Who Should I Start? Nick Chubb or Travis Etienne Jr.

Saturday, August 23, 1:11 PM

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb will not suit up for the team's preseason finale on Saturday versus the Detroit Lions, according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Alexander notes that unless Chubb is dealing with an injury, he's likely a lock to start in Week 1 of the regular season against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Sept. 7, with Joe Mixon (ankle, foot) still sidelined due to injury. Dameon Pierce, rookie Woody Marks and Dare Ogunbowale were all in uniform for Saturday's contest in Detroit. In his lone preseason appearance, the 29-year-old Chubb had five carries for 25 yards and caught one pass for a gain of four yards. Chubb, a four-time Pro Bowler, might get the start in Week 1, but Houston figures to mix and match in their backfield until Mixon is able to return. He did not look like the same explosive back last year after a serious knee injury in 2023 and is only the RB53 at RotoBaller.

Wednesday, September 3, 1:14 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen shed some light on running back Travis Etienne Jr.'s usage going into the regular season on Wednesday. "We've got to use him as a guy that can help make plays... turn those 10 play drives into four play drives," Coen said. Etienne and Bigsby were listed as co-starters on the team's unofficial Week 1 depth chart, and they both figure to split the workload to open the 2025 campaign under Coen. Most fantasy managers were down on the 26-year-old after he was a major bust last year. However, unless he's traded, which is unlikely now, Etienne is going to have a role in Jacksonville's backfield. Bigsby has the power between the tackles, but Etienne's speed sets him apart, and he could still operate as a useful RB2/3 option for fantasy managers in PPR formats on a weekly basis.