What’s the fantasy football value of the Jaguars’ backfield talents Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten heading into Week 12 vs. the Cardinals?

Entering this NFL season, nobody quite knew which Jacksonville Jaguars running back would be the fantasy star to roster. Travis Etienne eventually emerged over Bhayshul Tuten, but the distribution of work began to shift in Week 11. Now entering a Week 12 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, either one of these players could see the chance to put up some big numbers in fantasy football.

With the next matchup on deck and some questions in the air, which of Travis Etienne or Bhayshul Tuten is the halfback to roster in fantasy football this week?

Evaluating the Jaguars backfield

Through Week 11, the Jaguars’ run game remains one of the NFL’s better attacks thanks to the scheme work of first-year head coach Liam Coen. The team ranks eighth in rushing yards per game with 127.5, and that mark has improved to 145.7 over the last three weeks. Jacksonville falls 17th in YPC at a respectable 4.3, but also sits fourth in rush attempts and rushing touchdowns with 29.5 and 1.4 per contest. This unit clearly emphasizes the ground game, which the fourth-best EPA/rush (0.06) also supports.

The success the Jaguars see in this facet of the game certainly sets its starting running back up for success. Travis Etienne averages 14.3 FPPG in PPR formats, the second-best mark of his career, and slots in as the overall RB13 on the campaign. He comes in at 11th among all NFL halfbacks with 729 yards via the ground, doing so on a 4.7 YPC split with five rushing touchdowns as well. Much like during the preseason though, fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten lurks in the background waiting for a chance to take over this backfield.

Etienne has out-carried the rookie 154 to 60 on the campaign as a whole, as well as in each individual game. However, Tuten actually saw his largest workload of the season in Week 11 with 15 total rush attempts — more importantly, he out-carried Etienne eight to five in the first half and saw a near-even split heading into the fourth quarter until suffering an ankle injury late in the game. While Etienne ended the game with 19 carries to Tuten’s 15, the Jaguars made a clear effort to involve the rookie and did utilize him interchangeably as the 1A/1B. Plus, Tuten was more efficient with 74 yards and a touchdown on his 15 carries compared to Etienne’s 73 yards and a score on 19 rush attempts.

While the rookie didn’t return in the fourth quarter, he did tell reporters his ankle was good following the game. As of Tuesday afternoon, Jacksonville hasn’t yet posted an injury report. Still, it doesn’t seem the injury is a serious one for Tutuen.

If he is able to suit up in Week 12 against the Cardinals, is the Virginia Tech product worth starting in fantasy football? That’s a tough call since there’s just one week of a major workload to base the analysis on, but the signs do indicate a shift in this backfield may occur over the coming weeks. Whereas Etienne served as the clear lead back for most of the season, this seems like a 1A/1B committee could develop depending on who has the hot hand. The veteran did see the first two carries of the contest and worked as the starter in name, but the rookie did get preference for most of the first half.

Heading into Week 12, the Jaguars see a neutral matchup on the ground. The opposing Cardinals are 16th in opponent rushing yards allowed per game with 112.2, but that number sees a bump to 138.7 across their last three games. They’re also 12th in defensive EPA/rush but have allowed 11 rushing scores this season, tied for sixth-most. Coming off two straight blowout losses, Arizona looks quite vulnerable though — the Jaguars could play from ahead throughout most of this contest, leading to increased rushing work just like last week.

If that’s the case and both backs suit up, it could be worth slotting Tuten into fantasy lineups as a FLEX option, though there’s some risk involved if Jacksonville doesn’t see positive game script. For the moment, Etienne remains the safer play as a high-end RB2, but it seems the rookie may continue to eat into his role over the coming weeks. If Tuten is somehow on the waiver wire in your leagues, now is the perfect time to scoop him up.