Who Should I Start? Josh Jacobs or Travis Etienne Jr.

Wednesday, May 14, 3:06 PM

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs enjoyed a productive first season with the organization in 2024, rushing 301 times for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns to go along with 36 receptions for 342 yards and one score through the air. The former first-round pick out of Alabama looked like he could be headed for a decline in his last of five seasons with the Raiders in 2023, but his improved offensive environment proved to be significant. Packers running back coach Ben Sirmans gave Jacobs praise in a media availability on Wednesday. "He looks even better this year than he did last year at this point," Sirmans said. "His quickness right now, cutting ability going through the drills, he looks better than he did last year at this time." Jacobs finished as the RB5 in half-PPR setups last year, so the positive report is promising heading into next season. He should be firmly in the RB1 mix again for fantasy football purposes.

Thursday, May 8, 8:25 AM

The Jacksonville Jaguars' new regime of coaches and executives is "not so high" on running back Travis Etienne Jr., according to league executives who have spoken with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. As a result, Fowler notes that rookie Bhayshul Tuten could carve out a role and make an impact right away. The Etienne era in Jacksonville has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. He dominated over his first two seasons, combining for 2,925 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns. He even finished eighth in Offensive Player of the Year voting in 2023. However, last season, after Tank Bigsby joined the backfield, Etienne's usage dwindled. He still started all 15 games he played, but he was often out-snapped and out-produced by Bigsby. Etienne finished his age-25 campaign with just 558 rushing yards, 254 receiving yards, and two touchdowns, all of which were career lows. He was already trending down ahead of this offseason, and the Jaguars' decision to bring in new faces (such as general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen) could spell disaster for the former first-round pick.