Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Tank Bigsby

Thursday, July 23, 7:46 AM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby is heading into his first full year as the top backup in Philly to star Saquon Barkley after the Eagles acquired him from the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025 after just one game. In 16 regular-season games in Philly last year, Bigsby had 58 rushing attempts for 344 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and two rushing touchdowns, adding only three receptions for 32 yards as a pass-catcher. The 24-year-old is a power back with little pass-catching prowess, but if Barkley were to miss time due to injury in 2026, the former third-rounder by the Jaguars in 2023 out of Auburn would at least be the team's unquestioned early-down back in an offense looking to bounce back from a woeful 2025 campaign. Bigsby's big-play abilities -- he has six carries of 20-plus yards in his last 231 rushing attempts -- make him an intriguing handcuff option for fantasy managers who take Barkley early in drafts. The downfall is that Bigsby's fantasy upside as a lead back if Barkley is injured will be limited because he has shown very little in the way of producing as a pass-catcher. The Eagles have Will Shipley, Dameon Pierce, and Elijah Mitchell in the RB room, too, but it would be a surprise if Bigsby didn't enter the regular season as the unquestioned RB2.