Fantasy football is a game of educated guesses, but no backfield is more confusing than the Jacksonville Jaguars. Led by Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, rookie Bhayshul Tuten, and first-year head coach Liam Coen, nobody knows exactly how this backfield will shape up. Recently, Liam Coen said that Etienne will be the team’s top running back, but also said that the former first-round pick will take “a bit of a backseat as a rusher as the team’s running game and his receiving ability evolve.”
This suggests nobody will be a true workhorse in the Jaguars backfield, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore Jacksonville in fantasy football. At least one of the aforementioned names will have some fantasy value, so let’s take a look at how this situation could sort itself out.
How the Jaguars Will Use Their Running Backs In Fantasy Football
Travis Etienne
Let’s start with the biggest name of the bunch: Travis Etienne. A first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Clemson product missed his rookie season with an injury but recorded consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. While his 2022 was genuinely impressive, the underlying numbers in 2023 suggested he owed most of his rushing success to volume, rather than efficiency. This caught up to him in 2024, as he finished the season with just 558 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 150 carries (3.7 yards per attempt).
The advanced numbers didn’t paint a prettier picture, as Etienne’s 62.8 PFF rushing grade ranked 54th out of 59 eligible running backs. However, while he couldn’t do much between the tackles, he still added value in the passing game with 39 receptions for 254 yards and a respectable 70.7 receiving grade.
Based on Coen’s comments above and his history in Tampa Bay, Etienne will probably fill the Rachaad White role in this offense. While Etienne isn’t as good of a receiver as White, he’s still dangerous out of the backfield and should be a flex-caliber player most weeks. Of course, if Etienne sees most of the targets, then someone must step up on early downs.
Tank Bigsby
Following a rookie season to forget, third-round pick Tank Bigsby made a massive leap in Year 2. While he never officially earned the starting job, the Jaguars running back quickly became the more valuable commodity in fantasy football. Appearing in 16 games while making one start, the Auburn product finished the season with 766 yards and seven touchdowns on 168 attempts, good for 4.6 yards per carry and a 74.6 PFF rushing grade. While he brought next to nothing as a receiver, he still finished as the RB36 in PPR formats.
Now playing with a better coach and paired with a healthy Trevor Lawrence, Bigsby could be in store for an even better season in 2025. That is, of course, if it weren’t for the fourth-round elephant in the room.
Bhayshul Tuten
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Bhayshul Tuten with the second pick of the fourth round in the 2025 NFL Draft, a pick that normally comes with limited short-term expectations. However, the 2025 NFL Draft class was loaded with talent, and Tuten probably would have been a third-round pick had he declared in 2024. A downhill runner with great straight-line speed, Tuten isn’t quite big enough to earn a three-down role but could be a nice change of pace back with the potential to eventually become a key part of a committee.
In short, the Jaguars fantasy football backfield will likely feature Travis Etienne in the pass-catching role, Tank Bigsby as the primary runner, and Bhayshul Tuten as a change-of-pace back who can fill in for either option. If you’re looking for upside, draft Etienne. If you’re looking for a safe, high-floor player, draft Bigsby. If you’re big on the promise of the unknown, draft Tuten.
Main Photo: Corey Perrine – Imagn Images
The post Fantasy Football: Figuring Out the Jaguars Backfield appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.