Week 6 at Miami Dolphins
Allen Robinson put up season lows in receptions (2) and yards (23) while Mitch Trubisky had a career day. But A-Rob did score his first touchdown of the season, so it wasn't a total loss. Instead of airing it out, Chicago went for a small-ball approach with short passes to Tarik Cohen and Taylor Gabriel vs. the Bucs.
We wouldn't worry too much about the down game. Robinson still has at least 50 yards in every other game this season. He gets a fairly tough matchup against the Dolphins this week, as Miami has allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing wideouts. Robinson should be viewed as a low-end WR2 vs. Miami.
Week 4 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Allen Robinson had another average game last week, finishing with 50 yards on three receptions (seven targets). It was his worst game of the season, so he now has at least 50 yards in every game so far. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, he's still without a touchdown.
He should be able to bounce back this week against the Bucs. Tampa Bay is a favorable matchup as the Bucs have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts. The Bucs have allowed at least 20 receptions to WRs in two out of their three games this season, which bodes well for Robinson in PPR formats. We like him as a solid WR2 play.
Week 3 at Arizona Cardinals
Allen Robinson had a solid game last week if you're playing in a PPR format, hauling in 10 passes (14 targets) for 83 yards. He was on the field for 95 percent of the offensive snaps. He proved for the second week in a row that he is the focal point of the Bears offense.
He gets an interesting matchup this week as the Cardinals didn't allow many yards to WRs in Week 1 (65), but were torched for over 300 yards in Week 2. The fact we've seen wideouts have a good game against Arizona is enough to have confidence in Robinson this week. We like him as a strong WR2 choice.
Week 2 at Seattle Seahawks
As expected, Allen Robinson led the way in receiving for the Bears in Week 1. He had the most targets (7) and yards (61), although he did finish with just four receptions. While it wasn't a great game for Robinson, it certainly wasn't bad. He played 96 percent of the team's snaps and is clearly the No. 1 option for Mitch Trubisky.
He has a chance for a big game in Week 2 against the Seahawks. Seattle struggled last week to stop wideouts, allowing 243 yards and two touchdowns. While Robinson isn't an elite option, we do like him as a low-end WR2 or WR3.
Week 1 at Green Bay Packers
We haven't seen much from Allen Robinson in recent years. He tore his ACL in the first game of 2017, and he didn't have any receptions in the preseason in 2018. Nevertheless, he's expected to play a big role in Chicago's offense this year and he'll put his talents on display Week 1 against Green Bay.
This should be a decent matchup for Robinson, who was once a WR1 talent in Jacksonville. He'll look to repeat that success in Chicago under Matt Nagy and with developing QB Mitch Trubisky. Although we haven't really seen it on full display, we expect this to be a good connection.
Robinson should be viewed as a low-end WR1 or high-end WR2 choice in both standard and PPR formats.
Fantasy Upside
Not too long ago, Allen Robinson was the talk of the fantasy football world. In 2015, he had a monster 80-catch, 1,400-yard, 14-touchdown season. He gets a fresh start in Chicago this season under playcaller Matt Nagy, where he’s projected to be the top option in the passing game. The Bears brought Robinson in for a reason, and that’s because they want him featured in this offense.
Fantasy Downside
While Robinson lit it up in 2015, he had a down year in 2016 before missing (mostly) all of 2017 with an ACL tear. He also struggled with injuries as a rookie (broken foot) so there’s still a concern about whether he can stay healthy. It may also take some time for him to fully understand a new offensive system while recovering from a serious injury.
2018 Bottom Line
Robinson is a very talented wideout who gets a change of scenery. On paper, he should get better quarterback play this season in an offense better suited to his talents. Robinson is an interesting prospect, who could produce high-end WR2 numbers in 2018 and can be selected near the fifth round.
Week 1 at Houston Texans
Allen Robinson was considered a true No. 1 receiver heading into last season before he got Bortled. Yes, I just made up my own verb. He also got Bortled up last season by the Texans in Houston after posting a 9-107-1 line at home. In the rematch in Houston, he had just two catches for 15 yards. He likely won't be as good as he was in the home meeting last season and not as bad as the road matchup. Look for Robinson to post good enough numbers to serve as a No. 3 receiver with a little upside this week.
Fantasy Upside
Allen Robinson has been targeted 151 times in each of his past two seasons. That's an average of nearly 9.5 per game, something that makes him WR1 material in any format. He's still clearly the top target in Jacksonville, which should have an improved running game to help take some of the pressure away from him.
Fantasy Downside
While the targets were the same last season as in 2015, the production was cut in half, as his 80-1,400-14 line of 2015 fell to 73-883-6 last season. For a player many took in the first round, that wasn't nearly good enough. Much of that was because of the struggles associated with quarterback Blake Bortles.
2017 Bottom Line
Robinson probably isn't as good as he was in 2015, nor is he as bad as he was last season. If he can get a similar volume of targets, a fantasy WR2 ranking is more in order. The Jaguars could be more run reliant this season with the addition of Leonard Fournette, but that could help free Robinson up more. He should be a decent rebound candidate and might even be a little undervalued right now. Robinson's currently going in the third or fourth round of most drafts. As his 2015 season shows, he does have some upside as a WR2.
Week 17 at Detroit
Robinson finally went off for a line of 9-147-0 last week, just in time for the end of many matchup championship games. Given his previous output, it's doubtful many had him in their lineups. He did have a line of 5-55-1 in the first meeting with the Colts this season, so there's definitely a chance for another solid game this week if this turns into a shootout with Andrew Luck. Use Robinson as a No. 2 receiver with some upside in a solid matchup and hope Blake Bortles has figured things out.
Week 16 vs. Tennessee
Not surprisingly, Robinson managed just two receptions for 15 yards last week, his fifth consecutive game with three or fewer catches. Robinson did have a line of 6-70-0 back in Week 8 against Tennessee, which is dead last in the NFL against receivers in terms of points allowed. But the QB needs to take advantage of that, and there can't be any trust in Blake Bortles at this point. If you must use Robinson, do so as nothing more than a flex play and cross your fingers.
