Fantasy Football Player Notes
Week 1 Half PPR Rankings
15.
Travis Etienne Jr.
RB - (at IND)
For a guy coming off a debut NFL season in which he ran for 1,125 yards, Etienne seems to be causing a lot of anxiety for his investors. As good as Etienne was last season, the Jaguars still spent a third-round draft pick on Tank Bigsby, who played well in the preseason. It's possible that Bigsby could steal some goal-line work from Etienne, and the Jaguars have already shown an inclination to use JaMycal Hasty on some obvious passing downs. Etienne will no doubt get his fair share of touches, but we want him to get plenty of high-value touches - i.e., goal-line carries and receptions. You're confidently starting Etienne against a Colts defense that gave up the ninth-most fantasy points to RBs a year ago, but you're crossing your fingers that Etienne's usage justifies the early draft pick you spent on him.
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58.
Christian Kirk
WR - (at IND)
What's slightly concerning if you're a Kirk stakeholder is that he wasn't always on the field in two-WR sets when the Jaguars' starters played in the preseason. And obviously, Kirk's target total was already at risk of being reduced thanks to the arrival of stud WR Calvin Ridley. Kirk is too good to be completely marginalized, but he might be hard-pressed to repeat last year's 84-1,108-8 stat line. As a midrange WR3 type, Kirk will be a tough start-sit call for a lot of people this week.
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73.
Gabe Davis
WR - (at IND)
Maybe you can't bench Stefon Diggs, but you can - and probably should - bench Davis. With a collection of good cover men, the Jets are stingy to opposing WRs. Davis is especially dependent on big plays. Those Jets cornerbacks are hard to beat, and the ferocious Jets pass rush might not give Bills QB Josh Allen much time to find receivers downfield. Consider Davis a dicey WR4 option for Week 1.
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92.
Evan Engram
TE - (at IND)
After establishing new career highs in catches (73) and receiving yards (766) last season, Engram was franchise-tagged by the Jaguars, but the team then worked out a three-year deal with the six-year veteran, who just turned 29. Engram showed how good he can be last year, but it might be hard for him to replicate his 2023 numbers now that the Jaguars have added WR Calvin Ridley, a potential target hog. Engram should be regarded as a lower-end TE1.
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100.
Zay Jones
WR - (at IND)
Jones was a pleasant surprise last season, finishing with career-best 82-823-5 receiving numbers. Calvin Ridley is sure to cut into Jones' target totals, but Jones will still be a fixture in three-receiver sets. He even played with Ridley in two-receiver sets during the preseason. The trouble is, with Ridley, Jones, Christian Kirk and TE Evan Engram all sharing targets, Jones' week-to-week productivity could be wildly unpredictable, and the lows could be unpalatable. He's a low-end WR4 for Week 1.
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133.
Tank Bigsby
RB - (at IND)
As noted above, Bigsby enjoyed a strong preseason, rushing 28 times for 159 yards. The 6-0, 213-pound Bigsby could earn goal-line touches and change-of-pace carries, but until we know more about his role, it's probably best to leave him out of lineups.
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219.
D'Ernest Johnson
RB - (at IND)
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253.
Jamal Agnew
WR - (at IND)
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260.
Devin Duvernay
WR - (at IND)
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290.
Brenton Strange
TE - (at IND)
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307.
Josiah Deguara
TE - (at IND)
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322.
Luke Farrell
TE - (at IND)
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352.
Tim Jones
WR - (at IND)
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462.
Josh Pederson
TE - (at IND)
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488.
Seth Williams
WR - (at IND)
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