Who Should I Start? Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Travis Etienne

Wednesday, February 28, 10:44 AM

The Kansas City Chiefs are releasing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling ahead of free agency in a cap-saving move. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the team saves $12 million on the cap. The veteran speedster spent two seasons with the Chiefs, totaling 63 receptions for 1,002 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 33 games. He wasn't overly productive, but he did catch two touchdowns in the 2022 playoffs and caught a touchdown in the victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. Valdes-Scantling is unlikely to sign a big-money deal this offseason, but his field-stretching skill set will be attractive to a few teams.

Wednesday, February 28, 2:04 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr.'s 325 touches last year were third-most in the NFL for a RB, but head coach Doug Pederson said that Etienne as a workhorse back "is not the recipe" he prefers. Pederson mentioned that D'Ernest Johnson was injured in 2023, and Tank Bigsby was learning as a rookie. The head coach said he'd consider knocking some of Etienne's reps down next season in order to keep him healthy over the course of the year. All in all, the 25-year-old topped 1,000 rushing yards for the second time in his two NFL seasons, and he also improved as a pass-catcher with 58 catches for 476 yards. Etienne will remain the Jaguars' lead back and will be an RB1 target for fantasy managers, but you'll need to keep in mind that if the team has it their way, Etienne's total touches will be managed more.