Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby mixed in liberally with the first-team offense in Saturday's preseason finale. The rookie played nine of 25 snaps (36%), carrying 6 times for 37 yards (6.2 YPC). The bad news: He lost a fumble near the goal line. The good news: He got a carry near the goal line, and he continued working with the starters on the next series. Bigsby might see enough volume to be a RB3 or flex option in larger fantasy leagues this season. And, at minimum, he's a high-end handcuff to RB Travis Etienne.
Jaguars insider John Shipley writes that the coaching staff has "seemingly thrown water on the idea of [RB Tank] Bigsby having a massively expanded role, at least this early on in his career." The rookie has had a strong training camp and already earned the No. 2 RB job. "But for now it seems that the No. 2 role is as large as it will get for Bigsby, at least early on in his career," Shipley writes. "Perhaps that changes during the season as Bigsby gets more experience, but the Jaguars are a playoff team with a veteran running back already entrenched as the starter. As a result, there might not be an overbearing pressure to expand Bigsby's role early in his career." Shipley adds that one specific area where Bigsby could contribute this season is at the goal line, which would obviously be a boon to his fantasy value and an issue for RB Travis Etienne. But it doesn't sound like Bigsby is in line for enough volume to be a reliable play in lineup-setting fantasy leagues. Consider him more of a high-end handcuff than standalone fantasy asset.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne has gotten some work with the WRs in training camp, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "His route tree isn't extensive yet, but he's a very natural pass-catcher," Fowler adds. Etienne underwhelmed in the receiving department last year and faces additional competition for that work this season from rookie Tank Bigsby. But don't forget that Etienne racked up 85 catches over his final two college seasons. There's still room for the 24-year-old to improve his passing-game chops. We'll be keeping a close eye on Etienne and Bigsby's usage this preseason.
Per beat writer John Shipley, Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby “took a big step” toward winning the team’s No. 2 RB job at OTAs/minicamp. The rookie reportedly stood out in the passing game, impressing RB coach Bernie Parmalee and others. Parmalee even praised Bigsby going back to the pre-draft process. "This is the type of back we wanted to bring to the table, and he fit everything that we were looking for, Parmalee said. “And he popped off the screen. And that's the thing when you sit down, you watch the tape, you say, Okay, that's a good play. But for someone to say, Oh, woah, my goodness, I'm running this [tape] back. I said, Oh my God. I think we got one. I put a double star. Here's one right here.” As a late-round stash, the former SEC Freshman of the Year should be part of your fantasy football draft strategy.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne got a big boost in rushing volume after the team quit on RB James Robinson last season. He went from 32% carry share over the first six games to 61.4% from Week 7 on. But Etienne actually lost target share after Robinson's demotion. He drew 8.9% over the first six games vs. just 6.5% the rest of the way. That's a legitimate concern heading into Year 3, especially after Jacksonville selected RB Tank Bigsby in Round 3. The rookie claimed a class-leading 15.3% target share at Auburn in 2022. If Bigsby beats -- or even matches -- Etienne in receiving opportunities, the incumbent's ceiling would come down. Etienne's RB13 ADP matches his current spot in our PPR rankings. But there's downside risk from that position.
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson complimented his team’s RB depth. “I feel really good about that room,” Pederson said. “There's a lot of depth there. There's some great competition that's going to show up with training camp. This is one of our stronger rooms on the team, and we're excited about that.” Travis Etienne returns, but Jacksonville spent a Round 3 pick on Auburn’s Tank Bigsby. ESPN reporter Michael DiRocco points out that Etienne handled a hefty 74% carry share following the James Robinson trade — a mark the Jags don’t want repeated. See our projections for this new-look backfield.
The Jaguars selected Auburn RB Tank Bigbsy in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Bigsby played his college career behind one of the nation’s worst offensive lines. Through four head coaches in three years, he tallied no fewer than 900 scrimmage yards in every season in the Tigers’ offense. In many ways, Bigsby single-handedly carried the Auburn offense throughout his career. Between his creativity and phenomenal center of gravity, Bigsby is among the toughest runners in this rookie class. In Jacksonville, he projects as the long-term compliment to Travis Etienne. Current backfield depth options include Snoop Conner, D'Ernest Johnson, and JaMycal Hasty.
The Jaguars signed RB D'Ernest Johnson to a one-year deal. Johnson was excellent in a trio of spot starts back in 2021, posting 22-146-1, 19-99-0, and 25-123-1 rushing lines. He led all 50 qualifying RBs in 2021 Pro Football Focus rushing grades. Johnson got on the field for just 35 offensive snaps this past season, though, with both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt healthy. Johnson now joins JaMycal Hasty behind Travis Etienne in Jacksonville's backfield. Neither guy is likely to have standalone fantasy value. But, if Etienne misses time, we'd expect Johnson to lead in carries, with Hasty handling passing-down work.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne told reporters Monday that he was "happy" to finish his 2nd season healthy. But, according to Jaguars Wire, he added, "I just want to put on a little muscle mass, a little more weight, because those guys are really big." Etienne later listed pass protection as an area in which he wants to improve. Weakness in that area might have helped limited Etienne's playing time over the final 4 games, when he played fewer than 30 snaps 3 times (compared with 49+ in 8 straight non-injury games before that). Adding bulk isn't always a great thing for a speedy back, because too much extra muscle can slow him down. Even if that doesn't happen, this change doesn't seem likely to address Etienne's main fantasy issue: a lack of receptions. We'll certainly be watching all factors as the former 1st-round pick approaches his 3rd season. Etienne looks decent as an option in Round 3 or 4 of early best-ball drafts.
