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Is Travis Etienne a must-start if Tank Bigsby sits in Week 11?

Is Travis Etienne a must-start if Tank Bigsby sits in Week 11?

Published:

By: Alex Hunter

Tank Bigsby ($5,600; ankle) missed his second straight practice Thursday, which is a strong sign that the back likely won’t be able to play this Sunday vs. the Lions.

Last week, Bigsby hurt his ankle early and only played 23% of the snaps vs. the Vikings. As a result, Travis Etienne ($6,300) saw his largest workload in quite sometime, rushing the ball 11 times — which was 84.6% of the Jaguars’ running back carries — and logging 68.2% of the snaps.

While this was compelling usage, Etienne didn’t do much with the expanded workload, with the back finishing with only 5.3 FPTS in the loss to Minnesota. Etienne will likely operate as Jacksonville’s featured back if Bigsby sits this Sunday, but this doesn’t mean we should be overly excited about this opportunity.

Etienne is averaging a modest 0.29 FPTS per snap this season and his matchup is horrible, going against a Detroit defense that is the second-highest graded unit on PFF. The Lions are giving up the fourth-fewest rush yards to running backs (691) and the Jaguars’ implied team total is set at a very low 16.5 points on the DraftKings Sportsbook.

Jacksonville is a 14-point underdog for this matchup, with Mac Jones ($4,800) starting for the second straight game. Etienne should struggle mightily in this likely blowout. The back isn’t worth considering for DFS at his current salary and, unless you’re in a deep league and very desperate, Etienne also shouldn’t be started in season-long leagues.


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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.


I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.

Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player and sports handicapper, who has been a proud member of the DraftKings Network team since 2020. He is a data-driven analyst, who earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has been in the sports content business for nearly a decade, covering the NBA, NFL and PGA TOUR. Alex is a diehard Boston Celtics fan, who loves to be on the golf course when he isn’t grinding lineups or producing content. For all of Alex’s work or if you need any lineup advice, be sure to follow him @Hunta512 on X.
Disclaimer

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.