JaMycal Hasty was one of the surprise breakout performers of Week 12, as he registered 95 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in relief of star running back Travis Etienne Jr., who exited early with a foot injury. Etienne was reportedly cleared to return to action, but the Jags rightfully took the cautious approach with their stud back.
Etienne, for what it's worth, seems confident he'll be good to go for Week 13 — but just in case he isn't, Action Network's fantasy football staff has some thoughts on Hasty as a potential one-week fill-in or bench stash.
Sean Koerner: Hasty had a pretty similar week to Zonovan Knight. He shined once the starter went down, but there are some glaring differences between the two in terms of rest-of-season value.
First, once Etienne is able to return to action (he’s day to day, so it seems likely he won’t miss any time), there is a 0% chance Hasty will be able to leapfrog him as the starter. Knight at least has an opportunity to become the starter, even when everyone is healthy.
Another wrinkle Hasty has to deal with is Darrell Henderson. The newly acquired back is still learning the playbook, but if Etienne does end up missing action going forward, there is a chance Henderson will have a much bigger role and force a 50/50 committee.
We are at the point in the season where every team should have a different strategy based on their current playoff odds and positional needs. If you are desperate at RB, put in a bid for Hasty just in case Etienne is held out this week. Knight is the better option of the two since he may not even need an injury to produce RB3/Flex value.
Samantha Previte: Hasty led the Jaguars' rushing attack in their 28-27 upset win over the Ravens. He rushed 12 times for 28 yards, but was even more effective through the air as he caught all five of his targets for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Hasty's workload was higher than usual with Etienne exiting early with a foot injury. The reports on Monday state he was actually cleared to return, but was sidelined out of an abundance of caution. This suggests the injury was not as serious as initially feared, though it would not be the worst idea to roster Hasty as an insurance policy should Etienne miss time.
The Jaguars have a sweet Week 13 matchup against the Lions, whose defense ranks 26th in rush DVOA and has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to running backs.
Mike Triplett: I’m pretty sure this was what TLC meant by, “Don’t go chasing waterfalls.”
Kudos to Hasty for stepping up when needed after Etienne left Sunday’s game in the first quarter, but early reports suggest that Etienne is expected back in Week 13. Plus, the Jaguars just added Henderson off waivers last week to create more backfield congestion.
My advice now that most bye weeks are behind us is to use bench spots on any possible backups who could truly become RB1s in the event of an injury — like what we just saw in Week 12 with Samaje Perine and Rachaad White. Someone like Alexander Mattison, Dontrell Hilliard, Kyren Williams or possibly Jaylen Warren in hopes that he heals faster than Najee Harris.
