Travis Etienne fantasy outlook: Start or sit Jaguars RB in Divisional round?

The Jacksonville Jaguars advanced to the Divisional round after coming back from a 27-0 deficit against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round. As they continue into their first postseason in five years, they’ll face the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, January 21. Is RB Travis Etienne worth starting in this matchup? Let’s take a look.

Fantasy Football analysis: Jaguars RB Travis Etienne ($6,400)

Travis Etienne had a huge game against the Chargers. As Trevor Lawrence was busy throwing four first-half interceptions, Etienne kept the run game grounded, adding 20 carries for 109 yards. Though he didn’t score, he made a major contribution to the offense in his third 100-yard game in five weeks.

Etienne is on the expensive side for running backs — the fourth-most expensive of the RBs left in the playoffs, behind Joe Mixon, Saquon Barkley, and Christian McCaffrey. But there’s a reason for that — he has 1,125 rushing yards and over 300 receiving yards this season.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

The Chiefs bring a solid run defense to the table, but Etienne is still worth starting this week. In the Jags’ last matchup against Kansas City, he added 73 all-purpose yards, and he’ll be looking for a lot more on Saturday. After Lawrence’s first half in the Wild Card round, the Jags may be leaning heavily on the run game.