James Robinson or Travis Etienne: Which Jaguars Running Back Should You Trust in Week 3?

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ running back competition is an interesting one, especially since the team used a first-round pick on Travis Etienne in the 2021 NFL Draft. 

The 2022 season looked like Etienne’s chance to break out, as James Robinson was returning from a torn Achilles, but it has been quite the opposite through the first two games of the 2022 season. 

With Urban Meyer and the coaching staff that brought in Etienne now out of the picture, new head coach Doug Pederson has made it clear that Robinson is the go-to guy early in the season, especially after Etienne struggled in the season opener against the Washington Commanders. 

James Robinson vs. Travis Etienne Stats Comparison 

While Week 1 was a bit more of an even split between the two backs, Robinson monopolized touches in Week 2 and scored his third touchdown of the season in the process. 

Not only did he out-touch Etienne 25-12, but Robinson played nearly two thirds of the snaps in the game as well. 

For anytime touchdown scorer bettors, Robinson is the play to go with, as he’s already scored three times, and he’s also been the much preferred option on the ground. Through two games, Robinson has outcarried Etienne 34-13. 

Etienne still has three more targets and two more catches on the season, and he’s also averaged more yards per carry than Robinson. So while the play hasn’t been bad from Etienne (a good sign), he’s still hard to trust with a much smaller workload. 

The Jaguars face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3 as they look to remain in the top spot in the AFC South. For fantasy players and bettors, this backfield is going to be one to monitor all season long, but for now, Robinson appears to be the clear leader.

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.