Seize the Opportunity to Buy This Superstar in the Making Before He Explodes in 2026

Kevin Szafraniec
February 27, 2026

Kevin Szafraniec outlines the superstar trajectory of a running back who underperformed his massive expectations in 2025 but still finds himself in position to join the fantasy elite as he heads into his second season.

It wasn’t all that long ago when we were questioning Bijan Robinson’s ceiling after he failed to take over the NFL in Year 1. Seems silly now, right? But playing under Arthur Smith can introduce all sorts of irrational logic about our ideas of a player.

After being freed from the shackles of Smith’s offense, Robinson has quieted any doubts about his ceiling with two consecutive finishes as a top-three fantasy running back. Now, Robinson’s combination of high-end rushing and receiving abilities has him in line to be an elite fantasy back for at least the next five years.

This past season, we saw a back with a similar pedigree to Robinson enter the NFL, only to come up short of the expectations that the fantasy community had placed upon him. But as the situation around this 2025 rookie continues to change for the better this offseason, we should not bet against this dynamic young runner taking a massive leap in his second professional season.

Be sure to check out the previous installments of the 2025 Rookie Review Series:

Volume 1 of the 2026 RotoViz Rookie Draft Guide is out now! Jam-packed with comprehensive player profiles, advanced stats, player comps, strategies, and rankings from the RotoViz staff, it is a must-have for every fantasy manager who wants to crush their best ball, dynasty, and redraft leagues in 2026!

Keep an eye out for Volume 2, scheduled to release following the NFL Combine, and Volume 3, which will drop after the 2026 NFL Draft!

Expectations Versus Reality

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Kevin Szafraniec

Full-time Cat Dad, Sneakerhead, Record Collector, LOTR Fanboy, and Jeopardy Enthusiast. Fantasy football writer and beatmaker in my free time. Follow me on X and Bluesky @thecatdadff

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