Every time that the Jacksonville Jaguars made a pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, anyone with a rooting interest in Bhayshul Tuten—whether residents of Duuuuvalll or fantasy football managers—had to do a little fist pump. That’s rare for a player going into his second NFL season after rushing just 83 times for 307 nondescript yards in his rookie season.

The more picks that happened something started to become clear: Tuten’s competition in the backfield was, well, not a lot of competition. Could he be a sneaky featured RB at a median ADP and end up being a league winner? Let’s explore the possibility.

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Evaluating Bhayshul Tuten’s Fantasy Football Stock Post-NFL Draft

Is Bhayshul Tuten shaping up as a must-draft player?

Before we crown Tuten as a bell cow RB, let’s pull back the lens a little to see the full picture:

• The Jaguars lost lead running back Travis Etienne—he of 1,399 scrimmage yards and 13 TDs in 2025—to the Saints in free agency.
• Jacksonville signed only RB Chris Rodriguez during free agency
• The Jags did not select any running backs during the NFL Draft

Tuten was a fourth-round pick by the Jaguars in 2025, the first running back taken by the new regime of GM James Gladstone and HC Liam Coen. Both came from Rams lineage, and one of the mantras of that organization has been to draft RBs on a near-yearly basis to keep the pipeline flowing with young runners.

Drafted out of Virginia Tech, Tuten ran for 1,159 yards and 15 TDs in his final season for the Hokies. His 4.32 speed made him intriguing to the Jaguars’ decision makers, and now he could be getting a chance to be a very important player in fantasy football.

Big Opportunity Little Competition in Jacksonville

With Etienne leaving behind 260 rushing attempts and 52 targets on his way to New Orleans, Tuten has a sizable amount of potential touches in front of him. During the first nine games of the season, Tuten went over 7 carries just twice. Then in Week 10 he popped for 15 carries, 74 rushing yards and a score. That showed the Jacksonville brass what he was capable of.

Keep in mind that Tuten was the first running back taken by this GM/HC combo, so he should be at an advantage to win the RB1 job. Tuten also flashed in the playoffs, running just 4 times for 51 yards in an OT loss to the Bills in the Wild Card Round.

With Rodriguez the lone addition in this Jaguars offseason, let’s look at his production profile. In a committee backfield for the Commanders last season, Rodriguez rushed the ball 112 times for 500 yards. He’s drawn just 7 targets over three seasons in D.C., so he’s not an option in the passing game. LeQuint Allen is another RB who was on the Jaguars roster last year, but he was used mostly in special teams.

The 2026 Fantasy Outlook for Bhayshul Tuten

Look for Tuten to get his fair share of rushing attempts this season. The Jaguars were an offensive juggernaut by the end of 2025, with Trevor Lawrence rising up to have an elite season, completing 359 of 590 passes for 4,214 yards and 32 scores, good for QB3 in Fantasy PPG. His work on the ground—359 yards and 9 TDs—was also exemplary, and should leave open running lanes for Tuten.

Our Fantasy Life projections have Tuten leading the Jaguars in rushing attempts, 197-129, over Rodriguez. What is a good sign is that he’s projected to draw 39 targets, catching 30 for 240 yards and 9 total TDs.

This kind of production is available at an ADP of RB23 and overall pick 56.5. That’s a low-end RB2 range with another potential bargain in Cam Skattebo. His consensus ranking is RB24, well in line with his ADP.

Seriously, the projections may be low. Tuten has a golden opportunity to take hold of the Jaguars RB room in an ascending offense that directed almost 300 touches to Etienne last year. With Lawrence at the helm of a passing attack littered with talented WRs, Tuten should hardly face stacked boxes. With his speed, he has the potential to break off some long runs.

Redraft managers could have themselves a bargain, and dynasty players who were patient appear to have a gem on their hands. Hey could be a solid RB2 or even someone the Zero-RB mob could favor. With such a large load waiting for him, you’re darn Tuten that this second-year back is one to target.

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