Ameer Abdullah gets five touches in blowout win

LeQuint Allen (hip) was also limited. Both Jags played through their injuries in Week 2, so the limited designations in practice are simply maintenance. Meyers led the team in routes last week and found the end zone on one of his two targets. He will be a fantasy WR4 for Week 2.

Allen entered the weekend questionable with a hip injury. With some limited practices leading up to gameday, Allen is declared active and should be involved on passing downs for the Jaguars. His potential receiving role dampens Bhayshul Tuten’s upside against the Browns. Jaguars declared QB Quinn Ewers, OL Daniel Faalele, S Jalen Huskey, TE Tanner Koziol, DE Bryan Thomas Jr., and DE Wesley Williams inactive for Week 1 against the Browns.

Allen was expected to take on an expanded receiving role, in addition to his pass-protection duties, but a hip injury has stalled that plan. If active, he is unlikely to do more than help keep QB Trevor Lawrence upright. If he is inactive, the team could employ a committee approach in addressing his vacated duties.

Jaguars coach Liam Coen said yesterday that Allen would be a game-time decision for Week 1 against the Browns. If active, he should handle his typical pass-protection duties. If he is inactive, running backs Ameer Abdullah, Chris Rodriguez and Bhayshull Tuten could all take on a little extra work, though projecting the exact usage is challenging.

As expected, Allen did not practice Wednesday. It’s not that fantasy managers were eager to start Allen this week, but his absence would open up more routes and potential targets for Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez, who are listed as co-starters on Jacksonville’s Week 1 depth chart. Both C-Rod and Tuten would be slightly better options if Allen is sidelined this weekend.

Coen talked up Ameer Abdullah as a potential replacement for Allen’s duties in pass protection. He also singled out Chris Rodriguez’s abilities in pass pro. Pass protection duties aren’t a direct source of fantasy value, but it usually means that player will be on the field for the two-minute drill, which can generate plenty of receptions for running backs. Bhayshul Tuten not getting those reps would be a notable ding to his fantasy outlook. Allen himself isn’t on the fantasy radar, healthy or not.

Allen suffered a soft tissue injury during Monday’s practice and the Jaguars announced Tuesday morning that he’ll miss the rest of training camp. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season. While Allen doesn’t have standalone fantasy value, he seemed destined for a legitimate role as the primary receiving back in this offense. If Allen misses time in the regular season, it would boost receiving opportunities for Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez.

Allen’s pass-protection skills have him locked in as the Jaguars’ third-down running back. He played in all 17 games last season, but earned just 11 targets — hardly enough for a PPR-relevant role. Per Shipley, “has gotten more looks in the passing game in training camp this year than he did at this time a year ago.” He adds that it is unclear as to how much more involved Allen will be once the regular season arrives, but he closes by saying that “it does seem like the uptick is about to be very real.” With two other players expected to be involved in the backfield, it could still be tough for Allen to become FLEX-viable, but only time will tell.

Despite Tuten impressing in training camp per all eyes on the ground and Rodriguez being sidelined for most of the offseason with a foot injury, it remains a split backfield. That’s not a particularly auspicious sign for Tuten, though we imagine this will be a hot hand backfield and probably split in a way where no one actually leaves happy anyway with LeQuint Allen also siphoning third-down plays. The Jaguars have said they’re not playing their starters in the preseason, so this may remain a murky situation through the end of draft season.

Tuten operated as the starter, but “eventually, the Jaguars settled into a rotation where Tuten would start the drives before pass-protection specialist RB LeQuint Allen took over on third down, and RB Chris Rodriguez would enter the lineup when the Jaguars got within the 10-yard line. We still don’t know if Allen owns the two-minute drill role, but we know the team values his passing game skill set. He should be considered the favorite for both passing down gigs. If this overall rotation accurately reflects coach Liam Coen’s intentions, Tuten will have a difficult time returning value at his current ADP. That said, Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley notes that “last year’s scrimmage would have told you that Tank Bigsby was the Jaguars’ RB1,” so today’s roles may not be set in stone. Preseason usage could be the biggest tell. Stay tuned.