What James Robinson/Chris Thompson are doing in Week 1 fantasy football

Halftime update: Robinson has done most of the work at the halfway mark with 10 carries for 61 yards. Thompson doesn’t have a carry yet, but has caught two passes for six yards.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have one of the worst running back situations in the NFL. They released Leonard Fournette and placed Devine Ozigbo on the injured reserve ahead of their Week 1 matcup against the Indianapolis Colts, which leaves James Robinson and Chris Thompson as their two best options out of the backfield. Can either player be serviceable in fantasy football? We’ll discuss that here.

Fantasy Football analysis: Jaguars RB James Robinson, Chris Thompson

Robinson is a rookie and was undrafted despite being a productive workhorse at Illinois State. He’s the top dog on the depth chart and Jay Gruden has given him a vote of confidence. If he assumes Fournette’s normal workload, he could be on the field for more than 80 percent of the snaps. It’s hard to see him matching Fournette in carries though.

Thomson has been called a “star” in red zone skills during camp and worked with Gruden in Washington. He’s a threat to leach touches on third downs and is a capable pass catcher. He could vulture touchdowns from Robinson in goal line situations on the ground or through the air.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Neither option is suited for season-long DFS for Week 1 because of risk, but both are worth rostering as punt plays in DFS>