Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Isiah Pacheco

Thursday, May 8, 8:25 AM

The Jacksonville Jaguars' new regime of coaches and executives is "not so high" on running back Travis Etienne Jr., according to league executives who have spoken with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. As a result, Fowler notes that rookie Bhayshul Tuten could carve out a role and make an impact right away. The Etienne era in Jacksonville has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. He dominated over his first two seasons, combining for 2,925 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns. He even finished eighth in Offensive Player of the Year voting in 2023. However, last season, after Tank Bigsby joined the backfield, Etienne's usage dwindled. He still started all 15 games he played, but he was often out-snapped and out-produced by Bigsby. Etienne finished his age-25 campaign with just 558 rushing yards, 254 receiving yards, and two touchdowns, all of which were career lows. He was already trending down ahead of this offseason, and the Jaguars' decision to bring in new faces (such as general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen) could spell disaster for the former first-round pick.

Saturday, January 25, 4:25 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has been a shell of his former self since returning from injury. Even when given the opportunity to start last week's contest, Pacheco remained inefficient and ceded work to veteran Kareem Hunt. The 25-year-old handled five carries for 18 yards against the Texans, compared to eight carries, 44 yards, and a touchdown for Hunt. Given the importance of the matchup and Pacheco's struggles, the Chiefs likely lean on Hunt as their workhorse back in the AFC Championship game this Sunday. Kansas City will face the potent Buffalo Bills in Arrowhead to determine who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. With the Chiefs searching for a historic three-peat, the stakes are too high to rely on Pacheco. The second-year back should not be viewed as a start-worthy asset in fantasy playoff leagues and should be considered a dart-throw option in DFS leagues.