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Little has gone right for the Jacksonville Jaguars this season. Following a surprise season-opening victory over the division-rival Indianapolis Colts, the Jags have dropped four straight games, the last three of which gave their opponents their first win of 2020.
But the rise of running back James Robinson has provided a silver lining to an otherwise depressing season in Jacksonville. Robinson, an undrafted rookie signed earlier this year, surprised Doug Marrone and the coaching staff by earning the starting job coming out of training camp. Along with former Washington scatback Chris Thompson, the Jaguars have a capable and versatile backfield.
Fantasy Football analysis: Jaguars RBs James Robinson, Chris Thompson
Robinson plays much bigger than his size (5-foot-9, 219 pounds) which has contributed to his sizable workload. The Jaguars have fed the rookie no fewer than 17 times in any game this season, maxing out 21 two weeks ago during a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Robinson does a decent job with his touches as well. He averages over 103 yards from scrimmage per outing and has reached the end-zone roughly every other game. While he doesn’t have a true “monster” performance as of yet, his consistency makes him one of the most reliable weekly RB2s in fantasy football.
By comparison, Thompson doesn’t see nearly as much work as a runner, garnering just two carries in each of his last three appearances. But as he did in Washington, Thompson serves as a receiving threat out of the backfield. He has 13 targets over his last three games and has reached the end zone once. While that production prevents him from every-week consideration, the right matchup could make him an option as a flex.
And the Jaguars draw the Detroit Lions this week. While the Detroit defense doesn’t allow an absurd amount of yardage to running backs (roughly 191 yards from scrimmage per week), the unit struggles to keep them out of the end zone (six touchdowns in five weeks).
Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation
Start Robinson as a high-end RB2.
Bench Thompson.