Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Bucky Irving

Tuesday, January 27, 4:29 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. was motivated in his contract year in 2025, and he delivered with 1,399 scrimmage yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns (seven rushing, six receiving) in 17 regular-season games. The 27-year-old posted his third 1,000-yard rushing season in his four years in the NFL, and it was a huge bounce-back campaign for the former Clemson star after he had only 558 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 2024 in 15 games. Determining Etienne's 2026 fantasy value is hard at the moment, since we don't know yet if the Jaguars plan to make an effort to re-sign him as he heads into his fifth year in the NFL. Etienne certainly outperformed expectations this year, but if he goes elsewhere, he might not see the kind of volume he did for the Jags as a dual-threat RB. If he stays in Duval, Etienne will be trying to hold off Bhayshul Tuten, who seems destined for a bigger role in 2026.

Tuesday, February 3, 3:17 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving had high expectations going into his sophomore season in 2025 after rushing for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns on 207 carries in his rookie campaign in 2024. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit him, and he ended up playing in only 10 games, carrying the ball 173 times for 588 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and just one rushing touchdown. Irving added 30 receptions on 35 targets for 277 yards and three more touchdowns. Fantasy managers who drafted him were extremely disappointed in his overall production. The good news is that Irving should be fully healthy this offseason as he heads into Year 3, and a bigger role could await in Tampa's backfield with Rachaad White expected to depart in free agency. Sean Tucker will be involved, but Irving has already proven he has a three-down skill set. At a reduced cost, Irving will be a popular value pick in fantasy football drafts this fall.