Denard Robinson's Updated Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 7

A backfield that is four names deep and a Jacksonville Jaguars offense that continues to confuse with its approach make running back Denard Robinson a tough fantasy football sell.

Stuck behind a woeful offensive line and free-agent acquisition Toby Gerhart, who has imploded behind the same line, Robinson has failed to make a name for himself in the fantasy realm. He gets a sporadic number of looks as a runner and rarely sees passes thrown his way:

WK	OPP	ATT	YDS	TD	PTS
1	@Phi	3	8	0	0
2	@Wsh	0	0	0	1
3	Ind	8	33	0	3
4	@SD	9	25	0	2
5	Pit	3	6	0	0
6	@Ten	5	22	0	3

Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the offensive line front of Robinson ranks second to last in terms of run-blocking efficiency, so that, in tandem with erratic decisions from coach Gus Bradley and his staff, helps to explain the poor output to date.

Still, there is a sliver of hope.

Gerhart remains the starter, but his missing practice Friday, per ESPN's Michael DiRocco, makes it sound as if he is a scratch against Cleveland.

While the subject of much hype, seventh-round rookie Storm Johnson was given just 10 carries last week in this same scenario. When asked about this curious decision, Bradley told reporters that "Our whole intent was to get Storm 10 carries and he got 10 carries," per Hays Carlyon of The Florida Times-Union.

Perhaps the staff is not as high on Johnson as the rest of the globe.

This week, Robinson is actually eating into the first-team reps in practice, as captured by Mark Long of The Associated Press:

Here is where it gets tricky, though. Will it matter? Last week, the team elected to run it all of 23 times, five of which came via quarterback scrambles, in a game that wound up decided by just two points.

The good news is that the Browns tout one of the league's worst defenses against backs, as the unit surrenders the ninth-most points to the position on average. If the staff perhaps decides to commit to the run more in order to stop placing all of the pressure on a rookie quarterback, Robinson might be able to find some room to operate.

At this point, Robinson is more of an upside add than someone owners should consider adding for Sunday. He may see enough carries to sneak into flex range, but the potential for another disaster is there, too.

Robinson is talented. Owners know that much, as SimplySharona of 730 Yahoo Sports helps illustrate:

Talent does bubble to the top. Robinson averaged 4.4 yards per carry last week on his five carries. The elusiveness and game-breaking potential when in open space have always been there.

Which is what makes the situation so frustrating. A coaching staff that fails to get an explosive fantasy option involved (see: Harvin, Percy) can drive owners mad. Robinson owners have to battle not only this but also an inept offensive line and other players fighting for time in what is currently a committee.

Owners in deep leagues with room to spare should take a dive on Robinson, though. He might just turn into that pre-breakout add that births a steady contributor. It is a lot to ask given the situation, but the iffy running back landscape that makes stars out of Justin Forsett and others necessitates such measures.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats. Statistics courtesy of ESPN. Philadelphia, Tampa Bay on bye.