Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Travis Etienne

Saturday, December 14, 12:27 PM

Despite being 3-10 heading into a Week 15 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Cleveland Browns expect quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles), reigning NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry to return in 2025, according to sources. Watson's role, however, is up in the air with the Browns moving forward after he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear midseason. Cleveland traded three first-round picks to the Texans to acquire Watson in 2022 and then signed him to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract. Since joining the team, he has played in just 19 games and has posted a weak 80.7 passer rating when on the field. A post-June 1 release of Watson would create around $119 million in dead money, which would be the most in NFL history. The Browns are stuck with Watson for now, and he'll be off the fantasy radar coming off his serious injury in 2025.

Monday, December 16, 3:45 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. took hold of the lead-back role in Week 15 against the New York Jets. He finished with 85 total yards on 18 touches which consisted of 65 yards on 14 carries and four catches for 20 yards. The 25-year-old back has been mostly overshadowed by fellow back Tank Bigsby, but in this week's matchup with the Jets, he out-touched Bigsby 18 to 11. While it isn't surprising Etienne Jr. was more involved in the passing game, it is surprising he out-carried Bigsby given recent games. That might be because Etienne Jr. has become more efficient at running the ball. In Week 15, Etienne averaged 4.6 yards per carry, while Bigsby averaged 3.8. Etienne Jr. will look to continue separating himself from Bigsby in Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders.