Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or J.J. McCarthy

Thursday, October 23, 9:17 AM

Following an excellent start to the 2025 season, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. has cooled off as the team heads into its Week 8 bye. The fifth-year back is the No. 16 overall PPR running back, but has now recorded fewer than 50 yards rushing and no touchdowns in three straight games for the Jags, who were thoroughly quieted by the Los Angeles Rams in a 35-7 loss last week. Etienne drew only eight carries and one catch, his fewest number of touches in a game this season. The Jags traded Tank Bigsby to Philadelphia earlier this year, and rookie Bhayshul Tuten has yet to play more than a third of the team's snaps in a game, so Etienne is still the clear top option, but managers should continue to watch his usage in the weeks to come. Jacksonville travels to Las Vegas in Week 9.

Friday, November 14, 6:56 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a solid Superflex candidate with his team set to face the Chicago Bears in Week 11. The second-year quarterback led a furious comeback in the Week 1 meeting between the two teams in which he accounted for three total touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and the Chicago defense continues to rank among the bottom of the barrel against fantasy quarterbacks. McCarthy is a work in progress as a passer, but encouragingly for managers, he's developed a nice rushing floor in his limited time with the Vikings. He rushed for a touchdown in two of his four starts and ran for 48 yards on only five carries last week against the Ravens. Certainly, some volatility is to be expected from a first-time starter, but McCarthy is already playable in two-quarterback leagues and could have additional week-to-week value with favorable matchups.