Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or J.K. Dobbins

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.

Monday, January 26, 4:42 PM

When asked if he wants to re-sign with the Denver Broncos in 2026, running back J.K. Dobbins said, "Yeah, I'm a Bronco... I wasn't drafted here, but I'm a Buckeye, and I'm a Bronco." Dobbins suffered a Lisfranc foot injury in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders that required surgery, and he never played again in 2025. The 27-year-old resumed practicing last week, though, and said he was "very close" to playing in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots on Sunday. After the year Dobbins had before his foot injury, it wouldn't be a surprise if the two sides reached an agreement on a two- or three-year deal in free agency. He played for the Broncos on a one-year deal this season and was on his way to a career year before his injury, totaling 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 153 carries. Fantasy managers take on considerable injury risk with Dobbins, and if he stays in Denver, he'll be splitting the backfield with RJ Harvey.