Jags RB Travis Etienne ripped off 62 yards and 1 score in Saturday’s loss at Kansas City. He did so on only 10 attempts. Backup JaMycal Hasty chipped in with 4 carries, although the bigger story here was Hasty’s involvement as the go-to back when Jacksonville played from behind. On the year, Etienne tallied only 35 catches (2.05 per game) on 45 targets — 5th most on the team. Target competition will remain stiff next fall given the addition of Calvin Ridley. We’ll see if the Jags tinker with the backfield, as Hasty is slated for restricted free agency.
Jags RB Travis Etienne racked up 109 yards on 20 attempts in a (wild) Wild Card win over Los Angeles. It’s amazing that he saw that type of volume, as Jacksonville fell behind 27-0 in the 1st half. Yet for the 4th time over the past 5 weeks, Etienne reached 100 total yards. We expect the Clemson product to face Kansas City in the Divisional Round. Back in Week 10, Etienne posted 11 carries for 45 yards (plus 3-28 receiving) against the Chiefs.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne carried just 9 times in Sunday's easy win over the Texans. But he turned that into 108 yards and a TD, thanks largely to a 62-yard scoring run. Etienne added 3 receptions for 32 yards on 3 targets. RB JaMycal Hasty led the team with 10 carries, gaining 33 yards and scoring the team's 1st TD from 5 yards out. RB Snoop Conner came on late for 5-17-1 rushing. hasty also led the backfield in targets and catches, ranking 2nd on the team with 6 looks and tying for the lead with 6 receptions (for 23 yards). Jacksonville plays Tennessee for the division in Week 18, a matchup that has ranked among the league's toughest for rushing production all season.
The Jaguars have no plans to rest starters against the Texans today, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. "It's full steam ahead," a Jaguars official told ESPN. "Everybody's ready and everybody's playing." The AFC South title comes down to next weekend's game vs. the Titans, but the Jaguars do still have about a 6% chance at a Wild Card spot, so today's game isn't meaningless. We're projecting Jaguars players for full playing time.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne carried 22 times for 83 yards in Thursday night's soggy win over the Jets. He added 3 catches for 29 yards, the RB's largest receiving-yardage total since Week 5. JaMycal Hasty and Snoop Conner shared the other 5 RB rushing attempts. Hasty, though, matched Etienne's 3 targets, continuing to eat into the starter's receiving work. This marked the 3rd straight game of Etienne running a route on less than 60% of QB Trevor Lawrence's dropbacks, with the past 2 weeks coming in at 56%. Etienne hasn't sen more than 3 targets in a game since Week 7 (before the James Robinson trade). That shouldn't matter for next week's ceiling matchup with Houston. But it will hurt Etienne's fantasy floor and ceiling for a Week 18 rematch with the Titans. He went 17-32 rushing with 0 targets in their Week 14 meeting.
The forecast for tonight’s Jaguars-Jets game calls for light rain early, potentially getting heavier throughout the night. The bigger concern is the wind. We’re looking at sustained 15-20 mph winds with gusts of 30+ mph. It's ugly weather that figures to impact the passing and kicking games — while also possibly pushing both teams to run more than they would in better conditions. We’ve updated our Jaguars and Jets projections for the forecast.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne ran for 103 yards on 19 carries in Sunday's OT win over the Cowboys. It was his 1st game with more than 54 yards on the ground since Week 9 but the 2nd straight week of 17+ attempts for Etienne. He gets a tougher matchup with the Jets in Week 16 but 1 of the league's most favorable rushing matchups in Week 17: Houston.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne ran for just 32 yards on 17 carries (1.9 per rush) in Sunday's win over the Titans. Etienne also drew 0 targets, despite easily leading the backfield in pass routes. It continued a season-long trend of Jacksonville minimizing Etienne's presence in the passing game, which hurts both his fantasy floor and ceiling. Jacksonville gets a Week 15 home date with the Cowboys, who entered Sunday as a top-8 defense against both the pass (1st) and run, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne returned Sunday after leaving Week 12 early with a foot injury. But he carried just 13 times for a pedestrian 54 yards and added only 12 yards on 3 catches. RB Snoop Conner handled the only other backfield touch: a 6-yard carry. RB JaMycal Hasty didn't touch the ball. Etienne and his group get a tough draw in Week 14 against the Titans' #1 run defense.
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