The NFL season is quickly approaching, and fantasy drafts are in full swing. At DraftKings, you can play an array of different season-long fantasy contests.
This is a look at the fantasy value of all the players in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ backfield.
Jacksonville Jaguars Backfield
The Jaguars are hoping for a breakthrough season in 2025. In Trevor Lawrence’s sophomore season in 2022-23, the Jaguars won the division and a playoff game. However, the Jaguars then missed the postseason each of the next two seasons, leading to the firing of coach Doug Pederson this offseason. The Jaguars brought in former Bucs and Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen to be their new head coach. This offense has the potential to be one of the best in the league if Coen’s system works and everyone stays healthy. Tampa Bay had a top-five offense in the NFL, measured by EPA/play and success rate, last season with Coen calling the shots.
Liam Coen was able to get the best out of Baker Mayfield and should do the same with Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence has been a solid NFL starter, but he has not reached the heights that many expected as one of the most highly touted prospects in recent memory. There are now no excuses for Lawrence with a good offensive coach and a stable of weapons. Brian Thomas Jr. was one of the breakout rookie stars last season, finishing third in the NFL in receiving yards behind only Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. The Jaguars used their first-round pick this season on superstar two-way player Travis Hunter. Lawrence now has one of the most exciting wide receiver duos in the NFL to work with.
In the backfield, it will be fascinating to see the usage rate of both running backs. Travis Etienne Jr. is still the primary back, but his role started to dwindle last season. Etienne was a 1,000-yard rusher each of his first two seasons in Jacksonville, but he finished with only 558 rushing yards last season. Despite only playing one more game than Etienne, Tank Bigsby was the team’s leading rusher with 766 yards. Bigsby also finished the season with seven rushing touchdowns, compared to two for Etienne. Both players are still on the roster this season, and Etienne is in the final year of his contract.
Running Back Handcuff: Tank Bigsby
The Jaguars have one of the most interesting backfield situations this offseason. Etienne is still listed as the starting running back on the depth chart, but last season, Bigsby proved to be the more explosive back. Bigsby averaged 4.6 yards per carry, compared to 3.7 for Etienne. Also, with five more touchdowns scored, he was clearly preferred as the goal-line option. In a contract year, Etienne will want to prove his worth with free agency on the horizon. However, the Jaguars could look to the future and give more touches to Bigsby.
It is always tricky with a new head coach. He might prefer one running back or the other based on how they fit into his system. Last season, the Buccaneers were a pass-heavy offense, but Bucky Irving was still a 1,000-yard rusher in that offense. Tampa Bay had a similar running back situation to Jacksonville with Irving and Rachaad White. Just based on explosiveness, Bigsby is more similar to Irving, while Etienne is closer to White. In that offense, Liam Coen preferred Irving, but White actually finished with more total touchdowns. Both of those running backs were viable fantasy options last season, despite Irving becoming the clear RB1 by the end of the season.
It could be a similar situation in Jacksonville this season. It wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if Tank Bigsby was getting a majority of the carries at any point in the season. It is a big risk to take either of these players in fantasy drafts because, on any given week, one could end up with the goal-line touches. If you plan on taking Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby is the clear handcuff choice. The two are very close in average draft position and projected scoring from many fantasy experts. It is worth drafting the duo if you’re going to take one of them, and then start the player getting the important touches.
