Is James Robinson Healthy or Injured? Should I Start Robinson for Week 1 Fantasy Football?

Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson emerged as a talented rookie in 2020 and continued to impress in 2021 before suffering an Achilles injury. The issue shut down Robinson for the end of the 2021 campaign and also hindered his rainy camp availability this summer.

Now, with Week 1 underway, fantasy managers will want to monitor Robinson's potential return, as well as what his role could look like now that fellow running back Travis Etienne is set to make his NFL debut.

Will Robinson play in Week 1? What is his fantasy football outlook for this coming week?

Is James Robinson Injured or Playing in Week 1?

Although there was some initial speculation that Robinson might at least appear on the injury report this week, he and the Jaguars had other plans. Robinson was a full participant in all three practice seasons leading up to Week 1, allowing him to avoid injury designations altogether.

Not only will the 24-year-old be active against the Commanders on Sunday, but head coach Doug Pederson hinted at giving him the full workload he has earned.

What Is James Robinson's Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 1?

Robinson, who went undrafted in 2020, earned a 67.4 PFF offense grade last season, as well as a 77.1 rushing score. He graded poorly in pass protection but still earned work as a receiver. When all was said and done, Robinson totaled 767 rushing yards, 222 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns in 2021.

Heading into Week 1, Robinson and the Jaguars are slated to play against a Washington defense that wasn't too bad against running backs last year. The unit found relative success making plays on both running backs carrying the ball and running backs getting involved in the passing game.

Even with Etienne's return and a somewhat tricky matchup on tap, Robinson has upside given the fact that he formed a strong rapport with Trevor Lawrence last season and could continue to make big things happen with last year's No. 1 pick. After all, the Jaguars' top receivers are Christian Kirk, Marvin Jones Jr., and Zay Jones. This weak receiving corps could benefit drastically from Robinson getting involved in the passing game again. As such, he has some mid-to-low RB3 range ahead of Week 1.

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