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Is Travis Etienne or Tank Bigsby the Jaguars’ No. 1 RB heading in Week 1?

Is Travis Etienne or Tank Bigsby the Jaguars’ No. 1 RB heading in Week 1?

DraftKings Fantasy Advice Season Long NFL Rail

Published:

By: Alex Hunter

After finishing 4-13 last season, the Jaguars are looking to have a rebound season in 2025-26. Trevor Lawrence is healthy again and Liam Coen is Jacksonville’s new head coach, after he was the offensive coordinator for a Buccaneers’ team that finished fourth in scoring last season. The Jaguars’ offense should improve greatly under Cohen, but the team’s backfield remains a complicated situation for fantasy purposes. Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby sit atop of the depth chart, and it is unclear who is the lead back for this offense.

Travis Etienne or Tank Bigsby?

Last season, Bigsby played in 16 games and saw 168 carries, while Etienne played in 15 games and saw 150 carries, resulting in a near even split. However, Bigsby was the more effective rusher, averaging 4.7 YPC, compared to 3.7 for Etienne. Furthermore, Bigsby was the Jaguars’ main back in scoring territory, with 32 red zone carries, compared to 21 for Etienne. Conversely, Etienne held the edge in the passing game. The 26-year-old ran over 100 more routes than Bigsby and Etienne garnered a target on 20% of his routes, compared to just 8% for his teammate. Overall, Bigsby was more efficient for fantasy, scoring 0.39 FPTS per snap, while Etienne averaged 0.27.

While this was under a different coaching staff, we are likely to see another multiple back system under Cohen, as Tampa Bay utilized both Bucky Irving and Rachaad White for most of last season. With the new coach at the helm this preseason, the Jaguars started Etienne for the first preseason game and then started Bigsby in the second preseason contest, both of which were tilts that Jacksonville’s offensive starters began the game.

This certainly added more fuel to the fire that the Jaguars’ will feature a multiple back system again this season, with Bigsby likely leading the way on the ground and Etienne likely seeing more work in the passing game. Then there is rookie Bhayshul Tuten out of Vrigina Tech, who certainly could enter the mix if either Bigsby or Etienne struggle.

The Verdict

The Jaguars’ complex running back room makes this is a backfield to possibly avoid in fantasy football drafts, but if forced to choose one, Tank Bigsby looks like the best gamble at his current ADP, which is a couple rounds after Travis Etienne at the moment. As mentioned above, Bigsby is the far more effective rusher and him scoring plenty of touchdowns as Jacksonville’s goal back is a real possibility this season.

Alex Hunter
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.
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