Who Should I Start? D'Andre Swift or Travis Etienne Jr.

Thursday, July 24, 3:58 PM

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift said rookie Kyle Monangai is a "great addition" to the running back room. Monangai was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft following a productive final two seasons at Rutgers. The 23-year-old tallied at least 1,200 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons. Now in Chicago, he could be competing for the RB2 role behind Swift with Roschon Johnson. "He don't really lack anything from what I'm seeing," Swift said. "Confident in his style of play, real low to the ground, great catching the ball out of the backfield. Solid, real solid." While seventh-round picks rarely make significant fantasy football impacts in Year 1, the Bears have one of the weaker RB units in the NFL, making Monangia one to watch as training camp progresses. He should be stashed in deep dynasty leagues.

Saturday, July 12, 11:10 PM

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. needs to have a strong year to be considered a "marquee target" in free agency next offseason. If not, he could become "a back who gets lumped in with the pool of veterans who cycle through one-year deals." The 26-year-old began his career by amassing over 1,000 rushing yards while totaling 17 touchdowns in his first two active seasons. Unfortunately, he's coming off his worst season in the National Football League, accumulating 558 yards and two scores off 150 touches. Tank Bigsby was more productive overall throughout the 2024 campaign. However, it's a new era in Jacksonville, with the organization hiring former Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen to serve as the head coach. In addition, the Jags bolstered the running back position by selecting Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. in the 2025 NFL Draft. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how the backfield situation takes shape during training camp. Although Etienne's fantasy stock has never been lower, it appears he at least has a chance to turn things around in 2025. If anything, Etienne should be selected for insurance purposes in case Bigsby goes down with an injury.