Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Javonte Williams

Wednesday, October 7, 1:18 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams averages just 3.7 yards per carry this season, but he's on one of the NFL's better offenses and has handled a dominant share of his team's backfield touches. This has given him excellent spike week potential, and he now averages 24.6 PPR fantasy points across his best three contests of the season. He'll have plenty of opportunities against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 5, and should capitalize as such. He handles the goal-line work for the Cowboys, who have found themselves in the red zone often this season. As a result, he has five rushing touchdowns already. He's also caught 15 passes for 77 yards and another score, and ranks as the RB7 in fantasy football leagues as a result. His efficiency has taken a substantial hit from last season, likely due to the absence of elite run-blocking right guard Tyler Smith (thumb). The All-Pro guard returned to practice this week, though, and upgraded to full participation on Wednesday, though he's officially listed as questionable for Thursday's game. His return would give Williams even more upside, but whether or not Smith plays, Williams should be firmly entrenched as an RB1 in all fantasy football leagues with week-winning upside against a struggling 0-4 team.