Travis Etienne's rookie campaign may already be over.
The Jaguars running back will undergo surgery to repair a mid-foot sprain he suffered during Monday's preseason tilt against the Saints, according to NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Ian Rapoport tweeted Etienne's timeline is officially 12 weeks, noting the rookie could return late in the season "if all goes well."
Etienne was Jacksonville's second pick in the first round (No. 25) of the 2020 draft, behind fellow Clemson teammate and No. 1 overall pick, Trevor Lawrence.
Etienne was the consensus No. 32-ranked player by our fantasy football experts. Our own Sean Koerner pegged the utility back for 149 carries, 650 yards, and two touchdowns on the ground, with 49 catches, 394 yards and two more scores through the air.
The Jaguars are still fine in the backfield with second-year back James Robinson in the fold. Our fantasy experts ranked him No. 30 prior to the Etienne news. He went off for 1,070 yards and seven rushing scores after being plucked as an undrafted free agent last year.
The Jaguars are 3-point favorites in the season-opener against the Texans at DraftKings, with a total of 45.5.
Samantha Previte Instant Reaction:
James Robinson immediately vaults into RB2 consideration with the news that Etienne will likely miss his entire rookie year. The pair were expected to form a committee and both had ADPs in the RB3 range.
Robinson, 23, was a true league-winner for many fantasy managers last season. The 2020 undrafted free agent from Illinois State was utilized heavily after Leonard Fournette and the Jaguars parted ways before Week 1 and saw the sixth-most rushing attempts in the NFL. He shockingly finished fourth in total fantasy points behind only Alvin Kamara, Dalvin Cook and Derrick Henry (in half PPR scoring through 16 weeks) in spite of going undrafted in many leagues.
Robinson should see a hefty workload once again with Etienne out of the picture and should be a reliable RB2 based on opportunity alone. Pass-catching running back Carlos Hyde could see additional targets now that the third-down role has been vacated and versatile receiver Laviska Shenault may be utilized more in gadget-type plays in Urban Meyer's offense this year
