The Washington Commanders have traded running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the 49ers for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Washington will pay an unspecified portion of Robinson’s $3.4 million salary for this year, according to Garafolo.
Brian Robinson Traded to 49ers: Fantasy Football Impact & Outlook
A Robinson trade seemed inevitable after the Commanders held him out of their second preseason game.
Seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt has reportedly dazzled onlookers throughout training camp, and the Commanders also seem to trust Chris Rodriguez, a 2023 sixth-round pick, who had 35 carries for 173 yards and two touchdowns in nine games as a rookie. The Commanders also have 30-year-old Austin Ekeler.
With the acquisition of Robinson, the 49ers get additional insurance behind starting running back Christian McCaffrey, who played only four games in 2024 and has played seven or fewer games in three of the last five years.
The 49ers also have second-year man Isaac Guerendo and rookie Jordan James in their running back room.
49ers’ Fantasy Impact
Guerendo showed some intriguing flashes as a rookie. When he made his first two NFL starts in Weeks 14 and 15, Guerendo rolled up 203 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in those two games. But Guerendo recently missed time in training camp with a shoulder injury and was wearing a shoulder brace when he returned to practice.
James, a fifth-round draft pick from Oregon, recently had surgery to repair a broken finger.
Robinson will probably be the top backup to McCaffrey. While he lacks electricity and hasn’t been a prolific pass-catcher, Robinson is a dependable early-down runner who’s topped 700 rushing yards in each of his first three NFL seasons. He has a career average of 4.1 yards per carry and has scored 20 touchdowns in 41 career games.
But Robinson might not be a “clean” handcuff. If McCaffrey were to go down, it’s possible 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would use Robinson and Guerendo in tandem, since the speedy Guerendo provides some of the sizzle that Robinson lacks. James could work his way into the mix, too.
I have Robinson ranked RB56 in half-point PPR, Guerendo at RB67 and James at RB85.
Commanders’ Fantasy Impact
As for the Commanders’ backfield, Croskey-Merritt has been on a meteoric rise up fantasy draft boards, and the Robinson trade will do nothing to diminish enthusiasm for Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who prefers to be called Bill.
But the Washington backfield could be a full-blown committee. Rodriguez started ahead of Croskey-Merritt in the Commanders’ second preseason game, although the Washington coaching staff simply might have been deferring to the back with more seniority.
It’s possible that Croskey-Merritt leads the team in carries but not in receptions or rushing touchdowns.
Ekeler will be the Commanders’ passing-down back when healthy, and he’ll probably get some early-down snaps, too. Ekeler isn’t a star-level player anymore, but he was productive when healthy last year. Ekeler scored double-digit PPR points in eight out of 12 games last season and finished as the RB31 in fantasy points per game. When Robinson missed a pair of midseason games with a hamstring injury, Ekeler had 134 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns in those two contests.
Team beat writer Ben Standig recently noted on Twitter that Commanders head coach Dan Quinn envisions goal-line usage for Rodriguez, who’s 5-foot-11 and 224 pounds. He had 26 touchdown runs over his final three college seasons at Kentucky. Croskey-Merritt is 5-foot-10 and 206 pounds.
I’m tentatively ranking Croskey-Merritt RB38 in half-point PPR, Ekeler at RB39 and Rodriguez at RB66.
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