The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot to look forward to in the post-Urban Meyer era, one of which is RB James Robinson. While he didn’t have the most spectacular 2021 season, Robinson is still a young running back on a young team that can produce when given the opportunity. His rookie year in 2020 was a shock to everyone when he put up 1,070 yards on the ground after going undrafted.
He looked to be Jacksonville’s running back moving forward, but the Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence’s college teammate Travis Etienne in the first round which threw a wrench in things. Etienne ended up missing the entirety of the season with a Lisfranc injury, but Robinson seemed to have lost his fire and got off to a poor start in 2021. He seemed to find his spark in Week 3, when he began a four game stretch in which he averaged 97 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns. But a bruised heel in Week 8 forced him to miss a game, and Robinson never seemed to bounce back. Things only got worse in Week 16 when he suffered a partially torn achilles that ended his season.
He began rehabbing in June of this year, and is unlikely to be ready for training camp, but he could be ready for Week 1 on September 11, where he is expected to split carries with Etienne. Regardless, Robinson still has a ton of potential to be an impact player for the young Jags this season. His opportunity share of 66.5% ranked #12 among running backs, and his dominator rating – which is the percentage the running back generated of team yards and touchdowns generated on offense – was 28.9%, which ranked #8 in the league.
Robinson has proven he can be a reliable offensive weapon, however his injury status and spot in the depth chart is unclear as of now. He finished last season as the #76 overall fantasy player (143 points) and the #25 running back.
Health Analysis – Robinson has a ton of potential, but the Jaguars may prefer to start over with Etienne this season rather than commit to a running back heading into their third year. His achilles injury is worrisome as well, but his numbers could be worse as of right now (High Injury Risk (26%) and Above Average Health Performance Factor (75%)). His fantasy production will rely heavily on Etienne’s use, but Robinson is still worth a look if he’s on the board past the 10-15th rounds.
