Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne or J.J. Taylor

Sunday, April 28, 1:02 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said on Saturday that the team is picking up the fifth-year option for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne Jr. It's no surprise that the Jags will pick up the options for the former Clemson teammates with the deadline to do so coming next Thursday. The 24-year-old Lawrence has been given even more weapons in Gabe Davis and rookie Brian Thomas after Calvin Ridley left in free agency this offseason. Injuries hurt Lawrence in the second half of 2023, and with better health in 2024, he could easily rebound as a strong midrange QB1 for fantasy. Etienne has rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first two NFL seasons while also catching 93 total passes for 792 yards. Tank Bigsby could be a thorn in his side as he gets more involved in the backfield, but Etienne is still an attractive fantasy RB in an offense that could be even more explosive this year.

Saturday, August 26, 8:28 AM

New England Patriots running back J.J. Taylor had one carry for three yards and one catch for 10 yards in Friday's 23-7 preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans. He briefly appeared in Friday's game while Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris handled most of the touches. The 25-year-old is competing with Harris, Strong, and Ty Montgomery for a spot on the Patriots running back depth chart behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott. He had 10 carries for nine yards and caught his only target for eight yards in his only game for the Patriots in 2022. Taylor is fighting for a spot on New England's 53-man roster but is far from being fantasy-relevant in 2023.