Fantasy Football: Can Commanders RB Antonio Gibson Become an RB1 Option?

Gibson ran for over 1,000 yards last season.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 10, 2022

Washington Commanders running back Antonio Gibson is coming off a 1,000-yard season in 2021, but can he repeat his success in 2022?

Gibson, who turned 24 last month, finished last season as a top-10 running back, but there's reason to believe that he might not be able to match that feat this season.

The Commanders used a third-round pick on Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr., and he's expected to play a role in the Washington run game this season.

The goal in bringing Robinson in is to take some of the load off of Gibson and create a multi-faceted rushing attack. That should help the Commanders, but it doesn't exactly help fantasy football players. Of the top-10 running backs last season, only Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott had a teammate that placed in the top-30 (Tony Pollard).

The Commanders are more likely than ever to operate in a committee, but both Gibson and Robinson Jr. are still draftable. Robinson Jr. is a popular "handcuff" option to draft, meaning if you draft Gibson, taking Robinson Jr. later on in the draft could be beneficial if Gibson suffers an injury during the season.

In dynasty formats, Robinson Jr. is also worth an investment. He rushed 96 times for 441 yards and five touchdowns while also catching 11 passes for 124 yards. In the Cotton Bowl, he set a school record for rushing yards in a bowl game with 204. His 2021 season at Alabama proved that he can eat up yards in bulk and play at a high level in a high-pressure situation.

Published Jul 10, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.