Fantasy Football Backfield Breakdown: Jaguars, Texans, Colts & Titans

Let's dive back into the backfield breakdown series by looking at AFC South teams.

We already went over the AFC North, NFC North, AFC West and NFC West. We will cover more divisions in articles to come, so keep checking back to FantasySP!

Fantasy football average draft position data can be found on FantasySP in the leadup to the 2026 NFL season! Conduct your fantasy football mock drafts through FantasySP too - you can now customize the scoring settings to tailor to your fantasy leagues!

Jaguars

We'll begin with the 2025 AFC South champions, the Jacksonville Jaguars. They have a new-look backfield.

Travis Etienne is gone, and youngster Bhayshul Tuten is projected to now power the backfield. Chris Rodriguez Jr. LeQuint Allen Jr. and Ameer Abdullah are some other RB options.

Tuten was second on the team in carries (83) last season, but that was 177 less than Etienne. Tuten played in 15 games, rushing for 307 yards and five scores. He added 79 receiving yards and two touchdowns across 10 receptions and 14 targets.

Allen got in 17 games, but only received 23 carries last season. He rushed for 94 yards, while catching 10 of his 11 targets for 54 yards.

Rodriguez was with Washington for the first three years of his career. He got his most work in 2025, rushing for 500 yards and six scores over 112 carries. Rodriguez added 30 receiving yards across three catches and four targets.

Abdullah is a veteran for an otherwise super young RB room. The 33-year-old has not rushed for more than 600 yards in any season over his 11-year career. He has nine rushing scores and 11 touchdown receptions over 154 career games.

I expect Tuten to lead the backfield, but don't be surprised if Rodriguez or Allen factor in here and there. I don't see Abdullah doing much, unless injuries occur ahead of him on the depth chart.

Tuten's ADP is 59, which seems far too late for a team's likely lead back. I think he's a fantastic draft pick at that spot, and would go a round, or maybe even more, before that with him. I'm expecting Tuten to be a big draft steal in 2026.

Rodriguez is going at pick 133.43, so late in redraft standard leagues. He's fine to stash in those leagues, but don't expect to start him unless Tuten is out or struggling. Rodriguez is definitely worthy of stashing in deeper leagues, and if he does enough every week, he could be a flex-level option.

Allen is one to draft in deeper leagues too. I think he could surprise and be the team's true No. 2 back. You can skip Abdullah, and that goes for all leagues.

Texans

The Texans' backfield looks different as the new season approaches as well.

David Montgomery was acquired via trade from the Lions. Woody Marks and Jawhar Jordan are the top backup RBs.

The 29-year-old Montgomery has been a pretty good fantasy back over the years, even though he's rushed for over 1,000 yards just twice. He's scored 59 times on the ground, which is why he's been a decent fantasy asset. 

Montgomery faded out with Detroit, only having 716 yards and eight scores over 158 carries across 17 games last season. He added 192 receiving yards on 24 catches and 29 targets.

Marks was the Texans' rushing leader in 2025, going for 703 yards over 196 attempts. He scored just two touchdowns though. Marks had three scores as a pass catcher, along with 208 yards on 24 receptions and 36 targets.

Jordan played in just four games, but got 43 carries and seven receptions in that time. He rushed for 193 yards and had 34 receiving yards.

Montgomery looks to be the top back on the depth chart, but I think he and Marks could split the backfield in 2026. I do see Montgomery getting a few more touches at this point, so he'd be the 1A guy.

Montgomery's ADP is 47.29. That's a solid spot to draft him around, especially if you see a split backfield like I do. 

Marks' ADP is 133.14, and I think that's some stellar draft value right there. I'd be thrilled to add Marks late in a standard league, and think he could be worthy of flex-level starts here and there. He would definitely be worth drafting/rostering in deeper leagues.

I don't see a ton of work for Jordan after the top-two backs. He's worth stashing in some really deep leagues though. He'd be a decent waiver wire add if Montgomery and/or Marks were ever battling injuries.

Colts

Things are easy to assess in Indianapolis, where Jonathan Taylor is king.

He's the workhorse back for the Colts, and was just rewarded with another big contract. Taylor is going to dominate things in 2026 as long as he's healthy.

Rookie Seth McGowan and DJ Giddens are among the reserve backs in Indy.

Taylor absolutely dominated the backfield for the Colts in 2025. He got 323 of the team's 442 rushing attempts. Taylor rushed for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns. He added 378 receiving yards and two scores across 46 catches and 55 targets.

Giddens was on the roster last year too, but got in just nine games. He rushed for 96 yards on 26 attempts, while failing to catch either of his two targets.

McGowan was a seventh-round pick this offseason, but don't overlook him. He already appears to be second on the depth chart, so he's the guy looking at a big workload if Taylor is ever injured.

Taylor is going at pick seven in PPR leagues and he's third in non-PPR leagues. Regardless of what kind of league you are in, Taylor needs to be a first-round pick. He's bound to shine again in 2026, so hopefully he can stay healthy and do just that.

No other Indianapolis running back is on the ADP list, and for good reason after all we've discussed. McGowan and Giddens are just there for a couple touches a game - if they even get that - or if Taylor is hurt. And if Taylor were out an extended time, I wouldn't be surprised to see the team go out and acquire outside RB help.

Draft Taylor early and expect big things out of him. McGowan and Giddens are deep-league stashes - the same goes for dynasty leagues - but don't expect too much from them if Taylor is healthy for all of 2026.

Titans

The Titans' backfield looks pretty close to what it did in 2025, with the addition of a rookie adding some intrigue.

Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are the veteran backs in Tennessee, while fifth-round pick Nicholas Singleton is the rookie. Kalel Mullings and Julius Chestnut are deeper down the depth chart.

Pollard led the way for Tennessee in 2025, getting 242 of the team's 378 total carries. He rushed for 1,082 yards and five touchdowns, while catching 33 of his 41 targets for 206 yards.

Spears played in 13 games, getting 72 rushing attempts and 45 receptions. He rushed for 283 yards and two scores and had 264 receiving yards across 50 targets.

Chestnut got in 17 games, but only got 11 touches. He rushed for 40 yards on 11 carries and failed to catch either of his two targets. Mullins appeared in nine games, rushing three times for seven yards and not being targeted in the passing game.

Pollard is the lead back for now, and Spears is expected to back him up. If the Titans are struggling again, I wonder if they turn to Singleton eventually.

Pollard is going near pick 70 on average. That's a really respectable spot for him, especially after looking at last year's numbers. I wouldn't mind taking Pollard there - he could be a flex-level option, at least, if he functions in a similar fashion to 2025.

Spears is going around pick 134 on average, so late in standard redraft drafts. I don't mind stashing him, but you likely aren't starting him unless Pollard is hurt, or Spears overtakes Pollard. Spears is a better stash option in deeper redraft leagues.

Singleton is someone to stash in deep, deep redraft leagues. Be watching things closely though, and be ready to pounce if he ever gets a crack at being the team's lead back. He's a better dynasty asset, and could be a really good option at this time a year from now if things fall his way.