Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Rhamondre Stevenson

Sunday, November 16, 7:26 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. had 19 carries, 73 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns during Sunday's Week 11 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He was unable to haul in either of his two targets in the passing game. Etienne ceded early-game touches to Bhayshul Tuten (ankle), but then the rookie left the game with an injury, clearing the way for Etienne to re-establish himself as the lead back. The 26-year-old took full advantage of the opportunity, helping fuel a 35-6 upset victory at home. If Tuten is healthy in Week 12, we could see somewhat of a 50/50 backfield split, as both running backs have proven that they are effective and can provide a spark. In a split backfield, Etienne is a low-end RB2. However, he would jump to the RB1 tier if he operates as the workhorse or if Tuten misses time.

Monday, November 17, 11:56 AM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) is expected to be available for Wednesday's practice, according to head coach Mike Vrabel. The fifth-year pro has been out since Week 9 as he battles a hamstring injury. While Stevenson returned to practice in a limited capacity to begin his prep ahead of their win against the Jets last Thursday night, he was tagged with a DNP to close out the week. It appears the extra few days of rest were enough to get him back to playing shape at least, although he'll return to a less clear situation in the backfield with TreVeyon Henderson's recent surge of production. For now, the most likely scenario would be that the split becomes more even moving forward, but it was trending that way even before he picked up the toe issue. This backfield is worth keeping tabs on when New England squares off with the hosting Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12.