Travis Etienne was a first-round pick in the NFL Draft back in 2021 and while he has been viable during his two seasons, he’s yet to truly explode. A slow finish to 2023 masked what was a strong season from the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ lead back.
Is this the season he puts all of his skills together and carries your fantasy football team?
Should You Select Travis Etienne Jr. at His Current ADP?
ADP: 17th Overall (RB8)
Etienne is coming off the board in the middle of Round 2, a price I’m happy to pay. At this point in the draft, you have a Tier-1 receiver on your roster, and now you get access to a running back with top-five potential at the position.
This offense is built around Lawrence, but the structure of the skill position players line up well for Etienne. Christian Kirk and Evan Engram are proven NFL producers who will demand plenty of defensive attention, while Thomas Jr. and the newly acquired Gabe Davis are home-run hitters who need to be accounted for.
Christian McCaffrey’s best season with the Panthers came in Year 3, and while I’m not projecting CMC-like numbers for Etienne this season, a big step forward is very possible, and that would make him a valuable asset at this asking price.
Etienne’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
In fantasy sports, I’m generally of the belief that, when in the middle of the age curve, once a player proves he has a skill, he owns it.
That sounds reasonably simple, but every season, ADPs reflect a forgetting of some past production.
Etienne’s upside is the perfect example of applying this train of thought, and that is why I’m going to have plenty of shares this season.
Entering his age-25 season, we’ve seen Etienne do it all. After missing his rookie year, he thrived in space as a runner (5.1 yards per carry) and showed the type of explosive potential we look for from a first-year ball carrier in Year 2.
Travis Etienne shot out of a cannon ❕ pic.twitter.com/ORHEe1mZhc
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 8, 2023
As a third-year player, Etienne not only gave us the production in the passing game that we thought he’d enter the league with (13 more catches in 2023 than targets in 2022), but he proved himself more than capable of handling volume (19.1 touches per game).
What more could we ask for?
Etienne has yet to miss a game since his rookie season ended, and the Jags figure to count on him more as their pass game is less intimidating on paper than it was last season. Brian Thomas Jr. (23rd overall pick) has replaced Calvin Ridley at receiver following a season in which quarterback Trevor Lawrence battled injuries left and right.
The continued spike in Etienne’s usage is the best way to work in Thomas and to keep the franchise signal-caller healthy – great news for fantasy managers!
Etienne’s yards per carry dropping by 25.5% from Year 1 to Year 2 is discouraging, but I’d guard against reading too much into it. The Jacksonville offense as a whole underachieved in 2023, and that shrunk the running space for Etienne.
That’s a minor concern, but without much role competition, it’s not something that I’m worried about when it comes to projecting 2024.
Tank Bigsby was a third-round pick in 2023, and despite limited efficiency from Etienne, he hardly sniffed the field (50 carries, 2.6 yards per carry). D’Ernest Johnson and rookie Keilan Robinson will compete for that RB2 role and could emerge as spot start fantasy options should Etienne get banged up, but none of them are likely to take any sort of food off the plate of Etienne.