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There’s a fog in the Sunshine State when it comes to fantasy football 2024. The proper path to take between two Florida-based running backs, Travis Etienne and De’Von Achane, has been clouded with mixed opinions in early drafts. In FantasyPros’ ADP, Achane is RB8 and Etienne is RB9. In NFFC drafts for the month of July, those RB values are flip-flopped.
Etienne was the No. 4 overall RB in half-PPR last season in Jacksonville’s bell-cow role (he finished with the third-most touches in the NFL). As for Achane, he put together a truly epic three-game heater coming off injury early in his rookie campaign (Weeks 3-5) — combined 37 carries, 455 rushing yards, 12.3 YPC and 7 TDs (two receiving). Health and a backfield timeshare slowed his roll a bit the rest of the way, but there were still enough big moments to make him easy to dream on for 2025.
With an industry telling us that the value difference between these two running backs is basically negligible for the upcoming season, we’ve enlisted Gary Davenport and John Laghezza to help break this virtual tie. Davenport is siding with the bankable workload the Jaguars’ featured back has to offer. While Laghezza is over the moon for the upside offered by Miami’s second-year dynamo. Read the cases below and declare your winner in the comments section.
Davenport endorses Etienne:
There’s no denying that Achane is an electrifying talent — averaging more yards per carry as a rookie than any player in the history of the NFL (min. 100 carries). But there’s also no denying that Achane is an undersized player. Or that durability was an issue last season — six DNPs. Or that Raheem Mostert, who set a career-high in rushing yards last season and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns, and now rookie Jaylen Wright are also in the Miami backfield. Achane is being drafted as though a big spike in usage this year is guaranteed. It just isn’t.
True, Etienne wasn’t especially efficient as a runner last year. Despite receiving a lot more work on the ground (47 more carries than in 2022), Etienne’s per-carry average fell by over a yard from 5.1 to 3.8. However, Etienne’s volume (the fourth-most carries in the league), rushing scores (11, good for seventh in the NFL) and receiving numbers propelled him to a third-place finish among running backs in PPR points.
Etienne’s receiving efficiency was much better than on the ground. Per Riley Thomas of FanDuel, Etienne was ninth in yards per reception while amassing the 15th-most yards per route run at his position. Etienne also had the seventh-most targets, the sixth-most routes run, the 10th-highest route participation rate, and 14th-highest target share among running backs.
Could Etienne’s rushing touchdowns decrease this season? Yes. But it’s also possible that Etienne’s per-carry efficiency could improve, especially if Jacksonville’s offensive line plays better in 2024 — the unit really doesn’t have anywhere to go but up. Volume shouldn’t be an issue for Etienne this season, as the Jaguars enter the campaign with essentially the exact same backfield as a year ago.
Etienne offers a significantly higher fantasy floor and a similar ceiling. For this analyst, it’s an easy call to make.
Laghezza lauds Achane:
Why do I like Achane over Etienne and every other RB going outside the first round? Explosiveness. Only one fantasy GM takes home the crown every year and achieving that goal is all about those determinative players who can move the needle weekly, single-handedly upending entire slates.
Achane makes the shortest list of most impactful players on a per-snap basis, finishing first as a rookie among all RBs with +100 touches in Fantasy Points/Snap (0.67), Fantasy Points/Touch (1.47), YPA (7.8), Yards Before Contact/Rush (2.7), Yards After Contact/Rush (5.1), EPA/Rush (0.28), and Explosive Rush Rate (15.5%). His sophomore season is set up for massive success if Miami’s runway is clear for a full complement of playing time, with only 32-year-old veteran Raheem Mostert and fourth-round rookie Jaylen Wright in his way.
Fantasy football is all about hitching your wagon to the fastest-paced teams with the highest ceilings. Is there another team in the NFL that better exemplifies this than the Dolphins? Most of Mike McDaniel’s band returns for an encore to the 2023 season that saw his Fins finish third or better in Points/Game (29.2), Yards/Game (401.2), Yards/Play (6.5), and Explosive Play Rate (15.5%). Another year of repetitions in a complex offensive system boosted by his first full offseason as a pro smells like the recipe for a league-winning breakout.
(Top photos of De’Von Achane; Travis Etienne: Jasen Vinlove;Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY)
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Courtesy : https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5656046/2024/07/25/rankings-debate-travis-etienne-devon-achane-fantasy-football-2024/