Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Travis Etienne Jr.

Friday, December 5, 10:12 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has now gone four straight games without a touchdown, which is his longest scoring drought since 2021. Barkley has also seen a dip in usage over the last couple of weeks, averaging 11.5 carries in his last two outings compared to the 20 he was averaging in Weeks 7-11. Although, this could be chalked up to Philly having to play from behind in their recent back-to-back losses. In Week 14, Barkley faces off against a Chargers defense that allows 106.9 rushing yards per game and has given up 14 touchdowns on the ground through 12 games. It's no daunting matchup, and the reigning Offensive Player of the Year is due for a boom game. As long as the Eagles don't find themselves in too big of a hole in this contest-which they shouldn't-bank on Barkley to find his footing again despite the rough patch. He's a low-end RB1 this week.

Friday, December 5, 10:41 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. has been one of the most consistently productive backs in the NFL so far this season, recording 1,016 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns across 12 games. The 26-year-old has recorded at least 15 touches in 10 out of 12 contests and scored four touchdowns over the last four weeks. Jaguars rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten has played a role as the team's RB2 and looked like he might be pushing Etienne Jr. for playing time when he recorded 15 carries in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, in the two weeks since that game, Etienne Jr. has out-touched Tuten 31 to 16 and out-snapped him 71 to 31. Etienne Jr. appears to still have a firm grasp on the RB1 role in Jacksonville and profiles as a high-end fantasy RB2 heading into a Week 14 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.