Tuten ($9,800 for Showdown) has come alive the last two weeks, going off for 24.7 FPTS vs. the Texans and 32.9 FPTS vs. the Colts. Unfortunately, the back is now dealing with a foot injury. Tuten wasn’t spotted at practice Tuesday for the second day in a row ahead of Thursday’s matchup vs. the Ravens.
This doesn’t bode well for Tuten’s chances of playing Thursday, and him missing this contest wouldn’t be surprising. Meanwhile, backup running back Rodriguez Jr. ($3,400) is dealing with a hand injury, but he was able to get a limited practice in on Monday and presumably practiced again Tuesday, as there are no reports stating otherwise.
Rodriguez Jr. would be in line to start at running back Thursday if Tuten is out. In that situation, how strong of a fantasy option would Rodriguez Jr. be?
Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s Fantasy Outlook if Tuten Sits
Tuten’s role has been strong as the Jaguars’ lead back this season. The Virginia Tech product is averaging 15.7 carries per game and handling 55.6% of the Jaguars running back carries while logging 55.3% of the snaps. Tuten is also running a route on 38% of his team’s dropbacks and garnering a target on 19% of his routes.
Rodriguez Jr. has been Tuten’s clear backup, ranking second for this backfield in carries (45) and snap rate (24%), and if Tuten is inactive, Rodriguez Jr. should slide right into Tuten’s role while Ameer Abdullah ($1,000) plays a secondary role behind him.
Rodriguez Jr. would likely see 15-20 touches, and he would bring Tuten-like upside. Rodriguez Jr. has actually been a slightly more effective rusher than Tuten this season. Rodriguez Jr. is averaging 4.6 YPC with a 55.6% rushing success rate, while Tuten is averaging 4.5 YPC with a 52.7% rushing success rate.
Tuten has been much better in the passing game, however, averaging 2.1 YPPR and seeing a target on 19% of his routes, whereas Rodriguez Jr. is averaging 0.7 YPPR and seeing a target on 10% of his routes.
Nonetheless, Rodriguez Jr. is scoring a rock solid 0.4 FPTS per snap, which isn’t far behind Tuten at 0.5. Rodriguez Jr. saw 15+ touches in three games with the Commanders last season, and he averaged 12.9 FPTS per game on those occasions.
As for Rodriguez’s matchup, he is going against a Ravens defense that is allowing the seventh-fewest yards per rush this season (3.8). That being said, Baltimore is surrendering the fourth-most rushing touchdowns (10), and the Jaguars are likely to be in a positive game script as a 10-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook.
This is an optimal situation for the Jaguars’ backfield, and Rodriguez Jr. should thrive in this spot if Tuten sits. Rodriguez Jr. is only rostered in 26% of leagues on Yahoo, and if you need help at running back this week, grabbing Rodriguez Jr. off waivers is a sharp move. Don’t invest too heavily, as this is likely to be just a one-week rental.
For DFS, Rodriguez Jr. only costs $3,400 for Thursday’s Showdown slate on DraftKings, and he would be a core play at that low price tag that would warrant consideration for your captain spot.
