Who Should I Start? Chris Rodriguez Jr. or Dylan Sampson

Wednesday, September 9, 6:39 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. has emerged as a last-minute riser in fantasy football ahead of the start of the 2026 NFL season. The narrative for several months has been that Bhayshul Tuten would lead the Jags' backfield, and while that still might be the case, it's worth noting that the team's official depth chart lists Tuten and Rodriguez as sharing the No. 1 role. Perhaps we shouldn't be that surprised. After all, Tuten was the backup to Travis Etienne Jr. last year, so he hasn't handled a workhorse role yet. Additionally, there was plenty of buzz during the offseason that head coach Liam Coen expected big things from Rodriguez, whom he coached in college. The exact fantasy outlook for both of these backs remains a bit murky until we've seen how the backfield shakes out through the first game or two. For now, we'd view Tuten as a fringe RB2/RB3 and Rodriguez as a fringe RB3/RB4. That's still enough to get Rodriguez on the fantasy radar in 10+ team leagues, and he's a potential Week 1 flex for managers in 14+ team leagues, especially against a Browns defense that is trending down.