Don’t Forget About Tank Bigsby In Fantasy Leagues!
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With the Jaguars making big moves, Tank Bigsby could end up being a hidden gem in 2025 fantasy leagues.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have received a lot of hype this offseason, as they have brought in Liam Coen to help this offense (and team) reach its full potential, and selected Travis Hunter in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. The team also added Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of the draft.
Still, there’s another player in that running back room that seems to be getting overlooked a bit, putting him in the 2025 fantasy football sleepers category heading into drafts. Tank Bigsby averaged 4.6 yards per attempt last year and totaled seven rushing touchdowns, and despite being a virtual non-factor in the passing game, he had a five-week stretch last season where he was the RB14.
Coen wants to use multiple backs, and I’m urging you not to dismiss Bigsby in your fantasy football drafts simply because he doesn’t catch the ball.
The consistency metrics weren’t overly favorable for Bigsby, as he was only 40 percent consistent last season (6-for-15). However, when he was the RB14 from Weeks 4-8, he was 60 percent consistent across those five games. Coen’s offense in Tampa last season supported two top-24 RBs, with Bucky Irving posting a 71% clutch rate, and Rachaad White is coming in at 67%.
Yes, those two were involved in the passing game, but just because Bigsby hasn’t done it at the NFL level doesn’t mean he can’t. Remember, he caught 51 passes over his final two years at Auburn! Not that it’s entirely hard to beat, but I see Bigsby setting a career-high in receptions this season.
If we assume that Coen deploys a man/gap heavy scheme with the Jags in 2025, that stands to benefitBigsby more so than Tuten, and especially Travis Etienne Jr. Last year, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite, the Bucs had the eighth-highest rate of man/gap concept runs (45.3%). Take a look at how Bigsby and Etienne fared in recent years on these types of runs, per Fantasy Points’ Data Suite:
Player
Man/Gap %
YPC
Success Rate
2024 Tank Bigsby
58.30%
4.13
51.00%
2024 Travis Etienne
60.00%
3.29
42.20%
2023 Travis Etienne
57.70%
3.55
41.60%
Tuten was effective on these types of runs in college, but just 31% of his carries were man/gap concepts, per Pro Football Focus. Coen wants to use multiple backs, and I’m confident that Bigsby gets the first crack at being the primary goal-line back.
Bigsby’s 3.30 yards after contact per attempt was the second-best mark amongst RBs with at least 100 carries last season, and when he was given double-digit opportunities, he was great! He had nine games with 10+ carries in 2024, and across those nine games, he found the end zone in five of them, averaged over four yards per carry, and posted 65.4 rushing yards per game.
The third-year back out of Auburn will need to hold onto the football so he doesn’t play himself off the field, and any work he can get in the receiving game will be a plus. The reports out of camp have been positive for Bigsby, and his angry running style should have Coen and the Jaguars excited heading into 2025.
Coen wants to use multiple running backs, so this isn’t a situation where Bigsby steps into a workhorse role, but I believe he’ll be one of the two primary backs to begin the season, and the top option at the goal line. While your leaguemates zig to draft Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten, you should zag and grab Bigsby as your RB4 in fantasy football drafts.
You can find & followColby Conway on the X! Tank Bigsby Fantasy!
Colby Conway has been writing in the fantasy sports industry since 2014, focusing on fantasy football, fantasy baseball, daily fantasy sports, and sports betting (primarily player props). He is a die-hard Houston Texans fan, and is a participant in the King's Classic fantasy football leagues.