While the usage for Robinson was outstanding, and I'm generally selling inefficiency, the Cardinals may be his best matchup of the season and his rushing average was once again well below average. I view Robinson as a matchup-dependent flex and he faces the Broncos in Week 1, who just held Josh Jacobs to 48 yards on 19 carries. See if you can package Robinson with a bench piece to get Cook, or more.
Check out how Jacob Gibbs projects these RBs for Week 2. You can find that and a lot more in his Week 2 Fantasy Football Lineup Advice column over at SportsLine.
Now let's get to the rest of the Week 2 RB Preview:
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Deon Jackson was terrible last week and Evan Hull got hurt. While the Colts were planning on using a committee, I expect a large dose of Moss against a mediocre Texans defense if he's healthy, and he got in a full practice on Wednesday. It may only be a two-to-three week role if Jonathan Taylor returns to the team in Week 5 as many expect, but if you're desperate for a back in Week 2, Moss could be the best option. And it is still possible that the Colts trade Taylor and Moss has a longer run as their RB1.
It is going to be a committee approach in Baltimore, but Hill has the best profile as a pass catcher and looks like the short yardage back as well. He's not worth double-digit FAB, but he could be a decent flex this week against the Bengals. In deeper leagues, you may consider Melvin Gordon as well, just in case.
Raheem Mostert is already on the injury report with a knee issue. While it may just be a maintenance issue, it's a reminder of his age and injury history. Jeff Wilson is at least three weeks away and Ahmed is currently ahead of rookie De'Von Achane.
The Falcons just gave up 167 yards from scrimmage to the combination of Miles Sanders and Chubba Hubbard, and that was in a game they won by 14 points. Jones is currently the Packers No. 1 runner and receiver. If the Falcons can keep this game close, Jones has a chance for a monster outing. As of Tuesday we aren't concerned about his hamstring, but watch the Thursday and Friday injury reports to make sure.
I loved Williams' Week 1 usage and I would expect his role to grow as the season goes on. Against Washington, there's a decent chance Denver is playing from ahead and there are even more running back touches to be had. $5600 on DraftKings is way too cheap.
RB Preview
Heath's Projections
My full set of Week 2 Fantasy football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 2. Projected stats for all starting running backs are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.
