Welcome to Dynasty Spotlight. The purpose of this series is to put one veteran dynasty commodity under the microscope to analyze how he is viewed on the market, how this compares to his abilities as a player based on predictive stats, and possibly make recommendations on whether we should be spending or selling in the current marketplace. The subject of this edition is Atlanta Falcons’ RB Bijan Robinson.
A BAR HIGH ENOUGH TO TRIP ON
Robinson was one of modern history’s most heralded and anticipated RB prospects, and many shot him right to the front of the line in dynasty ranks before he ever played a down. With outstanding size, athleticism, and receiving ability, Robinson commonly received comparisons to Edgerrin James, Saquon Barkley, and LaDainian Tomlinson throughout the draft process. Then, he was drafted No. 8 overall — an obsolete concept for an RB in the modern game — to play for the run-heavy Falcons. Hands unclasped from hopeful prayers to the fantasy gods. Robinson was set to be a superstar.
His rookie campaign was lauded in advance, but it ended up a little out of tune. Former HC Arthur Smith refused to commit to Robinson, particularly near the goal line, one of many quizzical usage patterns that led to Smith’s eventual firing. The taste Robinson’s rookie season left in the mouths of some who had clamored for him to immediately reach the moon was mildly bitter, but only by comparison to his own lofty expectations. Robinson ended as fantasy’s RB8 in PPR, out of whack with his RB3 ADP, but not by an enormous disparity.
