Fantasy Football: Travis Etienne Brings Explosive Ability to the Jaguars
Travis Etienne will be seeing more of Trevor Lawrence as the Clemson duo is back together after the Jacksonville Jaguars took Etienne 25th overall on Thursday night.
Possessing 4.44 wheels, Etienne was a big-play machine in college, ripping off 85 runs of 15-plus yards in his career, per PFF. He is also a superb receiver out of the backfield, leading the nation in receiving yards (588) for a running back in 2020.
With Etienne going to a Jags backfield that already has James Robinson and Carlos Hyde, what should we expect from the rookie?
Player Comparisons
numberFire's JJ Zachariason and Jim Sannes break down Etienne's profile, and JJ gives his top comparison.
"He's a big play threat and he has unbelievable receiving ability"@LateRoundQB breaks down Travis Etienne's game as he heads to the Jaguars at No. 25 overall #DUUUVAL | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/novIcZB9aG
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) April 30, 2021
Brandon Gdula's draft database has found these 10 prior prospects to have the most similar statistical profiles to Etienne. Keep in mind that these are based not on play style or traits but age, athleticism, draft equity, experience, efficiency, and production.
| Travis Etienne Profile Comparisons | Similarity |
|---|---|
| David Wilson | 88.3% |
| JK Dobbins | 87.7% |
| Nick Chubb | 85.0% |
| LaMichael James | 84.9% |
| Derrius Guice | 84.4% |
| Jamaal Charles | 83.8% |
| Miles Sanders | 83.7% |
| Doug Martin | 83.3% |
| D'Andre Swift | 82.9% |
| Jonathan Stewart | 82.7% |
Gdula's Take: Etienne broke out early in his first season at Clemson and generated an 88th-percentile receiving share for a running back. The dip in 2020 is partially explained by a lot of loss on the offensive line at Clemson.
Etienne's 2021 Fantasy Football Projection
There were certainly better landing spots out there for Etienne as Robinson -- who was excellent as a rookie last season -- is a big obstacle.
But Zachariason's initial 2021 projections for Etienne are pretty positive -- 878 rushing yards, 55 receptions, 423 receiving yards and 6.8 total scores (4.8 rushing). That makes him the PPR RB22 for the season.
The Jaguars are listed at +10000 to win the Super Bowl on FanDuel Sportsbook and have a win total projection of 6.5 (with the under listed at -133) on FOX Bet.
