Travis Etienne vs. De'Von Achane - Who Should I Draft in 2024 Fantasy Football?

May 29, 2024

Should fantasy football players draft Travis Etienne or De'Von Achane during their 2024 fantasy drafts? Examining the case for both star running backs.

After missing his rookie season due to a significant tear to the Lisfranc ligament, running back Travis Etienne has solidified his spot as the Jacksonville Jaguars' RB1. He has stayed healthy for the past two seasons and has also rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of them.

Etienne is a player who will be monitored by multiple fantasy football managers leading up to drafts, and so will Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane. The Dolphins drafted Achane in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Texas A&M product immediately became a star in the league and would have easily rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his rookie season had he stayed healthy.

Which player among Etienne and Achane will be the better fit for your fantasy football team in 2024? Let's take a look at both of their fantasy outlooks for the upcoming season.

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Travis Etienne 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

Travis Etienne has played 17 games in each of the last two seasons and has been a big contributor to the Jaguars offense. Last year, he rushed for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 59.3 yards per game and 3.8 yards per attempt.

His numbers dropped slightly from 2022, but that was largely due to Trevor Lawrence's injury causing the whole offense to suffer as a result. As per ESPN's Michael DiRocco, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson recently said that the team is planning to decrease Etienne's workload in 2024.

The offense will feature Tank Bigsby much more than it did in 2023, which is not good news for fantasy players who were looking to draft the Clemson product. The franchise wants to keep Etienne healthy, and that will likely result in a reduction in the 25-year-old's production this year. Etienne scored a total of 224.4 points in standard-scoring leagues last year, but the total could go down in 2024.

Another multi-TD game for Etienne 🐆 @swaggy_t1#JAXvsNO on Prime Video
Also available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/89nUeCngbn pic.twitter.com/cQCHcsZBow

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2023

De'Von Achane 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

As mentioned earlier, De'Von Achane missed significant time due to a knee injury in his rookie season last year. Despite that, he was able to rush for 800 yards and eight touchdowns in 11 games. He averaged 72.7 rushing yards per game and an impressive 7.8 yards per carry.

Achane was also involved in the passing game, as he had 27 receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns. He was Raheem Mostert's backup last year, but if he stays healthy, Achane could easily become the Dolphins' primary running back in 2024. Given how explosive the Dolphins' passing game is, both Achane and Mostert will get plenty of space to run and put up good numbers.

🎥 Miami Dolphins found an absolute GEM in the 3rd-round of last year's draft...

De'Von Achane 💨 #GoFins pic.twitter.com/TZkStFKgZ6

— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) April 27, 2024

Who Should I Draft in Fantasy Football?

Since the Jaguars are reportedly planning to decrease Etienne's workload this season, it would be wise to draft Achane over him in drafts. The Dolphins running back has an average draft position (ADP) of 21 and would be a solid pick for someone unwilling to select a running back at the beginning of the draft.

The 22-year-old running back scored a total of 163.7 fantasy points in standard-scoring leagues last year while averaging 14.9 fantasy points per game, but these numbers will easily go up if he doesn't get injured. He also has a significantly higher weekly ceiling.

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