Travis Etienne injury update: Will Jaguars RB still have role in offense in Week 8?

Game day update: Travis Etienne is a long-shot to play in Week 8, per Ian Rapoport, which means Tank Bigsby should see the bulk of the work against the Packers.

One of the biggest busts in fantasy football this season has been Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne. Through the first five weeks of the season, Etienne was only the RB26 and has since spent much of the last two games injured. With Tank Bigsby on the rise combined with Etienne’s struggles, it’s fair to wonder if the former first-round pick will still have a major role in the offense when he does finally return.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Jaguars are listing running back Travis Etienne has questionable heading into their Week 8 contest against the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Doug Pederson said on Friday, “Etienne, again, we’ll still push him today. See where he’s at physically before we make a decision. Probably game time with him.”

Etienne injured his hamstring in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears and was inactive last week when the Jaguars played the Patriots. He did practice this week, but only in a limited capacity. Etienne will be a player to monitor on Sunday morning as he will be a game-time decision before the 1 p.m. slate of games.

What Travis Etienne injury means for fantasy football
The Jaguars offense didn’t miss a beat last week against the Patriots without Travis Etienne available. In fact, the Jaguars offense, especially the run game, looked as good as it has all season. With Tank Bigsby getting most of the carries, the Jaguars rushed for 171 yards. Bigsby had 126 of those to go with two touchdowns, finishing as the week’s RB8 in PPR formats.

In the case that Etienne does return, there are questions on how Pederson and the Jaguars offense will manage Etienne and Bigsby. Etienne has been one of the team’s best playmakers over the last two years, but the offense finally found its rhythm in the run game with Bigsby in the lineup.

While Bigsby was very good last week, it is worth noting that he had the benefit of game-script. Against the Patriots, Jacksonville led most of the game which allowed for a balanced approach. The Jaguars were able to stick with the run game which allowed Bigsby to get more playing time. Against the Bears the week prior, D’Ernest Johnson received a majority of the snaps.

Even if Etienne plays, it’s likely that he doesn’t get a full workload and splits time with Bigsby. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Bigsby as the primary ball-carrier with Etienne playing more of the Johnson role as the passing-down back. However, the Jaguars will be playing the Packers and it’s certainly possible that the game-script becomes more pass-happy. That would seem to favor Etienne or Johnson rather than a repeat performance from Bigsby.

The Packers also present a tough matchup against the run. This season, they have allowed -0.10 EPA per rush and 4.3 yards per carry which both rank ninth in the NFL. With that said, they have allowed the 11th most yards after contact per attempt and Bigsby leads the NFL in yards after contact per attempt by almost a full yard.

If there is a Jaguars running back to play this week, it remains Bigsby even if Etienne does return. Coming off of a hamsting injury, Etienne may not get the workload that he normally would. Additionally, the Jaguars will want to keep Bigsby part of the offense. The key for Bigsby will be the Jaguars needing to keep the game close so that they are able to run the ball. Still, he’s at least worth a flex play and brings RB2 upside.