Analyze Travies Etienne's matchup for week 11
Etienne’s Week 11 date with the Chargers is a smash spot: a defense ranked 20th vs. RBs (4.3 YPC, five 20-plus-yard runs allowed) plus Etienne’s renewed red-zone momentum after last week’s TD make him a locked-in RB2 with RB1 upside.
The Chargers have bled 786 rushing yards to backs and surrender the league’s 12th-most RB receiving yards, including two receiving scores. Their 4.3 YPC allowed is bottom-10, and they’ve already conceded five rushes of 20-plus yards—tailor-made for Etienne’s elite burst. Jacksonville is a narrow 2-point underdog, so game-script should keep the ground game involved for four quarters, giving Etienne 15-18 touches against a front seven that just lost starting ILB Kenneth Murray for the season.
After a four-week TD drought Etienne punched in a goal-line score last week, topping 75 scrimmage yards on 18 touches—his third 15-carry game in the last four. The Jaguars remain a bottom-10 offense, but Etienne’s target share (14% since Week 7) keeps his PPR floor above 10 points in four straight.
Volume and role are rock-solid: he’s handled 80% of backfield carries and 66% of RB targets since Tank Bigsby’s fumble issues surfaced in Week 6. That usage, paired with the Chargers’ leaky interior—anchored by 34-year-old DT Austin Johnson—projects 16-18 carries and 3-4 receptions. If Los Angeles stacks the box to force Jacksonville’s middling passing attack to beat them, Trevor Lawrence has checked to Etienne on angle and Texas routes all season; expect 4-5 manufactured touches in space.
Explosive-play regression is overdue. Etienne’s 3.9 YPC sits a full yard below his 2022-23 average, but his 19% broken-tackle rate is top-10 among backs with 100-plus carries. The Chargers’ 13 missed tackles per game (sixth-most) should spring the 25-plus-yard gain that’s eluded him since Week 3. Add in red-zone opportunity—Jacksonville ranks 11th in drives inside the 20—and a touchdown probability of 38% by ESPN’s model, and you have ceiling week written all over him.
Finally, playoff-minded managers should view Etienne as a multi-week asset. After the Chargers he faces a Cleveland defense allowing the second-most RB fantasy points over the last month, followed by a reeling Colts front in Week 13. Buying low now—before the matchup narrative inflates next week’s ADP—can anchor the RB2 slot for championship runs while still offering top-five positional upside in any given week because of his home-run speed and guaranteed touch counts.