Fantasy Alert: Jaguars' James Robinson Expected to Play Week 1 After Achilles Injury

It might be time to pump the brakes on the Travis Etienne hype.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson told reporters James Robinson is expected to be ready for Week 1 as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles. Robinson has been participating in team drills as he ramps up his activity, which could make the Jaguars' backfield a timeshare.

Etienne missed all of the 2021 season with a Lisfranc injury that required surgery. He's been a full participant in the offseason program and has drawn significant hype in fantasy drafts, going as the No. 44 overall pick (RB20) in PPR drafts, per FantasyPros' composite ADP.

Robinson can be had at a far cheaper price, going with pick No. 103 as the 37th running back off the board.

Pederson's comments will likely bump Robinson's ADP inside the top 100. But given their current draft prices, Robinson is by far the better value of the two Jacksonville running backs.

The former undrafted free agent has been the only positive aspect of the Jaguars' offense the last two seasons, compiling 1,837 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in 28 games. While Etienne is the better pass-catcher of the two, Robinson has racked up 80 catches in his first two seasons and isn't a slouch as a potential three-down back.

If Robinson is the same player post-Achilles tear as he was beforehand—which, admittedly, is a big ask—he'll play his way into at least a 50-50 timeshare. In standard and half-point PPR leagues, Robinson is an even better value given the decrease in his passing game volume won't hurt as much.

Etienne is being drafted close to the apex of his potential across the board. He'll still have value in PPR formats, but you can probably drop him into the RB30 range in standard leagues.