Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Chuba Hubbard

Thursday, August 14, 2:22 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. got a lot of run "from the jump" in the team's scrimmage on Thursday. Tank Bigsby and rookie Bhayshul Tuten had the second-most reps of RBs during the scrimmage, and Bigsby found the end zone. Etienne was also the team's lead back in the preseason opener on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, although he only carried the ball twice for six yards and caught one pas for a pickup of 10 yards. Bigsby and Tuten didn't see the field. Etienne's usage so far suggests that he should be a big part of Jacksonville's offense in 2025, unless he's traded before the start of the season. The 26-year-old is still RotoBaller's highest-ranked (No. 33) Jaguars RB in fantasy, but Bigsby is at No. 38, and Tuten sits at No. 51. It could be a three-headed monster for Jacksonville, making Etienne an RB3/flex, at best, in PPR leagues if he's not traded.

Saturday, August 9, 3:50 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard opened the preseason with three rushes for 10 yards in Friday's 30-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. While his stats were light, the 26-year-old is expected to resume his role as the team's lead back after an impressive 2024 campaign. Last year, Hubbard emerged as a bell-cow, capitalizing on injuries to Miles Sanders and Jonathon Brooks (knee) to post a stat line of 250 rushes for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, along with 43 receptions for 171 yards and one touchdown through the air in 15 games. He signed a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension in the middle of the season. RotoBaller projects Hubbard as RB17 heading into the regular season, reflecting his expected workload as the top option in the Carolina backfield and a steady, high-end RB2.