Bijan Robinson was a first-round pick in most fantasy football drafts in 2023. So when Falcons rookie running back didn't see touches in the first half of Sunday's critical Week 8 game at Tampa Bay, it came as a mystery to all.
Robinson saw only six snaps in that half. He had zero touches as but backups Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson split the backfield work and seven receivers not named Robinson caught passes.
Unfortunately, the explanation for Robinson's sudden lack of usage was too little, too late, and came only via Fox's broadcast of the Falcons' game vs. the Buccaneers. Here's trying to make sense of offensive-minded coach Arthur Smith's latest bizarre personnel move:
MORE: Explaining Arthur Smith's war against 'fantasy guys'
Is Bijan Robinson injured?
Robinson was fully healthy going into the game, at least according to reports. Robinson practiced in full all week and didn't have any injury designation. The Falcons didn't have any player miss practice ahead of the Buccaneers, except for a Wednesday veteran rest day for defensive end Calais Campbell.
But since Friday, when the injury reports are released, there was no indication of Robinson battling an illness. He also was made active for Tampa Bay without any late pregame updates.
Why is Bijan Robinson not playing much in Week 7?
According to Fox reporter Christina Pink, Robinson is sick. Per Smith, the rookie "was not feeling so well." If that was the case, that feeling had to have come after the game started, because Robinson was suited up in full gear on the sidelines and did enter the game a half-dozen times.
The bottom line is Robinson had a midgame ailment that was bad enough to keep him from being healthy enough to play.
Robinson came as the fantasy RB10 in half-point PPR scoring, not far from his high first-round draft status. His weird early no-show that frustrated his fantasy managers is certain to push him more into a RB2 standing.
Despite the illness, Robinson made a random re-appearance for a single 3-yard carry on the final Falcons drive of the game, ahead of Younghoe Koo hitting the game-winning field goal in a 16-13 victory. That .3 points vs. the goose egg likely irks fantasy managers more as a reminder what could have been.
Smith later added that the Falcons knew Robinson wasn't "feeling like himself. "We didn't want to overdo it," Smith said. There was no danger of Atlanta's coaching staff doing that.
Meanwhile after the game, Robinson told reporters that he was dealing with a bad headache, sensing the symptoms of the ailment even the night before the game:
VIDEO: We heard that Bijan Robinson wasn't feeling well.
— Miles Garrett (@MilesGarrettTV) October 22, 2023
He told us postgame he was dealing with a bad headache. Arthur Smith didn't want to test it. Said he was feeling it last night as well. pic.twitter.com/qKLaETxo4c
Assuming Robinson isn't too ill and headache is a temporary short-term setback he should be OK for Week 8 vs. the Titans, against a brutal run defense. From this point, let's hope there's more trust in Smith and the Falcons provide better information about his status then.
