Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones or Travis Etienne

Tuesday, March 12, 8:48 AM

Former Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones is staying in the NFC North, as he is set to sign a one-year, $7 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Jones was released by the Packers after they landed former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs. The 29-year-old dealt with injuries last year and was limited to 656 rushing yards and 233 receiving yards to go along with three total touchdowns. However, he dominated in the playoffs, posting 39 carries for 226 yards (5.6 YPC) and three touchdowns in two games. He still has plenty of juice, and he should be set up to be the featured back with the Vikings. However, the offense could be headed for steep regression after losing franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons.

Wednesday, February 28, 2:04 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr.'s 325 touches last year were third-most in the NFL for a RB, but head coach Doug Pederson said that Etienne as a workhorse back "is not the recipe" he prefers. Pederson mentioned that D'Ernest Johnson was injured in 2023, and Tank Bigsby was learning as a rookie. The head coach said he'd consider knocking some of Etienne's reps down next season in order to keep him healthy over the course of the year. All in all, the 25-year-old topped 1,000 rushing yards for the second time in his two NFL seasons, and he also improved as a pass-catcher with 58 catches for 476 yards. Etienne will remain the Jaguars' lead back and will be an RB1 target for fantasy managers, but you'll need to keep in mind that if the team has it their way, Etienne's total touches will be managed more.