Austin Ekeler ($5,600) missed Week 4 with a concussion, but the veteran returned to practice Wednesday in limited fashion and is trending towards playing this Sunday vs. the Browns. With Ekeler inactive last week, Brian Robinson Jr. ($6,600) dominated with his largest role of the season, scoring a season-high 23.3 FPTS vs. the Cardinals. However, the 25-year-old is now the one in jeopardy of being sidelined, as Robinson Jr. missed practice Wednesday with a knee injury.
If Robinson Jr. ends up being inactive Sunday and Ekeler suits up, the latter will likely handle an expanded role. Not only would Ekeler maintain his solid role as a pass catcher — he has seen a 12% target share this season — Ekeler’s role as a rusher would absolutely grow if Robinson Jr. is absent. This season, Robinson Jr. is averaging 16.5 carries per game, which is 75% of the Commanders’ running back carries.
While Jeremy McNichols ($4,600) would also mix in and see more work, Ekeler would likely be the featured back for Washington if Robinson Jr. sat. Cleveland isn’t an ideal matchup — they are the eighth-highest graded defense on PFF — but the Commanders are three-point home favorites on the DraftKings Sportsbook, which could translate into a run-heavy approach for the club. 15-20 touches is a reasonable expectation for Ekeler if Robinson Jr. is missing and he will be a compelling option for season-long and DFS formats if this ends up being the case. This season, the versatile veteran ranks sixth among running backs in FPTS per touch at 1.61.
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