Should I Pick Up Tank Bigsby? Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Football

"We talked about this as a staff and myself, making sure Tank [Bigsby] gets opportunities to get out there and take some of the pounding off of Travis [Etienne]."

That's a quote from Doug Pederson during OTAs, a statement we were skeptical to believe. The Jaguars wanted to limit Travis Etienne's touches in 2023. He finished with 325 touches, the third-highest total in the NFL. Tank Bigsby wasn't good enough to warrant even a handful of touches.

A second offseason in the professional ranks may have been exactly what Bigsby needed. The former Auburn Tiger took more than a backup running back's worth of carries against Miami, making him an intriguing waiver-wire option heading into Week 2.

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Tank Bigsby Week 2 Waiver Wire Outlook

Tank Bigsby ran for 132 yards on 50 carries his entire rookie season. He ran for over half of that in one game (73 yards) on 12 carries.

Tank Bigsby gets 26 yards.
Check out Brandon Scherff continuing the block while on his knees. pic.twitter.com/Sq59lHXwS9

— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 8, 2024

Bigbsy matched Etienne's carry total and outpaced him in efficiency. Etienne logged 45 yards on his 12 carries (3.7 yards per carry). Bigbsy was better in yards after contact and rushing yards over expected. However, the starter caught two passes (Bigsby had zero) and scored the team's lone rushing touchdown.

The Jaguars also ran more (26 attempts) than they passed (21 attempts) and ran a low number of plays. Jacksonville played with a lead for the majority of the game, but let Miami control the clock. Fantasy managers can't depend on a similar game script every week.

Should I Pick Up Tank Bigsby In Week 2?

Bigbsy has moved from a running back left for dead to handcuff territory. Based on his play a season ago, the fantasy community was ready to write off Bigsby. His Week 1 performance puts him back on the radar.

The reason he's less of a 1B and more of a handcuff is because of the distribution of high-value touches. While they did have the same number of carries, Etienne was on the field for 68% of the snaps compared to 34% for Bigsby. That's according to Tru Media. Etienne played nine of Jacksonville's 10 third downs and received the only carry inside the 10-yard line.

JAX
Etienne 68% (9/10 on 3rd downs; 1/1 inside the 10)
Bigsby 34%

MIA
Achane 54% (9/16 on 3rd downs; 2/2 inside the 5)
Mostert 43%
J Wilson 15%

— #PALMER #AskFFT (@daverichard) September 8, 2024

Etienne fumbled another opportunity in the red zone (resulting in a touchback). Bigsby got five carries to Etienne's three after the turnover.

The second-year runner can't break out without catches and goal-line opportunities (which could change given Bigsby's size). For now, he's worth a look as bench depth, especially for Etienne fantasy managers concerned about a potential injury.

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