Who Should I Start? Tony Pollard or Travis Etienne

Friday, September 6, 1:54 PM

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard heads to Chicago to face the Bears on NFL opening weekend. Pollard came to Nashville by way of Dallas on a 3-year, $21.75M deal this offseason after an underwhelming year as the Cowboys lead back. He now takes over a Titans backfield that is without superstar workhorse Derrick Henry, but retains the shifty Tyjae Spears who flashed quite a bit last season and should get a sizable workload. Titans Offensive Coordinator Nick Holz recently said the backfield will likely be a 50/50 split which brings Pollard's value down some, but he should still be the 1A to Spears' 1B in the backfield at least to begin the year. Week 1 will be anything but easy traveling to the Chicago and their #1 rushing defense from last year, which should be elite once again in 2024. Consider him a low-end flex for Week 1.

Friday, August 23, 10:09 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne put up 46 rushing yards on seven carries and three yards on one catch in a 31-0 win against the Atlanta Falcons. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry, and his longest run of Friday's game was 19 yards. The third-year running back looked explosive on the ground against Atlanta's defensive backups and will be a bell-cow once again this season. Etienne currently goes at RB10 and 22nd overall on Yahoo, which feels a little low given his potential volume. He finished as the RB3 last season but was inconsistent down the stretch. However, with a revamped offense and improved offensive line, fantasy managers shouldn't worry about the former Clemson back as a second-round pick with a first-round upside. Managers looking for a running back in the second round should feel good about picking Etienne.