Our Week 14 RB Start ’Em, Sit ’Em debate puts Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne up against Chicago Bears rookie RB Kyle Monangai — two backs who have sparkled at times but aren’t quite in “set it and forget it” territory for your fantasy football lineups.
Etienne enters the week at 843 rushing yards and 5 scores, still the lead guy in Jacksonville, but not the weekly star he was earlier in the season. His touches have been inconsistent, the goal-line work hasn’t always been his, and the Jaguars keep sprinkling in rookie RB Bhayshul Tuten.
Monangai, meanwhile, is trending higher lately. The rookie has 591 rushing yards and 5 TDs, and he’s coming off a 130-yard performance in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles despite splitting touches with RB D’Andre Swift. He’s earned a bigger share of work, but he’s still a bit dependent on how the Bears choose to rotate their backs week to week.
With fantasy playoffs around the corner, Week 14 could tell us a lot about both players’ roles down the stretch. Let’s dive into the PrizePicks Etienne vs. Monangai Week 14 RB Start 'Em, Sit 'Em debate to see who deserves that slot.
Week 14 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Travis Etienne or Kyle Monangai?
We’ll take a look at the case for starting both of these RBs by using statistics and matchup analysis for Week 14. Feel free to head over to PrizePicks and pick More or Less on their stat projections for an opportunity to win real money.
Why Start Travis Etienne?
Etienne started the season hot, with four straight games of either 70+ yards or a TD, but then went a month straight with mediocre production.
He has rebounded over the past month and a half, averaging 19 touches over his last five games, which is more in line with his early-year numbers. During that same time, Tuten, whom the Jaguars drafted in the third round, has started to emerge with 3 TDs.
In this week’s matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Etienne draws a defense that has given up a ton of volume to the RB position lately. The Colts have allowed a whopping 92 rush attempts in their last three games. They are not yielding a ton of yards on those tries (Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt and Texans RB Woody Marks averaged under 4 yards per carry), but Etienne has averaged 66 yards on the ground and nearly 20 through the air in his last five.
With QB Daniel Jones dealing with a fracture in his fibula, the Colts have struggled on offense. That, combined with the Jaguars’ solid defense that ranks 13th in Pass Rush Win Rate per ESPN, could lead to Etienne having plenty of opportunities.
Travis Etienne Stat Projections vs. Colts for Week 14
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- 13.5 Rush Attempts
- 57.5 Rush Yards
- 1.5 Receptions
- 13.5 Receiving Yards
- 12.5 Yards on Longest Rush
Why Start Kyle Monangai?
Monangai was a speculative seventh-round draft choice by the Bears, but like other Day 3 RBs who have turned into fantasy options, Monangai has made his way to relevance.
The Bears’ final pick really burst onto the scene a month ago with a 26-carry, 176-yard performance against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals. He has scored a TD in each of his last four games and just racked up 130 yards against the Eagles' defense, stupefying a unit that hadn’t allowed a single 100-yard rusher all year.
With Swift also getting considerable work, this Bears’ rushing offense is hard to pin down. Head coach Ben Johnson has brought over the 1-2 RB punch that he had with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery while the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, so both RBs get plenty of touches.
With that said, Monangai has often looked like the better back of late. According to FTN, over the past five weeks, he ranks better than Swift in:
- Success rate: 52.6% to 42.9%
- Rushing yards: 275 to 185
- Goal line touches: 5 to 3
- Fantasy points: 13.3 to 9.2
Kyle Monangai Stat Projections vs. Packers for Week 14
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- 44.5 Rush Yards
- 12.5 Yards on Longest Rush
- 0.5 Rush + Rec TDs
Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Verdict: Start Travis Etienne
Both Etienne and Monangai have compelling cases to win this start/sit debate for Week 14. Monangai has been on a heater for the last month and has the trust of his head coach, while Etienne brings reliable touch volume and has a great matchup. Sometimes it's sensible to lean with the latter, and that's the direction we’re going here with Etienne.
Etienne has been underappreciated this season due to the Jaguars’ offense not quite living up to preseason expectations that head coach Liam Coen would revolutionize things the way he did with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nonetheless, Etienne has been a steadying force, still ranking in the top 15 among RBs with 18 runs of at least 10+ yards.
Etienne’s matchup against the Colts gives him a massive leg up on Monangai, who faces a Green Bay Packers defense allowing less than 90 rushing yards per game. Monangai also doesn't contribute in the passing game the way Etienne does. If the Bears fall behind, Swift may play a larger role than expected.
Etienne could lean on having a higher volume rushing floor, even with the emergence of Tuten, which makes the difference here.
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