Jaylen Warren or Brian Robinson Jr. Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Fantasy Football outlooks for RBs in Week 12

The 2023 NFL season is about to conclude its second third, and the plights of the teams are getting clearer and clearer.

Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders are coming off big losses. For the former, it is a 21-23 last-second stunner at the Cleveland Browns. And for the latter, it is a 19-31 rout to the visiting New York Giants, who intercepted Sam Howell thrice.

Running backs Jaylen Warren and Brian Robinson Jr. are among their respective teams' pieces looking to mend the situation. But which of them is worth more in a fantasy starting team?

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Is Jaylen Warren a good fantasy pick in Week 12?

Jaylen Warren rushing v Cleveland Browns

Initially serving as the backup to Najee Harris as a rookie, Warren has come into his own as a sophomore.

He currently has more scrimmage yards (727 vs. 615) and touchdowns than the one-time Pro Bowler, good enough for a projected #21 RB with 12 PPR.

But as it stands, the Steelers would ideally want both their running backs to be as productive as possible, and Warren will have to work with his older counterpart if the team wants to return to the playoffs. Quite luckily for them, the Commanders are in the botton four in rushing defense, having allowed an average of 372.8 yards and 30 touchdowns.

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Is Brian Robinson Jr. a good fantasy pick in Week 12?

Washington Commanders v New England Patriots

The Commanders, meanwhile, are in a dire position, with two straight losses threatening to eliminate them from playoff contention, and one key reason is the seeming regression of Antonio Gibson.

The 2020 draftee had his best showing as a sophomore, hitting 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, but the team as a whole failed to follow up on their surprise playoff showing.

Enter Brian Robinson Jr. Since his debut, he has completely outshone Gibson, having more rushing yards than him as a rookie, and that trend looks set to continue in 2023. He currently sits at RB #18 with 10.4 PPR, and he may get chances agaisnt a team barely sits above the bottom four in rushing defense (367.6 avg. yds. and 18 TDs).

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Jaylen Warren or Brian Robinson Jr.: Whom should I start in Week 12?

The Start/Sit Optimizer recommends choosing Jaylen Warren over Brian Robinsin Jr., but the PPR prediction does not tell the whole story.

Jaylen Warren gets the nod here

In a shocking disparity below, Robinson dominates in the rushing department, having nearly twice as many yards and more touchdowns. But Warren gets the nod thanks to the receiving game, where touchdowns are the only category that he loses.

Jaylen Warren vs. Brian Robinson Jr. fantasy stats comparison