The Jacksonville Jaguars could be a fantasy football juggernaut after setting themselves up with a bright future drafting a plethora of rookies and hiring a new coaching staff. Jacksonville should have some standout players next year, even though it may not translate to wins. Many are already on the Laviska Shenault train, and Marvin Jones is deemed as a nice late-round flier. However, the running back room is a bit wonky, as there are two decent backs to choose from.
Travis Etienne entered the 2021 NFL Draft as a top-two prospect at the running back position. The Jaguars surprisingly took him in the first round, likely giving the team a nice one-two punch in the backfield. Etienne is built for PPR formats, as he’s phenomenal in the passing game, making him a valuable asset in fantasy football right out of the gate.
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James Robinson came out of nowhere as an undrafted free agent and put up a monster season. He finished with 1,414 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns. He finished with a total of 250.4 fantasy points (PPR formats) where he ended up as the RB7 on the year. Robinson was a diamond in the rough that helped many people win their league last season, but his future is bleak with a new rookie in town.
It’s no question that each running back should be drafted in your leagues, but there is some risk involved. The main concern is whether or not the duo can co-exist in fantasy football. We’ve seen running back duos thrive before, like Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman a few years ago, or Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt right now in Cleveland. Can Etienne and Robinson both be fantasy-relevant? Or will one be written out of the game plan? Let’s dig into it a bit and see.
Fantasy Football: Etienne VS Robinson
Travis Etienne’s 2021 Outlook
According to Fantasy Pros, Travis Etienne currently holds an ADP of 60 in PPR formats. That puts him at about round five to round six, making him a middle-round selection for your fantasy leagues. ESPN projects him to finish with 636 rushing yards, 461 receiving yards, six total touchdowns, and 58 receptions for his rookie campaign. Those projections would earn him a solid 200.5 fantasy points on the year.
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If that’s the case, Etienne should be high on your draft boards, especially if you have one or fewer running backs on your team entering the fifth round. Rookies don’t typically produce all that well in fantasy football, but Etienne’s ability as a pass-catcher makes him an exception. The only part holding him back is his ceiling, as it’s currently capped by James Robinson’s potential usage. Even so, you should feel comfortable selecting Travis Etienne if he falls to you in late round five or early-round six.
James Robinson’s 2021 Outlook
Using the same rankings list from Fantasy Pros, James Robinson is currently sitting with an ADP of 82. That means he’s getting drafted in rounds seven or eight, depending on how many teams are in your league (early-round eight in a 10 team league). That’s only about two rounds after Etienne, indicating there is a likely timeshare between the Jaguars’ duo.
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ESPN’s 2021 projections for Robinson aren’t as low as one would believe. They have him finishing with 679 rushing yards, 311 receiving yards, six total touchdowns, and 42 receptions. With that stat line, Robinson would finish with 177.26 fantasy points in PPR formats. Based on these numbers, Fantasy Pros and ESPN projects Robinson to remain relevant in the Jaguars offense. He seems to have solid FLEX value and could be a decent RB2 on the season.
Conclusion
Jacksonville is a young team that will likely try to get the run game going early. The more efficient the run game is, the more efficient the team will be. It alleviates pressure off of Trevor Lawrence and allows him to play freely. Both running backs should be heavily involved in the Jaguars’ game plan this year.
With the added 17th game to the schedule, we may start seeing more running back duos than ever before. Coaching staffs around the league will want to keep their players as fresh as possible, and having two capable running backs would serve them well. At the end of the day, both, Etienne and Robinson should be fantasy relevant in 2021.
Etienne has the edge though, as he’s a better pass-catcher and already has chemistry with Trevor Lawrence from their time in Clemson. Robinson won’t give you that top-10 finish like he did last year. So instead, approach him as an RB2 FLEX option, as he could help you win weeks where your RB1s are on byes. In conclusion, both running backs are draftable and should co-exist in Jacksonville’s backfield.
