Bhayshul Tuten generated fantasy football hype this time last season, and while that idea was directionally right, it was Travis Etienne who had the big season. The steam isn’t quite the same this time around, but the door is wide open for him to deliver on the promise that many pushed in his direction 12 months ago … and maybe more.
Should You Draft Bhayshul Tuten in Fantasy Football?
Tuten’s ADP is 57.6 in PFN’s Free Fantasy Mock Draft Simulator. Our consensus rank, which is me and my colleague Kyle Soppe, is RB22. We have him projected for around 12.75 fantasy points per game.
I’ve done a lot of thinking and a lot of pontificating over the Jaguars’ backfield this season. In fact, the Jaguars in general have a lot of players relevant in fantasy, and it’s kind of hard to sift through them and figure out who’s going to produce when.
Let’s start with the positives. Tuten is the RB1 on this team. I think he’s going to get every opportunity to be the lead back and run away with it. The problem that I have is that, based on what we saw last year, I really think the Jaguars are going to put the best player on the field, the player that they think is performing the best. While I do think that Tuten undoubtedly has the higher ceiling compared to Chris Rodriguez, I’m just not sure the talent is there.
There is a lot of projection going on with Tuten’s value this season. We’re talking about a Day 3 pick from last year who really didn’t do anything. He averaged 5.9 fantasy points per game. Of course, yes, he was playing behind Travis Etienne, but are we really going to take what Etienne did last year and say, yeah, that transfers over to this year? He’s going to be the same player, average 14-plus fantasy points per game, and be a great pick at cost? I’m just not convinced.
Yes, Tuten ran a 4.32 40 time. He has elite speed, 97th-percentile burst, and 206 pounds. He’s good size for a lead back. Physically, everything is there. But that needs to turn into projectable and predictable fantasy production, and I’m not sure if that’s going to happen.
LeQuint Allen is locked into the third-down role, I believe. We’re going to have Chris Rodriguez there, who’s been performing much better in training camp, and I think he’s going to be the short-yardage and goal-line back. So where are Tuten’s fantasy points really coming from? He’s going to get some goal-line carries, but I’m just not convinced that we’re going to get the Etienne role fully transferred over to Tuten this year.
At his cost, I understand it. The opportunity cost is not particularly high. You can get him in the 5th or 6th round, and at that price, even if you completely whiff, it’s not going to torpedo your season. It’s fine to take a chance on him. If either Tuten or Rodriguez is going to end up being that 2nd-round-caliber player this season, it’ll be Tuten.
But I really think this is going to be much more of a time share than Tuten supporters want to believe. There’s a lot of projection involved in Tuten’s price. Ultimately, I just don’t think the talent is there for this Day 3 pick to really take hold and run away with this job. I am fading Tuten at cost in fantasy drafts this season.
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Bhayshul Tuten’s Week 1 Fantasy Outlook
Analysis provided by PFN Analyst Kyle Soppe.
I very much expect this team to lean into what Trevor Lawrence does well, and that makes a committee backfield a tough handicap because I’m not sure that there is a ton of volume to be had, and now we are splitting it up.
On top of that, Lawrence’s percentage of red-zone passes resulting in a touchdown has increased in consecutive seasons, a trend that I buy and one that limits the appeal of the running backs, as it removes TD equity that could help salvage an otherwise bland stat line.
As long as you keep your expectations in check, Tuten is the play. He’s not very versatile, but he’s more versatile than Chris Rodriguez. I don’t think this team runs the ball a ton in scoring situations, but all of his rushing scores last season came from no more than 5 yards out.
Tuten ran for double-digit scores in each of his final three years as a prep, and if this offense sustains the upside that we saw during the second half of last season, I could see him elevating to a low-upside RB2 weekly label. That’s where I have him slotted for this week, and that’s in part a ranking that reflects my lack of confidence in Rodriguez earning much in the way of volume.
Jacksonville has plenty of talent vying for targets, and if it turns to Lawrence in close (his arm or his legs), neither of these backs is going to impact our world in a meaningful way. I’m giving Tuten over 60% of the RB points, and that’s enough to justify playing him; you just need to be aware that there might not be a right answer to this RB room.
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Where Tuten Ranks Among 2026 Running Backs
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- D'Andre Swift | CHI
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
Check the full position group on PFN's 2026 PPR Running Back Board.
