Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. is still a great starting option for fantasy managers in Week 2 despite a mediocre Week 1 performance against the Miami Dolphins. He had 44 rushing yards on 12 carries, a rushing touchdown, two receptions for 15 yards, and a costly fourth-quarter fumble. The Jaguars face the Cleveland Browns this week, a defense better against the pass than the run. The offense struggled in Week 1, especially in the second half, meaning establishing the run early could be the strategy to try and get back on track. Tank Bigsby, who surprisingly led the team in rushing against the Dolphins (12 carries for 73 yards), could be a part of that strategy. However, Etienne Jr. still led the team in touches, and losing his starting job would be a massive overreaction to one game. Etienne Jr. managers will be disappointed that a guy they drafted as an RB1 is already viewed as an RB2, but the upside for RB1 status remains.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence struggled in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. He had 161 passing yards and one touchdown, producing a measly 11.3 fantasy points. In Week 2, Lawrence faces the Cleveland Browns, a defense that held Dak Prescott to 11.5 fantasy points last week. The Browns defense is known for a great pass rush and elite secondary, which allowed the least passing yards per game in the NFL last year. It may be easy for fantasy managers to see 33 points allowed in Week 1 by the Browns and think they should start the Jaguars QB, but context is important. After an Ezekiel Elliot rushing touchdown with five minutes left in the second quarter, the Cowboys didn't score a single offensive touchdown. Similarly, the Jaguars scored zero points entirely in the second half against the Dolphins. Lawrence is firmly entrenched as a QB2 this week, meaning managers should look to the waiver wire to find a higher upside option.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby started off the season in a big way by getting a 50-50 split in carries with incumbent starter Travis Etienne Jr. The second-year back finished with 12 carries that went for 73 yards, but he didn't see any targets in the passing game. The good news for fantasy managers with stock in Bigsby is that his efficiency was much better than Etienne's with 6.1 yards per carry versus 3.7. Game script, the hot hand, and plenty of other factors will dictate whether or not this 50-50 split continues, so it could be difficult to judge when Bigsby will have his bigger games. As long as they're not playing from behind too often, this ground game is likely to get a lot of work moving forward.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk finished with just one catch for 30 yards in a 17-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Kirk was expected, along with Evan Engram (one catch for five yards), to be the offensive skilled players with the best chemistry with Trevor Lawrence to start the season, but that was not the case. Kirk tied for the team lead in targets with Engram and Brian Thomas Jr. with four each. However, the rookie wideout caught all his targets and showed great chemistry with Lawrence. Free agent acquisition Gabe Davis also showed good chemistry with Lawrence, catching all three of his targets for 62 yards to lead the team in receiving. Kirk was merely a flex option/WR3 entering the season, so this Week 1 performance is concerning. Kirk still has the potential to be the top receiving option for the Jaguars, but the only way to know for sure is for the offense to have more success overall. In Week 2, Jacksonville faces the Cleveland Browns and their top secondary, making Kirk a risky flex play.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. put up 47 yards on four receptions, including a 14-yard touchdown, in a 17-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars passing attack struggled overall, but BTJ was a lone bright spot, catching Trevor Lawrence's only passing touchdown on the day in the second quarter. The rookie wide receiver had four targets, tied for the team lead position with Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, who each mustered only one catch. While rookie WRs tend to be volatile early in the season (see Xavier Worthy and Marvin Harrison Jr.), the LSU product has a chance to step up and become a reliable option in the Jacksonville passing game. In the future, the first-round rookie should be viewed as an upside FLEX option that could easily disappoint. BTJ faces off with the Cleveland Browns secondary in Week 2, who held CeeDee Lamb to just five catches for 61 yards.