When to target Washington Commanders in your fantasy football draft

Washington running backs (Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler)

Brian Robinson showed a lot of improvement in year two, especially in the passing game. That's massive, as PPR leagues love a running back who can reel in some receptions.

Robinson finished last season with 733 yards on 178 carries (4.1 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. That was a slight improvement in YPC and touchdowns. Meanwhile, he reeled in 36 receptions for 368 yards and four touchdowns. That's 27 more catches for 308 more yards and three more touchdowns than his rookie season.

Robinson will continue to improve. However, his role is in question this season. He should get a heavy majority of the carries. Washington brought in a new veteran, though. And that veteran will likely garner a massive focus in the passing game.

Due to that, Robinson could easily see a significant dip in his receiving numbers despite showing improvement last year. That will stunt his fantasy growth and keep him from being a top PPR running back.

Brian Robinson: RB #28

Austin Ekeler was that veteran in question. He was a very early first-round draft pick just last season. However, there was a massive production dropoff for Ekeler in 2023.

In his defense, the Los Angeles Chargers offense was kind of a mess. Justin Herbert is an elite quarterback but they don't seem to know how to build around him and help him succeed.

One good example of that was the decision to make Ekeler more of a "north and south" running back instead of using him a little more sparingly as an outside guy who can rack up receptions.

Even in a down year, Ekeler ran for over 600 yards and scored five touchdowns on the ground. Meanwhile, he reeled in 51 receptions for 436 yards and another touchdown.

Just the year prior, he had over 100 catches. Do I think Ekeler will hit triple digits again? Absolutely not. But this is the perfect situation to bring him back into fantasy football glory. Pair him with a rookie quarterback and let him go nuts. Any time Jayden Daniels needs an easy pass, bam Ekeler's there.

He probably won't get a ton of carries, but Ekeler should be one of the top three receiving backs in football again. And that makes him a very legitimate fantasy name.

Austin Ekeler: RB #17