Running Back · Jacksonville Jaguars · Age 26 · Kentucky · RB36 Half-PPR (Season 2026)
Chris Rodriguez is ranked RB36 (overall #112) for the Season of the 2026 NFL season in Half-PPR fantasy football by Hayden of The Underdog Football Show. Hayden has Chris Rodriguez ranked 17 spots higher than their Underdog ADP of 129.4, flagging this as a value pick.
Rodriguez could be a sneaky FLEX in half PPR as Coen's grinder
Just like last year, we have to get the Jaguars' RB room sorted out before our drafts. To me, it looks like 3 clearly-distinct profiles that should lead to a real 3-RB committee. In bad offenses, we'd ignore it. In this offense with coach Liam Coen's history with fantasy production at RB, we can't. Simply put, Rodriguez is the best in short-yardage, while Bhayhsul Tuten is the most explosive and LeQuint Allen is most trusted in passing situations. Last year, Etienne was able to earn RB14 per-game volume, while Tuten was just the RB60. I'd be surprised if it was that drastic of a split between Tuten and Rodriguez this season. During OTAs, coach Liam Coen said the backfield race is wide open and hit-less practices up to date aren't going to sway things, even if Rodriguez missed almost all of it. Rodriguez and Coen have familiarity dating back to a season together at Kentucky when C-Rod had 1,440 total yards and 12 total touchdowns. Coen describes him as a very physical runner, which backs up what he churns out in short-yardage specifically. Rodriguez's +0.11 EPA per carry on carries with 5-or-fewer yards to go easily beats out what the Jaguars had between Etienne (-0.10) and Tuten (+0.03) last year. A similar split held true on all red zone carries (+0.20 EPA per carry vs. +0.06 and -0.01. It wouldn't be a surprise if C-Rod (5'11"/224) was the goal line back over Tuten (5'9"/209). That gives him a RB2/FLEX ceiling in half PPR, even if he's not going to play any passing downs. His 13 receptions in his lone season with Coen and his 6 career NFL receptions paint that picture very clearly. Last year, the Jaguars' RBs averaged 14.1 expected half PPR points on carries, which was 14th in the NFL. Etienne averaged 9.9 expected half PPR points (RB10), while Tuten was down at 4.0 (RB66). Rodriguez would be a 12-team FLEX option if he can inherit just 80% of Etienne's carries without any receiving work. That's well within the range of outcomes, not to mention his obvious role if Tuten misses time.
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Hayden is a fantasy football analyst for The Underdog Football Show, covering 2026 fantasy football with PPR and Half-PPR rankings, ADP comparisons, and weekly start/sit analysis. Rankings are updated regularly throughout the season. Hayden's "Best Bet" designations highlight players ranked higher than their ADP consensus, while "Fade" designations flag players the ranker believes are overvalued by the market.
By Hayden · The Underdog Football Show · Updated 2026-07-06