Jaguars' D'Ernest Johnson: Role could expand sans Etienne

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Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson suggested that Johnson is in line to take on a greater role out of the backfield for Sunday's game against the Patriots in London due to Travis Etienne (hamstring) set to be inactive for the contest, Steve Wyche of NFL Network reports.

With Etienne set to miss his first game of the season, the Jaguars will keep Johnson, Bigsby and practice-squad call-up Jake Funk active as their three running backs for Week 7. When Etienne exited the Jaguars' Week 6 loss to the Bears after playing just 11 snaps, Johnson (34 snaps) finished with far more playing time than Bigsby (16 snaps), but a negative game script and Johnson's standing as Jacksonville's preferred option on passing downs was likely a significant factor. Though Johnson should still rank as the clear choice ahead of Bigsby on third downs and obvious passing situations, expect Bigsby to serve as the Jaguars' lead runner in Etienne's absence this week. Bigsby is averaging an impressive 7.2 yards per carry on 41 totes this season, though Johnson has been competent in his opportunities on the ground as well (16 carries for 67 yards). Johnson's fantasy utility for Week 7 will likely be mostly limited to deeper PPR leagues.