TravisEtienne Jr.

News: 6 days agoEtienne rushed 14 times for 71 yards and brought in two of three targets for 18 yards and a touchdown in the Jaguars' 31-27 loss to the Bengals on Sunday.

Spin: Etienne went a long way toward proving his breakout Week 1 performance was no fluke, as he averaged 5.1 yards per carry while comfortably pacing the Jaguars in rush attempts and rushing yards. The versatile veteran also made his mark as a receiver via an 11-yard touchdown catch with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter, his first score of any kind in the new season. With ex-backfield mate Tank Bigsby now in Philadelphia, Etienne looks entrenched as the clear-cut No. 1 back in head coach Liam Coen's productive offense going into a Week 3 home divisional matchup against the Texans next Sunday.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Etienne enters his first contract year with eyes on a bounce-back following a rough 2024. After clearing 1,400 yards in both 2022 and 2023 (finishing third among RBs in touches and fantasy points in the latter), Etienne plummeted to career-low marks in touches, yards and TDs last season. After finding the end zone in Weeks 1 and 2, he went without a TD or a fantasy point total above 14.8 the rest of the season. He's still in his prime at age 26, but Etienne's efficiency has been weak two seasons in a row and he's no longer a lock for lead-back duties, with Tank Bigsby ticketed for a big role and fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten now in the mix. Perhaps new coach Liam Coen can get things turned around, but Etienne is best viewed as a bench flier.