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Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. hasn't lived up to the expectations he was taken within fantasy drafts. He had an ADP of around 17 (RB8) in full-PPR fantasy scoring leagues, but through five weeks, he's just the RB26 overall. He has yet to break 15.0 PPR fantasy points in a game.
In an equally concerning development, his backfield mate Tank Bigsby has exploded onto the fantasy scene with a monster 24.9 PPR fantasy point performance in Week 5 despite handling just 13 carries and catching one pass. He's clearly looked better than Etienne on tape, too.
So is Bigsby now the starting RB for the Jacksonville Jaguars, or will it remain Travis Etienne Jr.?
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Is Travis Etienne Or Tank Bigsby the Starting Running Back?
In a press conference, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson confirmed that Etienne is still the starter. That said, he hasn't been very reliable in the past about topics like injuries and starters. That said, the current backup has only had one huge game, and it doesn't make sense to shake things up immediately.
#Jaguars HC Doug Pederson on whether Tank Bigsby will replace Travis Etienne atop the depth chart:
“No, not at all. Travis is our guy. Tank had a good game, that’s just the way games go.”
Pederson has a 35% reliability rating on depth chart coachspeak pic.twitter.com/GALzbYRd4C
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) October 6, 2024
Given the context of the situation, fantasy managers can still assume "ETN" will remain the starter. That doesn't shed much light on the volume split the two backs will manage, but it's worth noting that the starter was fighting through a shoulder injury in Week 5 and was pulled from the game in the fourth quarter.
TANK BIGSBY STIFF ARMS HIS WAY TO A 65-YARD TD.
📺: #INDvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/oVugPI0X5s— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
Despite this, sometimes a player is just too talented to keep off the field, and Bigsby looked the part against the Indianapolis Colts last week. He had multiple explosive plays and showed off his tackle-breaking prowess on numerous occasions. His effort commanded massive attention across the fantasy football world.
THEY CALL HIM TANK FOR A REASON.
TANK. BIGSBY.
📺: #INDvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/e09rZPXBYK— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
It wouldn't be surprising to see him handle a larger workload.
Will There Be A Change Of Starters Soon?
It's entirely possible that the order of starters is flipped, but the more likely scenario, at least in the short term, is that Bigsby is asked to handle a larger workload, and the opportunities and snaps between the two backs become more evenly split. The current backup has certainly earned a larger role.
Tank Bigsby.
That's it. That's the tweet. https://t.co/RTU0LzzN78 pic.twitter.com/Mui8BogV9B
— Steven Patton (@PattonAnalytics) October 9, 2024
Usually, teams are served well to give more work to chart-breaking players. The Jaguars have one of them.
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