Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Travis Etienne Jr.

Wednesday, September 3, 4:27 PM

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler was once again deployed as the team's RB1 during practice on Wednesday. During a QB/RB drill, JP Finaly of NBC4 reported that Ekeler was given the first opportunity, while seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt followed him. Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. followed behind him as the third and fourth running backs. Earlier in the week, Ekeler was listed first on the team's depth chart, and his usage during Wednesday's practice seems to solidify his role as the lead option. During his debut season in Washington, Ekeler served as the primary pass-catching back, but was still very effective on the ground, posting a 4.8 YPC. Given his projected role, Ekeler carries RB2 upside in PPR leagues and strong flex value in standard formats facing the New York Giants in Week 1.

Wednesday, September 3, 1:14 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen shed some light on running back Travis Etienne Jr.'s usage going into the regular season on Wednesday. "We've got to use him as a guy that can help make plays... turn those 10 play drives into four play drives," Coen said. Etienne and Bigsby were listed as co-starters on the team's unofficial Week 1 depth chart, and they both figure to split the workload to open the 2025 campaign under Coen. Most fantasy managers were down on the 26-year-old after he was a major bust last year. However, unless he's traded, which is unlikely now, Etienne is going to have a role in Jacksonville's backfield. Bigsby has the power between the tackles, but Etienne's speed sets him apart, and he could still operate as a useful RB2/3 option for fantasy managers in PPR formats on a weekly basis.